Using a magic box works with any grade level. It’s a wonderful way to deliver comprehensible input while keeping students curious and engaged. This tool helps reinforce vocabulary and encourages speaking in a fun way. I like using a song to build anticipation before introducing the magic box. You can find the song in this post.
Here are eight creative ways to incorporate it into your lessons:
1. Introduce Vocabulary
Fill your magic box with objects related to your lesson theme, like animals, food, or seasonal items. Pull out each object and describe it in the target language:
“¡Mira! Hay una manzana roja.”
“Es un oso pequeño. ¿Te gusta?” Encourage students to repeat phrases or respond with simple sentences.
2. Play a Guessing Game
Place an item in the magic box and give students clues in the target language:
“Es un animal. Es grande. Es de color blanco y negro. Dice “Muuu”. ¿Qué animal es? Take a few guesses before revealing the answer!
3. Storytelling with Props
Turn the magic box into a storytelling tool. Start with: “Había una caja mágica…” Reveal items one by one to build a story. For example, a wand, a frog, or a hat can inspire creative narratives. If students have enough vocabulary, they can add their own ideas in the target language to expand the story.
4. Create a Daily Mystery Box Routine
Make the magic box part of your daily or weekly lessons. Reveal one item each day and connect it to your theme:
“Hoy en la caja mágica hay una estrella. ¿Qué más tiene estrellas?”
5. Categorization Activities
Sort objects from the magic box into categories like colors, sizes, or emotions:
“¿Es grande o pequeño? ¡Es pequeño!”
“¿Es feliz o triste? ¡Es feliz!”
6. Interactive Commands
Add movement by incorporating actions:
“En la caja mágica hay un sombrero. ¡Ponte el sombrero!”
“Hay una pelota. ¡Tira la pelota!”
7. Hidden Questions
Include question cards or mini tasks in the box. For example:
“¿Cómo te llamas?”
“Salta tres veces.” Students take turns pulling cards and responding.
8. Themed Explorations
Match box contents to specific themes:
Seasons: Leaves, mittens, or snowflakes for winter.
Animals: Plush toys or pictures.
Holidays: Small symbols of cultural celebrations.
The magic box is a simple yet effective tool for bringing excitement, curiosity, and meaningful input to your lessons. Whether you’re introducing new vocabulary, building stories, or creating themed lessons, this activity keeps students engaged and participating in the target language. Try it in your classroom and watch the magic happen!
Teaching Spanish in the elementary classroom can be an exciting and rewarding experience, especially when using Comprehensible Input (CI) strategies. CI focuses on delivering language in ways that are understandable, engaging, and meaningful for students. This post includes 5 effective ways to bring CI into your Spanish lessons using tools like Picture Talk, PQA, Calendar Talk, Movie Talk, and Write and Discuss. These strategies are not only engaging but also great for providing input!
Picture Talk is one of the best ways to engage students and get them speaking in Spanish. It involves showing images (or a series of images) and asking students simple questions about what they see. This helps students connect to the language through visuals, which makes learning easier and more fun. All you need is a picture that you know will be engaging for your students. Using visual prompts, like pictures of familiar places or objects, not only helps with vocabulary but also encourages full sentence responses. Picture Talk allows students to practice speaking while making learning feel natural and relatable.
Personalized Questions and Answers (PQA) is a powerful CI tool that involves asking students questions about their own lives. This strategy helps students connect personally with the language, making it more relevant and memorable.PQA promotes meaningful communication and boosts motivation. The more personal the questions, the more engaged students will be in the lesson!
Calendar Talk is a great way to start each day by reinforcing basic language skills. Discussing the day, weather, and other daily topics in Spanish helps build a routine while integrating essential vocabulary. You can also include birthdays, school events and special holidays.
Movie Talk is a fun and engaging way to bring Spanish to life through short clips from movies or cartoons. You don’t need to show full-length films to make an impact; just a few minutes of a clip can offer rich language input. By describing scenes and asking questions, you keep students actively engaged and help them infer meaning from context. Movie Talk not only teaches language but also is a good too to expose students to culture and storytelling in Spanish.
Write and Discuss” is a structured output activity in Comprehensible Input (CI) teaching that helps students consolidate what they’ve learned through a collaborative writing process. It typically follows a discussion, story, or other input-rich activity on.
If you’ve never used these strategies before, I suggest choosing one to try first. Once you feel comfortable with it, add another. It takes time to feel fully confident, and it will never be perfect—so go ahead and give it a try!
As a teacher who transitioned from using long, decontextualized vocabulary lists to incorporating Comprehensible Input (CI), I’ve seen firsthand how essential CI is for effective language teaching. While its effectiveness is well-established, many myths still persist about how to use it and how well it works. Let’s clear up some of those misconceptions!
You Have to Be Silly to Teach With CI
Teaching with CI doesn’t require over-the-top theatrics, funny costumes, or constant humor to keep students engaged. While these strategies work for some educators, they are not essential for CI. The real power of CI lies in making language understandable and meaningful. You can use stories, visuals, and real-world connections in a calm, professional manner and still engages your students.
CI Is “Unstructured” or Lacks Rigor
There is a misconception that CI lacks the structure and rigor of traditional grammar-based instruction. However, CI is supported by solid research in second-language acquisition and can be as structured as you design it to be. The difference lies in how students acquire grammar: naturally over time through meaningful exposure, rather than isolated drills. Clear objectives and assessments can still be integrated while using CI.
CI Is Only for Teaching Basic or “Fun” Topics
Another common misconception is that CI is only effective for teaching simple vocabulary like colors, animals, or food. In reality, CI can be used to teach complex and meaningful topics. Students can explore history, geography, cultural traditions, and even science through CI methods. CI doesn’t limit what students learn; it expands their ability to engage with important topics in the target language.
CI Is All About Speaking Slowly
While slowing down your speech is a part of making input comprehensible, it’s not the whole picture. CI also involves using gestures, visuals, repetition, and context to ensure students understand. The goal isn’t just to simplify; it’s to make the language rich and engaging while still being accessible to your students.
You Need a Deskless Classroom for CI to Work
Nope! You can absolutely use CI with desks or tables.While moving around and engaging students is important, your classroom setup doesn’t have to be desk-free. What matters most is that your teaching is interactive and engaging—whether students are sitting at desks, or beanbags.
CI Takes Too Much Time to Plan
While incorporating CI might feel effortful at first, it becomes second nature with practice. Stories, visuals, and realia often work across multiple lessons, reducing the need for constant reinvention. Additionally, the deep engagement from students often leads to more efficient learning, saving time in the long run.
CI Doesn’t Promote Speaking Skills
Some worry that focusing on input neglects output, particularly speaking. However, research shows that listening and reading comprehension precede speaking ability. When students are ready, they begin producing language naturally, often with more accuracy and confidence due to the strong foundation built through CI.
CI Promotes the Use of English in the Classroom
This myth assumes CI relies on English, but that’s not true. CI teachers use context, gestures, visuals, and repetition to make the target language comprehensible. While occasional minimal translation can help with tricky concepts, the focus remains on maximizing input in the target language.
Switching to Comprehensible Input (CI) has made my teaching more effective and engaging. Despite some misconceptions, CI is flexible and supports natural language learning. It fits any teaching style while keeping lessons meaningful and structured. By making language understandable, we help students confidently use it in real-life situations. Adopting CI means choosing a more impactful approach to language teaching.
Attention all elementary world language teachers! Are you ready for an amazing opportunity to enhance your teaching skills and connect with a community of like-minded educators? The Elementary World Language Teacher Summit (EWLTS25) is back, and it promises to be better than ever!
This free (for a limited time) online conference is designed specifically for world language teachers like you. You’ll have access to a wide array of presentations from expert educators who are passionate about teaching languages to young learners. The topics are diverse and practical, ensuring you walk away with actionable strategies that you can implement in your classroom right away.
I will be presenting two engaging sessions focusing on the topics outlined below. These sessions are designed to provide valuable insights and practical strategies that you can implement in your classroom. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences with you, and I hope to create a collaborative learning environment where we can all grow together.
What You Can Expect:
Inspiring Sessions: Learn from experienced teachers and experts in the field of language education.
Practical Tips: Discover new methodologies, tools, and resources to make your teaching more effective and engaging.
Networking Opportunities: Connect with other educators from around the world who share your passion for teaching languages to young students.
Register for Free!
The best part? Registration for EWLTS25 is completely free during a limited period of time! You’ll have access to all the live sessions during the conference dates. This is a fantastic way to gain professional development without any financial commitment.
Upgrade to the All-Access Pass
While the conference is free, you might find that the All-Access Pass is a valuable investment. This pass gives you permanent access to all the presentations, so you can watch them at your convenience. It’s perfect for those who want to revisit the content or catch any sessions they might have missed.
If you register for this free conference using my unique link , and then decide that buying the All-Access Pass is right for you, I will receive a portion of your purchase. This conference system is what allows Jared, the host, to bring in incredible speakers and still offer you total access to the presentations for free.
I absolutely love this free PD opportunity. At the same time, if you decide to purchase permanent access, it is still an incredible value that I highly recommend. Although I may receive a commission for anything you purchase, you know me—I am only shouting about this conference because it is an amazing opportunity.
Don’t miss out on this chance to grow professionally and bring fresh ideas to your classroom. Click here to register now and secure your spot at EWLTS25!
A dream map is a creative and interactive activity that encourages students to visualize their goals, dreams, and plans using images, symbols, and short text. In a world language classroom, this tool becomes even more powerful, allowing students to build vocabulary, practice language structures, and engage in meaningful communication.
What Is a Dream Map?
A dream map is a visual representation of personal aspirations. For younger students, this might include their dream pets, places they want to visit, or activities they hope to try. Using the target language, students express their ideas through art and language, creating a connection between their personal goals and linguistic development.
Why Use Dream Maps in the World Language Classroom?
Dream maps are more than just fun art projects—they’re dynamic learning tools.
Benefits:
Building Vocabulary: Introduce and reinforce words related to hobbies, aspirations, and daily life.
Practicing Structures: Use phrases like Quiero… (I want…), Voy a… (I’m going to…), or Me gustaría… (I would like…).
Encouraging Creativity: Allow students to personalize their language learning experience, making it relevant and enjoyable.
Old magazines for pictures or printed/drawn images
Steps to Create Dream Maps
1. Introduce the Concept Explain the idea of a dream map in the target language. Share examples tailored to your students’ age and proficiency. Teach key terms like:
Sueños (dreams)
Metas (goals)
Planear (to plan)
Model your own dream map to inspire students and provide a clear example.
2. Brainstorm in the Target Language Guide students to brainstorm their aspirations with questions such as:
¿Qué quieres hacer en el futuro? (What do you want to do in the future?)
¿Qué lugares te gustaría visitar? (What places would you like to visit?)
¿Qué actividades quieres probar? (What activities do you want to try?)
3. Plan the Dream Map Distribute the Mapa de sueños template and assign categories, such as:
Familia y amigos (Family & Friends)
Pasatiempos (Hobbies)
Viajes (Travel)
Educación (Education)
Metas personales (Personal Goals)
4. Create the Map Students can:
Cut and paste images or draw pictures for each category.
Write simple captions in the target language, e.g., Quiero un perro (I want a dog) or Voy a viajar a Colombia (I’m going to travel to Colombia).
5. Present and Share Encourage students to present their maps to the class, practicing speaking skills:
En mi mapa, quiero aprender a cantar. (On my map, I want to learn to sing.)
6. Reflect Help students reflect on their learning:
What new vocabulary did they use?
What steps could they take to achieve one of their dreams?
Dream maps inspire students to visualize their future while actively using the target language. This activity sparks creativity and offers an easy way to ease back into the school routine after the break.
