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My Child Is Struggling in Spanish. Should They Drop It?
Is your child struggling in Spanish and asking to drop the class? Learn how to tell whether the problem is a skill gap, workload, teacher fit, or course readiness.

Jay Rowsey
32 minutes ago7 min read


Is My Child Ready for AP Spanish? 8 Signs to Look For
Is your child ready for AP Spanish? Use 8 practical signs, an ACTFL-based readiness checklist, and 2027 AP exam guidance from an experienced educator.

Jay Rowsey
4 days ago6 min read


Parents Keep Asking the Wrong Questions at Open House
Open house moves fast. Maybe you get ten minutes with each teacher. Maybe a little longer. Either way, by the time everyone sits down, introduces themselves, and gets settled, the conversation is almost over. So parents try to make the most of it. "How much homework do you give?" "Do you offer extra credit?" "Is this class hard?" Those are fair questions. They just aren't the questions I'd ask. I'd want to know whether my child is actually in the right class. That question is

Jay Rowsey
Aug 42 min read


Is IB Spanish harder than AP Spanish?
Parents often ask whether IB Spanish or AP Spanish is harder. Compare the workload, exams, college credit, and skills each program is designed to develop.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 315 min read


Can I Skip a Year of Spanish and Go Straight to AP Spanish?
Some students skip a year of Spanish and thrive in AP. Others get flattened. Here’s how to tell the difference before your kid pays for it.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 304 min read


Can a Non-Native Speaker Score a 7 on IB Spanish HL?
A native English speaker scored a 7 in IB Spanish HL. What he actually did, and the heritage-speaker myth most parents get wrong.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 295 min read
AP Spanish 2027: Predictable isn’t the same as easier
The 2027 AP Spanish exam goes fully digital and rebuilds around a course project on music. Parents keep asking if it’s easier. Here’s what actually changes.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 275 min read


Four Years of Spanish Class Won't Prepare Your Kid for a Spanish Podcast. Here’s why.
Why do strong Spanish students struggle with listening? Learn how the Spanish That Clicks™ Listening Method builds real comprehension step by step.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 275 min read


What Actually Happens in a Spanish Coaching Session
Every parent I talk to has the same misconception in the first conversation. They picture coaching as tutoring with a different name. Sitting at a kitchen table, going over homework, drilling verb charts. That's not what this is. It isn't even close. Here's what actually happens. Before the Session Ever Starts I don't accept a student without a Readiness Check first. That's a free 30-minute conversation, usually with the parent and the student together, where I listen to the

Jay Rowsey
Jul 254 min read
12 Half-Truths About Learning Spanish
12 Myths About Learning Spanish | Spanish That Clicks

Jay Rowsey
Jul 245 min read


Your Kid’s Spanish Class Starts in a Few Weeks. Here’s a Concrete Rescue Plan.
Three weekends before school starts: how a parent — even one who doesn’t speak Spanish — can diagnose the summer slide and get their child ready for day one.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 224 min read


Your Child Isn't Ready for the Next Spanish Level. Now What?
In my last post, I highlighted several signs that indicate your child might not be as ready as you believe for their upcoming Spanish class this fall. With summer rapidly coming to a close, it's time to come up with an action plan if that is the case. If we were face-to-face in a parent teacher conference, I'd tell you this. At the lower levels of language learning, a great deal of students that earn good grades know how to play the game of school very well. It looks a little

Jay Rowsey
Jul 196 min read


IsYour Child Actually Ready for Spanish 2, 3, 4, AP, or IB?
If your kid brought home an A in Spanish last year, congratulations. That might mean they're ready for the next level. Or it might not. I've been teaching high school Spanish for more than twenty years — currently IB Spanish B (SL and HL) and Honors Spanish 2 — and I'm an IB Spanish educator regularly invited to examine for the IB. So I see this play out from two sides: the students walking into my room in August, and exam scripts from around the world in the spring. The patt

Jay Rowsey
Jul 175 min read
IB Scores Are Out Today. Now What?
Just got your IB scores? A guide from an IB Spanish educator on what to do next — missed offers, EUR remarks, retakes, and how to talk to your teen.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 64 min read


Why Learning Spanish Gives Students a Real Career Advantage
Spanish is more than a school requirement. Here’s why learning Spanish can build confidence, cultural understanding, and career-ready skills.

Jay Rowsey
Jul 54 min read
Paper 1 Practice Before the Panic Starts
In the first post in this series, I wrote about building an IB Spanish course by starting with what students need to be able to do. In the second post, I looked at the five IB Spanish themes as lenses rather than boxes. Now I want to talk about Paper 1. Not because Paper 1 should take over the course. It should not. But writing is one of those areas where students often need more steady, intentional practice than we realize. They may understand the topic. They may have vocabu

Jay Rowsey
Jul 38 min read


The Five IB Spanish Themes: Lenses, Not Boxes
In the first post in this series, I wrote about building an IB Spanish course by starting with what students need to be able to do. Not just what topics they need to cover. Not just what resources we can find. Not just what looks good in a unit plan. But what students need to practice regularly so they become more confident, flexible users of Spanish. That idea becomes especially important when we start thinking about the five IB Spanish themes: identities, experiences, human

Jay Rowsey
Jun 307 min read


Building an IB Spanish Course: Start With What Students Need to Do
When teachers begin building or revising an IB Spanish course, it is natural to want the binder. You know the binder I mean. The perfect one. The one with every unit mapped out, every theme color-coded, every authentic resource placed in just the right week, every writing task aligned, every speaking prompt ready, and every assessment calmly waiting in the correct folder. And honestly, structure matters. IB Spanish is not a course I would want to approach casually. There are

Jay Rowsey
Jun 296 min read


Five Things Parents Should Do This Summer to Prepare Their Child for Spanish in the Fall
Summer should feel like summer. Your child needs rest, downtime, and a real break from the pressure of the school year. But if your child is taking Spanish in the fall, especially Spanish 2, Spanish 3, Honors, AP, or IB Spanish, doing absolutely nothing all summer can make those first few weeks much harder than they need to be. The good news is that preparing for Spanish does not require a full summer course, hours of worksheets, or a parent who remembers every verb ending fr

Jay Rowsey
Jun 2710 min read


The World Cup Is a Spanish Lesson
Every four years, the World Cup reminds us of something Spanish teachers and Spanish learners already know: Language is never just vocabulary. It is identity. It is pride. It is memory. It is music, family, food, humor, celebration, rivalry, and belonging. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is especially powerful because it will be hosted across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. For Spanish learners, that matters. Because this tournament will not just be a sports event. It will be

Jay Rowsey
Jun 253 min read
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