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I can teach my students a lot of things–writing, literature, history. But there are some subjects, I am not qualified to teach. Spanish is at the top at that list. Here are some tools we have used to encourage Spanish language learning as my boys step toward fluency. 

Salsa Spanish

Cost: FREE

Simon has learned lots of Spanish by watching these 42 lively episodes featuring funny puppets and some familiar stories.

Salsa also offers free games for your student. These resources are best for preschool-early elementary aged students.

Gus Spanish

Cost: $3.99

After Simon had watched all the Salsa episodes (multiple times), he told me he needed a bit of a break. I didn’t want to invest in an expensive Spanish program for him, so I went a-searching for an app. 

After finding a few duds, we decided to give Gus Spanish a go. We both love it. The lessons are fun and the games are engaging. You have to finish certain levels in order to unlock more games. This game includes vocabulary for animals, clothing, body parts, food, vehicles, shapes, and numbers. The words are pronounced cleary by a native Spanish speaker. 

It doesn’t turn Spanish into rocket science, but I appreciate the simplicity. Simon enjoys it, and has learned many new words. I paid for the full version, and I don’t regret it.

Primary Languages: Spanish

Cost: FREE

Primary Languages: Spanish offers free, quality computer games to boost Spanish vocabulary. The games don’t include a ton of variety, but they have provided a nice break from regular Spanish lessons. 

These games are good for any beginning Spanish student, but they were enjoyed the most by Simon when he was in early elementary.

Mindsnacks Spanish

Cost: Full version is $4.99

Mindsnacks Spanish is a nifty app. When you buy the full access version, you receive 50 Spanish lessons. This is a great supplement for my older son, Elijah. He is learning gobs of new vocabulary.

You can add this one to your phone or iPad for free for a trial. 

Spanish Lessons and Lapbook

Cost: FREE

This fantastic freebie from Homeschool Share includes 15 lessons and printables. I think the Spanish Lessons and Lapbook is suited best for elementary students.  

Free Rice Vocabulary Game

Cost: FREE

Learn some new Spanish vocabulary while playing Free Rice AND feed hungry people at the same time. Perfect for an upper elementary or high school student who needs to review.

Spanish Picture Books with CDs

Cost: Free if you borrow from your local library!

These are hard to find, but worth the finding. Your library probably has a small stash, so be sure to start there. I’ve found these:

Buenas Noches, Luna (Goodnight Moon)

Corduroy

El Cuento de Ferinando (The Story of Ferdinand)

Se Venden Gorras (Caps for Sale)

My librarians are actually super amazing and wonderful, and they ordered multiple books for our family. My boys frequently listen to these audio books. This is a great Spanish learning activity for any age as it teaches vocabulary, sentence structure, and syntax.

Duolingo

Cost: FREE

Duolingo includes computer based Spanish lessons. It is not as thorough or challenging as Homeschool Spanish Academy, but it is free, and it’s also a great way to stay in Spanish shape over the summer. Good for upper elementary through high school.

Note: Some Duolingo users have reported inappropriate ads. Be cautious. 

What Spanish resources would you add to this list? Drop me a comment and let me know. I’m always looking for new ways to boost my boys’ Spanish learning!