New School Year Plans

I've finalized my plans for the upcoming school year. I have set goals for each language. I believe each of these goals is attainable.

Arabic - Both boys will recognize each letter of the alphabet and it's pronunciation through the Alif Baa textbook and DVD. They will be able to write each letter correctly with assistance from Arabic without Tears Book 1. Elijah will develop a vocabulary of 200 words demonstrated through flashcards when given the English word. Luke will develop a vocabulary of 200 words demonstrated through flashcards when given the Arabic word.

Mandarin - Both boys will learn the pinyin alphabet and practice the four tones though Chinese Made Easy for Kids Book 1. They will demonstrate a vocabulary of 200 words through flashcards where Elijah is given English words and Luke is given Mandarin words.

Greek - Complete Hey Andrew Teach Me Some Greek Book 1 and be able to recite the Greek alphabet, recognize each letter and the sound it makes. They will also be able to read 20 simple Greek words.

French - They boys will demonstrate a 50 word vocabulary through activities in Ecoutez! Parlez! Learning French for Kids.

French is a new one. They have basically only had exposure to the language this past year. I'll post on how things go.

End of the school year

We have come to the end of our school year. What has worked and what has not? My oldest son is on the second year using Rosetta Stone Mandarin verson 2. While it is a wonderful program, it has not been working well for him. We never seem to get very far with the program. Maybe it will be a better fit when he is older. My boys have learned more through Youtube videos while they ate their lunch. Next year I am going a different route. I will still have Rosetta Stone, but I plan to use the Chinese Made Easy for Kids curriculum for my boys next year. It comes with a text book and a workbook.

They both enjoyed their Greek workbook this year. They are about 2/3 of the way through book one of Hey, Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! They are learning the Greek alphabet and doing quite well with it.

This was our first year learning Arabic. Basically, my kids learned the alphabet and about 30 different words in Arabic. It is probably their favorite language to learn. Youtube videos have been helpful for them. Next year they will be using Arabic for English Speakers Junior computer game and the Arabic for Beginners textbook.

The other language we are undertaking is French. This year I have focused on my kids getting exposure to the language. We moved to Canada so that helped! There are French TV programs for kids here and French writing on all labels so it isn't too hard to get exposure. I do need to learn pronunciation so I can read it. Next year I plan to use Ecoutez! Parlez! Learning French for Kids level 1.

We look forward to starting these programs in August. Spanish was a good choice to discontinue. In the USA we heard Spanish quite often. Since moving to Canada exposure to Spanish has become more and more infrequent. On the other hand, we have had increased exposure to French, Mandarin, and Arabic. Just last week we went to a part of town where stores had Arabic writing on their store signs. By middle school I hope to place my kids in a class where they can be taught by a native speaker for French, Mandarin, and Arabic. And I think we live in a great place to do that!