Introduction
Dora Flores Gragg has been a Spanish teacher at Kent Place School for 28 years. She is passionate about creating engaging and inclusive learning environments that inspire students to become confident Spanish speakers. Dora adopted ALBA Y GAEL to better meet the needs of her diverse student population and enhance the communicative and intercultural aspects of her teaching.
Dora has been using ALBA Y GAEL as a core resource in her teaching since 2023.
Kent Place School is an independent K-12 school located in Summit, New Jersey, with a total enrollment of 680 students. The school is dedicated to providing a rigorous and inclusive education that prepares students for global citizenship. The Spanish program at Kent Place School aims to develop students’ communicative competence and intercultural understanding from an early age.
The Challenge
After nearly three decades of teaching Spanish, Dora recognized that her previous materials were no longer meeting her students’ needs. The books presented several significant challenges that impacted both engagement and learning outcomes.
The most fundamental issue was the lack of cultural content. “The previous books did not have a good component of culture that is important in language classes, and they also lacked creative and good activities for the students,“ Dora explains. This gap meant students were missing a critical dimension of language learning—the cultural context that makes language meaningful and relevant.
The materials themselves were outdated and difficult for students to relate to. The books were not updated regularly and had old-fashioned pictures that students did not connect with. The activities were repetitive and did not make connections with students’ lives, making it difficult to sustain engagement and interest.
Essential components of effective language learning were also missing. The books did not include audio or projects, which are integral parts of language acquisition. They also lacked simple grammatical structures appropriate for elementary school students, leaving a significant gap in foundational skills.
Perhaps most critically, the materials were not sufficiently challenging. “The students needed more than what the previous book had, so they thought it was too simple,” Dora notes. “I had to always supplement with more activities.” Students were not challenged enough and were missing skills practice. The previous books did not provide cultural aspects or real scenarios that students could relate to.
Dora recognized she needed a more challenging program appropriate for elementary school—something that students could relate to and that would get them excited to learn the language.
"The students were not challenged enough and were missing skills practice and simple grammatical structures. The previous books did not provide cultural aspects or real scenarios that students could relate to."
The Solution
To effectively address these challenges, Dora adopted ALBA Y GAEL, a comprehensive elementary Spanish program designed to engage students through culturally authentic materials, relatable characters, and meaningful activities.
Engaging Content and Clear Structure
Dora’s assessment of the program is enthusiastic: “Alba y Gael has been a great addition to our curriculum. The students are excited to learn, and they get to know the characters in Alba y Gael. The grammatical structures are simple and clear. Alba y Gael also reaches different kinds of learners.”
The program provides more authentic material that students can actually relate to—a stark contrast to the outdated content that had characterized previous materials. The clear grammatical structures give elementary students the foundational understanding they need without overwhelming them.
Relatable Characters Connect Learning to Life
One of the most significant improvements has been how students connect with the program’s content. “My students really relate to the characters in the book, and they compare them with their lives and how they can apply it,” Dora explains. This connection makes learning feel relevant and personal rather than abstract and disconnected from their experiences.
Project-Based Learning Builds Skills and Excitement
The project-based approach has been particularly effective in building both skills and enthusiasm. “After each unit, the students love doing the projects and practicing what they learned in class. They can work in teams easily,” Dora notes.
Visual learners have especially benefited from the program’s design. “A few of my students who are more visual learners have benefited from Alba y Gael’s book for the beautiful and colorful illustrations as well as the projects at the end of each unit.”
Supportive Implementation
Dora prepared thoroughly for the transition. She took time over the summer before starting with ALBA Y GAEL to familiarize herself with the program and was able to meet virtually with the New Jersey representative for questions. “It was a positive change,” she reflects.
"ALBA Y GAEL has been a great addition to our curriculum. The students are excited to learn, and they get to know the characters. The grammatical structures are simple and clear."
Impact on Students and Learning Outcomes
The transformation in Dora’s classroom has been significant across multiple dimensions of language learning. She observes concrete improvements in both skills and confidence: “I have noticed that my students have more confidence when speaking or writing in Spanish. They are able to understand the material better, and their vocabulary knowledge seems better.”
Perhaps most telling is the change in student engagement and curiosity. “The students are more curious about what we are learning next in the book,k and I have noticed that their confidence when expressing themselves in the language is better than ever,” Dora reports. Students are looking forward to and curious about what comes next in the book—a marked shift from the lack of engagement with previous materials.
The shift to ALBA Y GAEL has provided students at Kent Place School with the challenging, culturally rich, and engaging Spanish program they needed. By combining relatable characters, authentic cultural content, clear grammatical structures, and engaging projects, the program has transformed both how students learn Spanish and how they feel about their learning. Students are more confident, more curious, and more connected to the language and culture they’re studying.
"I have noticed that my students have more confidence when speaking or writing in Spanish. Their vocabulary knowledge seems better, and their confidence when expressing themselves in the language is better than ever."
