Making the Switch to Remote Learning During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Amid the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis, more than 69,000 public schools have closed their doors in the United States during an unprecedented nationwide shutdown. 37 states have been affected and more than 35.9 million public school students are being forced to take classes virtually. While K-12 school boards across the country scramble to provide e-learning platforms for their students, more than 41% of schools admit to not having the ability to do so even for one day. Ultimately, it’s become the parents’ responsibility to establish a remote learning environment at home for their children and to promote their education through the skillful use of high-quality resources.

How HSA Can Help

Homeschool Spanish Academy counts on 10 years of service in foreign language education, providing remote learners with access to immersive Spanish classes. We have a unique curriculum and teaching style that can be tailored to the varied needs of students of all ages and levels. Students are immersed into a Spanish-speaking environment from day one, which allows them to learn the language quickly and in a more natural manner. Build your child’s Spanish fluency during this surprise break from traditional school, where they must learn from home. Check out the details of our remote learning programs below.

If you’re a school in need of supplemental online Spanish courses, read 6 Compelling Reasons to Outsource Your Spanish Classes.

If you’re a parent who is new to remote learning, where do you start?

How to Transition Easily to Remote Learning

To ease the burden of this abrupt switch to remote learning, you will want to make sure you have the right equipment in your home to ensure a smooth transition. What’s more, you’ll want to know where to find top-quality learning resources for your children.

The Right Equipment

Laptop, desktop computer, or tablet
USB or wireless mouse
Headphones
High-performance router for a stronger wi-fi connection
Quiet learning area with desk and chair
Dry-erase calendar for organizing classes and assignments
Notebooks per subject
Printer for worksheets or flashcards
Surge protector to conserve energy and protect your electronics

The Right Resources

Gather your list of resources and start signing up your children to benefit from the curriculum that others have created. Here is a list of high-quality remote learning resources:

Homeschool Spanish Academy – offers live 1-on-1 Spanish instruction with native speakers. Sign up today for a free trial class!
Remote Learning Community – shares K-12 lessons made by teachers
Scholastic Learn At Home – provides day-by-day projects for K-12 students
Time4Learning – supports sudden “accidental” homeschooling parents like you and provides K-12 curriculum.
IXL – promotes skill-building by grade through an interactive online learning tool
CK12 – offers standards-aligned, open content in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
International Children’s Digital Library – provides access to children’s books from around the world in different languages.
Khan Academy – offers K-12 video tutorials on algebra, calculus, physics, economics, and more.
MIT K-12 Videos – provides video tutorials for K-12 in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) topics.
NeoK12 – shares educational videos, lessons, quizzes and educational games for K-12 students
WatchKnowLearn – 1,000+ collection of educational YouTube videos organized by subject and all appropriate for children.
World Atlas – explore the world with an interactive world atlas
Crash Course – YouTube channel with short and entertaining videos on world history in cartoon format
Spanish Academy TV – promotes Spanish fluency with engaging lessons, funny videos, cultural insight into Latin America, interviews with Homeschool Spanish Academy teachers, and much more.

The Perks of HSA

If your child is in high school, signing up for Spanish classes with HSA will allow them to keep learning where they left off and they can even earn high school credit.

Download our free eBook with details, sample courses, and curriculum on our high school Spanish program!

Additionally, if your child was unable to start or finish a scheduled study abroad experience due to the coronavirus, they can still get immersion-style Spanish! Sign them up for a free trial class with our native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala and bring real Latin American culture into your home!

Is HSA Affected by the Coronavirus?

In Guatemala, where we are based, there have been 6 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Since our CEO, Ron Fortin, had operational plans in place since January, HSA was able to take precautionary action immediately. While our staff normally operates live online instruction from our headquarters in Antigua, Guatemala, we’ve set them up to deliver classes from the safety of their home.

In addition to these changes, and similar to other companies that offer remote learning services, the demand for our classes has increased dramatically in the last few days. This trend is guaranteed to rise over the next few months as students across the US engage in online learning.

As we move forward to continue providing our students with world-class 1-on-1 instruction, we maintain a strong digital infrastructure with fast-acting tech support to handle a major influx of new users.

Teachers are likely to book up quickly, and we will do our best to make sure all of our students have access to their favorite instructors.

Earn Credit with Spanish Classes for K-12

Take a look at our programs to see which is the best fit for you and your children. Keep in mind that we offer both 1-on-1 Spanish classes as well as 2-on-1. Let your similarly-aged kids learn together with the same teacher, at the same time!

Preschool Programs

Session Length: 25 min

Suggested Ages: 5-6

Build a solid Spanish foundation by learning pronunciation, greetings, basic conversational phrases, numbers and be able to identify colors, objects, pictures and more.

Learn more about the preschool program!

Elementary Programs

Session Length: 25 min

Suggested Ages: 6-10

Familiarize students with the Spanish language! More importantly, give your learner the confidence to speak with a native speaker and enjoy speaking Spanish as part of their everyday life.

Learn more about the elementary program!

Middle School Programs

Session Length: 50 min

Suggested Ages: 10-13

Students will quickly learn to form sentences in all tenses over time. As their vocabulary expands, the learner is encouraged to apply their knowledge through conversation during every session.

Learn more about the middle school program!

High School programs

Session Length: 50 min

Suggested Ages: 13-18

Designed to be more rigorous than any public high school curriculum, our students are taught how to apply their knowledge through conversation with their instructors and everyday life.

Learn more about the high school program!

Supplemental Practice for University Students

While university students in the US have been forced to return home and login to their college courses virtually, they can still get a taste of interactive native Spanish! Despite the fact that our courses will not be able to provide transferable credit to their learning institution, they will be able to improve their Spanish skills during this inconvenient interim. This program is also suitable for any adult who wishes to speak fluent Spanish.

Session Length: 50 min

Suggested Ages: 19+

It’s never too late to learn at your own pace. Whether you studied Spanish for years, or you are starting with the basics, our classes are a good fit for you.

Learn more about the program for adults!

Don’t Hesitate, Make the Switch Today!

While most schools are scheduled to close for 2-3 weeks, many schools across the nation are planning to extend the closings until the end of the school year. With this amount of uncertainty around what’s to come, it’s important to take matters into your own hands and start implementing remote learning in your home today. If you’d like to see if HSA is a good fit for you or your child, sign up for a free trial class and meet one of our excellent Spanish teachers!

We look forward to serving you!

Lindsay del Valle

Director of Content at Homeschool Spanish Academy

Lover of words and a foreign language fanatic, I've studied French and Spanish, earned a BA degree, TEFL certificate, and have 10+ years of teaching experience. I blissfully share Spanish-learning tips, best-idea-ever travel advice, and at-a-glance cultural guides. When you can't find me writing spiritedly from my home office in Antigua, Guatemala, I'm probably outside playing games and exploring nature with my 3 bilingual kids.

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