What is shared reading? At Sonrisas Spanish School, when we read stories during our preschool and elementary Spanish classes, we use a form of storytelling that is commonly called “shared reading” in the educational world. In her book Invitations, Regie Routman defines shared reading as “any rewarding reading situation in which a learner—or group of […]
The National Standards for Foreign Language Learning represent an important guide for the preschool and elementary Spanish teacher. These standards were first published in 1996 in the document, “Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century.” The standards were developed out of a collaboration among the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and […]
In our previous blog post we explained the theory of multiple intelligences and listed what the individual intelligences are. Now we are going to examine how you can use the theory of multiple intelligences to help you teach, assess, and communicate with parents in the preschool and elementary Spanish classroom. While some children may have different strengths than others, […]
For the greater part of the twentieth century, most psychologists and educators believed that a student’s intelligence could be measured in a standard test known as the Intelligence Quotient, or IQ test. This test consists of taking individuals out of their natural learning environment, asking them to do isolated tasks that they have never done […]
At Sonrisas Spanish School, we have been saying for years that the best way to teach Spanish is to have a talented teacher using an effective and fun curriculum. We call that the fundamentals of foreign language learning. So it is with much distress that we have been hearing many stories of foreign language teachers […]
A third methodology that has informed the Sonrisas curriculum has perhaps made the strongest impact on us as teachers and on our students who are acquiring language. Unlike TPR or NA, the Waldorf foreign language approach is not an ESL technique. It is a carefully designed approach to foreign language instruction and acquisition. Rudolf Steiner […]
The Natural Approach (NA), the second ESL methodology we adopted and modified for our Sonrisas Spanish School curricula, was developed by a pair of applied linguists, Dr. Stephen Krashen and Spanish teacher Tracy Terrell. NA is based on the premise that the study of foreign language can be taught and learned in two distinct ways: […]
Illustrating the Importance and Benefits of Learning a Second Language at an Early Age. The following is an excerpt from the introduction to the Sonrisas Spanish School curriculum. It illustrates the importance and benefits of learning a second language at an early age. Development of the Cortex In November of 1965, the respected Canadian neurologist […]
After the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a couple of weeks ago, I had a day with my elementary Spanish class for which I had no lesson plan. So, I did a class with no lesson plan. That’s not to say I didn’t plan because I did. I planned on singing, playing games, and reviewing previously-learned […]
Try this game to reinforce the phrase “yo tengo.” Write this phrase on the board: Estoy viajando a México y en mi maleta yo tengo… Go around the class and have each student add an item to the suitcase. The last student will have to remember each item in the correct order. If you are […]
