Mission, Vision, Competencies, Standards, and Benchmarks

Benchmarks: Spanish
Spanish language study must allow for multiple entry points because students studying Spanish
will begin at varying grade levels and achieve proficiency determined in part by the length of
study commensurate with their developmental stage and God-given talent for language
learning. Language Acquisition Levels and the benchmarks describing what learners know and
can demonstrate in speaking, listening, reading, and writing form the organizing principle of the
CHCA Spanish Language Curriculum. The use of Language Acquisition Levels as threshold
benchmarks has its foundation in the curriculum standards of the American Council of Teachers
of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) as well as the Ohio Model Curriculum for World Languages.
Lower School Spanish: Acquisition Level I
Language Acquisition Level I is characterized by the following: students can communicate
on very familiar topics using a variety of words and phrases that they have practiced and
memorized. In the target language, students will be able to greet people in a polite way,
introduce self and others and answer a variety of simple questions and communicate basic
information about self, people they know and their everyday life. By the end of Level I,
Students will feel confident enough to attempt and/or continue speaking the target language
without much apprehension.
In Language Acquisition Level I (PreK-4), students will work to master:
Communication
‣ Identifying objects and people in everyday life including home, school, family, and
animals.
‣ Describing objects and people in everyday life including likes and dislikes.
‣ Describing settings based on time, place, date, colors, numbers, and weather.
‣ Discussing common daily activities including school routine, table setting, weather, and
schedule.
‣ Understanding and responding to basic greetings, farewells, and basic questions.
‣ Comprehending and expressing feelings.
‣ Using some verbs in first person form.
Hispanic culture
‣ Explaining the activities associated with a few Hispanic holidays and Hispanic
Heritage in the United States.
‣ Recognizing and singing lullaby songs and Christian songs native to Latin America.
‣ Discussing preparation of typical Latin American foods and meal times.
Connections
‣ Reciting Bible verses in song and reading format.
‣ Using Spanish language for cross-curricular activities.
‣ Listing practices observed in a video of a festival or holiday celebrated in the target
culture.
‣ Participating in or simulating age-appropriate cultural activities such a games, holiday
or birthday celebrations, storytelling and dramatizations.
‣ Observing, identifying, and/or imitating simple patterns of behavior or interactions in
various settings such as family and the community.
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