Spanish Lessons in the East Bay CA area

Viva el Español, East Bay:
Viva el Español is a non-profit Spanish Language and Culture Center serving children and adults in the East Bay area of California. We are a before and after-school program, and teach a wide range of Spanish language courses to young amigos from ages 1 and up, pre-school through high school. We offer beginner to advanced level classes, quality private lessons, and tutoring. Our main campus is located in Lafayette in Contra Costa County, and we also teach at various pre-schools and elementary schools in Lafayette, Moraga, Walnut Creek, Oakland, Benicia, Pleasanton, San Leandro and San Francisco.

Beginner to Advanced Level Spanish Programs for Children & Teens:
- Toddler / Parent and Me Programs (Ages 1-3)
- Preschool & Kindergarten Classes (Ages 3-6)
- Elementary and Middle School Program (1st-8th Grade)
- Saturday Spanish (Ages 4-10)
- Before & After-school Drop-off Programs
- Teen Classes - "Los Chavos"
- Teen Internship Programs
- Private & Semi-Private Lessons (Middle & High School students)
- School-based Spanish Programs
- Spanish Summer / Winter Camps

Elementary and Middle School Program - Multiple Levels:
- Open to 1st through 8th graders
- Classes available Monday through Friday for 50 minutes at many times to accomodate busy families
- Students attend classes appropriate to their level of proficiency, and advance at their own pace throughout the year

Our curriculum focuses on communication and on cultural awareness. Our program focuses on the development of listening and speaking skills and on cultural awareness. Grammar is not the focus, but is learned indirectly rather than through direct instruction.

The program follows the natural sequence of language learning: understanding > speaking > reading > writing. The ¡Viva el Español! program provides a progressive and coordinated approach to the development of communication skills. As students progress in oral language comprehension, reading and writing skills are introduced.

Pre-School - Kindergarten Program:
- Open to 3-6 year olds (drop-off by parent/caregiver)
- Classes available Monday through Friday at various times
- Chose the shorter 50 minute classes, or the longer 110 minute classes to maximize learning
- Kids attend various times during the week, as their schedule allows
- Classes are specially designed to encourage and support daily use of the Spanish language. We cover themes that are relevant to your child's life and learn words that are easy to remember and use outside of class. Books, songs and activities compliment age-appropriate art projects for each theme.
- Daily schedule includes: greetings, music/dancing/movement, stories, art projects, hands-on activities, learning games, imaginative play
- Los Bilingüitos special class for bilingual children ages 4+ offered daily. Children in this class must have total comprehension of classroom commands and conversation, strong recall of vocabulary spanning a wide range of kid-friendly themes, and be able to put together phrases in Spanish. Participation requires assessment and teacher approval. Requires commitment to have children attend a minimum of 3 days per week.

Saturday Family Spanish:
This is a fabulous new class where parent and child can learn together

- Children ages 4-12 years olds attend alone or with an adult partner.
- Classes are 110 minutes long to maximize learning.
- Classes are specially designed to encourage and support daily use of the Spanish language. We cover themes that are relevant to your child's life and learn words that are easy to remember and use outside of class. Books, songs and activities compliment age-appropriate art projects for each theme.

Parent & Me - "Música":
- Open to 1-3 year olds, who attend with their parent or caregiver
- Classes available Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for 50 minutes (call to set up your Free Trial class!)
- What will you and your child find in a Viva el Español Parent & Me - Música class? An exciting musical tour across Latin America – all in Spanish! You’ll also find drums of all sorts, bells, maracas, shakers, castanets, triangles, rainmakers, rhythm sticks, guiros, tambourines, and more! High energy movers and quiet observers can all be seen intently involved in their own way. Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish – you’ll learn the catchy tunes right along with your child!

Parent & Me - "Arte":
- Interactive art and movement class for 2-3 year olds and their parent or caregiver
- Classes available Mondays and Thursdays for 50 minutes
- Our Parent & Me – “Arte” class is specially designed to encourage and support daily use of the Spanish language. We cover themes that are relevant to your child's life and learn words that are easy to remember and use outside of class – la familia (family), los animals (animals), la comida (foods) are only a few fun examples! Books, songs and activities compliment age-appropriate art and movement projects for each theme.

Private Lessons:
For middle school and high school students who love Spanish and want some extra practice time, or for those needing an extra boost in Spanish at school. Our teachers will tailor a lesson plan specific to your child's needs to help him/her with conversation, grammar, and foreign language study skills. Older students may also volunteer to help in our elementary school classes as a way to practice their Spanish conversation skills.

School-based Programs:
We offer our pre-school and elementary school programs on campus at various schools in the area. At each school our program is tailored to the specific needs of that school. If you are interested in having Viva el Español Spanish classes offered at your school. Schools include:

- Happy Valley Elementary School
- Springhill Elementary School
- Burton Valley Elementary School
- Lafayette Elementary School
- Stanley Middle School
- Los Perales Elementary School
- Indian Valley Elementary School
- Parkmead Elementary School
- Murwood Elementary School
- Piedmont Avenue Elementary School
- Chabot Elementary School
- Carden West Elementary School
- Washington Elementary School
- Marin Day School

Summer Camps:
The Spanish Immersion Summer Camps are designed to give children a unique opportunity to learn or improve their Spanish language skills. Students are grouped according to both age and language proficiency to ensure maximum learning for each individual.

The camps consist of one-week sessions. During each session, students participate in interactive games, music and movement activities, and art projects that center around a specific theme. Beginner students will learn basic language skills to supplement the vocabulary linked to each theme.

More advanced students will learn useful phrases, grammatical concepts and practice their conversation skills. Each week culminates with a sing-along and presentation, where the kids get to show off what they learned. Sessions run Monday-Friday. Ages 4+. Please see registration form for specific dates, themes and locations. Students may sign up for any number of sessions.

Winter Camps:
The Spanish Immersion Winter Day Camps are designed to give children a unique opportunity to learn or improve their Spanish language skills. During each day, students participate in interactive games, music and movement activities, and art projects that center around a specific winter-time theme.

Beginner students will learn basic language skills to supplement the vocabulary linked to each theme. More advanced students will learn useful phrases and practice their conversation skills. Ages 4+. Maximum 16 students per session.