Synopsis "Yetter's Better Spanish Guide Student's Edition (in English)"
About Our Program Yetter's Better Spanish Guide is the only textbook required for our four-semester, guided-learning program for high school students. On our website, yetterslearnspanish.com, there is access to many resources including a 75-day syllabus for each semester, a list of assessment activities for each semester, and a color-coded table of contents showing which material will be covered in each semester. Each daily lesson plan contains hyperlinks that take you directly to the online resources for that day's lesson. Our YouTube channel contains over 300 instructional videos which correlate to each chapter of the book. These videos bring a variety of the best presenters in the world into the classroom. Using the videos along with the book allows students to read it, see it, hear it, and practice it. Go to our YouTube channel, "Yetter's Learn Spanish," to learn more. Our thematic activities create a student-led classroom so students are learning from their peers and participating in group-learning activities. Each thematic unit correlates to a specific unit and chapter of the book. We use technology, the internet, and interactive activities to teach reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and verb conjugation. Our telenovelas provide opportunities for students to hear authentic speech in real-life models. We bring technology into the classroom in an organized and effective manner. Watch the video, "Blended Learning Model," on our YouTube channel to learn more. With our curriculum, teachers can use technology in the traditional classroom setting, create a flipped classroom, create a student-centered classroom, or utilize any combination of the models. Watch the video, "Using the Online Syllabus and Implementing Our Program," on our YouTube channel to learn more. Most Spanish textbooks use the "discovery-based approach" by which students are meant to figure out a lot of concepts on their own. But the students don't have the building blocks from which to discover the answers. They get frustrated, and then fixed in the belief that they are not capable of learning a new language. We use the guided-discovery approach to build strong foundational academic skills. Our curriculum is sequential and progressive. We use the rule-example-rule approach so that students have a clear understanding of what it is they are expected to learn. Each chapter builds on the previous one, creating a smooth flow from basic to advanced subject matter. Our independent lessons do not require mastery of a previous lesson and allow students to learn at their own pace and ability. We teach concepts in English and practice exercises are bilingual so students will have a clear understanding of the skills and concepts being taught. Our EBook has been validated and catalogued in the NIMAC (National Instructional Materials Access Center) online file repository system. Our EBook and webpage have been independently certified to comply with the 508 accessibility standards. Our hardback edition will meet or exceed the MSST (Manufacturing Standards and Specifications for Textbooks). We have great professional development resources available at our webpage and YouTube channel. The recently revised World Readiness Standards focus on literacy, real world application of language, and 21st century skills. Our methodology uses a continuum of independent lessons to develop speech sounds (phonetics), grammar (syntax), word formation (morphology), spelling patterns (orthography), and word meaning (semantics). These are the skills required to develop literacy. Our curriculum uses technology and thematic activities so students are applying the knowledge learned in real world applications. We encourage students and teachers to use 21st century technology and skills in the classroom. Watch the video, "World Readiness Standards Overview," on our YouTube channel to learn more about the new standards.
