Friday, September 07, 2012

TOS Review: Speekee TV

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All three of my children have mentioned once or twice (or more) that they'd like to learn Spanish. But, I'm one of those homeschool moms. You know the ones. The ones that make their kids study Latin. (Enter wicked laugh.)

My deal with them is three years of Latin, and then they can study a different language or another extra curricular subject if they choose. Ya know, I've just never gotten around to researching Spanish curricula. My two boys would try and find things on the Internet and dabble here and there, but nothing serious.

I got really excited when I saw that a Spanish program was being offered to members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew! What really sold me on this one was the website's claim: "Spanish acquisition without effort. Just watch and play!" I was crossing my fingers I'd be picked. And I know my middle son was, too. He'd do anything to postpone his third year of Latin!

Obviously we were picked for the review, and may I say, We like Speekee! I was a little worried at first because we usually aren't sing-songy learners (mostly because my boys protest to that sort of thing). However, it didn't take long for us all to become quite fond of our new purple friend.

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Meet Speekee, the lovable puppet who will have you and your family chanting words and singing songs in Spanish in no time! By the way, Speekee's favorite color is naranja. :)
 
Speekee TV is truly a simple and effective way to learn Spanish. Really, you just sit back and watch. In my opinion, it's living up to the without-effort standard! I like that my kids and I can learn together by watching 10 different episodes of real Spanish children in real Spanish locations. Everything is spoken is Spanish, but you do have the option of turning on the English and Spanish subtitles.

Each episode features children, characters, and catchy songs to help teach your family how to speak everyday Spanish. Along with Jim, Speekee, and many Spanish children you will visit a park, a cafe, a classroom, a beach, a zoo, a house, a market, a station, a party, and a garden. Also featured are sock puppets, Dino and Lupi, who sing songs and interact with each other making it fun for kids to learn.


Here's a sampling of the types of words you and your children will be learning about:
  • colors
  • numbers
  • weather words
  • greetings
  • vehicles
  • body parts
  • foods
  • animals
  • and so much more!
Here's a sampling of phrases you will learn:
  • I love you.
  • Be careful.
  • What time is it?
  • Where are we going?
  • Where are you going?
  • Come here.
  • I don't know
  • and so much more!

Speekee FastTrack is a 40 week plan which includes simple activities, worksheets, corresponding video clips, flashcards, and more to maximize your children's Spanish learning. Speekee FastTrack can be accessed on the website or you can choose to receive it by email. If you choose the email option, you'll receive one email each week for 40 weeks. FastTrack is absolutely free of charge with a Speekee TV subscription.

Here's an example of how FastTrack works. You will spend 4 weeks on one episode completing worksheets and activities 4 days per week. It's pretty flexible, though, if you choose to move at a faster pace.



Subscriptions are just $7.50 per month or $60 per year for customers in the United States. DVDs are available, but please see the website for information since details are in a European format.


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Speekee is recommended for ages 2-10, but all three of my children (ages 7, 10, and 13) enjoyed watching the videos. We spent the first 2 weeks watching all of the episodes with the subtitles turned on. I really couldn't believe how much we were learning without much effort. The songs would get stuck in my head, and Spanish words and phrases danced through my mind especially as I tried to go to sleep!

After watching all of the episodes, we've started going back through them using FastTrack. We are working at our own pace and loosely following the recommended schedule. Sometimes we watch certain clips and complete corresponding worksheets. Sometimes we just focus on learning words and writing them on our dry erase board. Other times we sit back and watch an episode all the way through without turning on the subtitles. This helps us catch the words we haven't quite mastered yet.

We highly recommend Speekee TV! Me gusta! See what other Crew Members are saying here.


 
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Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Crew, I received this product, at no cost to me, in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are mine

3 comments:

Nicole said...

We love Speekee too! It's been awesome

Unknown said...

Great review! We really love Speekee, too! The songs are so catchy.

Jim said...

Hola Brandi, This is Jim from Speekee checking to say GRACIAS for your review. Much appreciated!

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