5 of the Best Spanish Learning Programs: Live Courses and Software
What do you expect from the best Spanish learning programs for kids?
I ask you this because the market is full of options with a diversity of approaches and learning philosophies. How do you know which option is the right fit for your children?
Nowadays, brands such as Rosetta Stone or Duolingo have become household names as automatic language learning programs that are easy to download and to use. But what these programs are missing is the guiding light of an experienced teacher who knows how to tailor lessons to the specific needs of your child.
In this post, we’ll compare the pros and cons of live online courses against software programs, with an extensive analysis of five of the best Spanish learning programs for kids, enriched with comments and recommendations.
Live Courses vs Software
If you’re looking for the best Spanish learning programs for your children, you’ll soon find out that you have to make a choice between live courses and software programs.
A live course is still an online learning program, but one where your kids can interact with a private teacher and focus on their specific needs.
In contrast, a software program provides a lot of learning resources such as games, videos, flashcards, and many others. In both cases, your progress depends on how much time you invest in the program.
Software: Pros and Cons
Among the best Spanish learning programs, you can find some excellent software courses. Let’s check out their pros and cons:
Pros
- Lots of resources. Games, worksheets, flashcards, audios, videos, etc.
- Always available. You can use your software any time you want and for as long as you need.
- Affordable. Softwares tends to be a more economic option, though the costs vary widely depending on the program.
Cons
- No guidance. The lack of an expert to guide your children through their learning process is the main concern with software learning programs.
- No real-life conversations. Your kids may hear a lot of audio and watch a lot of videos, but they won’t interact with a real Spanish-speaking person.
- The “gym syndrome.” Have you ever bought fitness equipment only to never use it? But when you book personal trainer sessions at the gym, you never miss a class, right? Software courses tend to be like fitness equipment, while private teachers are the personal trainers of language learning programs.
Live Courses: Pros and Cons
Now, let’s analyze the pros and cons of live learning courses so we can compare both options:
Pros
- Private tutor. You can’t overstate the importance of having an expert in the language at hand to help your child and focus on their specific needs.
- Real-life conversations. Live courses offer the crucial option of engaging in conversations with native Spanish speakers, which is priceless.
- Lots of resources. A live course can still use plenty of different resources that enrich the one on one lessons with the private teacher.
Cons
- Fixed availability. Once you schedule your classes, that’s the time allocated for your formal learning sessions.
- Price. Live courses tend to be more expensive than software programs, but you can find affordable options that are worth a look.
Best Spanish Learning Programs: Software
When you start looking for the best Spanish learning programs out there, you’ll quickly discover that there are plenty of different options. So many that it may be hard to know how to choose the right one for you.
I’ve created a list of 5 of the best Spanish learning programs out there to help you with that decision.
1. Loved by Children: Dinolingo
Dinolingo is a comprehensive learning program based on the premise that kids learn by playing. It includes an impressive collection of games, songs, stories, books, audiobooks, video lessons, flashcards, and worksheets, all beautifully designed for kids with an unifying dinosaur theme.
What I Like
- Focuses on children and their way of learning
- Fun
- Latin American Spanish accent
What I Don’t Like
- Not Spanish experts (Dinolingo offers learning programs in 52 languages)
- It’s designed as a tool for teachers and institutions
- Pay as you go subscription means that you only have access to the software while you keep paying for it
Price: **
For $119, you get access for one year and can open accounts for up to 3 children.
Conclusion
Dinolingo offers great materials at competitive rates. It’s a good option for parents who know how to play the role of a teacher and will be there to guide kids using the huge amount of resources.
2. The School-like Option: Risas y Sonrisas
Risas y Sonrisas by SpanishforKids.com is one of the best Spanish learning programs out there. It comes with a lot of engaging materials not only for kids but also for parents and teachers. They promote the idea that you don’t even need to speak Spanish to start teaching it, which sounds just perfect for committed parents who want their kids to learn the language.
What I Like
- Instructor manual with over 100 hours of lesson plans
- Physical materials complemented with an online program
- Aligned with ACTFL Standards
What I Don’t Like
- Some materials are not included and you have to buy them separately
- You have to pay for a teacher’s license and for individual students
- It looks like a school program
Price: ***
For $299, you get one homeschool program teacher license for one year. Each individual student login costs $12 extra.
Conclusion
Risas y Sonrisas is pricey for software, but the supporting resources are excellent. It’s ideal for teachers, but perhaps not for private users. Looking so much like a school program makes you wonder if you wouldn’t prefer to simply enroll in a language school.
3. The Complete Course: Calico Spanish
Calico Spanish is a well-rounded Spanish learning program that provides a clear pathway for kids to learn and parents to guide through their process. The program offers plenty of resources, online access and the option to download all lesson materials.
What I Like
- The program is built around engaging stories for kids
- Parent guides
- One subscription per family gives you access to everything
What I Don’t Like
- Some materials are sold separately
- It can be overwhelming for inexperienced parents
Price: *
For $89, you get one year of access per family.
Conclusion
I consider Calico Spanish one of the best Spanish learning programs available. As far as software goes, it is top-level. It has everything, it’s fully-focused on children without forgetting to support parents, and it comes at an affordable price.
Best Spanish Learning Programs: Live Courses
Now it’s time to analyze some of the best live Spanish courses available on the market.
4. Professional but Expensive: Easy español
Easy español is a program exclusively designed for young learners. It’s based on the 3 principles of visual & aural literacy development, cognitive skills improvement, and culture appreciation integration.
What I Like
- Combines live online lessons with comprehensive online platform
- One-on-one lessons or small group instruction option
- Strong focus on culture appreciation
What I Don’t Like
- It doesn’t look child-friendly
- Assessment and introductory lesson at an extra cost
- Expensive
Price: *****
For $99, you get four 40-minute private lessons.
Conclusion
It’s quite an expensive course and not straightforward about what it includes. When I clicked on the “Enroll Now” button to know more about the course, it directly sent me to Paypal. If you want to know how it works, you have to pay for an assessment or an introductory lesson.
5. The All-in-One Option: Homeschool Spanish Academy
Homeschool Spanish Academy has earned a reputation as one of the best Spanish learning programs on the market today. Its comprehensive approach is four times more effective than traditional learning methods and includes lots of free, easy-to-access resources such as a YouTube channel, eBooks, downloadable grammar lessons and, of course, this blog.
What I Like
- One-on-one lessons with native, certified teachers
- Flexible scheduling, allows you to first plan your life and then organize your classes
- Tailored to your specific needs
- Free trial
- High school credit
What I Don’t Like
- Students only get exposure to one Spanish accent
- I already speak Spanish and they don’t offer other languages
Price: ***
Different plans available, but the best deal per class costs $599 for 60 classes, which comes out to $9.98 per one-on-one class. You can also book 15 or 30-class packages and there are two-student class options.
Conclusion
I left the best Spanish learning program on the market for last. This program has so many benefits that it’s hard to pinpoint just a few of them. Nothing can beat the power of a one-on-one lesson with a professional native Spanish speaker. They work with kids of all ages and are Spanish specialists. Besides, the cost comes at a fraction of what most companies charge for live one-on-one classes.
Help Your Children Start Learning Spanish Today!
These are some of the best Spanish learning programs for kids available on the market now. Some offer lots of materials, whereas others focus on a personal approach and real-life conversations (such as Homeschool Spanish Academy!). Now all you have to do is to choose the right one for your kids and remember to support them during their learning process.
Sign up for a free class to try for yourself today, and see your child engage in a conversation with a native Spanish-speaking teacher!
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