Susy Dorn facts for kids

Susy Dorn (born Susana Gabriela Rodriguez Santander, July 20, 1974) is a talented Peruvian-American teacher, musician, and performer. She is best known for creating "Let's Play in Spanish," a fun program that helps kids learn Spanish. Susy uses exciting methods like theater, puppetry, games, and her own original songs to make learning a blast!

Early Life and Education

Susy Dorn grew up in Lima, Perú, a beautiful city. From a young age, she attended an American school. This helped her become fluent in English starting at just three years old.

Learning and teaching run in Susy's family. Both her mother and father were educators. Following in their footsteps, Susy earned a special degree in Child Development Education. She studied at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru. This education helped her understand how children learn best.

Starting "Let's Play in Spanish"

In 1998, Susy Dorn moved to the United States. She began teaching Spanish classes for a small group of eight children. These first classes were held at a friend's house in San Jose, California.

Word quickly spread about her fun and effective classes. Soon, more and more parents wanted their children to learn with Susy. She started driving to different cities like Palo Alto, Cupertino, Willow Glen, and Campbell. Her classes became so popular that she taught full-time!

Later, Susy set up her main Spanish classes at the Campbell Community Center. People even traveled all the way from San Francisco to join her program.

Growing the Program

As "Let's Play in Spanish" grew, Susy hired a team of skilled teachers. These teachers were all native Spanish speakers. Together, they expanded the program to many more cities. Today, "Let's Play in Spanish" is active in Campbell, Santa Cruz, Palo Alto, San Mateo, and San Francisco. It helps over 700 children, from babies to nine-year-olds, learn Spanish in a playful way.

Susy and her "Juguemos" (which means "Let's Play" in Spanish) team have performed many concerts. They entertain hundreds of young fans and their parents across the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of these performances have even helped raise money for children in Peru.

Music, Videos, and Books

Susy Dorn has created many original songs, videos, and books. These materials help families continue learning Spanish at home. Her works make it easy and fun to practice what kids learn in her classes.

• Crazy Adventures with Harry & Susy: Spanish is Fun! – a DVD released in 2010, featuring Dave Hood.
• Cantemos en Español – a CD from 2004, a DVD from 2006, and a book from 2006.
• Sal y Pimienta – a CD from 2005, a DVD from 2006, and a book from 2006.
• Los Bomberos – a CD from 2005 and a book from 2007.
• La Marcha de las Aves – a CD from 2007 and a book from 2007.
• Feliz Navidad – a CD released in 2007.
• Rimas y Más Rimas, Ratón Ramón – a CD from 2008 and a book from 2008.
• El Baile del Mono – a CD released in 2009.