Wednesday, September 4, 2013

TOS Review - Homeschool Spanish Academy

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What is Homeschool Spanish Academy?

Homeschool Spanish Academy is an online school for children and adults to learn Spanish using one on one time (two on one time is also available for families with multiple children participating) with a with very knowledgeable instructor. After creating an account and profile for yourself and/or your child, you are able to choose your teacher from a variety of profiles given. A small description of the instructor is given and a picture of him or her. You are also able to schedule your classes from a long list of available times in order to accommodate your schedule.


There are four levels of classes to choose from:

Early Language Program 
Middle School Program
High School Program
Adult Language Program

There are a few items that are required in order to complete the classes. You must have a high speed internet connection and a web cam. There are very simple instructions that are given in order to check the connection speed of your internet. It was very simple for me to follow the guidelines in order to make sure we were able to connect with our teacher. 


What We Received and How We Used It:

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Kollin is 6 years old and particiapted in the Early Language Program. This program is specifically designed for children ages 5-12. Classes are 25 minutes in length. Kollin was given a half semester with 1 class per week, this particular set is $59.99 ($8.57/class). Homeschool Spanish Academy offers several different options for class sets and I have included the pricing for those options below. 



The earlier a child starts with learning a foreign language, the better. In this program, the child begins with learning and focusing on the basics of building a strong foundation for learning how to speak Spanish. The student begins by learning vowels, simple pronunciations and moving onto common phrases and small sentences. 



We were able to download the program Skype easily and quickly in order to communicate with Kollin's instructor. We logged in about 5 minutes prior to his time and every class his teacher connected with him right on time. We chose to stick with the same instructor, I figured this would be easier for Kollin. The first few minutes of the first class, she introduced herself and told Kollin a little about her. In turn, she asked Kollin a few questions about him as well. I could immediately see a great connection. I chose to leave Kollin for the majority of his lessons so he could focus on the new information. Just after the first lesson, he was able to recite his vowels in Spanish. During the lesson (in the photo below) visuals are used in order to reinforce what she was teaching him. He was given very simple homework to complete between classes and Elda also uploaded the homework assignment and went over that with him at the end of each course. 



My Opinion:

Seeing Kollin excited about something entirely different than he has ever been before was such a blessing for me. Although I chose to not sit in on his entire lesson, I did stick around for the first few minutes to watch him. His entire face lit up each time him and Elda met and completed a class. 




I have so many wonderful comments to make about our experience with HSA. My first is to speak of Kollin's instructor. Elda was so friendly,worked fantastic with Kollin and she was just a person that after meeting her once - you feel like you've known her forever. 
She was so kind to him and seemed really interested every time they spoke. Elda was very much invested in Kollin's lessons, that made me feel so wonderful. Each time Kollin would sort of venture off course, she would gently pull him back in. I was very much impressed with Elda and everything she brought to Kollin's lessons. One particular thing has really stuck with me and I wanted to share: from Kollin's first lesson to his second, Kollin had a haircut. At the start of Kollin' s lesson, Elda said hello and immediately recognized his haircut. I just loved that. Kollin looked up at me and just smiled. 

I love the entire set up of the program. From checking the speed of our internet connection to scheduling classes, it was all very easy to follow. I love being able to pick the time of our classes. With having a large family, having that flexibility was such a blessing.


HSA sends out email reminders for homework and classes. Having that quick reminder was great! 


My husband and I are planning to establish Kollin and Kolt's lessons for the rest of this school year. Both of the boys are looking forward to doing lessons with Elda. 


Important Links:
Create Your Account Here

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1 comment:

  1. I think Spanish is a fantastic language, and very useful for people like us who live in the US. I studied spanish when I was young and I stayed 1 year in Barcelona, Spain, in a spanish school. It was the best time of my life! :)
    Annie

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