Yoga is an awesome brain break and energizer tool. I use a few Yoga poses in my classes to get my students moving and they love it. My students learn about 10 names of Yoga poses in Spanish and we use them throughout the school year. I use them as a quick way to make them move. We play “Simón dice” with them. We also play “Haz lo que digo”, for example. I say the name of a pose, but I show a different one, then whoever does the one I am doing is out of the game. They love it! We do it fast too! I like to use cards with the picture of the pose and the picture of what it means.
I lately tried something new! I combined Yoga with storytelling and the students love it. Here is the sample of the story I create to go along with the Yoga cards.
I have been in love with the Interactive Notebooks since day one! It’s a fun way to keep your students engaged with hands on activities that will help them feel a sense of pride. You will hear them asking when they can take the notebook home to share with their families or teach Spanish to their siblings. Interactive Notebooks are a great tool for teaching for Spanish if used correctly. Given that I emphasize oral aspects of language learning, I normally wait to use Interactive Notebooks until the end of a unit or story. They are a way for students to keep track of what we do during the school year and for me to gather qualitative data in an authentic, developmental format.
Here are my top 5 activities for Interactive Notebooks:
1. Así soy yo: In this activity students can describe themselves and write about their likes and dislikes in Spanish.
2. Los colores: This activity goes beyond helping students identify colors in Spanish. It turns into a fun memory game!
3. El Calendario: This definitely is an interactive way to help students remember months, days of the week and seasons in Spanish. Students can also use it anytime when they need to talk about the date.
4. La Familia: Students enjoy learning names for family members with the flower activity. This has room for them to describe their own families. This set includes a variety of activities for different levels.
5. Mi Armario: Students have a lot of fun putting this activity together! They get to customize it and talk about what the doll should wear according to the weather. There is also space for them to write about what they have in their closets.
I partnered with Mundo de Pepita to share activities for the first day of school in Spanish class.These is a collection of what I shared on my blog. Make sure to click on every picture and read all the different activities.
I can’t believe Christmas is around the corner! Many of us are teaching Christmas songs to our students, and what a great way to teach vocabulary in context.
Here is a group of fun songs I found on YouTube and that I think are perfect for Spanish learners. Some of the songs are more complex, and some have a great amount of repetition. You can choose the song according to the amount of time you have left to teach it to your students. This year I didn’t really plan in advance so I decided to go with same old “Noche de Paz” and I am surprised that my students still love singing this song!
Anyways, here are all the villancicos I have chosen for you!
1. Mi Burrito Sabanero, a version by Colombian singer Juanes. This is a traditional song known mostly in Latin America. Click here to listen to another fun version.
2. Cascabel by TinyTunes
3. ¡Feliz Navidad a Todos! by Little Baby Bum
4. Muñeco de Nieve by Los Niños Cantores de Navidad from Colombia
5. Tutaina Tuturuma is a traditional Christmas song from Latin America.
I am so lucky to host this new giveaway! This time Speekee® is offering my readers the chance to win a 1-year subscription to their ever popular, ever evolving Spanish Scheme of Work for early and elementary teachers around the world. The Speekee Spanish Scheme of Work is video-based, with 350 lesson plans and supporting resources!
What do Spanish teachers say about Speekee? Lisa says: “Learners love it – the little ones love the fluffy characters and songs whilst the older ones like to see ‘real’ Spanish children and compare the places with where we live. They readily join in and ask for the songs to be repeated over and over! Non-specialists love it thanks to the oodles of support it offers them”
Lorena says: “The planning is very good. It has got all that the Curriculum is asking for. It’s easy learning – and fun! With this program you can feel that everyone can speak Spanish, and everyone can teach as well. The children even teach each other!” To find out more about Speekee, visit their site. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. The Giveaway! To enter the giveaway just sign up for a free 2-week Speekee Spanish Scheme of Work trial using the entry form below. The lucky winner will be chosen at random once the competition has closed on December 7th, 2015.
¡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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