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100 resources for Spanish Teachers: focus on all 4 literacy goals

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100 resources for Spanish Teachers: focus on all 4 literacy goals

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100 Resources for Spanish teachers. So many awesome resources for Spanish teachers.

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Are you struggling to teach Spanish writing to your students?

If your Spanish students are writing short, choppy first-grade level sentences, try using Spanish writing templates to dramatically improve and formalize their writing.

If this is happening in your class, you're not alone. Many students struggle to write in English so when you ask them to write in another language, it gets pretty messy.
In this series of posts, I'll share my best tips and tricks for teaching writing in your Spanish classes.
Before I get started, just a few thoughts on writing in general . . .

Raising my kids bilingually has dramatically changed my thinking about the importance of Spanish writing skills. Here are a few things to think about . . .

How often will our students need to write paragraphs and compositions in Spanish in the real world?

Writing in another language is a technical skill that students may need if they take a job that requires Spanish skills or decide to live in another country for an extended period of time. However, the majority of our students will not be doing this.

When kids learn native languages, they aren't expected to write until they've been speaking and listening for 5 years.

This is partially because they don't have the hand-eye coordination to write yet, but also, it just makes sense. Why are we asking students to write when they don't know how to say what they want to say?

Writing, editing, and rewriting take a considerable amount of time.

Wouldn't that time be better spent learning to communicate effectively before students are expected to produce with written fluency?

Limit Large Writing Tasks

For these reasons, I actually recommend limiting large writing tasks in lower-level Spanish classes. Instead, focus on the key skills of listening, speaking, and reading until students reach a certain level of mastery.

In some schools, this is difficult because they want to see written work from students and you have to do what your co-workers are doing. It might be worth having this type of conversation with your Department Head or with your colleagues to see if you can change the focus to more communication.

Use Templates

When you do have to assess writing at lower levels, give Spanish writing templates and examples to show your students models of what you expect. After all, what is the point of having students struggle to write something and be doing it the wrong way?
If you ask students to write without Spanish writing templates or examples, they:
A. Get frustrated because it's such a struggle to write and have a negative language experience.

B. Feel even worse when they get a paperback with tons of corrections

C. Are confused as to what they need to correct and how to do it.

Wouldn't it be better to show them how to write and then have them produce work that is grammatically correct? That way, they're practicing accurate grammar and will feel more successful. The act of writing will reinforce how to form sentences correctly.

Here's an example of how my thinking has changed:
Before:
At the beginning of the year, I used to ask my Spanish 2 students to do presentations about themselves and then to write these up as compositions.

What I got back was pretty much a mess and I spent hours grading these with correction symbols and then having students edit and rewrite them. However, even after all that, they still continued to make similar mistakes throughout the year.
After:
I created a fill-in-the-blank template for this type of Spanish composition. Now students have the basis to write a much better composition and while doing so, are learning how to write correctly.

They fill in the blanks and then write out the whole composition on the computer or by hand. I prefer having them write by hand because the hand-brain connection helps students remember more.

Get free copies of these All about Me Spanish Writing Projects in my Free Resource Library (plus tons of other great stuff).

These are the types of writing activities that I choose to do now with my lower-level Spanish students. Less frustration for them + no more hours of grading for me + better learning experience = everybody wins!

Want more ideas for teaching writing in Spanish to your students? Then, check out the other writing posts in this series, "25 Spanish Writing Activities and Spanish Projects" and "Using Spanish Transition Words to Improve Student Writing".

Grab these ready-made helpful writing resources:
101 Spanish Transition Words
Spanish Fairy Tale Project

Happy Teaching!
~Sherry

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Are you struggling to teach Spanish writing to your students? If your Spanish students are writing short, choppy first-grade level sentences, try using Spanish writing templates to dramatically improve and formalize their writing. If this is happening in your class, you're not alone.

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Spanish Proficiency Exercises: Listening and Reading. Great resource! 

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Spanish Proficiency Exercises: Listening and Reading. Great resource! 

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Spanish Proficiency Exercises is a compilation of brief video clips in which native speakers of Spanish from various locations throughout Latin America and Spain demonstrate various language tasks. The objective of the exercises is to provide students of Spanish with the necessary tools to be able to talk about the same topics in Spanish. In order to do, this Spanish Proficiency Exercises contains five major components. First, there is a simplified video clip. This simplified version is scripted, the native speakers talks slower, and he or she uses simpler words and less slang. Second, there are video clips of native speakers who also perform the proficiency tasks. These clips are not scripted. What the native speakers say is what they really said. Some may talk fast, others talk slow, and some have specific regional dialects.

Third, to help perform the same task, we provide a Spanish/English glossary of vocabulary words that students may need in order to talk about the topic. Fourth, we also provide sample sentences that one may want to use in order to talk about the topic. Finally, we offer a brief, mini-grammar explanation on some grammar principle that is related to the proficiency topic. After reviewing the simplfied version, the vocabulary, the phrases, the grammar, and the video clips of the native speakers, we believe that students will be more prepared to perform the same proficiency tasks.

The gray menu bar at the top of each page contains proficiency topics, divided by level of dificulty: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior. Click on any of these levels to see a list of topics. Then click on any of the specific topics to see the video clips, vocabulary lists, phrases lists, and mini-grammar explanations.

Each page contains an option menu to the right, which is always visible. Additionally, you will see a thumbnail of the native speakers who respond to each exercise. Click on the subject's name or thumbnail to open a new window with the video clip. This window allows users to view the QuickTime video clip with the Spanish transcript [S], or the English translation [E], or without any text at all [N].

A site index offers a comprehensive list of website components – including video podcasts and a topical grammar index.

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Spanish Proficiency Exercises is a compilation of video clips in which native speakers of Spanish from various locations throughout Latin America and Spain demonstrate various language tasks.

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30 Listening Activities for Spanish Students

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30 Listening Activities for Spanish Students

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Listening Activities for Spanish Class or World Language Classes in Middle School and High School

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Article on Teaching Middle School Spanish

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Article on Teaching Middle School Spanish

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World language teachers are age group chameleons, often teaching pre-k immersion all the way up to eighth grade exploratory classes. How do we properly craft our lessons and curriculum to effectively reach each age group? In this post, we'll learn the second language acquisition research and classroom management strategies that will most equip you to teach the varying ages of elementary world language, from pre-k to late elementary language learners.

World language teachers move between age groups all the freakin' time! I'm certified to teach K-12. Many other world language teachers have this same flexibility. So many programs go from k-8 learners. That's a huge range! This post is especially for elementary world language teachers who teach a wide range and want to make their curriculum as effective as possible for each age group.

OUR INTENTION: how to better craft curriculum and lessons for specific age groups, based on the research about their beautiful brains, down to the year. Maximize your lessons, assessments, and curriculums so that you can make one lesson work for multiple ages if needed, or tell if lessons/ curriculums you find will work for you.

Watch the PD Class

Watch the full class on research for middle school world language

Also, to make better choices when selecting topics and themes for your lessons and curriculum. You'll find out today that not all topics will be as effective, depending on your age group.

I want to empower you to make the best choices for your learners by knowing exactly how their beautiful brains work and how they want to learn.

The Research on Middle School World Language Learners

Everything that follows is sourced from this book: Teacher's Handbook 4th Edition, Contextualized Language Instruction (Shrum & Glisan) **affiliate link

Most of the information below is from chapter 4, where the authors discuss learner profiles for elementary world language learners and how they differ from their older counterparts. Let's start with some advantages:

The Early Adolescent World Language Learner (ages 11-14) middle school 6-8

dramatic developmental changes

reach a cognitive plateau for a time (their bods & social/emotional registers are a little busy) (think Tina belcher)

steady-paced, SEVERAL lessons on the same topic

ONE day, it will just click and you won't be able to predict it

have multiplying and RAPIDLY changing interests

want to assert their independence and identity (great time to do self-discovery projects or ALL ABOUT ME)

want to establish identities as members of a peer group (perfect to dive into interests REAL hard)

self-image (AKA routines, clothing, habits, hangouts, what makes them who they are), 8 year olds don't really care about that. They just think underwear is funny. They'd rather hear a story about captain underpants. Middle schoolers would cry tears of boredom and injustice if you did this.

respond well to positive relationships and positive reinforcement (help them shape self identity)

respond well to independent opportunities to learn about subjects that interest them AKA genius hour!

respond well to content-based units with a culminating activity/assessment (they like seeing the full spectrum and end goal)

8-10 yr olds won't respond as well to this structure, they like shorter units in general (from my brief experience in 6th grade, but elementary teachers, chime in here)

The Middle School Student in World Language

Anyone who's taught middle school can tell you that you can fill an entire lake with the difference between 6th graders and 7-8th graders.

Here's where the focus goes back inward, on self discovery through WINDOWS. A magic term from AC Quintero.

They secretly want to work in groups and work out how they relate to each other, but they will NOT do it on their own, they need a strong structure in order to make it happen. Content-based units work well with a culminating project or portfolio for assessments.

Enjoy knowledge for its own sake and love to hear about new things

Very curious learners

Seek out the limits of the real world and want to go deeper - explore challenges and big themes like nobility, courage, genius, energy, creativity

Want to know about real stories from real people

Want to know the weird, oddities from their own culture as well as other ones

Love to compare and contrast

Are more concerned with getting their point across than being accurate (aka great potential for fluency)

Want to explore beyond their safe world

Need to feel grown up

Still need structure

ADVANTAGES:

The Best Middle School World Language Curriculums

Middle school world language students are very aware of their physiological changes and do NOT like physical descriptions, daily routine discussions with reflexive verbs, comparisons with clothing sizes, and anything around appearance that can directly relate back to size or physical appearance.

Definition of self identity and fashion, romance, and self expression is an entirely different matter. How others dress and look is also another matter. Try not to do the whole YO unit around their own appearance and routines. If you do, good luck on your speaking quiz. They'll intentionally bomb it.

They're not in a cognitive position to even handle abstract grammar like verb conjugation. Your time is much better spent elsewhere.

Epstein and Toepfer (1978) "brain growth in children slows down progressively between 11-13.5, which may make them less able to acquire new cognitive skills and handle complex thinking processes than before. (Met, 1994)

Verkler (1994) " language competency and attitudes toward language study of middle school and high school student- middle school students demonstrated higher levels of competency in all four modes (reading, writing, listening, speaking) than the high schoolers in the same course, and attitude much more positive.

They can memorize and retain stunning amounts of detail, have a strong sense of justice, and are actively searching for a sense of awe in the world.

Motivation: needs to relate to real life for them to care

Things to Watch Out For with Middle School World Language:

Prone to stereotypes as they try to figure out the limits of their understanding. Less accepting of differences and needs tons of exposure to real people who exhibit differences from other cultures to combat that.

Once they receive that cultural input, they're easily rewired to positive openness and as long as they can understand how others think and feel. Surface level understandings of others will miss the mark. (Robinson, 1981)

Self assessment is harder, they're hard on themselves and a little stuck in the cognitive plateau, very much aware of the "invisible audience" they do better in high school. But is this really that important to hit in middle school? We have bigger fish to fry. Let's work on the challenges that matter more.

Get Curriculum Design & Proficiency Help

Have you ever wished the transition to proficiency were easier to do? Grab the FREE toolkit here to learn the framework for updating your practice to comprehensible input - without all the overwhelm - and prepare for the challenges ahead.

Thanks for learning with me about middle school learners!

Rooting for you,

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How to Teach Middle School World Language - La Libre Language Learning

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World language teachers are age group chameleons, often teaching pre-k immersion all the way up to eighth grade exploratory classes. How do we properly craft our lessons and curriculum to effectively reach each age group? In this post, we'll learn the second language acquisition research and classroom management strategies that will most equip you to [...]

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Fun Reading Strategies for Spanish teachers

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Fun Reading Strategies for Spanish teachers

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Excellent video of a high school Spanish class with a teacher focusing on getting students to speak in Spanish

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Excellent video of a high school Spanish class with a teacher focusing on getting students to speak in Spanish

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This year, I've been working hard to shift my mindset away from grammar-focused instruction to providing my students with more comprehensible input. ( Check out this post for a great explanation on what comprehensible input is, exactly !) In the journey of incorporating more comprehensible input based activities and resources in my classes, I've discovered one really key thing:
95% of my activities are geared towards reading or re-reading. (No, that's not a scientifically measured number, but I'm pretty sure it's 100% true).
Seriously. I spend almost all of my time lesson planning thinking about ways to get my students to interact with a story or a short reading. We know that reading is important (there's research on it, if you need proof). Getting students to read meaningful language helps them acquire that language. It's why we include FVR in our classrooms as a part of weekly routines!

I keep a list of my favorite ways to interact with a text handy. Then, when I'm lesson planning it's easy to skim the list and say, what haven't we done in awhile? Boom. Reduce teacher workload, reuse routines, and recycle old activities for new!

Here are five easy ways to read or re-read a text in your classroom! Click on the links in each activity to get more in-depth info on each one.

1. Read Out Loud

Read Out Loud sounds like a no brainer, but read it out loud with your students! Students follow along and read with you to show understanding. You can also reduce the anxiety by moving this activity into pairs!

2. True/False

A True/False Post Reading Activity is so simple. Students read a text, then create ten true or false statements about the reading. Then you can use those sentences in a variety of ways! You can have them trade, and answer each others questions, or you can use their questions to play some rounds of The Marker Game .

3. The Most Important Sentence

Use The Most Important Sentence as a great way to get your students to analyze a text. Students read a text and pick out the X number of most important sentences, where X is a random number you've chosen. Then, they have to narrow down to the X most important sentences..then the X..then finally, the MOST important sentence! This activity is great for students to read and re-read a text, while considering what really matters to the plot. It can also be done individually, pairs, small groups, or as a whole class!

4. Read and Draw

There's only so much to say about Read and Draw. They read a thing, and then they draw the thing. Easy! It's a great way to show comprehension. You can later recycle their drawings for use in listening activities, or a reading and matching game!

5. Classic Dictation

Some people use Classic Dictation to introduce new stories, and some like to do this to review, but either way it's a great activity to have students hear and read the information again. I like to do this after completing The Most Important Sentence , and use the sentences they came up with as a focus for our dictation. It's a very calm, quiet day in class, but if you'd like to switch it up even more you can use those sentences in a Running Dictation activity instead!

There! I hope you got a few ideas to add to your bank to try. Have you used any of these before? What are your favorite reading activities to use in your Spanish classroom?
Not sure where to buy novels and comprehensible readers for your Spanish class? Try out these links: Information on teaching with novels: Why Spanish Learns Novels are So Important How to Teach Spanish with Novels, 101
Novels Sorted by Level from Bryce Hedstrom
More sources: TPRS Publishing - Fluency Matters Spanish Cuentos

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5 Reading Activities for Spanish Class - SPANISH MAMA

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Reading Strategies in a Second Language Spanish Classroom

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Reading Strategies in a Second Language Spanish Classroom