Top Cost-Effective Spanish Classes for Kids
Updated on March 18, 2020.
Every parent wants the best quality education for their kids, and this includes foreign language classes. When it comes to learning Spanish, for example, your local options may fall short without access to native teachers. That’s why more and more people turn to online Spanish classes for kids. In order to find the perfect online class fit for your child’s specific needs, it’s important to do plenty of research and ask the right questions. Is it worth it to invest in a private instructor? Do Spanish textbooks alone work? What about the multiple online software programs?
Weighing your options is the smartest thing to do. In order to help you find the right solution for you and your child, we’ve compiled 5 popular Spanish classes for children and teenagers, including our own successful program here at Homeschool Spanish Academy.
If you are interested in courses for adults, read how to sign up for a free trial class with our certified Guatemalan teachers to learn native Spanish from the comfort of your home.
Are you currently making the switch to remote learning? Read Making the Switch to Remote Learning During the Coronavirus for tips to make it easier.
¡Vamos a ver las opciones!
1. Homeschool Spanish Academy
Homeschool Spanish Academy (HSA) offers live classes to all ages—preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school. Adults are even encouraged to sign up! This platform combines personal classes at your convenience with a written curriculum so your child has a complete learning experience (how does that work?). If you have two kids who want to learn together, you can sign them up to study at the same time. That way, they can have more fun learning Spanish together!
Best of all, the price for classes is significantly lower than other options that offer live, personalized classes online. The only drawback is that availability with HSA may be limited during the school year because of its great popularity.
Read: What Makes HSA Spanish Tutoring So Effective?
PROS +
- Personal, live instructors
- Conversational classes combined with a written curriculum allows students to gain fluency fast
- Focus on 4 areas of language acquisition: reading, writing, listening, speaking
- Free trial class
- Surprisingly low costs
- Siblings can take classes together
CONS –
- Classes are very popular and fill up quickly, which may reduce the availability
- All the teachers are from Guatemala, so there is no variety in accent
PRICE $
25-minute classes: 15 classes are $149; 30 classes are $249; and 60 classes are $399
50-minute classes: 15 classes are $219; 30 classes are $369; and 60 classes are $599
View our Program Options.
View our Pricing Options.
2. Duolingo and Memrise
While you may not consider these options to be exclusively “online” programs, they are quite popular with families looking for Spanish fluency. These apps are similar in structure (for a more detailed description, check out our post on Spanish apps) and offer interactive activities to enforce learned vocabulary and grammar. Memrise has a more game-like vibe, while Duolingo is a little more focused on grammar. However, with Memrise you can choose from hundreds of Spanish courses made by users. This ensures your child learns what they need for their level or what peaks their interest. Duolingo also offers a placement test so your students start right at the level they need.
You can find both programs online or on your phone as an app. The free versions offer a variety of language learning options, such as games, vocabulary exercises, pronunciation, and writing. Although live teachers don’t assist your child in learning, he or she can watch short videos of natives speaking and listen to authentic pronunciations.
PROS +
- Extremely user-friendly
- Great interactive programs for older children
- They test reading, writing, comprehension, and listening skills
- Easy to use on the go
- Both have been around almost 10 years
CONS –
- No live teachers
- No one to turn to with questions
- Limited teaching capabilities
- Limited conversation practice
- Although there is no age limit, these apps are not designed for younger children.
PRICE $
General applications are free.
Duolingo Plus: $6.99-$9.99 per month
Memrise Pro: $5.00-$8.99 per month
3. Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is a favorite among families looking for authentic Spanish classes. Developed in 1992, this program is a Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) software. In other words, the student learns with an automated program.
The platform uses images, text, sound, and repetition to help your child learn Spanish. It also analyzes aspects of your student’s progress to help them learn at their own pace and enjoy the process. For example, it tracks how many questions the student answered correctly, how accurate their pronunciation is, and how long each lesson is taking. However, like the apps, there is no live instructor to help the student.
PROS +
- Easy to get started—just visit their website and pay for your package
- Very practical
- Analyzes your student’s progress using various tools
- Quite visual to captivate student’s attention and teach Spanish authentically
- Been in use for almost 30 years
CONS –
- No books or live instructor
- Limited conversation practice
- No free trial. You must buy a package without knowing if it works for your child.
- Every learner gets the same presentation. The curriculum cannot be adjusted to an individual learner.
- Although there is no age limit, the program is designed for children 7 and older.
PRICE $
1 level is $179
5 levels is $479
4. Kids’ Club Spanish School
Looking for an affordable option with live instructors? Let’s check out the Kids’ Club Spanish School.
This platform is a bit newer, created in 2017. The classes allow the child to sit down with a live teacher and interactive software to learn Spanish. The backbone of the program is the N2N, or native-to-native, method. The first native is the teacher—a native Spanish-speaker. The second is the student—a “digital native,” or someone who has grown up with technology. The classes cater to the child’s needs and make learning Spanish fun. If you aren’t sure if your child will respond well to live classes, you can sign up for a free class before purchasing.
PROS +
- Live class that you can schedule at your own convenience
- Personal Spanish instructor
- Interactive platform specifically designed for kids and the way they learn
- Free trial class
CONS –
- The program is only for kids ages 5-13
- No high school curriculum
- Difficult to have quality control since the teachers are located around the world
- Fairly high cost
PRICE $
Each class is 25 minutes long:
1 class is $20
5 classes are $95
10 classes are $180
5. Panda Tree
Panda Tree is another program that offers live Spanish instruction at your own convenience. This one offers classes in both Chinese and Spanish, and it has been in operation for 5 years. Just like the Kids’ Club Spanish School, the classes utilize interactive software ideal for younger children. This way, kids can sit down with their teacher as if they were in a real classroom. The learners also have access to additional songs and activities to practice outside of class.
Unfortunately, this platform doesn’t offer a free trial class to see if it is a good fit for your child. Another drawback both Panda Tree and Kids’ Club Spanish School have is that there is a maximum age limit. Many high school students need Spanish credits to graduate or to apply to college, but these programs are geared mainly towards younger students.
PROS +
- Live classes with a flexible schedule
- Personal, trained instructors
- Engaging software
- Classes for children starting at 2 years old
CONS –
- Classes are only for kids up to 15 years old
- Limited resources for high schoolers
- Price is even higher than Kids’ Club
- Difficult to have quality control since the teachers are located around the world
PRICE $
25-minute classes: 5 classes are $110; 10 classes are $210, 20 classes are $400; 40 classes are $760
50-minute classes: 5 classes are $200; 10 classes are $380; 20 classes are $720; 40 classes are $1,360
Give Your Kids the Best
Is your little learner ready to start learning Spanish? Click here to sign up for a free class with HSA today to see if it’s the perfect fit for you and your child. A brighter future is one click away!
It’s an honor to serve you. We invite you to learn more about us!
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