Homeschool Curriculum Review: Breaking the Barrier’s ¡Vamos! and ¡En camino! for Middle School Spanish
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*Note: I was provided with a copy of Breaking the Barrier’s Spanish curriculum and compensated for my time in order to write this review. All of the following opinions are my own.
Years ago, when I was compiling my comprehensive guide to Spanish homeschool curricula, I noticed an interesting gap–despite the great number of language learning resources for homeschoolers, few options were available specifically for middle schoolers.
My friend John Conner, author of Breaking the Barrier (BTB), also noticed that gap and decided to fill it himself. I’m now thrilled to partner with him to announce the launch of Breaking the Barrier’s new Spanish curriculum for middle schoolers: ¡Vamos! and ¡En camino! Together, these resources offer a full beginner-level course in Spanish, which can be completed in 2-3 years and followed up with Breaking the Barrier’s level 2 high school curriculum.
A quick aside: if you have older students as well, you might also enjoy my review of Breaking the Barrier’s high school Spanish curriculum.
¡Vamos! and ¡En camino!: A Thoughtfully Designed Homeschool Spanish Curriculum for Middle Schoolers
Now that my oldest is approaching middle school himself, I have a few questions that I’ve been using to guide my curriculum choices for him. Here’s what I ask myself:
Is this curriculum written by someone who deeply understands their subject?
Will this curriculum help foster independent learning for my child? and
Will my child (and I) enjoy using this curriculum?
I had all three of these questions in mind as I read through ¡Vamos! And ¡En camino! and I’m happy to share my answers to them with you today. At the end of this review, I also share some tips for how to use Breaking the Barrier’s middle school Spanish curriculum at home and in a co-op setting.
Question #1: Is this curriculum written by someone who deeply understands their subject?
Since I know John personally, I can attest that he has over thirty years of experience teaching foreign languages and that he uses all of that experience in his curriculum writing. But even if I didn’t know John, I would be able to see that this curricula is thoughtfully sequenced and developmentally appropriate for middle schoolers. Here are some of the strengths of ¡Vamos! And ¡En camino!:
Their slower pace is appropriate for middle schoolers–and might even help them master the language more effectively. Together, ¡Vamos! and ¡En camino! cover the same amount of material as a typical Spanish I class, but they are designed to be completed in two years. I even think that they could be stretched out a bit longer to cover all of middle school (grades 6-8). Instead of cramming in too much, these curricula slow down to allow students time to digest new material and reinforce it with regular deliberate practice.
They cover three language learning skills comprehensively: reading, writing, and listening. BTB’s new curriculum includes a paper worktext and a mandatory online component. This latter includes many pronunciation and listening comprehension exercises and is critical to helping students develop those skills. In addition, the online component allows exposure to native Spanish speakers from different countries, which strengthens students’ ability to understand the language in real life. Although spontaneous speaking practice would ideally happen through a co-op class or tutor arrangement, students can also use the online worktext like an audio-lingual resource, repeating the exercises as they work on their own pronunciation (which I do recommend!).
¡Vamos! begins with a strong emphasis on vocabulary, so that students will have something to say once they start speaking Spanish. Instead of jumping into grammar right away, the first few months of the program are focused on teaching basic vocabulary alongside basic study skills (more on that in the next section of this review). Vocabulary acquisition is supported with the online elements of the program–students can listen to native speakers read the vocabulary lists (and repeat alongside them) as often as necessary.
Grammar instruction is supported by explanations in English. Knowing the basics of English grammar makes learning any foreign language easier, but if you haven’t yet taught formal grammar to your child, you can still use this program. Whenever a new grammar concept is introduced in Spanish, BTB also includes a brief explanation in English. This can help students understand how languages work by making meaningful comparisons across Spanish and English. And because of the slower pacing of the curriculum, students have time to internalize each new grammatical concept before moving on to another one.
Question #2: Will this curriculum help me foster independent learning for my child?
While elementary-aged students rightly require a lot of hand-holding, I want my middle school-aged children to start learning how to learn. We won’t accomplish that long-term goal in middle school, of course, but we can take baby steps towards it.
Breaking the Barrier’s new middle school curriculum supports students by providing ample opportunities for them to practice independently–and to immediately correct themselves–while also deliberately teaching study strategies. In the very first lessons of ¡Vamos!, for example, students learn how to create visual flashcards for new vocabulary–a technique that I’ve recommended myself on the blog. In addition, every few chapters of the curriculum includes a section entitled “Prueba de repaso,” which tests concepts taught earlier in the curriculum and helps them see what they’ve retained. Since language learning builds upon itself, this is a really good way to encourage self-monitoring–basically, helping students recognize the gaps or weaknesses in their learning.
The way that Breaking the Barrier has integrated online and pen-and-paper resources can also help students learn independently. Both ¡Vamos! and ¡En camino! include access to a digital worktext that parallels the paper version while providing immediate feedback on students’ answers.
The digital worktext may be particularly useful for students with disabilities, who might be overwhelmed by having to write every answer by hand. As I have a child with dysgraphia, this is something that I think about frequently.
The online component can also be a tool for any student who wants or needs extra practice. Assignments can be completed digitally and then, when correct, copied by hand into the printed worktext for extra reinforcement (or vice versa). As someone who believes in the benefits of handwriting for language learning, I personally recommend that approach.
One caveat: remember that middle schoolers probably need some guidance with online resources. It can be easy–even for adults!--to stare at a screen and expect to absorb information, but that’s not how learning works. Take the time to show your children how to fully engage with the resources available through BTB’s online worktext. Since they’re very intuitive, it’s not difficult. Tweens, however, may need to hear things like:
“You can replay the audio as many times as you like if you’re struggling to understand a question.”
“Your pronunciation will improve if you practice saying your vocabulary words alongside the native speaker examples. Practice each word at least five times until it sounds like the example.”
“You need to input your answers with the correct accent marks for them to register as correct.” Here are some keyboard shortcuts to teach your students.
Stress active participation with the worktext and your child will learn much more effectively.
Question #3: Will my child (and I) enjoy using this curriculum?
While this isn’t the primary deciding factor in my homeschool curriculum purchases, it is something that I take seriously–and it relates to my second point. If I want my child to be an independent learner, I have to choose resources that meet his needs and are appealing. Student buy-in is a factor!
For this reason, I appreciate the thoughtful design behind Breaking the Barrier’s new middle school Spanish curriculum. First, it is visually attractive. Printed in full color, it includes gorgeous photospreads from Spanish-speaking countries, which coordinate with each chapter’s lessons on culture and geography. Second, it is current. Sample questions reference celebrities that middle schoolers will recognize–like Caitlin Clark–not obscure movie stars from 30 years ago.
Not only that, but Breaking the Barrier has also included a number of resources to make it easier for homeschool parents and students to use. My favorite is the homeschool pacing guide, which provides a helpful week-by-week schedule of assignments. Use this as a checklist for your student–alongside weekly accountability meetings–and it will help them move towards managing their own workload. Answer keys to vocabulary quizzes and chapter tests are also included for parents who want to conduct those assessments at home.
So, what would it look like to put this curriculum to use in your homeschool? I’m glad you asked.
Tips for Using Breaking the Barrier’s Middle School Spanish Homeschool Curriculum At Home
Here are some of my ideas to help you implement Breaking the Barrier most successfully in your home:
First, devote a sufficient amount of time to it. Remember that language learning is a skill that requires deliberate practice. Using the homeschool planner, block out approximately at least 30-40 minutes/day, on four days of the week, for Spanish learning. Ten minutes of that can be vocabulary and grammar review with the rest devoted to completing Breaking the Barrier assignments. The fifth day of the week can include a vocabulary quiz (which should take no more than 10-15 minutes) and a quick accountability check-in to monitor your child’s progress.
Make generous use of the online resources. If you can’t do BTB in a classroom setting, definitely have your child use the online worktext as much as possible to get feedback about his/her progress and to get exposure to native speakers through the many listening exercises that it includes. Even though it may sound silly, your child also needs to practice speaking alongside those native speakers, so encourage them to repeat as much of the listening material as possible.
Tips for Teaching Breaking the Barrier’s Middle School Spanish Homeschool Curriculum At Co-op
For a co-op class led by a proficient teacher, I have three ideas to help you maximize your success with this curriculum:
First, begin the school year with an entire class session dedicated to the how of learning a language. Language learning requires deliberate practice, and that’s a skill that many middle school students are just starting to develop. In your first class session, I would share a bit of information behind how the human brain learns foreign languages, set expectations for daily practice (use BTB’s homeschool pacing guide to help you), and practice making study tools like visual flashcards. Help students make parallels between language learning and other skill-based subjects that they might be studying, such as piano or math.
Next, model how to use Breaking the Barrier’s worktext and online tools in tandem. Show children how to complete the written work in the book (maybe you use it for some class exercises) and then do the same in their online worktext. Emphasize to your students the importance of repetition in language learning–their brains literally need to soak in these new patterns in order to absorb them. It’s okay (ideal, even) to repeat the same activities multiple times! Consider adding additional requirements throughout the semester to support their developing study skills; you might ask them to bring in their collection of visual flashcards one week, or show you the corrections that they have made on their vocabulary quizzes.
Finally, once students are familiar with the curriculum, consider structuring the rest of the semester with a “flipped” classroom model. This strategy prioritizes using class time for conversation practice, with grammar and vocabulary practice completed at home. Breaking the Barrier is designed for this. For a 45-minute class period with a flipped model, you might spend 10 minutes reviewing the grammar concept that students first practiced at home (in order to clarify any questions they may have), and then spend 30 minutes using the grammar and vocabulary in action. Finish the class with a five minute overview of the week’s homework, sharing what students can do to help them monitor their own performance and support new learning.
In Conclusion: Breaking the Barrier is a Welcome Option for Homeschooled Middle Schoolers
At the end of the day, I’m so glad that Breaking the Barrier has made ¡Vamos! and ¡En camino! available to homeschooled middle school students. It’s a great resource for our homeschool community and one that I think will be practical and effective for many families.
I’m happy to answer any questions about the curriculum that you may have–feel free to drop them here!
