At Skillabration, we help students take their Spanish from zero to fuego!

Check which teacher you're enrolling with. We have several tutors available to meet the needs of different schedules and offer more availability to our families. You can find out more about each teacher in the section below titled: Teacher Expertise.


WHAT TO EXPECT
Some students come to us with materials from what they're learning in school and other students come to us just wanting to start from scratch. We cater to the students' needs. 

We incorporate a mix of speaking, reading, listening and writing so students can practice using the language in a variety of ways. This helps increase overall fluency and literacy. 

As soon as students learn enough vocabulary and verbs we start teaching sentences and encourage conversation. Depending on the student's age we'll use games and props to engage students. 

HOW LONG IS THE CLASS?
This class is a subscription that you can cancel at any time. When you sign up we will share our materials with you after the class, if we use Skillabration's materials, and you'll get a class recording so your student can practice. Recordings are automatically posted within 24 hours of the lesson so students can watch the lesson again. Re-watching the lesson typically helps with pronunciation and vocabulary or grammar practice.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 

FAQ
WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU USE?
We have curriculum for ages 8-10 and middle/high school Spanish I and II. Skillabration created its own materials using Google Slides and Nearpod. 

WHAT IS YOUR TEACHING STYLE?
We use a mix of traditional and comprehensive input. Traditionally, language teachers start with the alphabet, numbers and a set of vocabulary based on a theme such as food or family vocabulary. Then the students memorize what they learned. Along with the vocabulary students also learn some grammar or phrases. Comprehensive input is more like learning language the way a baby does. Babies hear their parents speak and learn words based on context. When a parent points to something such as a toy or a dog, the child learns the vocabulary in that context. 

So how do we combine both traditional and comprehensive input?  In our experience, both teaching and learning styles have value. If a student jumps into comprehensive input (immersion) too quickly, they'll go into fight or flight mode, which can lead them to not wanting to experience the language ever again. However, if the class only uses the traditional style, students might not ever learn to speak or understand the language when they hear it. We mix the two styles by gradually building up their vocabulary traditionally and layering in immersion slowly over time through reading, writing, speaking and listening. We'll start to use more phrases in Spanish the longer the student is in class with us. 

WHAT DOES YOUR CURRICULUM LOOK LIKE? 
Ages 8-10 
Unit 1 - Alphabet and greetings
Unit 2 - Colors and the verb "ser" to be
Unit 3 - Food and the verbs comer, me gusta, beber, tener, querer (to eat, to like, to drink, to have, to want)
Unit 4 - Clothes and the verb llevar (to wear)
Unit 5 - Seasons and Weather - In this unit we start reading basic sentences, such as: In the winter I can drink hot chocolate. 
Unit 6 - Numbers, days and months - We'll talk about birthdays and age
I incorporate phrases and sentences in each unit so students learn how to start speaking. For example, in the clothing unit students learn how to ask and say: What are you wearing today? I'm wearing _______. If students stay enrolled long enough we'll eventually read short stories where they'll be exposed to more complex sentences, verbs and rich vocabulary. 

Ages 11-18
Preliminary Unit - Alphabet, greetings, introductions, weather and seasons
Unit 1.1 - Spanish activities and the verb gustar
Unit 1.2 - Adjectives and the verb ser
Unit 2.1 - School subjects, telling time, AR verbs
Unit 3.1 - Food and ER/IR verbs
Unit 3.2 - Family, possessive adjectives and comparatives
This curriculum has 8 units, which can be taught for an entire year. Over time they'll learn how to conjugate in the present tense, say commands and learn the past tense. The older students learn in a more traditional language learning environment. 

WHY IS THIS ONLY A 25-MINUTE CLASS?
We can teach A LOT in 25 minutes without overwhelming the learner. For younger students, we think 25 minutes is great for ensuring the learner stays engaged. For older students, it's a great time to have a mini lesson and practice with activities and games. If you'd like a longer class we also have a 45 minute tutoring option here: https://outschool.com/classes/spanish-1-on-1-individual-tutoring-subscription-aBfZRDVg?usid=9acTxxUZ&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

SHOULD I CHOOSE THE 25 OR 45 MINUTE CLASS? 
If you have an 8-10 year old we highly recommend the 25 minute class. We also prefer 25 minute class for ages 11-18, but the 45 minute lesson will allow us to practice more with all four language domains: reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

DO YOU OFFER LESSONS 2 OR MORE TIMES A WEEK? 
Yes! We can get you scheduled for more than one class a week. Just send us a message and we can coordinate times. If you choose 2 or more classes a week, use the same teacher for all of the classes, please.

HOW DO I GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU? 
Send us a message on Outschool by clicking "Ask a question" or "Request another time". Be sure to check your messages on Outschool because sometimes the Outschool e-mail notifications go to junk mail. If you click my profile picture at the top of this page it should toggle down to the Teacher section where you can find the "Ask a question" button. 

REFUNDS
Outschool has a 24 hour refund policy from the day you're charged. When you're charged weekly, charges go through on Sunday, therefore you'll need to cancel by Monday to receive a refund for the upcoming week.