Do you pay for programs, tutors or other educational tools for your school age children (4-11)?

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Do you pay for programs, tutors or other educational tools for your school age children (4-11)?
4
 Sat, 09-15-2012 - 12:49am

Hi! I have three kids, age 4, 7, 11.

I was wondering how many parents on this board  have paid for educational programs , CDs, online classes or tutors to help your child learn a foreign language? Do you think its important for the child to get supplementary education on languages between the ages of 4-11? Have you ever paid for tutors to teach your kids or practice a foreign languages with your child?

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jenlivi2
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-26-2002
In reply to:
Re: Do you pay for programs, tutors or other educational tools f
 Sat, 09-15-2012 - 12:38pm
My kids have Spanish class once or twice a week K-8th in their private school. Although I have just found out that the teacher has been using a video for many of my 3rd graders lessons. She is a native Mexican lady, so she speaks well. I wish it were a little more authentic though... like more speaking Spanish in class. The kids would pick it up... or say the direction in Spanish, then repeat in English... she uses too much English. I have never paid for anything, although I did have to buy each older kid a Spanish dictionary and I also just purchased a book that I thought would be a good review... Barron's PAINLESS Spanish... It was on clearance after the back to school sales this year... so we will see if we actually find it useful or not.
cheryl_n_my2boys_j_d
Community Leader
Registered: 05-28-2000
In reply to:
Re: Do you pay for programs, tutors or other educational tools f
 Sat, 09-15-2012 - 5:34pm
We paid for a Spanish after school class. It was worthless in the grand scheme. It was basically all English with Spanish nouns introduced. The HS Spanish Honor Society now runs a 6 week program that is basically the same, but it only costs around $10.00. The money is used for some materials and the rest is put into scholarships for the HS students. My middle schooler has Spanish every other day. We only pay for the books / workbooks. The instructor is from Spain. She has a degree in English. I'm not seeing fluency yet, but I know that the HS program does have fluent students.
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musiclover12
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-1999
In reply to:
Re: Do you pay for programs, tutors or other educational tools f
 Sun, 09-16-2012 - 5:53pm

No, DS started taking foreign languages in middle school.  I think in 6th grade they started an introductory program where the kids take Latin, Spanish & French because those are the foreign languages taught in high school.  The next year they select the language they want.  He chose Spanish, so now in 11th grade he is taking Spanish V.  I'm not sure what the point would be to have extra instruction.  The only people I know who do that are some coworkers who are from China--they will have after school or weekend programs for their kids to learn Chinese because it's not usually taught in schools and I would imagine that it takes a lot more time to learn to write the characters than it would to learn a foreign language that used the English alphabet.

I only started learning Italian in high school & I still majored in it in college, plus took 3 yrs of Spanish in college.

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