The following is a sponsored post in collaboration with Calico Spanish. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
YEARS ago, I wrote a review of Calico Spanish as a resource for teaching Spanish at home. At that time, it was a great program. Since then, they have continued to grow their curriculum and have now completely revamped and updated it, embracing new technology and the needs of modern families. Calico Spanish has changed dramatically and is now an engaging online program for schools and families.
Today, I'm focusing on their homeschool program designed for children ages 4+.
The Curriculum
When you sign up, you gain access to 365 lesson plans, 32 video stories, 27 song videos, 15 storybooks, 99 activity sheets, 549 flash cards, 24 posters, and 20+ games. That's a LOT of content!
You start off by choosing the level that best suits your child's needs. There are four total, each with a different theme and skill level. It is a scaffolding curriculum, building on what your child has learned in the previous level. Each level teaches specific concepts and vocabulary. The four themes are:
- A: I Am Special
- B: I Love My Family
- C: I Live Here
- and D: Welcome to the Farm
Here's an example of what your child will learn in level B:
If you are worried by the amount of screen time your child will have, then let me reassure you that your child doesn't spend the whole lesson staring at a screen. Each lesson includes activities and resources for offline learning. Although it is 100% digital, you can still print resources for free, or order professionally printed ones. These resources include flash cards, posters, and games your child can use offline.
The Lessons
When you open your level, the first thing you see is an introduction capsule that contains an introductory PDF for that level that you can open or download and print. You'll also find a lesson checklist and a student progress checklist, both of which you can view or download.
Then you can open one of the eight units in each level. The daily lessons are carefully laid out for you and presented in bite-sized chunks to fit a young child's attention span without overwhelming. EVERYTHING you need is included in each online lesson. You simply scroll down from one activity to the next. And you can easily navigate from one day's lesson to the next using the tabs at the top of the page...
I'm also very happy to see that each level includes 4 to 5 capsules dedicated to culture. I think that is one really important element of learning a new language and it's hard to teach effectively without also teaching about the cultures that speak the language.
I think, though, that what children will love best about the program is the story-based approach and the fun animated characters. In addition to the stories, there are also songs, animated video clips, and game-based play.
Calico Spanish has done all the work for you. All you have to do as a parent is sign up and follow the lesson plans. It's no-prep and easy for parents to implement, and fun for your kids.
Over the last six months, I've read comments from a LOT of parents who don't speak a lick of Spanish, but had their children enrolled in dual language/immersion schools. This is a program that allows monolingual parents to teach Spanish to their children who find themselves learning at home for virtual schooling or homeschool. I love that this available for them!
Pricing
The price is also unbelievably reasonable considering the program. Do you know why? Because the COO of Calico is a HOMESCHOOLING MOM of three! She gets it.
Homeschoolers have three options: pay monthly, quarterly, or yearly. Honestly? The best savings is the annual subscription which works out to only $7.42 a month!!! (Whaaa?? I know! Crazy!) Really, even $16 a month for daily lessons is a steal. Find the exclusive homeschool pricing here.
But you know what I ALWAYS say: Print sample pages or use the free trial of ANY curriculum you are considering before you buy it. I love that Calico lets you try the program for free for one week. Their free trial gives you access to 8 full units (2 per level) for 7 days. TRY IT YOURSELF.
I think you will love it.
Special Black Friday Deal for MommyMaestra Readers!
MommyMaestra.com readers can purchase the full curriculum access for just $1 for the first month. The subscription automatically renews at the regular low homeschool price of $16 per month, and families can cancel anytime.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received access to this program for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are mine.