Spanish is the most spoken language in the U.S. after English. That’s why many Spanish-speaking students and Spanish classes are found in American education. Student commitment and class rigor varies widely, so when new students come in, teachers have to walk the line between losing weaker speakers and boring stronger ones. When it comes to students who may not speak English, teachers need to also find a way to keep them engaged.
Whatever your case, Smile and Learn is here with our favorite methods of including both Spanish and English speakers as well as making Spanish class accessible to each learner. Just as important, these tips also bring hispanic culture into the classroom.
Here are 5 ideas to get back into the Spanish groove this school year:
- Language Pairs: Divide students into two even groups, the experienced Spanish speakers in the class and the newer ones. Then, pair them up, one from each group. Both students will get used to each other’s Spanish and can thus recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The Spanish speaker improves their partner’s Spanish while the other improve’s their partner’s English if necessary.
- Parents Bring Keepsakes: Ask parents what their child’s favorite household items are. Then, have the kids keep them in their cubbies. A favorite cup, toy, or book, are all perfect decorations. Parents can make the classroom more bilingual if the donation has Spanish words or hispanic cultural significance.
- Use Smile and Learn’s Spanish Content Made by Native Speakers: Whether you’re looking to teach Spanish or cater to hispanic students, Smile and Learn is the place to go. Our entire catalog is available in Spanish and English so you can assign Spanish content by age and skill. With this you can meet your students where they are to create a bilingual classroom.
- Spanish Blinds: If you’re ever in doubt of how to beautify a classroom, adding more colors is always the way to go. Just cut colored tissue paper into long strips and tape them to the curtains or directly above the windows. Now you’ve got an artsy way to cool the classroom and add some color. Even the colored blinds, which at first glance are just for decoration, can have Spanish sentences written on them by students so they can read them as the blinds blow in the wind.
- Spanish Art Week: Finally, here’s another way for students to personalize their own classroom. Set out some time over the first week of class for students to make their own artwork. Give your students a hispanic theme to work from, perhaps Salvador Dali or Frida Kahlo. Whether paper-mache, painting, or drawing, by the end of the week they’ll have something if not pretty, at least personal. Parents and students alike will delight in seeing their work decorate the wall. If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s an art video from our Youtube channel. You can even watch the Spanish version for extra immersion!
Cultural as well as linguistic understanding of Spanish should be equally important to educators, and this is the base of Smile and Learn’s mission. We believe in the power of an excellent tool in the hands of great teachers to improve both the students’ understanding of Spanish and Spanish-speaking cultures.
If the possibility of teaching Spanish classes with authentic, engaging material appeals to you, then Smile and Learn is the right choice. Our catalog of Spanish games, videos, and activities are automatically organized into age-appropriate lesson plans for teachers that they can adjust to best suit their students’ unique interests, needs and levels.
If you haven’t tried our educational platform yet, click the following link to make your class bilingual!
