Villancicos

I am in love with Kumquat's 'Villancicos' cd. by Constanza Basaluzzo. Published and recorded in Argentina, each and every Christmas carol is just divine. Not to mention I adore the accent...
In class we have a great time singing and humming along with some of my favorites, including 'Navidad'. For older students you can copy the lyrics and highlight the chorus so they can follow along.
I bought this cd from Scholastic a couple of years ago- you can get it on Amazon.

Source for books

Here is an online store for materials for kids and adults. Check it out!

http://www.wor.com/shopping/#

Que chulito!

I just found the most adorable site for kiddos in Spanish:

http://us.gusanito.com/esp/

Enjoy!

Chocolate Caliente

Ummmm! It's that time of year to get making chocolate caliente. I often make it for my students right before Christmas vacation- they're squirrelly and lessons are going, going, gone! For a class of 18 I use:
1 gallon of milk
2-4 barras of chocolate (Abuelita brand is great or Goya or whatever you have available)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean
1 package of paper coffee cups

Pour milk into a large pot and add the cinnamon sticks, and the vanilla bean. I usually scrape the sticks together a few times before adding and I score the bean lengthwise. Warm the milk without scalding over medium heat. When the milk is warm, add the chocolate bars, continue warming until chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally. When it is ready, pour into a large pitcher and use a molinillo to stir it up. ¡Bate, bate, chocolate!

Serve in the cups. ¡Que delicioso!

*Note: It usually takes about 20-25 minutes for the milk to warm up. I need to do so prior to class as my classes are only 20 minutes long. I suppose if you put the heat up higher it would go more quickly.

Great website!

Check out:
www.elhuevodechocolate.com

Super resources for sayings, proverbs, songs, poems, tongue twisters, word plays, etc.

Play Money

Play money is a great way to practice a whole host of skills- counting, making change, buying and selling- as well as allowing you to add a cultural element to your activities. If you have a color printer you are all set to print out sets of play money.
For my first grade classes, I printed out small copies of Venezuela's Bolívar Fuerte from Google Images, cut them out and put each set in a small ziploc baggie. Each set contained 2 each of the 2, 5, 10, and 1 of the 20 bolívar denominations. I started with just these lower denominations because my first graders can count up to 30, so didn't want denominations that were too high for them to count to.
Our introduction was quite simple- "Show me 5 bolívares" , "Show me 10 bolívares", etc. Each kid had to hold up the correct amount. It becomes more difficult as you give an amount where they have to combine bills to make the correct amount ("Show me 7 bolívares"- 5 +2) Tip: make sure your students understand this concept- talk with the gen ed teachers if you are not sure. Different schools approach addition and money in math class at different times in the curriculum and in different grades. My first graders have experience with working with money, but maybe other schools don't start that skill until second grade. It makes sense to do these activities with students who understand these concepts- you can move a lot faster and in more depth.
Once my students have experience with the various bills, we set up a store with different fruits and vegetables that one could buy in Venezuela. This was a great opportunity to review old vocab and introduce a few new ones. I created prices for products and kids took turns being the vender- first I ask for fruits/ veggies, then the kiddos get a turn. You can take this in a lot of directions- from very simple to more complex depending on the level of your students. I keep the activity simple- 'Two apples, please', etc. Older students could do a lot more with the same type of activity.
Have fun!

Making Paper Marigolds

Every year my Second Graders make tissue paper marigolds as part of our theme on Days of the Dead. Here are the instructions to make your own with your students:

1) Cut green pipe cleaners in half, making enough so every student will have one. Attach a small piece of green paper into which you have punched a hole to one end, twisting stem around itself so it will stay on. This will serve as a nametag.


2) Take 4-5 pieces of tissue paper, approximately 4 or 5 inches square. I buy them pre-cut from Dick Blick Art Supplies (a catalog-google to find it) or you can buy larger sheets at a craft store and cut the paper down to size. Stack the sheets.

3) Fold the stack in half, creating a rectangle.

4) Fold in half again, taking care to hold onto folded corner in middle of above rectangle.5) Holding folded corner, cut opposite corner, making a curved cut.


6) To make petals, cut fringe along the curved cut- the more cuts you make, the more petals you will have.7) Unfold gently.8) Gently poke the pipe cleaner through the center of each sheet. Doing each sheet separately reduces the possibility of tearing. Bend the end over to keep the sheets from coming off the stem.


8) Scrunch each sheet upwards towards center of flower. Be gentle! I have seen many a flower come off the stem during this last step. Fluff and admire!

"Pictionary" Sheets

There are many ways to reinforce new vocabulary (or old). Especially at the youngest levels, I really like activities which involve all students at the same time- no time for kiddos to let their attention wander, everyone participates and is part of the activity. One activity I really like in this vein is the use of 'pictionary' sheets- a group of pictures of vocabulary we are working on. This could be anything- colors (as seen in the photo), numbers, family members, fruits, and so on.


These are a great way to work on new vocabulary, building listening comprehension. To use: Pass out one pictionary card to each student (in the photo above, the sheet itself was an activity, coloring the hearts according to color, then used for listening activity). Also pass out manipulatives- little animals, buttons, pebbles, colored pieces of paper, or even candy such as starbursts- one for each kid. The object for the kids is to listen to you, the teacher, as you say a vocab word. They need to then put their manipulative on the picture that corresponds. I usually go through all of the vocab words on the sheet at least once, sometimes twice, mixing it up as I go. As an extension, I then have the kids take turns saying one vocab word, which the rest of us listen to and put our manipulative on the sheet accordingly.

These are also good for quick assessments- I pull kids up one at a time for a comprehension check- "Point to the ____". Then I turn it around and I point to the pictures and the kid says the vocab word.

A neat site

I found this site looking for poems about food and just love it! What a resource! Check it out for yourself.

http://www.frasesycitas.com/

¡Atención!

Want your kiddos attention? I've seen teachers count to 10, shout over the kids, clap their hands, snap their fingers, use clever sayings like '1, 2 , 3, eyes on me'- I've even used some of these myself.
However, none have worked as well as using a noisemaker to get my students attention. It could be a maraca, a bell, a chime, a squeaky toy (that's what I use :)), whatever you have. The trick is to train your students-practice by shaking the maraca (or whatever you have chosen) and have the kids give you their immediate attention. Do this several times over a few classes so they become accustomed to responding to the sound. Be firm and consistent- expect their attention immediately. If they are having difficulty, practice again. I usually take time throughout the year to practice- the more you reinforce classroom management the more successful you will be.

Punto a punto

I love to take regular old activities and use them in my class. So many things can be easily modified for the FL classroom. Dot to dots are a great example. Easy to find (look in the kids section at most bookstores, ask a fellow gen ed teacher, go online on google images and do a search) they come in a variety of levels, from the simple 1-10 to the more difficult, and on loads of themes, from animals to outer space to just about anything! Here are two ways I use them:
*The very simple- for practicing counting, I give my kinders a simple 1-10 or 1-20 dot to dot. As a group, we connect the dots- kids are not allowed to connect the next dot until we have all said the next number. Usually I will say "What's the next number?", they will respond, then I direct them to making the connecting line and so on to the end. Then I will ask what the picture is. Obviously I choose a dot to dot that makes something they know how to say in Spanish. They can then color the picture.
*A trickier technique- I choose a dot to dot but white-out the numbers. (Make sure you have an original to look at when doing this). I rewrite the numbers, but put them out of order. Then, prepare a set of number cards, putting them in the order in which they will appear to correctly finish the dot to dot. These will be used during the lesson for those kiddos who are having a brain block on a particular number. During the lesson, inform the class that they will need to listen to you very carefully to be able to connect the dots correctly. If they simply go in numerical order, they will mess it up. Then start by having them put their pencil on the first number and telling which number to connect it to. They draw the line, then you give the next connecting number and so on until the end. Since this requires your students to know the numbers out of order, I often hold up the number cards I prepared to help them along, especially with higher or more difficult ones. Remember, even if you are showing them the answer, they are still using their listening skills as they listen to you and they are not translating as they go if you show them the cards. At the end, ask what the picture is and let them color. In a twenty minute class, there is usually only a few minutes left for them to color so often they take it home to color there.

Have fun!

First Day of School

I play a cute greeting game with my kiddos during the first few classes of school called 'Pum!' (Pop!), based on a game from Responsive Classroom. It is played like this:
Kids sit in a circle.
Kids count off, one at a time- the first kid in the circle says 'uno', the next kid says 'dos', the next says 'tres'. The next says '¡Hola!', jumping up like a piece of popcorn popping. The rest of the class then greets the kid who jumped up, saying '¡Hola ______!'. This kiddo stays standing and the countoff continues, always having the kids who are sitting do the counting. Keep going around until there is only one kiddo left- this kid will need to count to 'tres' before popping up so the class can greet him/her.

This greeting game is quick and fun. It is great for you and the class to learn each other's names. Remember: you should model how to 'pop up' before you do this game. Otherwise, there will always be one or two who will be overly exuberant! :) You don't want anyone to accidently hurt another by being out of control.

Have fun!

Tips for the itinerant teacher, Part 3

I love to do hands on activities with my students which they can then take home and share with their parents. Whether it be making paper flowers, creating a drawing, or doing any other type of project, providing the necessary materials to your students can be a logistical challenge. Over the years I have found that relying on the classroom teacher's materials just doesn't work. So, I bring what I need with me. Here's how I get them around:
-I used to use the crayons and markers already in the classrooms for drawing and coloring activities, but so often found that there weren't enough crayons to go around or the markers were running out. Some of my activities require each and every student to have a particular color at the same time, and certain colors just seem to get eaten- brown, black, gray- and therefore aren't available. To solve this problem, I bought flat pencil bags at Walmart, enough for an entire class to use at the same time. Inside I have a set of crayons. I never have to worry about whether a color is available and my kiddos don't bicker over the crayon box. Note: I do regularly go through the crayon "pockets" to replace broken crayons or ones that got lost. Where do they go? :)
-If we are doing a project which requires scissors or glue, I stock the crayon pockets with these materials as well so every kid has the needed supplies.
-When doing a project which requires multiple parts (tissue paper, green pipe cleaner, name tag, for instance when making paper flowers), I create a set of the parts for each kid ahead of time and put each set in an envelope or plastic baggy. This makes it much easier and quicker to distribute materials.

Organization and prepping ahead of time are the keys for success. Teaching in other peoples' rooms can be a challenge, but being ready and organized makes it so much easier. Enjoy the remaining few days and weeks of summer!

Tips for the itinerant teacher, Part 2

Going into various rooms with various setups can be quite a challenge. I teach all of my classes in circle, only going back to tables for projects and the like. Each room has its own arrangement. Some gen ed teachers have whiteboards, others don't (or they are inaccessible or inconvenient to use), some have an easel right at circle, others a bulletin board. Some circles "float" in the middle of the room, with little access to anything upon which I can hang my visuals. And every room is chock full of stuff, making it hard for me to set up without moving stuff around or out of the way. However, I manage. Here are some ways that help me:
*As I said in my last post, I have a bag for each grade level. In that bag, I carry a supply of big clips, masking tape, magnet clips, and large pushpins. (I found extra large pushpins in Walmart. They are easy to manipulate, so you aren't fumbling around with the little ones.)
*Check out the rooms ahead of time so you are familiar with the setup and know what to expect. Teachers love to change their rooms around (all of us!) and I like to get a heads up before I walk in the first day.
*If our district hires a new gen ed teacher, I visit with her before school starts to see how the circle will be set up and to give her a sense of how I will need to use the room.
This eliminates problems down the road. It can be uncomfortable for both the itinerant teacher and the gen ed teacher if a conflict arises over use of the room. I have had teachers who don't want me to put holes in their bulletin board or write on their easel paper. Talking ahead of time allows these kinks to be worked out.
*Use a pocket chart whenever possible to display visuals. There is a wide variety of pocket charts available, from small to big and everything in between. Using a pocket chart makes it easier to display a larger quantity of visuals without having to tape or attach each one to something. Materials just slide in and are easily removed. I have a fantastic pocket chart I bought through Lakeshore Learning many years ago which is velcro friendly on the top half, and space for sentence strips on the bottom half. It is great for sticking all kinds of visuals on and creating sentences or phrases around them.
*If you use a cart, make one side of it a place to hang larger visuals. Wheel it to where you are teaching, and make use of it for display.

The fun just never ends. Look for part 3 in the next week or so.

Tips for the itinerant teacher, Part 1

Oh, the joy of going from class to class, instead of having our own classroom. This is, unfortunately, the reality of many elementary FL teachers. The key to making it successful is organization, organization, organization. Here are some ways I keep it all together.
-I use a tool bag (Husky brand), one for each grade level, to carry my materials in. The bags have loads of pockets, are very durable, and have a long strap so I can carry it over my shoulder. Many teachers use a cart, but, for various reasons, that just hasn't worked well for me. (Once a cart I was using fell down a flight of stairs, materials flying everywhere- what fun!)
-For each grade level I teach I keep a three ring binder divided into the classes for that grade. In each section, I have a classlist, assessment sheets, and a seating chart. I carry this binder at all times in my tool bag.
-I use ziploc bags (the kind with the slider at the top) to transport and store all kinds of materials. Flashcards, small visuals, small manipulatives, game pieces, name tags, and so on all fit well into the bags, are easy to see, and easy to pull out for use. They are also great for organizing individual sets of materials to be distributed to students.

Look for Part 2 soon!

Welcome Methods Matters Teachers!

It is always so nice to have an opportunity to meet other teachers, share ideas, and connect. We often have few colleagues of our specialty within our school, or even our district- it can get lonely!
Here are a couple of neat sites that I love to print off of. Though the activities are in English, they can easily be modified for the FL classroom. The focus is on elementary teaching, but some of the activities, particularly the games, can be played at any level.
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/index.htm
There is so much on this site!! Lots of games, printables, etc you modify for your class.
http://kidscrafts.suite101.com
This site is not easy to search, but has lots of good printables once you find them. They have lots of printable card games, like Rummy and Uno, with animal themes, which are really cute.
http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/article/at-the-farm-printables.html
These activities are particularly appealing for the little ones. This link will take you to the farm printable page, but you can continue to search the site for other printables. The illustrations are just adorable!!

Enjoy!

Summer doesn't see me sit still!

Although school is out, and I am undoubtedly taking time to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather, thoughts of my classroom are never far away. I am constantly looking for manipulatives- I use them in boatloads of activities, from counting to sorting and classifying, games, etc. A great place to find them (yes, you guessed it!)- garage sales. I recently hit upon a treasure trove of plastic foods which I am sure will come in very handy. Last year I collected small stuffed animals, including an extremely cute anteater, which my students get to hold during class. Naturally, the animals talk and answer questions!
Baby clothes are good for teaching clothes vocab, plastic tea sets and dishes work well for teaching meals and place settings, and you can almost always find game pieces which you can repurpose to all kinds of activities. At any rate, get out there! Not only are they cheap but you are helping to reduce and reuse- always a good thing.

End of the year

We are finally coming to the end of our year- after using eight (yes, I did say eight) snow days this year, it really does feel like we've been in school forever! I always wrap up the year with memory books for each grade level I teach. Inside are songs, poems, and activities related to themes we have learned throughout the year. I love the opportunity to give something to my students that they can take home and share with their parents- and it gives us a moment to take a trip down "memory lane".


For the students who are passing on, I like to add a personal note to the back of each memory book. It is a very emotional time for me!

Kids do say some pretty funny things!

The other day one of my kindergarten students raised his hand and said in all seriousness, "Senora, my brother told me how to say 'boy and girl' in Spanish. It's 'dude and dudette'."
I could hardly keep from laughing!!!!

Olas y holas

At the beginning of each class, we do a greeting activity- this not only establishes a routine the kids can expect, but provides an opportunity for them to practice simple interpersonal vocabulary and skills. Here is a simple one which plays on the homonyms, ola and hola.

The entire group recites the following:
Olas que vienen,
Olas que van,
Hola __________,
¿cómo te va?

The name of a student is put in the blank- you can choose which child will be next in a wide variety of ways:
-the child currently being greeted rolls a ball to another child, who will get the next turn
-using popsicle sticks with all of the students' names on them, the teacher randomly chooses a popsicle stick and calls out the name
-children are greeted in the order in which they are sitting- this works best when they are sitting in a circle

The child who is being greeted then answers the question- ¡Bien! works perfectly even for the littlest of students.

Next student is selected and the greeting is repeated and so on until all students have been greeted.

*It is really cute to have the students make wave motions as the poem is recited.

Un momento chistoso

One of my second graders said today, "I don't get how we understand you, but we do!"
Too cute!

Memorama

I just loved playing memory when I was a kid. Playing it in the foreign language class has loads of possibilities- from the simple -matching two of the same pictures- to the more challenging- matching a picture with a word, or matching two parts of a sentence. As children have more experience with the language, you could have them match pronouns with appropriate verb conjugations (yo + hablo) or matching gender (la + flor).

When I play with my kiddos, I give it a twist. Using a pocket chart, I have taped the numbers 1-20 on the chart, spacing them so the cards can go between the numbers. The playing cards (I make them using clip art from google image search or flashcards) go into the strips of the pocket chart. To play, one kid has to say a number out loud (in Spanish, of course) in order to have me turn the card over. A second kiddo says a second number, upon which I turn that card over. If they are a match, yippee! (or yupiiiii, as the case may be) If not, I flip them over and two new kids get a turn and so on. At the end of the game (usually I allot a specific amount of time to play), we count the number of pairs and say each pair outloud. This way of playing is a great way to get two for the price of one- practicing numbers while at the same time practicing target vocabulary on the memory cards themselves. ¡Disfrutelo!

¡Bienvenidos a todos!

This is Pepita. She is beloved by my students- she is part of our class each and every day.

As a Spanish teacher, I am constantly looking for new ideas to use in my classroom. I have been teaching Spanish for 10 years to K-2 (14 years in total, but I started in ESL), and though one would think I have discovered all there was to do in class, new ideas keep coming. Sharing ideas with others is, in my opinion, part of being a professional. For the last several years I have been presenting workshops on teaching Spanish at the elementary level. This blog will attempt to continue that work-to share ideas, games, activities, pedogogical information, etc that are successful and allow our students to grow in their ability to learn and use Spanish.