Editor’s note: Last week, we brought you a guest post outlining the pros and cons of online tutoring for bilingual kids. Today, we have a follow up by the same author with tips on how to actually find a Spanish tutor online.

The way we started our search was just by Goggling “Spanish tutor online” (or “Spanish tutor via Skype”).

A lot of schools popped up, many of them were based in Guatemala and Ecuador. We have changed three schools and three teachers since our first time, and here are 10 things we learned from our experience:

1. Look for a school that has experience working with children. It sounds obvious, but you will really need to emphasize it when booking the first lesson. There are a lot of tutors for adults, and you need to find one who specializes in children’s curriculum.

2. Take advantage of free trial lessons. In fact, some schools will offer you another free trial lesson with a different teacher if you were not impressed with the first one.

3. Ask if they have a system of teaching, basically a curriculum. We had a tutor who was a very nice lady but who had no system or lesson plans whatsoever. The way she always started the lesson was “What do you want to learn today?” It sounded like a very personal approach, but we quickly realized that without a system the pieces they were learning did not build on one another.

4. Check the pricing. Usually prices vary from $9 per hour (if you buy multiple lessons in bulk) to $30 per hour, but it can differ widely between schools.

5. If your child is already bilingual, look for a tutor who knows very little of your child’s majority language (you can check it in the teacher’s bio on the website). That way your child does not have the option of relying on both languages and code-switching during lessons. The reverse is also true: if your child is just starting in a new language (like mine with Spanish), look for a bilingual teacher so that the instructions will be very clear.

6. Incorporate digital flashcards. We found that not too many schools have a good online system for a student to go back and review learned information. Usually it is trapped in the Skype conversation or PDF files. My son is 9, and I make sure he enters all new learned words and expressions into digital flashcards, which are easy to review and are available on every electronic device. If your child is younger, share the digital flashcards account with your tutor, so she can help create cards for your child.

7. The personality of the teacher is very important. We look for a fun, cheerful, but firm approach. When kids are bored they are not learning very effectively.

8. Try to be with your child at least for the first several lessons to establish good discipline and habits. It’s harder for a teacher to keep firm discipline when she or he is not physically present in the room, and your presence will help.

9. If your teacher likes to use websites like YouTube to demonstrate new words in the video or to motivate a child (like offering Spanish cartoons), ask her to assign them as homework rather than using them during lessons. I found that watching videos distracted my son’s attention and it was hard for him to get back into a learning mood.

10. If you are not fully satisfied with the teacher, don’t be afraid to move on to the next one. Your child’s education is very important!

Olena Centeno a Ukrainian who lives in USA, a happy mom of three wonderful kids ages 2 to 9 and a wife to a great man. She speaks three languages herself and is raising her kids to be multilingual in English, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish. She founded Bilingual Kids Rock where she helps families on their bilingual journey. She also enjoys photography and video making as a way to preserve precious moments of life.You can connect with her at bilingualkidsrock.com

{image by  kellyv}

Recently my 13 year old son and I got to try out an online video-conferencing Spanish program called, “Homeschool Spanish Academy” and we’re really excited to share our experience with SpanglishBaby readers.

Homeschool Spanish Academy – What is it?

Founded in 2010, Homeschool Spanish Academy is an online “Spanish institution that offers interactive immersion lessons with native-speaking Spanish instructors in Central America,” (Guatemala to be exact.)

As the name indicates, Homeschool Spanish Academy is aimed at homeschooled children, but I believe this service is a fantastic option for all kinds of students. My boys, for example, attend a public school, and a language immersion program isn’t available so we’ve had to wait until middle school for our kids to get any classroom instruction in Spanish. We are raising them bilingual here at home and try to speak as much Spanish with them as possible, but classroom-style instruction also plays a role in achieving fluency, (not to mention, I myself am not a native speaker.) That, I believe, is where a service like Homeschool Spanish Academy could step in.

How it Works – Getting Started

When I spoke with the founder, Ron Fortin, first via E-mail and then by phone, I was a little nervous about the logistics of how it would work, but in the end, it was an easy and well-organized process. You can sign up for a free trial lesson on the website, telling them a little about yourself and your student. Providing your phone number is important because Ron then calls to help you make the necessary technical preparations which consist mostly of an easy online test to see that your internet connection is fast enough. Ron and I also connected on Skype, where the classes are run, so that he could make sure the teacher would be able to send me a request before our scheduled appointment.

How it works – The Class

Five minutes before our scheduled appointment time we sent a message on Skype to our instructor, (Rosa) to let her know we were ready. When it was time, Rosa called us on Skype and we answered with video. Rosa (who is bilingual), introduced herself and asked if I wanted to stay for the session. I let her know I would be in the room observing, off camera, if either she or my son needed me.

To get started Rosa chatted with my son until he relaxed, which served the dual purpose of accessing his language skills. My son’s Spanish was at a sufficient level for her to give instructions in Spanish, and so she continued in Spanish. Within Skype, Rosa opened a document that was visible to both her and my son, but in a way that allowed them both to still see each other as well. In real time, she could scroll through the document and highlight or point to things she wanted him to read aloud to her. When he made mistakes, she gently corrected in a way that was not at all discouraging. Rosa is a great teacher and she made my son laugh several times.

At one point Rosa asked my son in Spanish to tell her something he had a lot of at his house. He got stuck trying to think of something and finally blurted, “gatos.” Rosa couldn’t hide her curiosity, “Es verdad? Is it true?” she asked.

“No,” my son laughed, and Rosa laughed too.

What Did the Student Think?

While I thought the class was awesome and would highly recommend it, maybe it’s more important to see what the student has to say. My 13 year old’s opinion:

“I felt that it was a very good learning experience and I liked the method of teaching – Doing it on Skype also made it much more interesting than just sitting there with a workbook by myself. The teacher was very helpful and friendly and I even learned some new things in the short session I did. Rosa [the instructor] made me feel more confident and we had fun together. The technology they used was really advanced. It was cool how they put the work up on the screen so we could both see it.”

Programs & Pricing

Homeschool Spanish Academy has an Early Child Language Program, Middle School Language Program, and High School Language Program – Ron also tells me they teach adults and have a curriculum specifically tailored for situational conversations. New this year: They now offer paired classes, where two students – of the same household and within 3 grade levels of each other – can use the same computer and lesson time to meet with an instructor.

Special deal for SpanglishBaby readers!

When you sign-up with Homeschool Spanish Academy, get $10 off any package – all you have to do is mention “SpanglishBaby” in your E-mail, phone call, or contact form!

Additional program details and contact information can be found at the Homeschool Spanish Academy website.