Class Description:

For the littlest Spanish learners Baby Barcelona™ (12-24 months) and Olé & Play™ (2-3 years)  classes allow parents and their little ones to learn the basic elements of the Spanish language such as the alphabet, numbers, seasons, animals, colors, and other pre-school vocabulary in an immersion environment assuring that learning is comprehensive and is not taught as isolated vocabulary. Classes are conducted in an interactive, circle time format using music and singing to teach beginning Spanish communication and comprehension. Children and parents will learn with puppets, instruments and toys through an exploration of themes allowing children to develop knowledge skills out of focused communication and play.  We will offer a 90 minute Olé & Play class which further challenges young learners in an additional 30 minutes of games and pre-literacy skill building.

At the next level, Castile Cavaliers™ (3-4 years) classes focus on basic comprehension, communication and sound acquisition skills. In addition, children start to learn popular Spanish rhymes, songs, poetry and stories, building a cultural context for their language learning. They also have the opportunity to dress up as flamenco dancers, bullfighters, princesses, knights and painters from the Spanish speaking world.

For children of school-age years, classes include: Aragon Adventurers™ (5-6 years), Madrid Musketeers™ I (7-9 years), and Toledo Teens™ (12-14yrs). Linguistic and cultural learning is conducted in a fun and engaging format.  Classes will begin with a lesson which is centered around learning about a Spanish or Latin American artist, literary character, historical lesson or genre of music. One day children may embark on an adventure discovering the New World, emulating the trials and tribulations of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain and Christopher Columbus. Or they may recite and act out the poems of Colombian poet, Rafael Pombo or the Nicaraguan poet Rúben Darío. They might take a turn at being Don Quijote, Sancho Panza or Dulcinea from Miguel de Cervantes seminal work, “Don Quijote de la Mancha”, or they might paint a mural in the vibrant colors of Diego Rivera’s paintings. Or they might try to learn a flamenco dance, make a papel picado craft for “el Diá de los Muertos” or sing villancicos(Christmas carols) in Spanish. In all Castile Cavaliers, Aragon Adventurers and Madrid Musketeers classes children will receive homework assignments (non-mandatory) to underscore themes and vocabulary and provide practice with writing and reading in Spanish.  Toledo Teens class follows our CultureCentric Immersion curriculum but with a special focus on the interests and abilities of kids in the 12-14 age group.  

 For children of primary school age years who are already bilingual we offer our Isabella  & Ferdinand Curso Intensivo classes as well as our Curso DELE which prepares our more advances students for taking the DELE exam.  The Curso Intensivo classes follow our Isabella & Ferdinand curriculum, but are designed for children who already have a solid comprehension base and adequate (but not necessarily fluent) oral ability in the Spanish language. This usually applies to children who have one or both parents (or a dedicated caregiver) who are Spanish-speaking or who have had previous significant exposure to Spanish language education. Click here for a complete explanation of this curriculum.  Our Isabella & Ferdinand Curso Intensivo classes for bilingual children are designed to enhance oral, written and reading skills in the language moving at a faster pace than our other classes within the same age group.  The Curso DELE prepares students for taking the DELE exam and follows a course of certification throughout the various levels of fluency.  Please email us at info@isabellaandferdinand.org for more information.