La Clase Divertida

La Clase Divertida is a three-level elementary Spanish curriculum built around video lessons taught by Señor Dale Gamache, with audio practice, workbooks, and hands-on craft projects.

Last updated: 2026-04-24 · Every Homeschool Editorial Team

At a glance

Method	Subject specialist / video-taught / hands-on kit
Worldview	Christian-ecumenical (light Christian framing; content is primarily language instruction)
Grades	PreK-8 across three levels, per the publisher's About Us page
Formats	DVD and streaming video, craft kits, workbooks, teacher guides
Cost tier	Standard
Parent intensity	3
ESA-common	Yes, on marketplaces that include foreign-language curriculum
Accredited	No
Established	Company since 1995; Level 1 curriculum 1999, Level 2 in 2001, Level 3 in 2005, per the publisher's About Us page
Website	funclase.com

Our scoreboard (1-5)

Criterion	Score	One-line reason
Academic rigor	3	Substantial vocabulary and basic grammar exposure; not equivalent to a traditional Spanish 1-3 sequence
Ease of teaching	4	Video delivers instruction; parent manages kit activities and review
Content quality	4	Production is warm, instructor is engaging, craft kits are well-curated
Flexibility	3	Sequenced by level and unit; skipping around is not practical
Value for money	3	Kit-based pricing runs higher than video-only Spanish programs
Worldview scope	4	Broad Christian framing; most content is language and culture, usable by secular families
Visual/design	4	Bright, culturally grounded, and physically distinctive
Support resources	3	Teacher guides and phone support; no active online community

Who the publisher is

La Clase Divertida is published by La Clase Divertida, Inc. The publisher's About Us page describes the work as a family ministry in business since 1995 that grew out of after-school enrichment classes and summer camps in Spanish. Señor Dale Gamache is the teacher in the video classes and speaks about the curriculum at national homeschool conventions. The program is sold directly through funclase.com.

The company does not publish enrollment or distribution numbers. What is verifiable is the catalog: three levels, each sold as a Basic Educator's Set that includes materials for two students, with extra student sets priced separately (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3). The publisher also sells a Streamline version of each level (see Level 1 Streamline) that supplies streaming video and audio download alongside DVD and audio CD, with the teacher manual and student workbook as copyable files on a flash drive or memory card and no craft materials. As reviewed by Cathy Duffy, the Level 1 kit contains four DVDs of 15 lessons, an audio CD, a brief teacher's manual, two workbooks, and craft materials for two students, and its lessons cover the alphabet, numbers from 1 to 20, colors, days of the week, parts of the body, animals, and family members (Duffy review). Duffy places Level 2 up to about seventh grade and Level 3 up through about eighth grade. The publisher describes each level as an entire school year of study (Educational Sponsorship page); Duffy estimates the Level 1 course at about four months at one lesson per week.

Cathy Duffy's review describes the program as not overtly Christian but written from a Christian point of view. The same review calls the Level 1 presentation enthusiastic if somewhat less than professional, recommends the program for families who want to introduce the basics of Spanish in a fun and non-intimidating way, and describes it as intended for grades K-6, with the most appeal for the younger half of that range.

The core pedagogy

La Clase Divertida teaches Spanish primarily through video lessons in a small class setting, with Señor Gamache introducing vocabulary and phrases in Spanish with English translation. Cathy Duffy's review reports that children respond out loud as they watch, that the program uses a good deal of repetition, and that children absorb information about the history and culture of Mexico through stories and crafts. Parents watch alongside the children and supervise the craft and cooking projects, and the workbook lessons reinforce what the video presents and give practice in writing Spanish.

The craft materials are a distinguishing feature of the original sets. Duffy's review lists enough craft materials for two students in the Level 1 kit. The publisher's Level 1 Streamline set omits crafts and instead includes a list of companies where families can buy the items for the multicultural activities they choose to do.

Signature mechanics: (1) Video-taught in a small class setting. Señor Gamache leads the lessons on video. (2) Spanish with English translation, with children responding out loud. (3) Craft and cooking projects, supervised by the parent and supported by materials in the original sets. (4) Cultural content, including the history and culture of Mexico. (5) Three-level arc. Level 1 is intended for grades K-6, Level 2 reaches up to about seventh grade, and Level 3 up through about eighth grade (Duffy review). The publisher places Level 3 at elementary through eighth grade (Level 3 page).

The program is not a traditional high school Spanish 1-3 equivalent. It covers substantial vocabulary and introduces basic grammar, but in our assessment families pursuing high school foreign-language credit will want a more traditional program (Breaking the Barrier, Visual Link Spanish, or a formal Spanish 1 textbook) after La Clase Divertida. The publisher sells high school Spanish separately, as live online Spanish 1, 2, and 3 classes offered since 2009 (About Us page), listed at $450.00.

What they do exceptionally well

A friendly, non-intimidating class. Cathy Duffy's review describes Señor Gamache's class as friendly and the Level 1 presentation as enthusiastic, designed to introduce children to the basics of a foreign language in a fun and non-intimidating way. Parents watch with the children and help them join the songs and activities.

Craft materials included in the original sets. The Level 1 kit includes enough craft materials for two students, per Duffy's review, so families using the original version do not need to source project supplies separately. The Streamline version leaves crafts to the family.

Cultural content. Duffy notes that children absorb information about the history and culture of Mexico through the program's stories and crafts, which gives the vocabulary a cultural setting rather than presenting it as word lists alone.

What they do poorly

Production values. Duffy's review describes the Level 1 presentation as enthusiastic if somewhat less than professional, and the publisher's Level 2 Streamline page describes the program as the original, more than 22 years old. Families whose children are used to contemporary streaming production may find the videos plainer than the instruction deserves.

Not a grammar-first program. Families whose goal is substantial grammar mastery (for, say, high school foreign-language credit preparation, or for a student likely to continue into AP Spanish) will find La Clase Divertida's grammar coverage lighter than a traditional textbook series. The program is vocabulary-and-immersion heavy, grammar light. This is a reasonable choice for elementary and early middle school, but it means the transition to a more rigorous program matters.

Limited community. In our assessment, La Clase Divertida has a smaller community footprint than larger Spanish programs, so families who get stuck or want to compare notes have fewer peer resources online. The publisher's site lists a phone number for orders and questions, but the community layer is thin.

Who it fits / who it doesn't

• Pick La Clase Divertida if: you want elementary or early-middle-school Spanish with a warm on-camera teacher; your children benefit from hands-on craft activities and visual memory anchors; you appreciate cultural breadth in a Spanish program; you do not need substantial grammar instruction at this age; you want a program distinguished by material kits rather than worksheet drill.

• Skip La Clase Divertida if: you need a grammar-first program preparing for high school Spanish credit (consider Breaking the Barrier Spanish or a formal Spanish 1 textbook); your student is a rigorous grammar learner who prefers structured paradigm tables; you prefer app-based immersion (Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Mango Languages) over DVD-format instruction; your budget cannot accommodate the kit pricing and you prefer a lower-cost digital-only program.

Cost honest assessment

As of October 2026, the publisher lists the Basic Educator's Set, described as including materials for two students, at $125.00 for Level 1, $135.00 for Level 2, and $145.00 for Level 3. Extra student sets are sold separately at $15.00 to $45.00 depending on level and on whether audio practice is included, per the same level pages. The Streamline Teacher Sets are listed at the same prices (Level 1, Level 2, Level 3). Combination packages are listed at $235.00 for Levels 1 and 2, $260.00 for Levels 2 and 3, and $385.00 for Levels 1, 2, and 3.

Because each Basic Educator's Set is described as including materials for two students, a family with two children working through a level together does not need a second set. A family using the Streamline version copies the workbook files from the flash drive or memory card and sources its own craft items.

ESA eligibility notes

La Clase Divertida is approved on most state ESA marketplaces that include foreign-language curriculum. Families in Arizona (Empowerment Scholarship Account) and Florida (Step Up For Students) have historically been able to purchase the kits through approved vendor workflows. Because the product contains both instructional DVD content and physical craft materials, some states may require itemization, the DVD and workbook components typically clear curriculum eligibility, while the craft kit may fall under supplementary materials. Families should verify within their state portal. The publisher does not publish a dedicated ESA ordering page as of April 2026.

Alternatives

• Song School Spanish, a family would choose Song School over La Clase Divertida for a cheaper, song-driven elementary Spanish introduction from Classical Academic Press.
• Visual Link Spanish, a family would choose Visual Link for a more grammar-substantial online program with automated tracking and no physical components.
• Duolingo + a print vocabulary workbook, a family would choose this free-app-plus-supplement path to minimize cost while covering comparable vocabulary, sacrificing the instructor relationship and craft component.

How we verified this

Our editorial team reviewed the publisher's funclase.com About Us page and its Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, combination-package, and high school pages, along with Cathy Duffy Reviews' entry for La Clase Divertida. Prices were taken from the publisher's site in October 2026.