Over the course of her two decades teaching elementary Spanish, our founder searched for the ideal materials to meet her classroom’s needs. She tried several approaches, but each fell short of delivering the results she desired. Realizing that many other teachers faced the same challenges, she was inspired to create solutions. Those solutions have evolved into the highly effective program we offer today.
Approach 1: Various Resources
• The Problem: There are countless resources available for teaching Spanish, but these are individual pieces of a larger, essential puzzle. From websites & apps to games, flashcards, & worksheets, these tools are valuable, but when sourced from various places, they often lack the consistency needed for students to develop a strong, foundational understanding of the language. While these activities may cover similar topics, they’re presented in disconnected formats, making it difficult for students to recognize patterns & make connections. Lesson planning is also challenging, as teachers are left without a core framework to guide them. To truly build fluency, students need a program that provides structure, repetition, & cohesion throughout their elementary years.
• Our Solution: Our leveled workbooks provide a clear roadmap, guiding students through a spiral curriculum that increases in complexity while continually revisiting vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. By using a cohesive program, students become familiar with the material, recognizing patterns that build a strong foundation and ensure steady progress. For example, instead of exposure to random words and images from disconnected resources, each of our vocabulary words are paired with a unique image, accelerating language acquisition through visual association. Repeated use of these words and images over time enhances retention and mastery. While we gladly encourage using supplemental materials from other sources to create variety, a cohesive program is the necessary key to long-term student success.
Approach 2: Programs with 4 Levels or Less
• The Problem: Most elementary Spanish teachers instruct a minimum of 6 grades, if not more. While there are other programs offering a spiral curriculum, many educators eventually run out of material to teach. Our founder recognized that her students were capable of (& eager for) more advanced lessons & deeper comprehension, but these programs lacked sufficient content to match their growing capabilities, limiting their potential & progress.
• Our Solution: With 8 levels of engaging material, our program provides teachers with more than enough diverse content to cover all of the grades they teach, & students can continue progressing without limitations. At the same time, students are not required to complete the entire program by the end of elementary school. We begin introducing middle school concepts (such as verb conjugations) in Level F, but in a fun and approachable way that is suitable for elementary students. Therefore, even if students don’t complete all 8 levels by the end of their elementary education, they will still be well-prepared for middle school.
Approach 3: Programs with 5 Levels or More
• The Problem: Programs of this comprehensive scope are rare, & those that exist are often inflexible & complex. Their rigid structure typically requires a separate textbook & workbook for each level, limiting the ability to adapt the curriculum in a way that meets specific needs. This is especially challenging for elementary Spanish teachers, who teach multiple grades & have students with varying degrees of language proficiency within the same classroom. Additionally, this format demands extensive & time-consuming lesson planning, which is unrealistic for most educators & prevents them from easily customizing materials to suit their teaching style, schedule, & students.
• Our Solution: While our program offers a robust & comprehensive curriculum spanning 8 levels, it remains remarkably flexible & adaptable to meet the diverse needs of today’s classrooms. Unlike other programs that require a separate textbook for each level, our textbook is uniquely applicable to all levels, streamlining lesson planning & simplifying the transition between teaching multiple grades in a single day. Most textbooks are organized by unit, following a rigid linear structure where concepts build progressively, requiring strict adherence to a predefined sequence that aligns with each workbook. In contrast, our textbook is organized by topic, with each topic presented as a “Mini Lesson” that teaches key language concepts in a concise, easy-to-grasp format. These topics are then integrated into each workbook at gradually increased levels of complexity, creating a clear & cohesive learning journey. If needed, teachers can easily adjust the difficulty of an activity to suit their students' needs while remaining focused on the relevant topic. By using the same textbook throughout their elementary education, students are also able to observe how each language concept develops & expands over time. This approach not only deepens their understanding, but also fosters continuity & long-term retention.
As highlighted above, Vivamos Spanish was thoughtfully developed from a teacher’s perspective, born out of a genuine need to bridge the gaps & address the shortcomings of traditional Spanish teaching methods. We hope to make teaching & learning Spanish a joyful, rewarding journey for both you & your students!