Spanish

The Summit recognizes the importance of exposing students to a second language, a core value since the inception of the school in 2005. Every student, from age three through high school, receives daily Spanish instruction. Our Spanish program aims to cultivate an appreciation and deeper understanding of hispanic culture and to motivate students to achieve high levels of proficiency and communication in a second language. The Summit’s Spanish program employs the Total Physical Response (TPR) method of learning. This method engages students in various physical and kinesthetic activities and includes the use of visual aids, chants, songs, and hands-on learning to foster a student’s curiosity and ability to naturally form connections and understand the target language. Integrating content across disciplines, through thematic units, students develop new vocabulary and phrases, engage in simple dialogue, learn basic grammar concepts, and explore the cultures of different Spanish-speaking countries.

All students are exposed to the cultural aspects of learning a foreign language. In lower school, Spanish teachers introduce a different Spanish-speaking country each trimester. Students explore basic facts such as geography, the capital, plants and animals, and foods. As students enter the upper grades, they take on the responsibility of doing their own research and completing both student and teacher–selected projects in their Spanish courses. An important component of these projects is sharing the experience and process with their peers. Native speakers visit the classrooms frequently to provide students exposure to different accents and nuances within the Spanish language and adult perspectives from experienced professionals. Through daily Spanish classes, all Summit students increase their abilities to use and produce a foreign language as an effective communication tool for vocation and leisure as they focus on listening comprehension, speaking, reading, writing, and, ultimately, thinking in Spanish.