The First Year ABSí Student
There are five stages to language acquisition. This child is in the “silent” or “preproduction” stage and lessons in this category build vocabulary in an engaging way. It is essential to understand that even if the child is quiet, he or she is still learning. ABSí’s seedlings get a lot of support with visuals, repetition, and purposeful interactions. Most if not all vocabulary units are accompanied with realia and traditional songs that enrich movement activities and enhance memorization skills.
What Your Child Will Learn in Spanish:
And how to:
The Second Year ABSí Student
There are two types of sprouts, and they are in the “early production” and “speech emergence” stages of learning. One type is the Spanish language learner that has limited comprehension and can produce short phrases. The other is the native Spanish speaker, who is at risk of losing or weakening their language due to minimized practice in their home, social and school environment. Students reinforce concepts they learned their first year through new themes. They also still learn traditional songs and poems.
What Your Child Will Learn in Spanish:
And how to:
The Third Year ABSí Student
Blossoms may still be in the “early production” and “speech emergence” stages of learning. However, since they have been enrolled in the program for two years, students in this class have a great Spanish vocabulary. They can communicate with simple phrases and have increased their comprehension skills.
What Your Child Will Learn in Spanish:
And how to:
Adult Classes
Adult classes are formatted differently than children classes. Sessions are ten weeks long and participants meet once a week, for one hour each time. The class is broken up into three sections. The first promotes engagement and relevance by teaching participants something about the Mexican culture. Whether it’s learning a genre of music, tasting a food item, or hearing a folktale, students enjoy this portion of the class as they realize that culture and language go hand in hand. The second portion breaks up the language into the most comprehensible way possible. Lessons include vocabulary building, reading strategies, conjugating verbs and more. Finally, the last part of the hour addresses communicative phrases that can be used in everyday situations. Examples include greetings, end takings, and common expressions.
Anyone attending the session can expect a fun and relaxed class. They will make new friends, read, write, listen and speak as they build the foundation necessary for continuous Spanish language learning.
Our mission is to help children gain the cognitive, cultural and economic advantage of being bilingual, by helping them acquire the second language in an engaging and comprehensible way.
Why ABSí Spanish?
ABSí is a Spanish language enrichment program, created specifically for 3-10 year olds. The thematic, vocabulary building units teach academic and conversational Spanish using visual, auditory and kinesthetic activities. Classes take place once a week and are the perfect option for parents who want to give their child an early start in learning a second language. The sessions build upon and reinforce previous learning, so that students can begin making connections and acquire more language. Families in the program get monthly class descriptions and home extension ideas as well. This, in combination with consistent class participation, allows students to progress at a faster pace.
Our Curriculum
Program Levels
ABSí groups its students into three levels. First year ABSí students are called “Semillitas” or seeds. Second year ABSí students are “Brotes Pequeños” or Little Sprouts, and third year students are “Flores” or Blossoms. ABSí’s goal is two-fold.
1) To provide students with a head start and solid foundation for continuous Spanish language learning
2) To preserve the Spanish language and culture by enabling all learners to speak, read and write it in a culture-rich environment.
Philosophy
Based on Stephen Krashen’s principles of comprehensible input and low anxiety situations, ABSí’s main goal is to make the learning of the language meaningful and engaging. Rather than using only one curriculum set, ABSí uses a combination of supplementary resources, traditional songs, Kagan strategies, and materials to allow every student to participate frequently and equally.
The themes, which are aligned to the Arizona Foreign and Native Language Standards, target academic and oral language, so that students have the opportunity to make connections and use what is learned throughout their day.
Substitute
Maestra Mirna has been an Early Learner Specialist for Scottsdale Public Libraries for the past six years. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and used to be a kindergarten teacher. Maestra Mirna is fun, reliable and hands-on!
Summer Camp Instructor
Maestra Letty is a certified third grade teacher in the Isaac School District. She has taught for over 20 years and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and a bilingual endorsement. She is patient, approachable, and caring! We are so happy she helps us in the summer!
Instructor
Maestra Adrianna is bilingual in the languages of English and Spanish and is working toward her Early Learner Specialist certification. She enjoys working with children, and much of her experience comes from being a nanny. Maestra Adrianna is new to the ABSí team, and we are proud of her commitment and excitement for teaching Spanish as a second language. Her class is at Cheyenne Traditional School.
Instructor
Meli is a Phoenix native and is bilingual in the languages of English and Spanish. She has been a trained instructor for the past three years, and much of her experience comes from being a mom of three! She is known to listen to her students and talk to them if they’ve had a bad day. We love that she enjoys jokes, creating linguistic goals, and rewarding her students if those goals are met. Her class is at Hopi Elementary.
Instructor
Maestra Nadya is a certified teacher in the Scottsdale Unified School District. She has more than ten years’ experience and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. She currently teaches Dual Language Instruction and Social Studies in Spanish at Mohave Middle School. Her ABSí afterschool classes are at Noah Webster and Kiva Elementary. We are lucky to have her as part of our family because she is caring and creative! Her experience as a mom of three also helps her connect with students!
Instructor
Bertalicia graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology. She is bilingual in the languages of English and Spanish, and loves working with children. Although she works as a developmental specialist and service coordinator for Arizona’s Early Intervention Program, she still finds the time to help with ABSi’s preschool class at Augustus Shaw Montessori.
Director
The curriculum is carefully crafted by Nycole Ahumada, a teacher and a mom. Nycole is bilingual, has an Undergraduate Degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s Degree in Academic Leadership, holds multicultural and bilingual certificates, and was a certified English Language Learner teacher. While her past teaching experience provides a framework for professional curriculum design, her present knowledge as a mom influences her in creating engaging and effective lessons. Her classes are at Pueblo, Cochise, Noah Webster, Sequoia Pathfinder Academy at Eastmark, and Augustus Shaw Montessori.
Ali can’t wait for Friday’s so she can go to Spanish class. The class has provided a good foundation for her to learn a new language in a fun way.Crystal Irvin, mother of Ali, Noah Webster Basic School
It’s amazing how much Spanish my 4-year-old daughter learned in just a few classes! She loved the José Luis Orozco music CD, and we can’t go anywhere in the car without listening to and singing “my Spanish songs”. She asked us to get her more music so she could learn more songs in Spanish! She’s even taught me a few words. Count us in for the next class!Leigh Ann Dolan, mother of Josie, Faith North Montessori
The curriculum is lively, fun, original and high quality. I have witnessed unique bonds between the instructor and the children. The students and parents are very committed to this class offering and it has gained a large following. Susan Engdall, Principal, Faith North Montessori
Nycole is kind, creative and caters to each student needs. You can trust Nycole to cultivate a learning environment that is fun, educational and professional with a focus on the safety, health and well-being of your child.”Ann, mother of 3rd grader
ABSí Spanish is such a great program! They expose children to Spanish language and culture in fun, creative ways. My daughter looks forward to Spanish every week and randomly bursts into Spanish songs at home. Her interaction with all of the teachers has been positive and educational. We look forward to continuing the program for years to come!Nikki Widup, Spanish Camp
ABSi Learning Hub fulfills our child’s need for social engagement while giving us the peace of mind that she is in a safe and clean environment. She was pretty miserable at home behind the screen, but now under that mask, it’s nothing but smiles for our daughter!Jessica, mother of 2nd grader
Truly an amazing program! My girls have learned so much and have become more confident in speaking Spanish! They are teaching their Dad and that is making them more fluent. Without this program, their awesome teacher and classmates, that confidence wouldn’t be there! It’s a program that teaches them Spanish in a very natural way. They learn through interacting with their classmates, singing, playing, listening to stories and acting out roles. Amazing! Thank-you for making such a difference ABSí Spanish!Leonor Spencer, mother of Victoria, age 5 and Geovanna, age 3
I’m amazed at how much Spanish my son has learned in such a short period of time. He looks forward to class every week and I am so proud that he will be able to communicate with more people.Heidi Kory, mother of Gunner, age 3
We are so thankful we were able to enroll our third and fifth grader in the ABSi Learning Hub – it gave them a place to safely interact with a limited cohort of other children while being supervised by a caring, qualified teacher. It also instilled great foundational habits amid the pandemic, including proper mask-wearing, hand-washing, sanitation of work areas/materials and social distancing.Amy – Pueblo Elementary Parent
We love ABSí Spanish class for our boys. They are learning about the language and the culture, and we couldn’t be happier. Thank you for all that you do.Sara Crawford, Spanish Camp
One of the best things about this program is the integration of parents into the learning!Ronald Cortez, father of Angela, age 5 and Olivia, age 4
My daughter really enjoyed learning Spanish in this fun learning environment. Nycole is an exceptional teacher and has a great way of connecting with children. Her well planned curriculum includes playful games & activities that engage students and make learning more fun. Prior to attending the class my daughter had little interest in learning Spanish, after entering this program her outlook on Spanish completely changed. She loves it and is eager to practice what she learned. Although her program has ended she still asks to go back. We hope to attend again. Cristina Barreda, mother of Penelope, Private Class
In this time of uncertainty, ABSí Learning Hub has been a wonderful learning environment for my children. I cannot thank Nycole and her staff enough for all of the kindness, support and encouragement my kids have received on a daily basis. They have truly thrived and enjoy going to school each day. Andrea, mother of 1st and 4th grader
ABSí meets all of the qualifications and requirements needed to be a vendor at a school. If you are an interested principal, teacher or PTA member, please email ABSí and we would be happy to answer your questions and get a program started at your campus!
