Monday, October 15, 2012

Teach Them Spanish! - Grade K

Who knew finding good Spanish curriculum for the younger grades would prove to be so difficult? After a lot of digging, I unearthed maybe six-to-nine options. Most felt very homegrown. Several were rather pricey...for no apparent reason. All lacked in some way. I finally decided on Teach Them Spanish!, Grade K by Instructional Fair, an imprint of Carson-Dellosa.

Although I studied Spanish for five years during high school and college, I am far from fluent. With a lot preparation, I could probably teach Tessa using the language immersion approach during Spanish time. However, I highly doubt that would be a pleasant experience for either of us. So, I speak to her in both English and Spanish. I do a lot of code switching. I also supplement with Spanish language immersion videos, audio/video clips of native speakers, picture books...anything I can find that's of decent quality.

Teach Them Spanish!, Grade K is full of potential. It provides lesson plans, worksheets, classroom activities, games, songs and reading lists. However, the curriculum, which consists of one inexpensive 96-page black-and-white reproducible paperback book could be much better designed. Lessons need to be better defined and organized. They require a lot of flipping back-and-forth within the book as it is. On a positive note, the content is age-appropriate, fun and requires little-to-no writing. Tessa is enjoying it.

Teach Them Spanish!, Grade K

The following plans are how I chose to divide and supplement the lessons in Teach Them Spanish!, Grade K. Most books and videos listed are not included in the curriculum. While I am confident Tessa could memorize the Spanish words and their English equivalents in this curriculum in a much shorter amount of time than noted, that isn't my goal. I want her to develop a true familiarity with them. Tessa officially studies Spanish twice a week, but I try to incorporate appropriate Spanish words and phrases into daily life as well.

Note: Teach Them Spanish!, Grade K would be easiest to use with regular access to a copy machine. However, the book could be taken apart (it's staple bound) and be used that way. After Teach Them Spanish!, Grade K, we will likely use newly released School Song Spanish by Classical Academic Press.

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These plans are a work in progress. I will add to them (and delete, when necessary) as Tessa and I progress through the curriculum.

For each lesson, I either use Forvo to download MP3 files of native speakers speaking corresponding words or search Usborne Quicklinks for the same thing. I transfer the files to my Kindle Fire and play them for Tessa several times.

Day 1

Say Hola to Spanish - Susan Middleton Elya
Introductions and Greetings - Teach (7)
"Hola Means Hello" - Song (48)
Usborne: First Picture Spanish Interactive - Play appropriate phrases from "En La Escuela" and "En La Fiesta" segments.
Pictures of Greetings - Worksheet (8)
Global Wonders: Mexico DVD - Global Wonders

Day 2

Say Hola to Spanish, Otra Vez - Susan Middleton Elya
Introductions and Greetings Poster - Review (79-80)
"Adios Means Goodbye" - Song (48)
Usborne: First Picture Spanish Interactive - Play appropriate phrases from "En la Escuela" and "En la Fiesta" segments.
Greetings Paste-Up - Worksheet (9)

Day 3

Numbers Introduction 1-5 - Teach (10)
Usborne: First Sticker Book: Easy Spanish Words - Play Quicklinks sound files for numbers 1-5.
"Cinco Amigos" - Song (48)
Classroom Counting - Activity (54)
Numbers Review - Worksheet (11)
Little Pim: I Can Count DVD (Episodes 1-2) - Little Pim Co.

Day 4

Numbers Poster - Review 1-5 (81-82)
Usborne: First Sticker Book: Easy Spanish Words - Play Quicklinks sound files for numbers 1-5.
Roll 'Em - Activity (54)
Matching Numbers - Worksheet (12)
Little Pim: I Can Count DVD (Episodes 3-4) - Little Pim Co.

Day 5

Numbers Poster - Review 1-5 (81-82)
Usborne: First Sticker Book: Easy Spanish Words - Play Quicklinks sound files for numbers 1-5.
Dominoes - Activity (54)
Number the Shoes - Worksheet (13)

Day 6

Colors Introduction - Teach (14)
Colores de la Vida - Cynthia Weill
Find Classroom Colors - Activity (55)
Find the Crayons - Activity (55)
Pictures to Color - Worksheet (15)
Little Pim: Playtime DVD (Episode 1) - Little Pim Co.

Day 7

Colors Poster - Review (83-84)
My First Book of Spanish Words - Katy R. Kudela - Find the named colors. (24-25)
McGraw-Hill's Spanish Picture Dictionary - Find who's wearing the named colors. (74-75)
Rainbow Colors - Worksheet (55)

Day 8

Colors Poster - Review (83-84)
El Artista Que Pinto Un Caballo Azul - Eric Carle - Read by native speaker via YouTube.
I Spy - Activity (55)
Color the Cars - Worksheet (17)

Day 9

Numbers Poster - Review 1-5, Teach 6-10 (81-82)
"Diez Amigos" - Song (49)
Classroom Counting - Activity (56), or use McGraw-Hill's Spanish Picture Dictionary (28-29).
1-10 Matching - Worksheet (18)
Little Pim: I Can Count DVD (Episodes 5-7) - Little Pim Co.

Day 10

Numbers Poster - Review 1-10 (81-82)
Counting Ovejas - Sarah Weeks
Beanbag Counting - Activity (56), or count toys, beans, counters, etc.
Count the Cookies - Worksheet (19)

Day 11

Numbers Poster - Review 1-10 (81-82)
Roll 'Em - Activity (56)
Critters 1-10 - Worksheet (20)

Day 12

Numbers Poster - Review 1-10 (81-82)
My Favorite Number - Worksheet (21)
Numbers Paper Chain - Activity (56, 69)

Day 13

Colors Poster - Review, Teach (83-84)
Colores de la Vida - Cynthia Weill
"Colors Song" - Song (49)
Find It! - Activity (57)
Birds of Color - Worksheet (22)

Day 14

Colors Poster - Review (83-84)
Find the Crayons - Activity from Colors, Part 1 (55)
Casa de Colores - Worksheet (23)

Day 15

Colors Poster - Review (83-84)
Colors Bingo - Activity (57), or use cards from a store-bought Spanish bingo game.
Flores y Colores - Worksheet (42)

Day 16

Colors Poster - Review (83-84)
I Spy - Activity (57), or use McGraw-Hill's Spanish Picture Dictionary (54-55).
De Colores - Worksheet (25)

Day 17

Read Books of Choice

My Name is Celia - Monica Brown
My Name is Gabito - Monica Brown
My Name is Gabriela - Monica Brown
Elena's Serenade - Campbell Geeslin
Off We Go to Mexico - Laurie Krebs
Diego - Jonah Winter
Frida - Jonah Winter

Day 18

Watch Video of Choice

Families of Mexico DVD - Master Communications Inc.
More Families of Mexico DVD - Master Communications Inc.
One Wee World Celebrate Mexico DVD - One Wee World LLC
The Three Caballeros DVD - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Travel With Kids: Mexico DVD - Equator Creative Media/Travel With Kids

Day 19

Classroom Things - Teach (26)
"Classroom Objects Song" - Song (49)
Label the Classroom - Activity (58)
Matching Objects - Worksheet (27)

Day 20

Classroom Objects Poster - Review (85-86)
Scavenger Hunt - Activity (58), modified for home-school environment.
Draw and Color Your Classroom - Worksheet (28)

Day 21

Classroom Objects Poster - Review (85-86)
McGraw-Hill's Spanish Picture Dictionary - Find the named classroom object. (28-29)
Match Pictures and Words - Worksheet (29)

Day 22

Family Words - Teach (30)
"Family Song" - Song (50)
Draw Your Family - Worksheet (31)

Day 23

The Family Poster - Review (87-88) 
My First Book of Spanish Words - Katy R. Kudela - Find the named family members. (4-5)
McGraw-Hill's Spanish Picture Dictionary - Find the named family member. Then, count how many girls and boys. (7-8)
Family Word Meanings - Worksheet (32)

Day 24

The Family Poster - Review (87-88)
Guess Who? - Activity (59)
Matching Family - Worksheet (33)

Day 25

Food and Drink - Teach (34)
"Food Song" - Song (51)
My Meal - Worksheet (35)
Little Pim: Eating and Drinking DVD (Episodes 1-4) - Little Pim Co.

Day 26

Food Poster - Review (90)
Food Practice - Activity (60)
Food Meanings - Worksheet (36)

Day 27

Food Poster - Review (90)
Mixed-Up Food - Worksheet (37)

Day 28

Clothing - Teach (38)
"Clothing Song" - Song (50)
My First Book of Spanish Words - Katy R. Kudela - Find the named clothing item. (8-9)
Clothing Match-Ups - Worksheet (39)

Day 29

Clothing Poster - Review (91-92)
Who's Wearing...?/What Color...? - Activity (61), or use McGraw-Hill's Spanish Picture Dictionary (34-35).
How Are You? - Worksheet (40)

Day 30

Clothing Poster - Review (91-92)
Find the Clothing - Activity (61), modified for home-school environment.
Clothes to Color - Worksheet (41)

Day 31

Places to Go - Teach (42)
"Community Song" - Song (51)
Picture This! - Worksheet (43)

Day 32

Community Poster - Review (93-94)
Book Scavenger Hunt - Activity (62), modified for home-school environment.
My Neighborhood - Worksheet (44)

Day 33

Community Poster - Review (93-94)
Guess What? - Activity (62)
Places, Please - Worksheet (45)

Day 34

Dot-to-Dot - Worksheet (46)

Read Books of Choice

My Name is Celia - Monica Brown
My Name is Gabito - Monica Brown
My Name is Gabriela - Monica Brown
Elena's Serenade - Campbell Geeslin
Off We Go to Mexico - Laurie Krebs
Diego - Jonah Winter
Frida - Jonah Winter

Day 35

Watch Video of Choice

Families of Mexico DVD - Master Communications Inc.
More Families of Mexico DVD - Master Communications Inc.
One Wee World Celebrate Mexico DVD - One Wee World LLC
The Three Caballeros DVD - Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Travel With Kids: Mexico DVD - Equator Creative Media/Travel With Kids

1 comment:

  1. I love the Teach them Spanish series. I use it with my younger kids but it also worked well in my high school Spanish classes.

    Elaine at
    Teaching EspaƱol

    ReplyDelete