I teach at an Episcopal school that acknowledges and accepts religious differences and I am so grateful that the school provides space for students to share those differences. But because it is Episcopal, around this time of the year all the Christmas decorations fill the walls and the rehearsals of songs for the seasons start too. This is something that also happens in Spanish class since during the last week of December we take a moment to gather around a big Christmas tree to sing villancicos.
This year I have a new student who is Jewish, and I appreciate that when we started singing Christmas songs he shared with me that he practices a different religion. I told him that it was his choice to stay in the group or find a “safe” space in the room when he needed it. His choice has been to stay in the group. Thinking about him, I went to my school library to find some books, but all the titles were in English. I chose asimple picture book that I could still connect with Spanish. He was surprised to see the book in my classroom and even more when I taught the song“Ocho Kandelikas”.
Halloween is around the corner! I have uploaded a Halloween coloring activity set to my TpT store. You will find a coloring book, flashcards for your students to decorate, an origami fortune teller, and a crossword. These activities will help your students practice vocabulary related to Halloween!
A Freebie for You!
Origami fortune tellers bring a lot of fun to language classes. I have also uploaded this freebie to my TpT store. Just follow THIS LINK to grab it! This “comecocos” is a color version of the one included in my Halloween coloring activity set.
Online Free Spanish has a great video that will show you step by step how to fold your “Comecocos.”
The Groundhog will be out soon and we need to get ready to say “hola” in our classes. You might like to try this in your classes:
Teaching Tips
Materials: In preparation for this activity, you will need to use a groundhog coloring page and paste it on a piece of black construction paper and cut it out, letting them see the shape of the groundhog. You will also need a set of flashlights.
Use the flashlight to project the groundhog’s shadow and have the groundhog hide from it.
With older children, tape a piece of white paper on a wall and project their shadow using a flashlight. Have the children take turns and trace a few shadows.
Have a set of flashlights and have one part of the class chase the other part with a flashlight. In family classes, parents or caregivers can play with the shadows along with their child.
Hide the groundhog in the room and have the children find it.
Dance to the rhythm of “La Marmota” song. Sample the song on Amazon.
If you are a Spanish teacher in the United States, make sure you acknowledge that you might have children who come from different cultural backgrounds and celebrate different holidays. However, you can share with your children that Navidad is celebrated by a majority of people in Spanish speaking countries. The advent calendar is great to review a lot of the vocabulary you have introduced in your classes:
1. First you need to make sure you eat all the chocolate before you take the calendar to your class. (Yes, I know this will be a challenge for most!!)
2. Precut small images with the vocabulary you would like to review. For example: farm animals, colors, numbers, shapes, or even the name of a song you have sung in class. Make sure they fit in the calendar.
3. Place the numbers from 1 to 25 in a bag.
Invite a volunteer to pick a number from the bag, then find it on the calendar, open the tiny window, and tell you the name of the picture. If the children have enough vocabulary, you can invite them to make sentences using that picture.
You can use the calendar to count backwards, by 2’s, by 5’s, by 10’s, and also to sing a number song!
Enjoy,
Carolina
ABOUT ME
¡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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