Testimonials by Schools

¡Hola! I am a teacher in Davidson, NC & have loved using some of your products with my classroom. Specifically, your personal pronoun package has been an incredible resource for my middle school students! They were EXCITED to "GET TO" conjugate verbs! I have never seen anything as easy to use for all different learning styles, but especially for visual learners. I may be presenting at the FLANC conference & would recommend that you consider coming to present your materials. Thank you for making my job easier!"

Karin Solomonson, Community School of Davidson, Davidson, NC

The Risas y Sonrisas program has been a wonderful blessing for our school. The students have never been more engaged with and excited about learning Spanish! The materials are visually appealing and versatile for use in countless activities and games that capture the students’ interest. The visual materials along with the music and sign language have helped every type of learner be successful. Now that we have access to the online resources, parents can not only see what their children are learning, but have fun learning with them. There is nothing more exciting than feeling like learning a new language is possible and this program has helped our students do just that. ¡Gracias Risas y Sonrisas!

Angela Smith, All Saints Catholic School, Berlin, Wisconsin

Thank you for developing such a teacher friendly spanish curriculum. It is greatly needed! This has been an outstanding program for our school. The students love the songs and can remember years after learning them. The games are fun and the colorful posters are attractive. I love teaching with this program and being able to use it with multiple age groups. We have used it for 3rd-8th grade the last two years and next year we are expanding our program to include the Kindergarten- 8th grades. Our parents often comment on how their children enjoy singing and learning the new vocabulary. It is very easy to use and offers beginning to advanced skills in Spanish in a fun way. I would highly recommend this as a school-wide program!

Carole Nase - Trinity Lutheran School, Bend, OR

I just wanted to let you know how great your program is! I have used it with 3rd, 4th and 5th grades and they love it! It has everything one might need to teach a certain skill in Spanish. I just can't believe how much the children retain! I did not use one worksheet with my students, it was all interactive and hands on!
This semester I will be teaching 1st through 5th grades using your program! I can't wait to get started! You have done a great service putting all this together. Anyone who has ever tried to teach elementary Spanish knows how hard it is to find material that is cohesive. You have definitely filled that void with Risas y Sonrisas. Thank you so much for all the time, money and love you have put into this program, it is top notch!
If you ever get to the point where you need people to sell for you or train for you, please give me a call. I truely believe in Risas y Sonrisas!"

Alejandra Wiggers – Delhi Charter School, Delhi, LA

I began using your program for my after-school Spanish classes this past year. The students were very enthusiastic each and every week while using the materials contained in your program! The parents were also very impressed by the progress of the students! It is amazing the small amount of "prep time" necessary when using Risas y Sonrisas. While other programs "suggest" games, activities and visuals, your program DELIVERS these items within the program. The amount of vocabulary retained by students is so much greater using your curriculum which is rich with visuals and varied activities!! Even though it may be a full week between Spanish classes, when students see the posters with the vocabulary again, all vocabulary comes back. Thanks for an outstanding program with a lot less "busy work" for us teachers!

For quite a while I've been thinking that I should tell you HOW WONDERFUL is the Music CD! My students (K-8th graders) ask me for "Chiqui-Gua" all the time.

Marie Taraska - St. Mark Catholic School, East Peoria, IL

We have very much enjoyed using the Risas y Sonrisas program with our 1st through 8th graders. There are so many fun activities and games to keep the students excited and eager to learn Spanish. It is a very user friendly program!"

Michele Worthington - Newton Christian School, Newton, IA

I was surprised, when teaching this program for the second year, how well my students K – 5th grade remember what they did the year before...and they still show enthusiasm! I have had as much fun teaching, as the students have had learning it.

Elizabeth Gonzalez - St. Mary's School, Sherman, TX

First of all I would like to congratulate you for the excellent curriculum you have created. Children love it! It is dynamic, the pictures are cute, the songs are catchy and the method of constructing sentences with the verbs is fabulous. I maintain the concentration of my students all the time!

Gabriela Preininger - Fayette Montessori, Peachtree City, GA

The after-school program at Baranoff is going GREAT. Currently, we have 136 students and nine classes. We are getting lots of positive feedback and both the teachers and students are having fun and learning. We hope to continue next year and we'll be buying 2 more curriculums in the fall.

Kayla Chalmers – Baranoff Elementary, Austin, TX

I bought your program about a year ago and I love it! I have recommended it quite a few times to others.

Colleen Kelley – Highland Park Elementary, St. Paul, MN

I just wanted to compliment your Music CD. I use it in my K-4 Spanish classes because I feel children learn best through singing and music. The students sing along with the Music CD and even take it outside of the classroom. Thank you for an awesome product!

Yvonne Knutson - Daisy Ingraham School, Westbrook, CT

I would like to share how wonderful the experience teaching with Risas y Sonrisas has been for me here in Canada. Children have learned pronunciation, vocabulary and oral communication faster than with any other approach I ever used."

Vera Escobell - Spanish Teacher, Ottawa, ON Canada

If I didn't tell you before, I'm telling you now; my teachers love your materials! My English speakers really took to your materials. I'm trying to get a confirmation from my teacher to attend your workshop."

Debra Hayes – Kelso Elementary School Principal, Houston, TX

Ms. Smith has developed a user friendly curriculum that reaches 40-50 students in our after school classes. She is a poised instructor who passes her joy of teaching Spanish to all of her students.

Dr. Doug Hall - Davis Elementary Principal, Austin, TX

Hemos usado tu programa con estudiantes de escuela elemental aqui en Cary, NC y ha sido muy pero muy bueno por decir lo menos. Los posters con sus colores son muy llamativos para niños de cualquier edad. El juego de bingo con sus tarjetas y palabras aparte ha sido muy eficaz para que los niños aprendan las palabras más rápido. Me tocó enseñar una clase de 10 estudiantes con 8 varones y 2 niñas y mantener la atención de los niños sobre todo era un desafío, pero cuando comenzamos a jugar el bingo o el juego de memoria o algún otro juego con las tarjetas y las palabras tenía a TODA la clase interesada en jugar y aprender.

Mi mayor satisfacción fue el tener en la clase a un niño autista. Al principio parecía que le era difícil captar el español pero hice todo lo posible por incluirlo y su deseo de aprender le ayudó mucho. En las últimas sesiones era este niño quien sabía las respuestas. Entraba a la clase saludando y respondiendo en español. En realidad me sorprendió mucho cuanto vocabulario aprendió. Las tarjetas y los juegos hicieron una gran diferencia y con este niño en particular aún más. Tienes un muy buen programa. ¡Mil gracias por toda tu labor!

Carola Pagan – Spanish Teacher, Cary, NC

I have found "Risas y Sonrisas" to be a wonderful program for teaching children Spanish! I was nervous to start teaching a Spanish Class when I was first asked to try it- but the Lesson Plans in the teachers manuel are so easy to follow - it made it easy! The lessons themselves, full of games and music, are so fun that the kids don't even realize they are learning- they think they are just playing!

I taught the program for 2 years at my daughter's school in Pennsylvania, and then my family moved to Idaho. I missed teaching the program, so now I'm starting over at the new school here in Idaho! Thank you 'Risas y Sonrisas' for making teaching and learning Spanish so much fun!

Cheryl Mercado - Spanish Teacher, Lansdale, PA and more recently Meridian, ID

The Risas y Sonrisas Spanish program is wonderful. The color coded words and lively pictures and posters make learning language fun and easy to understand. The teachers' manual is full of games and teaching techniques that create an interactive classroom. Students are encouraged to speak from the beginning. Our students love the songs and bingo games provided for each unit. Thank you for developing such a student friendly curriculum. Our students, staff, and parents are thrilled with the materials.

Kristi Papenfuss - Beacon Academy Plymouth, MN and more recently Susan Lindgren Intermediate Center St. Louis Park, MN

We have been using the "Risas y Sonrisas" Program with a group of 300 students between the ages of 3 and 12 years old. It has been such a positive experience to see children enjoying so much while learning Spanish. We highly recommend your program to schools.

Gloria Hayden - Eagle's Nest Christian Academy, Milton, DE and more recently Trinity Lutheran School, Keene, NH

We have been using your Spanish language program "Risas y Sonrisas" for four years now at Steiner Ranch Elementary. All of our Spanish teacher volunteers are very pleased with the versatility of the materials. At our school we teach grades kindergarten through fifth grades. We are able to teach all the grade levels using the same materials. We are also able to mix and match the various subjects with each other. The teachers are also happy with the variety of subject materials provided. The elementary Spanish program has been so successful that this year Leander ISD has a total of seven elementary schools participating using the "Risas y Sonrisas" Spanish program. Thank you for putting together one of the best elementary Spanish language programs we have looked at so far.

Annie Barrera - Elementary Foreign Language Facilitator 1998-2005, Leander ISD, TX

(This letter was written in January of 2002. As of 2009, there are over 25 schools around Austin using the Risas y Sonrisas curriculum with Spanish speaking parent volunteers.)

I have been using your program now for several years. I ordered your complete program three years ago and I love it.

Michelle Harvey - Tumalo After School Cooperative Program Director, Bend, OR

I have used your program for a year now and I am planning to use it again this year. I teach Spanish in two different catholic schools in Seattle. I have found your program to be easy for the students to use, entertaining, and engaging. I have used it in classrooms from K through 8th and they all have seemed to enjoy it and most importantly, learned the material.

Lorena Munoz-Lipscomb - St. Anne School, Seattle, WA

I am reading your manual and laminating cards and posters. School starts on Sept 6! I am looking forward to using your program with my students....and have a feeling they are going to LOVE it. Your hard work, intelligence and intuitive ways of knowing how to teach a language are clear in your materials. I do hope to share my successes with you.

Tere Solis - Holy Family School, Pasadena, CA