New Blog! Same us!

We have the great fortune to be starting our own little mini business, Mundo de Pepita, and along with that we have started a new blog. It's still us, but with a brand name :) Find us here!

DIY I Spy Activity

I would love to say I came up with this all on my own, but alas! no :) I found the idea of creating your own DIY I Spy on a preschool activity board on Pinterest and modified it for my classroom. This is a great way to practice vocabulary, especially recycled from earlier themes so it doesn't lay fallow in the minds of your students.
To create: Gather together a group of objects of known vocabulary (if you don't have manipulatives you can use pictures) and place them on a solid piece of paper. Take a picture of the grouping, like I have above, and print it out. You can print out several copies or just one, depending on how you will use the activity. Laminate if possible. Secondly, create a 'I Spy' (Busca...) checklist to go along with the picture. For this one, there are tons of possibilities. Here are some:
-a horse
-a house
-a dog
-the number four
-something orange
-three fruits
-five mammals
-something prehistoric
-a mode of transportation

I like to have a checkbox next to each item on the list so kids can check off each thing as they find it. And, it's wonderful to have a mix of nouns and categories so kids have to think a bit more about what they are looking for. The checklist can be printed out multiple times so you can use the laminated picture over and over again. The alternative could be to laminate both the list and the picture as one larger page and use a dry erase marker to circle things as they are found. Super fun and easy to create!

We are thrilled to launch our new Etsy shop, Mundo de Pepita! Mundo de Pepita is a collection of mini-books designed to be used in teaching Spanish to children and are PDF in format, easily copied for use in the classroom. The mini-books are leveled A-D, starting with very basic vocabulary building at the lowest level while the highest level features short stories which are easily accessible for beginning learners.

Each mini-book focuses on a particular vocabulary theme or linguistic concept of high frequency in the Spanish language, and features adorable illustrations which can be colored by students.

Level A- This level features a single word on each page which builds vocabulary. Picture to word correlation is complete.

Level B- This level has single sentences per page which are typically pattern oriented. There is a high picture to word correlation for easy comprehension of text.

Level C- In this level, each page features 2-3 sentences which form a short, simple story. Some books are pattern oriented. Illustrations highlight key vocabulary in the story.

Level D- This level features multiple, more complex sentences on each page which form a story. Illustrations highlight key vocabulary in the story and enhance comprehension.


We will be adding new books and activities regularly so keep checking back!

Making simple sentences

My Fourth Graders are learning how to put simple sentences together using verbs and nouns. Giving them visual choices makes it easier for them to come up with vocabulary to use. Each of these sentences begins with Ratoncito Pérez, the tooth mouse, further simplifying the process. So, for example, a student could choose 've' as their verb and 'una manzana' as the object...."Ratoncito Pérez ve una manzana." Limiting choices for each verb especially helps those students who have difficulties coming up with vocab 'out of thin air', and quickens the pace enabling more students to have turns. Of course, I like to have some of the choices be silly and ridiculous as that just heightens the motivation and fun!

Using the target language for instructions (visual)

I am a big fan of posting what I say to kids visually, not just providing oral input. Not only does this provide great support for kids who learn differently, but it also creates an ongoing reference source for that input. One of my favorites "posts" are instructions for activities we are doing in class. I've created simple instructions on the back of which I've placed magnets so I can easily change them out when transitioning from one class to another. Additionally, I break down the activity into it's steps and stick those next to each instruction so my kiddos can see the correlation between instruction and step in the activity. As I introduce the activity, I go over the steps one by one ensuring my students comprehend what it is I am asking them to do. What I love about this (apart from using the target language, of course!) is that as we are doing the activity, I can refer my students to the instructions when they ask me "So, what do I do next?" or "I'm done with this".

So, as an illustration, you can see in the above picture students need to first put their name on the activity (La oruga muy hambrienta) using a pencil (note I put the material- pencil, scissors, etc- up as well, reinforcing that vocab). Then, they must cut out the pictures, thirdly glue them to the appropriate pages, and lastly, color. I've provided an example of each step for additional visual support.
The more you use this system, the better students get at it. Keeping the instructions simple enables them to more easily access the vocab, and over time they begin to know what the expectations are for instructions in class and use them independently.
We've created a great printable so you can easily do this yourself! Get it in our shop!

Get our printable here!

Sub Tub

I can not believe I never came up with this idea before! Creating sub plans has always been a challenge, especially considering it is a rare event when my sub speaks Spanish, so a day out is a day lost. Browsing on Pinterest, I came across another teacher's Sub Tub, and with modifications, I have created a marvel (or so I think!). My goal was to create a tub filled with activities that were reusable, easy for a sub who doesn't speak Spanish to manage, and were cultural or linguistic in nature, but accessible for students. I started by thinking of the necessary components:
-Plan book (In this I have, of course, my schedule, emergency info, and instructions for how to use the sub tub and more- see below for a longer listing.)

-Activities organized by grade level (The bulk of these activities are games, each in its own bag, with instructions for how to lead the game/activity and materials to play. See below for a listing of the activities I've included.) The sub chooses one of these activities to do with each class. They are organized by grade level.

-Additional Materials (ball for greeting games, bingo chips, playing cards, etc)

Though it took a lot of time and effort to get the tub together, now I do not need to worry about heading into work in the morning when I am really sick, the plans are always ready to go!

 PLAN BOOK CONTENTS:
-Introduction to Sub Tub
-Class notes, including assigned seats, class rules and routines, food allergy info, how to transition classes
-Conducting a Lesson (Three components: Greeting, Poem, Activity)... this details how to run the three components of the lesson
-Greeting Activities- I start all classes with a greeting activity. I've included four activities which are easy for a sub to manage; materials such as a ball for 'Ball Roll' are in the tub.
-Basic Instructions for Class Activities
-Schedule
-Map of School
-Phone Extensions

ACTIVITIES
-Poems- I have a book entitled 'Poetry Celebrating Life in the Amazon Rainforest' which the kids love. I've made a checklist of each class and each poem, so as one is read, the sub checks off the poem and which class has heard it. This creates a visual reference should I be out again; the next sub will know which poems have been read to which classes.

-Fairytales- I have included a selection of fairytales and folktales from various Spanish speaking countries and a checklist for these. (K, 1)
-Bingo (Lotería)- This could be any vocabulary set, but mine is colors and numbers to 10. The call cards have the word and pronunciation on the back for the sub. (K-2)
-Gato (TicTacToe) (K-3)
-Memorama (Memory)- I made a version with various pictures and vocabulary having to do with Days of the Dead. You could use any vocabulary set or cultural images. (3,4)
-Puzzles- I took a variety of large pictures and maps of cultural images, glued each to a stiff piece of paper, laminated them, and then cut them into pieces. Each puzzle goes into a little baggie. Kids can do the puzzles in pairs. Should they finish one puzzle, they can choose another. (1, 2, 3)
-Reloj (a card game from Spain) (4)

All games have been played with classes at some time in the past so the classes are familiar with them. I've noted the grade levels for each activity in parenthesis. Many other types of games could be included; I plan on adding others in the future to mix it up a bit and add choice. Yay to the Sub Tub!

We've created a Sub Tub Kit ready to print out and put together! Games, activities and more to create your own... get it here!

Get it here!

Welcome back!

I am getting my room ready for the start of school and wanted something that shared with my students how I feel about them. I ran across a really neat door display on Pinterest, http://pinterest.com/pin/169659110933142031/, which I decided to adapt for my room. The result is the above, with vocabulary they already know and new that they can figure out. I am excited to share with them!

Songs in Pictograms

Wow! I stumbled upon this site a few days ago and just love it! A large number of authentic children's songs have been illustrated word for word.... just incredible!


http://www.catedu.es/arasaac/materiales.php?id_material=222

When they are done......

We have all been there.... the class is doing a project or an activity, and one of your students finished way ahead of the rest. So, what do you do? Traditionally, I have had extra activities for my students to do: mazes, dot to dots, coloring pages, all related in some way to the theme we are doing at the time, and in Spanish of course!! Recently, however, I found another idea which I interested in trying out...activity bags. The essence of the idea is to create an activity (such as a sorting activity) whereby the student has to take out the pieces and complete the task....so for instance, in the bag you have four word cards, chiquitito, pequeño, grande, enorme, and small manipulatives of a variety of animals (or picture cards if you don't have manipulatives) and the student has to sort the animals accordingly. You can then check to see if they have done so correctly before they put the activity away. My thought would be to also have a card for each student in their folder with each activity on it that they check off as complete a task (or you could put stickers on it).
As I said, I am going to try this out and will report back!

An idea basket

My fourth graders are practicing creating full sentences using a simple formula... a noun, an adjective, a verb, then another noun. To help keep the creative juices flowing, I use an idea basket full of pictures of vocabulary words they know. I call up a student to pick a noun out of the basket, we put it on the board, and the fun begins!! I have found kids struggle to pull vocabulary items 'out of the air'- with the idea basket your class runs more efficiently and all kids participate. What's really great too is that you often get rather silly sentences, which increases the motivation factor. Sample a few of our recent sentences:

La lima sincera come una banana.
Un taco atlético agarra al gato.
Un gato amable ve una casa.

Qué divertido!

Call and Response

I love call and response activities.... they engage all students, serve to call attention to a particular action, and can be a great help with classroom management. One of my favorites ways to use call and response is to get my classes' attention. The way it works is this:
I say 'Nachos', and my students respond with 'Salsa'. We practiced and modeled what this looks like and sounds like... the expectation being that when they say 'salsa', they stop what they are doing and place their attention on me. My students love it and I easily get their attention when it is needed. Any pairing of related vocabulary works.... '¡Lima!' '¡Perú!, '¡Buenos! '¡Días!, '¡Frida!' ¡Kahlo!'... the possibilities are endless, and as you can see, it is a wonderful way to incorporate culture into your routine.

Getting Ready to Go Back to School

Time is certainly counting down, and many of us are already getting back into school mode. As I look forward to those first few weeks, a few things stand out. Here is my checklist for organizing my classroom:
-Obtain class lists and make seating charts. I teach all of my classes in circle, and with only 30 minutes for class time, I do not want to waste time waiting for kids to figure out where to sit, or have issues arise due to arguing over where to sit and with whom. Having 'Spanish spots' as I call them, makes coming and getting right to class a whole lot easier.
-Label and stuff folders for each class. All of my students have a folder, from K to 4th grade. Getting these folders ready to go before school starts helps me stay organized. Inside of each folder are packets of Spanish related activities (grade specific) students can do if they finish class projects or activities. As well, I put in word banks each grade will use during the course of the school year.
-Create name cards which can be used in a variety of activities. I use these a lot, whether for picking a child to have a turn during a game or greeting, for choosing partners, for charts and more.
-Create assessment class charts. I begin mini assessments right from the beginning, whether it be for participation or discrete point assessments, or routine assessments like those I use during our greeting activities. Having these charts ready to go beforehand makes my beginning a lot less hectic.

These four steps are only the beginning, but they address the nuts and bolts of organizing and managing a large number of students. With these things set and ready to go, I can turn my attention to welcoming my students!

Fun and tasty!

Trying to keep yourself and your students cool during the hot summer? Here's a fun and yummy treat using horchata:

http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/2011/how-to-make-horchata-pops/

Check it out!

Take advantage of summer!

Summer is a great time to get some professional reading done... check out Multilingual Mania, a great resource for articles on language acquisition, program advocacy, trends in language education and more!

http://multilingualmania.com/

Sándwiches

I am always looking for new ways to use 'me gusta' and it's variants in authentic communicative ways. This year my Second Graders discovered a set of plastic sandwich ingredients manipulatives lurking in one of my bins which I had completely forgotten about, and boy did they want to play with them! So, out they came, each child putting together a sándwich we could comment on. This was a great way to practice three simple constructions 'me gusta', 'me gusta mucho' and 'no me gusta' in a genuine activity. As a take off on this, my students made paper sandwiches, as you can see in the photo, and each of us marked the chart as to how we felt about the sandwich they had created. We had such fun and they had the opportunity to take home their creation and share it with their family. Qué rico!

Back!!!!

I am back from almost a year away from my blog.....life became very busy, hectic, full.....fill in your adjective! I let this blog go, knowing at some point I would return. So, back in the saddle as it were. Over the last year, I have developed new themes for some of my classes, tried new activities, and brought back some old favorites. See my next post for a fun activity I just did with my Second Graders!

Ensalada de Frutas

My Kindergartners have been learning fruits, and to culminate the theme, we made 'Ensalada de Frutas', paper collages featuring our yummy fruits. The only precut materials were the bowls (they had to choose- in Spanish- what color) and the labels. Since most are unable to read, I called them up to my desk with their work, they told me the names of the fruits in Spanish, and I gave them the appropriate labels. What a wonderful job they did!

Maya for Kids

This blog/website is dedicated to all things Maya. It appears to be very kid-friendly, which is a major bonus!

http://mayankids.wordpress.com/

Compliment Valentines, reactions

So, the compliment valentines were a hit! Not only did the kids enjoy doing them (and practiced their vocabulary in the process!), but I was so touched by the things they wrote about one another. Really sweet!

I did decide to change how each kid got the names of the kids they were to write to. I picked the names ahead of time out of a hat, (and strategically assigned a few kids to others in the class.) We have some kids who just absolutely don't get along, and it seemed to make for a more pleasant experience if I monitored the choices a bit. In the end, I am glad I did it this way. No groans when the kids saw their list of names....

Compliment Valentines

I was trying to come up with a creative way to do Valentine's that included everyone in the class and worked to build community amongst my students. My fourth graders worked on learning adjectives to describe themselves earlier this year, so I came up with the idea of 'Compliment Valentines'. Each student picks three names out of a hat, then writes a 'compliment valentine' for that student. So, for example, Johnny picks Felicia's name and could write "You are kind." or "You are very creative." or another compliment using the vocabulary we have learnt previously in the year. Every student will end up receiving three compliments- some from friends and some from classmates they don't know well. It's a fun way to say something nice about someone else and use the target language at the same time!