One of the most important decisions you have to make, when moving to Spain with children, is choosing a school to send your children to. Whether to enrol your children in a Spanish state school or a private international school.
The availability of state schools and international schools in Spain varies by region. Hence, it is advisable to carefully research the schools in the area you plan to make your new home, before you plan your move to Spain.
When choosing a school in Spain for your children, the following factors should be considered:
The age of your child: From experience, (this is only my personal opinion and to be taken or left as you choose), I would highly recommend enrolling any child aged 6 years or below in a Spanish state or Spanish speaking private school, whether it be a nursery or primary school. At this age they are sponges and you may be amazed at how quickly they integrate and pick up the language. I clearly remember our son´s first word after only a few days … “mío”!
Your knowledge of the Spanish language: I am lucky to have a pretty high level of Spanish and my husband has a good conversational level. However, we often have to use Google in order to complete our 7 year old’s homework assignments. I truly believe that many expat children struggle in school due to the lack of available support at home, as a result of a lack of language ability. My advice would be that once you are unable to help your children with their Spanish homework then you should consider either moving them to a private/international school or, as a more economical alternative, source a home tutor.
Financial commitments: Private schools are not cheap. State education is a much cheaper option. This school year we have seen quite a sharp increase in foreign students joining our children´s state school. Unfortunately, these are not children that have just relocated, these are older children that were previously in private international schools who, due to the downturn in their parents economic position, have been forced to end their private education. Needless to say, they do not find it easy. This is not to say that any child older that 6 or 7 will not adapt. Children are amazing and they never cease to amaze us.
Your desired level of integration in Spanish life: This may seem like a strange consideration, however, we have met many people that have no interest whatsoever in integrating with the local Spaniards. Their children have attended private schools and have picked up the language randomly, as children do, by chatting with other Spanish children. As a result, their children have integrated in a minor way in their town/village yet the parents continue to mix in their own circles.
I am in no way stating that if your children do not attend Spanish state school that you will not integrate. Nor am I saying that by putting your children in the local school will you be accepted as part of the local community. In our village, everyone seems to know our children and I have worked hard at always being involved in meetings, school trips and activities in order to be accepted by the local mums. Now, after almost 3 years, we seem to be considered as part of the community … As a parent, you need to decide what you want and what you think is best for your child and your family.
School Timetables: In Andalucia, the State school timetable for lessons is 9am until 2pm. In most schools, there is a canteen option (at extra cost) and extra curricula activities (at extra cost) and an early morning drop off option (at extra cost). In other parts of Spain the schools close for a 2 hour lunch and continue lessons in the afternoon. Private/International schools tend to follow the traditional UK timetables of 9am until 4pm or 5pm.
Whichever type of school you chose, do consider the implications of the timetable and transportation options. It is very easy to soon get fed up of spending half your time as a school taxi.
These are only 5 of many considerations when selecting a school for your child. We look forward to hearing your suggestions and ideas …
Read more of our experiences of Education in Spain here.
When we talk to families who are relocating, we advise them to research schools in Spain, before looking for property. Like in many countries, state schools have catchment areas. If you are deciding whether to enrol your children in Spanish State Pre-School, the following facts will help you make your decision.
Pre-school in Spain, known as Educación Infantíl, is for children aged 3 to 6 years.
Pre-school, educación infantíl, is a non-compulsory option. Children are not obliged to start school in Spain until they are 6 years old. It is, however, in my opinion, a fundamental part of their education.
In some regions of Spain, children are taught in the regional language ie. Catalán, Valenciano, Basque… This is a steep learning curve for many non-Spanish children. It is a fantastic opportunity but is it something you think your children can cope with?
Children start pre-school, in the year that they turn 3 years old. This means that some children are as young as 2 when they start. ie. If their 3rd birthday is in late September, October, November or December, they start pre-school in the September of that year.
No rigid target are set in pre-school, educación infantíl. Children are introduced to the subject matters that they go on to study in Primaria. In many schools, there is a lot of project based work. They learn to interact with others and to adapt to routines.
Most pre-schools offer an adaptation period at the start of term, for the 3-year-olds. It is not uncommon for school to last only 30 minutes on the first day. It then slowly builds up to the full day which, in most, but not all regions, is from 9am until 2pm. Be sure to check the timetables of the schools where you are considering moving to.
I truly believe that starting a 3-year-old child, of any nationality, in a Spanish state school is a fantastic way for them to immerse into the local culture and language. I am not saying it will be easy, but I am saying it will be worth it in the long run.
Spain is a land of opportunity, and for young people, it offers a wealth of reasons to visit. One of the most popular is via an exchange student program. Exchange student in Spain programs allow teenage students to travel to Spain and then live and study in the country for a pre-determined length of time. Stays can be for any duration, from a week to six months and some programs last for over a year.
So, how do you get yourself, or if you’re a parent, your kids, on an exchange student program in Spain?
If you want to live and study in Spain, then starting to learn the language is an absolute must. While you will undoubtedly pick up more of the language during your time there, knowing the basics will help you go out, meet new people and have lots of fun experiences.
Also, your school’s Spanish teacher will be a really helpful source of information about exchange programs, so ask them about programs the school has run in the past, or ask them for a recommendation for places to go and programs to choose from.
Once you’ve started a Spanish course, maintain good grades as many exchange programs require that students have a 2.5 higher grade point average (GPA) and you may have to pass a written or oral Spanish exam before you are accepted on a program.
Research, research, research.
Once you’ve found a handful of foreign exchange programs, start researching them thoroughly. Find out where in Spain they will send students, find out how much they cost and check out what former students of the program have to say on their Facebook page, through testimonials or blogs.
Make sure that you are aware of all the costs involved before you board your flights to Spain so that you don’t have to deal with any unexpected bills, so make sure your passport is in date, find out if you need to apply for a visa before you travel (this will depend on your country of origin) and if so, where you need to apply for the visa, as some do require a visit to your nearest consulate building.
Sign up for a program
Once you’ve studied and done your research, now comes the fun part: signing up for the appropriate program. While this is quite simple, timing is really quite important, so remember to sign up for the program at least six months before the date of travel.
This will give you the time you need to pay for the program, save up spending money and work on your Spanish before you board your Spain flights.
Spain is a beautiful country that’s just perfect for an exchange student, so, what are you waiting for?
If you have attended an exchange student in Spain program, please share your experience with us.
Firstly, look up the Spanish vocabulary for each item and then write the correct sentences, depending on whether you like or dislike the items. REMEMBER to pay attention to singular and plural items!
For details of online courses, contact CVG Speaking Spanish here:
An often confused topic in Spanish is the distinction between SER and ESTAR, especially for students who have English as their mother tongue. This happens because in English these verbs are translated into TO BE, only one verb and in Spanish we have two verbs (Ser and Estar).
Since both verbs are frequently used in Spanish, students have to learn and study the different contexts where they appear.
Let’s have a look at the chart and study the different uses of SER and ESTAR in Spanish.
General uses of SER:
SER is used to classify and identify permanent or lasting characteristics.
Uses:
Date: eg. Hoy es 22 de febrero.
Occupation: eg. Ella es profesora de español.
Characteristics: it refers to personality descriptions of a person or permanent attributions of people or things. e.g. Ana es inteligente. eg. La casa es grande.
Time: Son las 4 de la tarde.
Origin: eg. Markus es de Suiza. eg. Markus es suizo.
Relation: eg. Linda es mi madre.
Also, since religion is considered a relationship with a higher power, religions are described using SER. eg. Ella es católica.
General uses of ESTAR:
ESTAR is used to indicate temporary states and locations.
Position: it refers to the physical position of people or things.eg. Mi abuela esta sentada.
Location: eg. El gato está en la terraza.
Action: estar + verb – gerund to indicate an ongoing action.eg. Ella está estudiando el vocabulario.
Condition: it refers to physical and mental conditions.eg. Los niños están enfermos.
Emotion: eg. Estoy triste.
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Now, to test what you have learnt ….
Completa los diálogos con la forma apropiada de ser o estar (presente).
Complete the following sentences using the correct form of Ser or Estar.
1. ¿De dónde ______________________ tú?
_________________ de Buenos Aires.
2. ¿De quién ________________ estas monedas?
Creo que _________________ de Ana.
3. ¿A qué hora _______________ la reunión? A las ocho.
4. Pablo, ya _________________ la una y media.
5. El padre de Carlos ________________ mecánico ¿no?
No, no. Su padre_________________ psicólogo.
6. ¿Quién _________________________ la novia de Carlos?
La novia de Carlos ________________ Ingrid.
Completa con ser o estar. (presente)
Complete the following using the correct form of Ser or Estar.
What springs to mind when you read these words? Do you find yourself swept off to wonderful worlds of fairy tales and far off lands with images of princesses, castles, brave knights and dragons? I do.
I think that, as busy adults, we can sometimes forget the importance of nurturing the imagination of our children. As we are busy getting on with your day to day lives, doing homework, attending activities and just generally living, we may not encourage our children to just, “be children”, as often as we maybe should.
I am guilty as charged. However, I do have “stock taking” moments where I spot the error of my ways. I am always keeping an eye out for little games and ideas that I think will spike the children’s imagination. You can see some examples on my Pinterest board HERE: Fun Activities with Children.
Yesterday, during our Sunday morning homework session, Francesca (our six year old), told me that she had to write a story and she had no idea what to write about. Now, we had had a particularly busy weekend and when Francesca is tired, mole hills often appear to be mountains. However, this morning I was quick off the blocks. I went into her bedroom and brought out the Story Cubes.
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, and images, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation, and instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters, and narrative point of view. (Wikipedia)
Our children love these Story Cubes and we love listening to the stories they invent from them. The children simply roll the cubes and make up stories based in the pictures displayed on each of the cubes.
We sometimes roll all the cubes together and tell a quick story or we roll three at a time and make up a more elaborated story. What is also great is that you can use them in any language, so we practice storytelling in both English and Spanish.
Francesca is now finishing her first year of obligatory education in Spain (Primaria) . Throughout the year, each week, she has had a Spanish book to read and write a summary of. This has been a great way to develop her comprehension and written ability and, of course, expand her vocabulary.
The photograph at the top of this page is just the start of this week’s invented story, using the Story Cubes. There are a few pages until it is finished. I wonder what the teacher will think when she reads this totally different, random story about a little old man who wanted to travel the world with his pet turtle who he’d found at the end of the rainbow …
Don’t you just love it!
Here are links to Amazon where you can buy the Story Cubes if you are interested. If you use the links below we receive a small commission form Amazon.
Product Description
9 cubes, 54 images, over 10 million possible combos, unlimited stories! Recipient of Dr. Toy’s “10 Best Games” Award, the “Major Fun Award” and “People’s Choice Award”. How it works… Simply roll all 9 dice, examine each of the face-up images and let them guide your imagination through a story that begins with “Once upon a time…”. The secret is not to think too deeply. Simply ‘gulp’ in the images and start talking. And remember, there is no wrong answer! The nine dice, each with a unique image on all six sides, hold a total of 54 images. This means that with every roll, there are over 10 million combination’s for you to use as the inspiration for your story. The uses for Rory’s Story Cubes are boundless. Play them while traveling, waiting in a restaurant, in the classroom, as an icebreaker, for idea generation, or to make learning a new language more fun.
Writing researchers suggest that children should write stories in order to (1) entertain, (2) foster artistic expression, (3) explore the functions and values of writing, (4) stimulate imagination, (5) clarify thinking, (6) search for identity, and (7) learn to read and write. (http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ269736)
Not every child finds story telling an easy task. The Story Cubes are a great aid and are also lots of fun. We always take them with us when we are traveling.
However, here is another way of encouraging your child to create their own beautiful stories …
What To Do
Start by reading some favourite stories together. Talk a little bit about each story’s author. If there is information about the author on the book jacket, you might read it together. Help the child understand that the author created or adapted the story and made decisions about what should happen in it.
As you read, stop and ask the child to make predictions about what is going to happen next and why he or she thinks so. When you do this, you are encouraging him or her to think about how stories work and how readers understand stories – both important when writing a story of one’s own.
While you are reading and when you are done, talk about the different parts of the story, asking questions such as:
What is the beginning of the story? The middle? The end?
Who are the characters?
What do you like about them?
Where does the story take place?
Is there a problem that occurs in the story? If so, how does it get resolved?
What do you think about the ending? Is there a connection, either in words or pictures, between the ending and the beginning of the story?
Here is our printable School Holiday Calendar Spain 2014 2015 for Andalucía
At last it is here! You can now use our printable school holiday calendar Spain 2014 2015 dates to plan any trips and holidays for the coming year. What trips have you got planned this year? As we have previously mentioned, every year it seems that the Spanish school holiday dates are published later. We are always eager to start planning all our holidays and visits to new places in Spain so this printable School Holiday Calendar Spain is an absolute essential tool. Please remember that most provinces may also have local holidays, such as Semana Blanca in Málaga. Semana Blanca 2015 is not mentioned in this School Holiday Calendar Spain, as published by the Junta de Andalucía, so please make sure you check with your own school before making any travel plans. (Semana Blanca is usually the week that coincides with Día de Andalucía, February 28th).
We are really excited to share our new Cooking with Languages project with you. It is still very early days but we can now see our ideas coming to life.
As you know, we are true believers that learning languages is a fundamental part of our children’s education. Our first book, Cooking in our Cocina, is aimed at helping young learners improve their Spanish, whilst having fun in the kitchen.
To receive a FREE sample of our English / Spanish book as soon as it is released,
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW!
Cooking with Languages, is a revolutionary new language learning method that encourages creativity and makes language learning fun.
Our books and tools have been designed to enhance young people’s language learning experience and can be used totally independently, (for pleasure), or as an educational complement to any method they are currently using.
Unlike many traditional language learning books that dwell on detailed, grammatical explanations and structured learning, Cooking with Languages encourages instant comprehension of language structures and reinforces learning through practice and activities.
Cooking with Languages is not looking to fit into any existing market niche. It has created its own. The current market is bursting with children’s language learning books and children’s cookbooks. Cooking with Languages is introducing language learning for children, whilst having fun in the kitchen.
Simple. Innovative. Effective. Fun.
Our mission is to encourage more children to embark on the wonderful path of language learning and help them to open new doors for their future.
Yesterday, I finally got to meet our daughter’s new teacher, Marie Tere.
Time has flown and Francesca is now in Primaria (aged 6 years old). This is the start of the compulsory stage of education in Spain.
Generally, at our school in Mijas, CEIP San Sebastian, we have a parents meeting at the beginning of every trimester. The aim of the meeting is for the teacher to explain the subjects and topics that are to be covered in the coming months and also to discuss the general progress of the students.
My first impression of Marie Tere was … “she smiles as she talks”!
I can see why Francesca is so happy with her. It was also very comforting to be told by other parents that Francesca seems so much happier at school this year. The tears are less frequent. The confidence is building … but, we know, the insecurity is still a big, scary monster in her beautiful, little head.
My second feeling was that of passion and enthusiasm.
Marie Tere oozed excitement as she talked about the topics they would be covering, the innovative methods that they would be using. The text books will take a back seat in all this. Interaction is the principal focus. Stimulating their young minds and encouraging a yearn for learning is the main goal. I was a happy bunny!
Then she started taking about Regaletas … what?
Thankfully, she sensed the confusion in the room and produced these …
According to Wikipedia: Cuisenaire rods give students a hands-on elementary school way to learn elementary maths concepts, such as the four basic arithmetical operations and working with fractions.In the early 1950s, Caleb Gattegno popularised this set of coloured number rods created by the Belgian primary school teacher Georges Cuisenaire (1891-1976), who called the rods réglettes.
The educationalists Maria Montessori and Friedrich Fröbel had used rods to represent numbers, but it was Cuisenaire who introduced their use to teachers across the world from the 1950s onwards. He published a book on their use in 1952 called Les nombres en couleurs. Cuisenaire, a violin player, taught music as well as arithmetic in the primary school in Thuin. He wondered why children found it easy and enjoyable to pick up a tune and yet found mathematics neither easy nor enjoyable. These comparisons with music and its representation led Cuisenaire to experiment in 1931 with a set of ten rods sawn out of wood, with lengths from 1 cm to 10 cm. He painted each length of rod a different colour and began to use these in his teaching of arithmetic. The invention remained almost unknown outside the village of Thuin for about 23 years, until Gattegno came to visit him and observe lessons in 1953. With Gattegno’s help, the use of the rods for both mathematics and language teaching was developed and popularised in many countries around the world.
According to Gattegno, “Georges Cuisenaire showed in the early fifties that students who had been taught traditionally, and were rated ‘weak’, took huge strides when they shifted to using the (Cuisenaire) material. They became ‘very good’ at traditional arithmetic when they were allowed to manipulate the rods.”
Las Regletas de Cuisenaire (Cuisenaire rods) are basically mathematical material intended for children to learn the composition and decomposition of numbers and their introduction to computing activities , via manipulation . The material consists of a set of wooden blocks of ten sizes and colors. The length of the blocks ranges from 1 to 10 cm. Each block corresponds to a specific number :
The white strip , of 1 cm length represents the number 1.
The red strip , of 2 cm .represents the number 2 .
The light green strip of 3 cm represents the number three .
The pink strip of 4 cm represents the number 4.
The yellow strip of 5 cm represents the number 5 .
The dark green strip of 6 cm represents the number 6.
The black strip of 7 cm represents the number 7.
The brown strip of 8 cm represents the number 8.
The blue strip of 9 cm represents the number 9.
The orange strip of 10 cm represents the number 10 .
At this point, I must admit to having a mix of emotions. All this talk of exciting and innovative teaching methods and then resorting to what we would probably call “counting blocks”. But I remain optimistic and look forward to learning and experimenting with this new (to myself!) method.
I left the classroom feeling happy and excited at this new stage in our daughter’s life in Spain. Every day she wakes up and is excited to go to school … I am very grateful and feel that we are making progress!
Onwards and upwards … Cuisenaire rods and all!
Do any of you have experience of learning with Cuisenaire rods? Was it successful? We’d love to hear any tips you have …
Here are some other useful links to show how Cuisenaire Rods can be used in teaching:
Whether you’re living in Spain or the UK, these days it seems like the educational stakes are higher than ever: good grades lead to good courses at good universities and eventually (with a bit of luck) to good jobs at the end of it. Fall at even one of those hurdles, and the task for your child can become infinitely harder.
Which is why helping them get the best start is so important. Whether they’re studying for their A Levels at an international school in Malaga or going through the Spanish system at a local state-run school, one thing’s for sure – they’re very unlikely to do it without lots of hard work.
Here are five ways to get your child to study for their exams…
1. Present the facts
We might well be seeing signs that we’re coming out of global recession, but unemployment in Spain is still around the 25% mark (with over 50% of young people without work according to recent figures). Across Europe the reality is hardly any less stark – in the UK, for instance, current unemployment is around 7.8%. In other words, now is not the time to choose slacking off and an afternoon on the beach over long-term gain. Put it like that, and your young student is sure to understand.
2. Help install a routine
Once the facts of the difficulties involved in getting work without good grades have been established, it’s important to help your child establish a routine. Routine starts at home, with regular meal times and breaks to help them structure their study around – both during term time and throughout the school holidays. It shouldn’t be all about work, however – helping your child get the balance right between studying, relaxing, hanging out with their friends and exercising is the key to their wellbeing, and is a valuable lesson which they’ll take the rest of their lives.
3. Get involved
Once the groundwork has been laid for the establishment of a good routine, it’s important that you get involved in your child’s education. After all, why should they care if you don’t appear to? Helping your child with homework is just one way; taking a general interest in – and talking about – what they’re studying is another. Learning is fun. And who knows, you might even take something really worthwhile (other than an improvement in your child’s education) from it? Getting stuck in and helping them with their homework comes with the added bonus of improving your Spanish, too.
4. Use the carrot
We all like to be praised when we’ve worked hard and done a good job at something. A teenager studying for their exams is absolutely no different. How to motivate your child? Little rewards and regular treats – whether it’s in the form of a particularly nice dinner or a movie night with friends – are an important part of keeping a student motivated in the run-up to their big day. Similarly, a promised reward like a holiday with friends or a new car for getting the grades they need is likely to have the desired effect. Bribery? Maybe. But you see if it doesn’t work.
5. (But don’t forget the stick)
Praise and regular rewards for good work are all well and good, but they may not be enough to get your child to study for their exams. This doesn’t mean harsh, Victorian-style discipline, or anything – simply that if they step out of line, they need to know that the withdrawal of special privileges will follow shortly afterwards. Hitting them in the wallet is always a good way to get their attention, and the withholding of an allowance should soon sharpen their attention on to the job in hand. Any other special attractions – like use of the car, say – that they are provided with can also be just as effective (along with the swift retraction of any carrots previously dangled).
One thing is well worth remembering, though: we were all young once. And not all of us studied quite as hard as we might have done. So cut them a little slack, too. Help them out wherever you can, cross your fingers and trust them to do their best.
6. Don’t panic
Last but by no means least… keep calm – both before, during and after the exam period. While you want your children to do well, knowing that they have a supportive family network who will help them through the next stage whatever happens, is incredibly important. And if they don’t get the grades they’re after? Make sure they realise it’s not the end of the world. From exam retakes to distance learning and adult education, there’s always another way to learn.
Pre-school, educación infantíl, is a non-compulsory option. Children are not obliged to start school in Spain until they are 6 years old. It is, however, in my opinion, a fundamental part of their education.
Children start pre-school, in the year that they turn 3 years old. This means that some children are as young as 2 when they start. ie. If their 3rd birthday is in late September, October, November or December, they start pre-school in the September of that year.
Most pre-schools offer an adaptation period at the start of term, for the 3-year-olds. It is not uncommon for school to last only 30 minutes on the first day. It then slowly builds up to the full day which, in most, but not all regions, is from 9am until 2pm. Be sure to check the timetables of the schools where you are considering moving to.
I truly believe that starting a 3-year-old child, of any nationality, in a Spanish state school is a fantastic way for them to immerse into the local culture and language. I am not saying it will be easy, but I am saying it will be worth it in the long run.
