This is a very active and motivated group of students eager to learn every morning.

It is crucial that I set up an environment that is comfortable, safe and effective for the class. I have set up a morning routine in my classroom so that the students know what to expect the moment they enter the class.

The students know when and how we complete tasks and activities. They participate in combination of partner, small groups and whole group exercises.

The students are learning about México and how people live, greet and say goodbye. Our curriculum also includes history, traditions, customs and geography of this country. Every morning I select three different students to introduce themselves to new friends by imagining different scenarios in México and engaging in a dialogue with their classmates.

The students are also learning the first second and third person of singular of the verb “ser” (to be), an important verb required to learn in this unit. We are learning adjectives to describe people, places and themselves. Family members, punctuation marks, capitalization and reading have been introduced in this unit too.

Twenty five years ago I started teaching Spanish to preschool and elementary students here in Indiana. Teaching Spanish is fun and rewarding, but it is not without it’s difficult moments. The pressure is always on to keep lessons fresh and exciting and to ensure that students are motivated and enthusiastic. This is why every morning after the Spanish greeting I start the class with a fun game for the whole class. It reminds me that the process of learning has to be fun and engaging. I have a variety of short games and I use a different game everyday.

Being a teacher for all of my adult life has taught me that motivation, excitement, compassion, respect, love and a well structured lesson plan for your students and for yourself is all you need to have a successful class!

Experts say young children are especially wired to learn foreign languages in the most natural ways, through play and exploration. Research also says that elementary students learn a second language better than other students. Beyond that, multiple studies show that early-start language learning improves cognitive skills and academic performance.

Don’t forget to have fun and celebrate with your students! Dance, eat, play games, read a good book, watch a movie, break piñatas have a fiesta and reward them for a job well done!!!!!  Thanks for sending your child to Learn Another Language program.

Sra. Alvarenga Calderin
Spanish Teacher at Union Elementary