At Sarah’s Spanish School (SSS), we understand that each child has a unique way of learning.
When it comes to language education, particularly learning Spanish, the more we align our lessons with individual learning styles, the better students develop their language skills.
By understanding whether a student is a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner, school leaders can make Spanish lessons even more effective and engaging by setting students on the right path toward language proficiency from an early age.
Understanding Learning Style Basics
Every student is different when it comes to the learning process, and learning Spanish is no exception. Language learning styles play a significant role in how well students absorb new words and master language skills. Understanding whether a student learns best through visual cues, sounds, or physical movement helps tailor instruction to meet their needs, making learning Spanish not only more effective but also more enjoyable.
At Sarah’s Spanish School, we use research-based practices from ACTFL guidelines to ensure that our students’ learning styles are accommodated. By applying differentiated instruction, we help students acquire language skills based on how they learn best, fostering greater language proficiency.
Signs Your Child is a Visual Spanish Learner
Visual learners thrive when they can see new information. If your child learns Spanish through visual cues, they may respond better to activities like reading, watching videos, and looking at pictures. Visual learners tend to remember new words and language structures when they can associate them with images or written words.
In a typical classroom, visual learners might excel with flashcards, diagrams, and illustrated vocabulary sheets. At Sarah’s Spanish School, our online Spanish lessons use a combination of interactive lessons, props, visuals, movements, and more to reinforce language skills.
These methods help students learn Spanish by seeing connections between words and images, boosting retention and helping them develop their second language with ease.
Indicators of an Auditory Learning Style
Auditory learners grasp language best when they hear it. If your child has an auditory learning style, they will benefit from listening to conversations, songs, or instructions in Spanish. These learners often excel when they can repeat phrases, songs, or language patterns aloud.
In each lesson at Sarah’s Spanish School, students are prompted to repeat consistently to help retain new words and information while practicing their pronunciation of the language!
Auditory learners often find it easier to pick up on the rhythm and tone of a language. They respond well to activities like listening to Spanish songs, participating in dialogues, or engaging in TPR (Total Physical Response) activities that involve verbal commands.
Sarah’s Spanish School incorporates a lot of songs, storytelling, and interactive language exercises in our curriculum so that auditory learners experience a fun and effective way to communicate in Spanish!
Kinesthetic Learning – Signs to Watch For
Kinesthetic learners are those who learn best by doing. If your child enjoys moving around and interacting with physical objects during their learning, they are likely a kinesthetic learner. In the context of learning Spanish, these students benefit from hands-on activities such as role-playing, building projects, or using gestures to act out vocabulary words.
Kinesthetic learners may find it easier to remember new Spanish words when they can associate them with physical actions or movements. This is where Total Physical Response (TPR) comes into play. TPR is a teaching method that combines language learning with physical movement, helping students connect words with actions. For example, when learning action verbs like saltar (jump) or bailar (dance), students physically perform the actions as they say the words aloud. This method engages kinesthetic learners by allowing them to use their bodies to reinforce language skills!
At Sarah’s Spanish School, we incorporate TPR into every lesson along with activities that involve crafting, dancing, or playing games. These activities help students learn Spanish through physical engagement, supporting their language development in a hands-on way.
Whether it’s acting out new vocabulary, playing interactive language games, or creating art that reflects new words, kinesthetic learners are actively involved in their learning process, which helps reinforce new words and phrases in a way that sticks.
Matching Spanish Activities to Learning Styles
At Sarah’s Spanish School, we design our Spanish lessons to align with all three learning styles, ensuring that students of all preferences can develop language proficiency. Visual learners are supported and engaged through our on-screen vocabulary charts, slideshows, props, and visuals. Auditory learners are consistently supported with our immersion-based lessons taught by our amazing teachers! They’ll love learning through the catchy songs and story-based activities. New information is consistently reinforced aloud and students are prompted to repeat consistently in each lesson. And for our kinesthetic learners, there will be lots of physical and hands-on movement as we learn with interactive games, crafting activities, and TPR exposure!
In addition to the standard lessons, SSS offers bonus activities that provide extra practice tailored to each student’s learning style. These activities reinforce Spanish language skills while allowing students to further explore and practice in the style that best suits them.
Working with Teachers to Support Your Child’s Style
To maximize student development and language proficiency, it’s essential to work closely with teachers and administrators to ensure that learning styles are being supported. At Sarah’s Spanish School, we partner with schools to customize our approach to language education. Whether it’s through online Spanish lessons for elementary or middle school students, or adjusting materials to better fit students’ needs, we are committed to helping schools implement a Spanish language curriculum that is both flexible and effective.
At Sarah’s Spanish School, we make it easy for schools to integrate Spanish into their schedules without requiring additional staff to be Spanish speakers. With our proficiency-based program, we take care of all the planning, allowing schools to provide their students with high-quality, engaging Spanish lessons that meet their learning needs.
FAQ:
Q: How do you tell if your child is a visual learner?
A: You can tell if your child is a visual learner if they tend to remember things better when they see them, such as recalling images, diagrams, or written instructions. They might also focus more on visual elements, like charts, maps, or drawings, and often prefer to read or look at pictures rather than listening to verbal explanations.
Q: How do visual learners learn Spanish?
A: Visual learners typically learn Spanish by associating new words with images, charts, and written text. They benefit from seeing vocabulary words paired with pictures or flashcards and often find it easier to recall information when it is presented visually. In Spanish lessons, activities such as reading, watching videos, or viewing visual aids can help reinforce their learning.
Q: What is the difference between kinesthetic and visual learners?
A: The key difference between kinesthetic and visual learners is how they process and retain information. Kinesthetic learners learn best through physical movement and hands-on activities, like acting out words or creating things with their hands. Visual learners, on the other hand, learn best by seeing things, such as reading, viewing diagrams, or watching demonstrations. Kinesthetic learners are active participants, while visual learners rely more on observing and looking at visual stimuli.
Q: How do you tell if you are a visual or auditory learner?
A: To determine if you are a visual or auditory learner, think about how you best retain and recall information. Visual learners often remember details from pictures, written notes, or diagrams, while auditory learners tend to remember things they hear, like conversations, music, or verbal instructions. If you find it easier to recall something after seeing it, you are likely a visual learner; if you remember better after hearing it, you are likely an auditory learner.
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Conclusion
Understanding and accommodating different learning styles is crucial to successful Spanish language education. At Sarah’s Spanish School, we ensure that visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners all have the opportunity to develop their language skills in a way that works for them. Through engaging online Spanish lessons, customized activities, and strong support for both teachers and schools, we make it simple and effective for school leaders to offer high-quality language programs that set students up for long-term success in language proficiency.
Whether you are looking to implement Spanish lessons in your elementary or middle school, Sarah’s Spanish School is here to support your students’ growth and development every step of the way.