Specials' Update - Spanish

Spanish Updates:

January 2014:

This January the Cottontails have been practicing numbers from 1 to 50. We have also worked with addition and subtraction in Spanish! The Cottontails have been able to apply their math skills into a different language which is a fascinating (and challenging) experience for each of them. Individual evaluations are currently in progress.

We have also kept the same learning routines from last semester that kids love to do, such as greeting each other, singing songs as a group (and in pairs), Spanish centers, and our very own “Simón dice…” (Spanish version of Simon says…) in which the Cottontails have had the opportunity to listen, act, and even say commands using Spanish only.

With the temperatures dropping and rising, these upcoming weeks will allow us to use more and bigger numbers in Spanish to predict, make observations and compare Iowa’s weather to that of the three Caribbean Hispanic countries: Cuba, República Dominicana y Puerto Rico. Such a discussion will make a nice transition from our math unit to explore more about Hispanic cultures in the world.

February 2014:

This February we had so much fun working with our Math Challenges in Spanish! Cottontails were able to apply their math skills to add and subtract, write the numbers, and build up their reading skills in a language other than English. It was a real challenge, but I am glad to say that students were able to master it.

Some of the most challenging numbers to pronounce and write weredoce (12) and trece (13). We learned that in Spanish these numbers should not be confused with dos (2) or tres (3) – although they do look so similar if we read them only in English!

Besides learning new games to practice our listening and speaking skills -- like the Perro Muerto song – we also used this time to prepare ourselves for Willowwind’s 1^st Zumba Fitness Day. Salsa, merengue, andreggeatón were among the music genres to which kids were exposed. They loved every minute of Zumba and danced with sabor latino. Our Zumba instructor, Belkys Suarez, is originally from Venezuela. K-2 students learned where Venezuela is located. We certainly had a blast!

We also had another visitor for Spanish this month. Her name is Rosario Merida and she is originally from España (Spain). She came to play Spanish Centers with us and share her experiences about living in Iowa.

In connection with our year-long theme “How do I affect the Earth and how does the Earth affect me?” it has been very nice to meet people from all around the Hispanic world who currently live in Iowa City and has come to Willowwind to share their talents and experiences with us.

In the upcoming weeks, we will be talking about our Portafolio de Español, in which the Cottontails will include and reflect upon learning activities that we have done in Spanish. They may also include additional activities of their choice, such as puppet shows, interactions with peers, games, songs, and more! We will begin to reflect on two curriculum standards for the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language: Communication and Cultures. Click here to learn more about the curriculum standards provided by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Questions?  Contact Luis at luisl@willowwind.org.