I attended the NECTFL25 conference and was lucky to see Christina Margiore‘s presentation, “Keep the Conversation Going with Chat Mats.” It made me aware of all the benefits of bringing them into the classroom. I feel that Chat Mats have been an underrated teaching tool! After attending her session, I’m inspired to incorporate them more into my class. These simple yet powerful resources help create a low-stress environment where students feel more confident using the target language. Whether you teach elementary or older students, Chat Mats can be a game-changer for encouraging communication and keeping conversations flowing.
What Are Chat Mats?
Chat Mats are visual supports that provide students with key phrases, sentence starters, and vocabulary related to a specific topic or conversation structure. They can be laminated sheets, paper printouts, or even digital versions for interactive activities. The goal is to give students a scaffolded way to engage in meaningful conversations without feeling overwhelmed.
Why Use Chat Mats?
Chat Mats help reduce anxiety by giving students a safety net when speaking in the target language, making them feel more comfortable and less afraid of making mistakes. They also encourage authentic conversations by allowing students to mix and match sentence stems rather than relying on memorized dialogues. Additionally, they provide structured support, especially for younger learners who benefit from visuals and key phrases to help them communicate their thoughts. Best of all, Chat Mats are highly adaptable—you can use them for different themes, grammar structures, or cultural discussions, making them a versatile tool for any language class.
How to Use Chat Mats in Class
Here are a few easy ways to incorporate them into your lessons:
Partner Conversations – Give each student a Chat Mat and have them take turns asking and answering questions.
Role-Playing Activities – Assign students different roles and scenarios, using the Chat Mats as a guide.
Exit Tickets – Before leaving class, students can use their Chat Mats to share something they learned or a sentence they created.
Small-Group Discussions – Use Chat Mats to guide students through a structured discussion related to your lesson’s theme.
Storytelling – Have students use their Chat Mats to describe characters, settings, or events in a story.
Weekend Chat Mat
Ready to give it a try? Download this weekend Chat Mat to start using it with your elementary or novice level students right away!
Chat Mats are one of those tools that help students feel successful while making your job easier. They support language production, build confidence, and keep students engaged in conversation. If you haven’t tried using them yet, give them a go and see how well they work!
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!
Let me start with my own story! ONCE UPON A TIME… I used to be a teacher who relied heavily on vocabulary lists and checklists of what my students needed to memorize. For example, my third graders were required to name five fruits, five animals, school supplies, and places in the community, among other things. All these vocabulary words were disconnected and lacked context. I also expected my students to remember these words indefinitely and use them the following year. This often left me feeling frustrated, and I blamed my students for not retaining words they had only heard during the fruit unit.
Everything changed when I started teaching with stories. I began to focus on high-frequency and useful phrases and language. Instead of just concentrating on the five-word fruit unit, I told stories where students not only learned the names of the fruits but also how to express likes and dislikes while following a plot in the target language. These stories were simple, engaging, and provided the necessary repetition for my students to acquire the language, not just learn it.
As a teacher, I felt my teaching toolkit was rejuvenated. I discovered different ways to bring stories to life for my students—through pictures, short clips, picture books, co-creating stories, songs, or short stories I created for them. I didn’t switch to teaching with stories overnight. I started gradually, and with practice, I became more confident in integrating more stories into the various grades I teach. Now, I can proudly say that my curriculum is 90% story-based.
I remember that the first story I told my students was the picture book Froggy Gets Dressed (Froggy se viste). I first read the story and then retold it using props. The story was so repetitive that by the end, they were repeating it with me. From there, I started incorporating more and more stories, and now I have a full repertoire.
The best part of teaching with stories is that it gives you the flexibility and creativity to make language acquisition an enjoyable process for your students. Your students are more likely to acquire the language when they experience it in context, which makes all the difference. Bringing stories to your students can also broaden their horizons and allow them to learn about themselves and others because through stories, you can also bring culture and teach life lessons. Stories naturally incorporate varied vocabulary and grammar, providing a meaningful context for language use.
Are you ready to start using stories in your classroom? Remember to start little by little, ensure that you feel connected to the story, and practice before bringing it to class! And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect; with practice, you’ll become more confident and proficient at telling stories!
As an elementary Spanish teacher with limited class time, finding ways to keep students engaged and motivated is key so we can get the most out of our time together, and as a teacher, I’m able to support and facilitate their language acquisition journey better.
Here are some useful tips to keep your students’ motivation going:
Understand the age group you are teaching
I highly recommend the “Yardsticks” book by Responsive Classroom, which outlines developmental traits and interests of children according to their age.
Understand the proficiency level of your students
This will help you develop goals that support their acquisition journey. Visit the ACTFL website to download the updated Proficiency Guidelines.
Make sure that your activities support the different modes of communication
Remember that students acquire language at different paces and that in one class you might have students who are at different proficiency levels. Including activities with different communication modes ( Interpersonal, Interpretative and Presentational) will reach out to different students.
Connect with your students
Building a strong teacher-student bond should extend beyond the initial weeks of the school year. Continuously engage with your students by learning about their interests, hobbies, and family celebrations, and incorporate these aspects into your lessons. Bring topics that are relevant to their age group too!
Use Comprehensible Input
Students need to be able to understand the language, but also the language have to be challenging to support and help students move beyond their current proficiency level. Not only comprehensible input but also compelling! Making sure that the input is interesting for the students. Visit Dr. Stephen Krashen’s website to read more about comprehensible input. You can also explore comprehensible input strategies and methods in this post.
Use Stories
Stories are super useful for teaching languages because they make learners feel things, give them real-life situations to learn from, show them how people actually talk, help them connect emotionally, and demonstrate different ways to use language. All of this makes learning easier and more comfortable. After listening to stories, students can act out scenes or pretend to be characters, which keeps them interested and involved.
Use Games
Bring games to your classes, especially non-competitive games .Explore options like memory games and bingo, which integrate vocabulary, phrases, or story sentences. These activities are easy to set up and can even be tailored to your students’ preferences. Movement-based games like Four Corners and A mí también add an extra layer of fun. Additionally, Total Physical Response (TPR) games such as Follow the Leader, Simon Says, and Charades are highly effective for language learning. Find different types of game in this blog!
Every year comes with its share of highs and lows, and though this particular year brought its challenges, I’m grateful to say that I’m in good health. I’ve found immense joy in conducting training sessions for teachers, and I hope the coming year will bring even more opportunities for me to do so.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to continue using my blog as my primary platform for sharing my experiences. While I have a presence on other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, I believe my blog allows me to provide deeper insights and support to others.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your presence and support. Thank you for being a part of this journey. and wish you peace for the new year.
Here are the top three most visited posts on my blog this year:
1. Activities to Foster Mindfulness in the Spanish Classroom
From calming breathing exercises to mindful storytelling in Spanish, this post covers practical and creative ideas to help your students develop essential life skills while improving their language proficiency.
Explore exciting activities and strategies that will help your students gain vocabulary and confidence. Whether you’re a new or experienced teacher, this post provides valuable insights and practical ideas to add enthusiasm to your Spanish lesson
3. Story Asking in the Elementary Classroom
Create engaging stories with your students effortlessly! This post offers valuable tips for incorporating story asking into your lessons.
I’m always grateful for all the readers here! Thank you for your support in this blogging adventure. Wishing you a Feliz Año Nuevo!
There are several things that can be done after telling or reading stories to young students. Here are just a few:
Picture Talk
Choose some pictures or illustrations from the story and discuss them with your students. Ask questions about what they see. For example, inquire about the type of animal depicted, whether it’s a cat or a turkey, its color, the sounds it makes, and its current location in the story.
Use TPR (Total Physical Response)
Identify key vocabulary words in the story. This can be done before or after reading. Create flashcards, use gestures, or provide simple definitions to help students understand and remember new words. Introduce interactive games such as the freeze dance game, where you play music, students dance or move around the room, and when the music stops, you call out a word, prompting students to perform the corresponding gesture. Alternatively, engage them in a game of charades!
Act It Out
Allow students to act out parts of the story through role-playing or dramatization. This not only reinforces comprehension but is also excellent for repetition. Another option is to provide your students with props to act out the story.
Drawings
Ask students to draw their favorite parts and use their pictures to retell the stories. You can also encourage them to complete drawings related to the stories and use these as conversation starters.
Play Games
You can look for games that support the story. For example, in the story “Pavo prepara su pastel”, my students and I love playing the hot-cold game with a soft toy turkey.
How do we play the game? One student leaves the room, and we hide the turkey somewhere in the room. Then, the student returns to the room, and we help them find the turkey by saying “frío”when they are far away, “tibio” when getting closer, and “caliente” when the student is next to it.
Read the Story Again Changing Your Voice
Use different tones and pitches to portray different characters in the story. This adds excitement and helps maintain the children’s interest. Additionally, ask your students to choose an emotion for you to incorporate while reading the story, such as happy, sad, or crying.
Add More Extension Activities
Encourage students to write or create their own endings, or craft simple projects related to the story. If possible, provide your students with mini-books containing versions of the stories that they can take home and share with their families!
