As a Spanish teacher in the United States I always try to include cultural themes, but I also want to ensure that I connect my curriculum with what the children are exploring in their own classrooms that may have nothing to do with regional or ethnic culture. For example, this week is Dr Seuss’ birthday, and children are very excited about it. At my school, they even get to wear their pajamas all day and read a variety of books written by Dr. Seuss to celebrate.
What a great opportunity to bring that kind of fun and excitement to Spanish class! I created a very simple game I called “¿Dónde está el gato?” I used it with my Pre-K and Kindergarten classes, but it can be adapted for higher grades as well.
In preparation for the game, I printed ten Dr Seuss’ red and white Cat-in-the-Hat hats. I cut them and pasted them on construction paper (see picture below). I also printed a picture of The Cat in the Hat character.
During class I counted the hats with the children, went over the colors, and reviewed the names of a few animals. I displayed the hats in the room and hid the cat under one of the hats while the children covered their eyes. I then asked a child in the class to take two turns trying to find the cat, while the rest were chanting, “¿Dónde está el gato?” The child looking for the cat had to say “¿Aquí está el gato?” and the class responded “Si, allí está el gato” or “No, allí no está el gato”. I always model these kinds of sentences before and during any game.
Variations:
You can find more characters for the children to find under the hat.
You can write numbers on the hats and have the children ask “¿Está debajo del 10?” or “¿Está debajo del 2?”
I am extremely excited to share that I have partnered with Tabitha at FlapJack Education Resources for this freebie! I love all her materials and asked if we could combine forces to create this awesome giveaway for our Facebook “likers.”
You will be able to have one of my songs, “La Cancion de los Sentimientos,” and a set of printables to teach the song.
This is how it works:
1. Share via FB, Twitter, blogs, other social media, e-mails, etc.
3. Once I have reached the magic “500 Likers” number, I will publish the links where everyone can download the printables and song! There will be a limited time for the materials to be downloaded.
In a recent summer trip to Colombia, I had the opportunity to meet Freddy Morales, an early childhood educator who teaches music and movement classes to young children.
I had the opportunity to experience a class myself as a parent with my daughter who at that time was three years old. As a teacher of young children myself, I was impressed with how talented Freddy was in his ability to make connections with the children. Since I had a wonderful experience in his classes, I later discovered that he was teaching music and movement classes for babies at a learning center called Tralalá and happily enrolled my second child in a class just for babies! This time I learned that Freddy had his own music CD’s, and the main focus was to teach “music and movement” through multiple intelligences. My baby not only had a fun and educational time in his classes, but he also get to benefit from his music CD at home, where he dances to it in his high chair on a daily basis!
Freddy’s CD, “Mi Clase de Música”has 13 tracks, and each track is geared toward exploring one or more intelligences. This music CD also has a lot of repetition, something that is very important for young children. It includes some Colombian rhythms and is full of a lot of fun. I have used some of the songs with my own students and they enjoy this production a lot. This music CD has been recorded in Colombia and is only in Spanish, a plus if you are looking for authentic materials to bring to your classes or use at home with your children.
The Giveway!
We would like one of our Facebook “likers” to be the first one to get a copy. We will be giving away the “Mi Clase de Música” CD so you can sing our songs in your classroom with your students or at home with your child.
Here is how to enter: 1. First, make sure you like “us” and “Mi Clase de Música” on Facebook. 2. Once you know you are liking us on Facebook. 3. Like our link about the giveway on both pages “ours” and “Mi Clase de Música”.
4. Feel free to comment! We would love to hear from you!
Giveaway ends on January 31st, 2012 10:00 pm Eastern time
Only one entry per person. No anonymous entries are permitted. The winner will be chosen randomly. We will announce the winner on February 1, 2012. Entries submitted after 10:00 pm Eastern time are not valid. We will give the winner 48 hours to claim their prize. United States & Canada ONLY!
¡Hola! I am Carolina, a Colombian elementary Spanish teacher based in Boston, MA. Fun for Spanish Teachers is the result of my passion for teaching Spanish to children and my desire to inspire collaboration and creativity in a vibrant teaching and learning community. It’s the perfect stop if you are looking for songs, games, teaching tips, stories, and fun for your classes.
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