In the next few weeks of Spanish class we will be learning the Itsy Bitsy Spider in Spanish.
Although many English Speakers know this song, it is also widely known across Latin America, too.
There are various versions with slightly different wording. I enjoy teaching this song because it offers an opportunity to learn some common words (spider, sun, rain, climbed) and also a chance to learn the opposites big/little.
It also addresses the diminutive (fancy grammar word for "making things little) in Spanish. In Spanish you can add "ito" or "ita" to the end of many words to turn it into little bitty.
Example:
Pequena= Small
Pequenita= Little Bitty
Hermano= Brother
Hermanito= Little Brother
We are singing the Jose Luis Orozco version of La Arana Pequenita, which is really cute and very colorful. However, here is a different version that I found on Youtube. It is simple but also cute and uses some of our vocabulary. Show the video to your child as a visual aid to what we do in class!
Words:
La Arana Pequenita The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Tejio Su Telarana Sewed his web
Vino La Lluvia Along came the rain
Y Se La Llevo And carried him away
Salio El Sol Out came the sun
Y Todo Se Seco And dried everything up
Y La Arana Pequenita And the itsy bitsy spider
Subio, Subio, y Subio Climbed, Climbed and climbed.
Cinco calabazas on a sunny day Along comes ________ and carries one away. (take one away each time)
Now how many pumpkins are there? (child answers in Spanish). If you know and would like to use more Spanish, you can ask this question in Spanish: "Ahora, cuantas calabazas hay?
Cuatro calabazas on a sunny day. Along comes _______ and carries one away.........
Tres- 3
Dos- 2
Una- 1 (feminine since calabaza is feminine)
Ninguna- none
Continue until there are no pumpkins left.
In the blank, you can insert any person or word. Sometimes I use each child's name in the class and let them carry a pumpkin away when I call their name and answer how many are left. You could use your name, your child's name or any other word you think of!
It is hard to believe that October is already here!
See below for some of the things I have planned for Spanish classes for the month of October!
Songs:
We will be learning "La Arana Pequenita" in Spanish (The Itsy Bitsy Spider). Our version is sung by Jose Luis Orozco and he does a traditional version with a little bit of a twist!
We will also sing a counting song called "Cinco Calabazas" (Five Pumpkins).
Opposites:
Our monthly opposites will be "big" and "little." In addition to our opposites train that we do on the way to class, we will be using Spanish to compare things that are big or little as well as using those words in "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."
Colors:
Our monthly colors will be "black" and "orange."
Counting:
We will be counting pumpkins and spiders. How far they count varies from child to child. Some children who took Spanish already can count further than others, so in addition to our group counting/singing I work with each child to get them a little further than they can already count.
Art:
We will be making "Itsy Bitsy Spider Puppets" to go along with the song. We will also be making a play-dough spider as well as doing an orange and black sorting craft. We will also finish our "All About Me" project that we started in September.
Conversation:
We will focus on answering the question "Como Te Llamas" which means "What is your name?"
Vocabulary:
Below are some of the focus words that your child will be hearing this month in Spanish. See your weekly parent e-mail to know which days we use these words, as it can vary from class to class. By the end of the month, your child should know at least a few of these words and some children may know all of them!
Grande- Big (gron-day)
Pequeno- Little (pay-kane-yoe)
Arana- Spider (ah-ran-ya)
LLuvia- Rain (you-vee-ah)
El Sol- Sun (el sole)
La Calabaza- Pumpkin (la ca-la-ba-sah)
Las Hojas- Leaves (oh-has)
Negro- Black (neh-groe)
Anaranjado- Orange (ah-na-ran-ha-doe)
Como te llamas- What's your name? (koe-moe-tay-ya-mas)
Me llamo- My name is (may-ya-moe)
Mira- Look! (mee-rah)
Octubre- October (ock-too-bray)
As always, feel free to contact me at bestamigosnc@gmail.com or by phone at 231-3514 anytime!
Here is a fun song to dance to with your child! It goes along with our September Theme of "Lo Que Me Gusta" (What I Like). You can play it like a freeze game- when the music stops, everyone freezes! It gets faster and faster (mas rapido) until the end. Lyrics are below :
A mi me gusta bailar, I Like to Dance
Me gusta bailar tranquilo I Like to Dance Calmly/Slow
A mi me gusta bailar I Like to Dance
Y Nunca quiero parar And I never want to stop
(song repeats until the end)
A la derecha To the right
A la izquierda To the left
Para adelante To the front
Para atras To the back
Y Nunca Quiero Parar And I never want to stop
Y Nunca Quiero Parar And I never want to stop
This month in Spanish our theme is "Lo Que Me Gusta," which means "What I Like." The children will be focusing on self introduction, greetings and expressing their likes and dislikes.
Each class we start off with a brief circle time which normally includes a mixture of counting, songs and practicing general courtesy. Today the children practiced greeting others and introducing themselves in Spanish. They were awarded maracas for successfully greeting the class and saying their name in Spanish.
We did a freeze dance to a song called "Me Gusta Bailar Rapido y Tranquilo," which means "I Like to Dance Fast and Slow." It's a cute song and you click to see it. I encourage you to play it for your child. I included the lyrics in case you are curious :)
I brought in some fruits and vegetables and they had to tell me "Si Me Gusta" (Yes I Like It) if they liked that fruit/vegetable. Some students even learned to say "No Me Gusta," which means "No, I don't like it!" I sent home a coloring page that they can color. They do not have to know all the fruit/vegetable words right now but I included them for your reference in case you'd like to use those words at home. I recommend using the sheet as a discussion piece with your child. You can point to a fruit/vegetable and say "Si Me Gusta" and then have your child do the same.
Finally, they got to feed my monkey pet, Senor Mono, at the end of class as a reward. I also sent them home with a special "paleta" (lollipop) from Mexico.
Each week I use lots of words in Spanish but we generally have one or two words/phrases that I focus on. These are my focus words, or goal words that I hope the children really pick up on. If you are ever able to incorporate these words at home, it really helps their retention! Please do not feel the need to quiz your child or force them to memorize words. Just use the word in it's normal context- if you see a banana you could replace banana with "platano." (Example, "Do you want el platano or las uvas for snack?"). As the year goes on I will give you more ways to use Spanish at home.
This Week's Focus Words:
Si Me Gusta (Yes I Like It) see-may-goose-tah
Hola (Hello) oh-la
Other Vocabulary:
Me llamo (My name is) may-ya-mow
El Platano (Banana) pla-tah-noe
La Sandia (Watermelon) san-dee-ah
La Manzana (Apple) mahn-sa-nah
Las Uvas (Grapes) ooh-vas
La Zanahoria (Carrot) san-ah-ore-ee-ah
By request, I am now offering after-school Spanish classes for elementary-age students!
These classes will be weekly 45 minute lessons that incorporate music, movement, games, incentives and art to help children learn Spanish.
If you know of a program or location that might wish to host classes, please let me know. It also never hurts for you to put in a mention about the program to the after-school director or principal so they know that parents are interested. This is a great way for schools to offer foreign language without pulling from their own school budget. Studies do show that early childhood is a great time to learn a second language for many reasons- improved math abilities as well as enhanced critical thinking and English skills. You can read more about this from Wake Forest University here.
As of right now, Noah's Ark After School Program is on board. I will provide updates on where the program will be offered as I have more information.
As always, gracias por su apoyo (thanks for your support)!
Noah's Ark did not have Spanish today due to end of the year rehearsal for their school recital.
This week in Spanish class we practiced some new opposites as well as reviewed others. Our review was "night" and "day" and we also learned "hot" and "cold." The children had to tell me items that were hot or cold, using the Spanish words.
We also played a fun traditional Mexican game/song called "Vibora de la Mar." (Sea snake). We talked about the word for snake in Spanish and they acted out being a snake. We made a long line forming a snake and formed a bridge using myself and one other child. I sang the song and at the end of the song one child gets caught under the bridge!
This is a well known children's song in Mexico and also a game that is played at weddings. It can get kind of crazy sometimes! Usually the person at the end falls down (we did not do that in class) :)
See Youtube videos below (good for your child to see):
Children Dancing to Vibora de la Mar
Adults Playing the Wedding Game Vibora de la Mar
If you want some great entertainment, search the following on You Tube (Caidas en la vibora de la mar- Falls during Vibora de la Mar). You will see many Mexican weddings!
A la vÃbora, vÃbora To the snake, snake
de la mar, de la mar Of the sea, of the sea
por aquà pueden pasar You can pass through here
Los de adelante corren mucho Those in front run fasta
y los de atrás se quedarán Those in the back get left behind
tras, tras, tras, tras. Behind, Behind, Behind
Atentamente,
Senora Mellor
Best Amiogos Preschool Spanish
910-231-3514
Last week we talked about Spain and Mexico, how far away they are, where they are located and how people speak Spanish there. I brought in hats from each country and we learned the Spanish word for "hat" and compared hats.
Since Cinco de Mayo is coming up this Sunday, this week in Spanish class we focused on Mexico. Cinco de Mayo is not really an official Mexican holiday, so I don't focus on that but thought it would be nice to compare flags.
I showed the children the American flag and we talked about the colors in Spanish. We did the same for the Mexican flag.
The children got to make a Mexican flag with stamp ink and their thumbs. The ink is washable; I hope no one got any on their clothes. I was careful and told them to be careful but just in case, the ink should wash off easily.
Focus Words:
Flag- La Bandera
Green- Verde (vair-day)
White- Blanco
Red- Rojo (row-hoe)
More- Mas (some groups learned this word and had to use it if they wanted more ink).
We also reviewed past material, rehearsing for our end of the year performances. Please continue to play the CD for your child, as it helps them keep Spanish fresh in their minds throughout the week. All performances are group performances; the only part each child will say individually is introducing themself, so you may want to practice that with him/her so he/she is comfortable. (Hola, me llamo or if they just want to say "me llamo" that is fine, too).
See performance dates below:
Noah's Ark- Thursday, May 9th at 11 a.m. in the Chapel Building
CLC-Darlington- Children will be performing at the annual CLC recital (I do not have the date in front of me but your child's teacher should have it)
CLC- Medical Center Drive- Thursday, May 16th at 4:30 p.m. in the gym/activity room. Children will be performing for the 4 and 5 year old classes. Parents invited.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me! Hasta la proxima semana! (Until next week!)
This week in Spanish we learned people words- boy, girl, man and woman.
We played a game similar to duck duck goose where the children had to touch each other's heads and say "boy" or "girl" in Spanish.
We looked at magazines and pointed out men or women.
Finally, we made a booklet with labeled pictures of a man, woman, boy and girl. I recommend reading this with your child and asking questions such as "Show me el nino." Or "donde esta el nino (where is the boy) if you are comfortable using more Spanish. Advanced: Ask "Quien es" (who is it) and point to a photo and have your child tell you the word in Spanish (Es el nino- It's the boy). You may have to remind him/her a few times. Making it relate to you is always fun- ex. Is Daddy an hombre or mujer (man or woman).
As always, I incorporated counting and colors into the class, letting them say which color they wanted of different items. We also practiced our opposites of big/little, up/down, hard/soft. Some classes learned day/night although this was not our focus today.
*Tip- In Spanish the "H" is silent. For example, the word for man is "hombre" but you do not say the letter "h." Simply pretend it is not there.
Focus Words:
The Boy- El Nino (neen-yoe)
The Girl- La Nina (neen-ya)
The Man- El Hombre (om-bray)
The Woman-La Mujer (moo-hair)
This week in Spanish class we counted, sang our opening songs and practiced some opposites (hard/soft), (big/ little), (up/down). Our songs for today included "If you're happy and you know it," "El Baile de los Colores" (the colors dance) and our Spanish ABCs.
With it being spring, we learned the Spanish words for bee and butterfly. They had to act out the parts as I called the word. When I said "bee" in Spanish they had to buzz. When I said "butterfly" in Spanish, they had to flap their wings. We also focused on the color words, "yellow" and "black."
The children got to make a butterfly or bee craft. They had to tell me in Spanish which one they wanted- either bee or butterfly. They decorated it and put it on a stick with the Spanish word written. *One class, the 3 year olds ran out of time so we will make our craft next week.
Please let me know if you did not receive the brown envelope that I sent home last week with your child's music CD in it. I will track it down or make another! I hope they (and you) are enjoying practicing with the CD.
Hasta la proxima semana!
Senora Mellor
Best Amigos Preschool Spanish
231-3514
Today I sent home a CD with music for your child to listen to. Music is a great way to learn grammar and complete sentences in Spanish for children. They sing and do not realize they are actually learning what sounds correct to their ears for the foreign language. Please play it as much as you can bear (think in car or at bedtime or while you're cooking dinner). Some of the songs we will sing at our recital so the more he/she hears the songs the more comfortable he/she will be.
This week in Spanish class we celebrated Spring by learning the Spanish word for "flower." We also learned the words for "pink" and "purple" in Spanish. We made a flower craft and I wrote a sentence on each child's paper describing the scene (The flower is pink or The Flower is purple). They got to choose which color they wanted and had to tell me in Spanish. We talked about how pink and purple rhyme in Spanish (but not in English).
The first half of class we did our usual circle time songs which today included "If You're Happy and You Know It" in Spanish as well as "El Abecedario" (Spanish ABCs.). The children's CDs will be ready in April and will come home with each child. Those will be a great tool for your child and should help him/her practice Spanish at home and also familiarize you with some of what we've been learning.
We will not have Spanish class next week as it is Spring break for most schools.
Remember that payment is due for the spring session. Please drop it off at the front office if you have not yet already. Gracias!
Focus Words:
La flor (The flower) la floor
Morado (Purple) more-ah-doe
Rosado (Pink) rose-ah-doe
Other Words Used Today:
Sol- (Sun) soul Some children drew a sun on their papers.
Verde- (Green) vair-day Some children drew green grass.
Conjeo- (Rabbit) cone-eh-hoe Our focus word from last week.
This week in Spanish we sang "Si Tu Estas Contento" (If you're Happy and you know it) in Spanish as well as our Abcedario (Spanish ABC) song. We also continued practicing our opposites, counting and colors. We reviewed the Spanish word for "star" from last week.
The children learned the Spanish word for rabbit and we did a counting song called "Has Visto Los Conejos" (Have you seen the rabbits?). It will be included on the CD that I send home in a few weeks.
They made a rabbit craft with Peeps. Those are always a hit :) I wrote the word "conejo" on the stick for them to remember. I told them to eat them at home after they show them to their parents.
Focus Word:
rabbit- conejo (cone-nay-hoe)
Note: CLC Darlington did not have class today due to a field trip but we will make the class up tomorrow.
Reminder that payment is now due for the Spring Session. Payment is $8 per class and there will be 9 classes counting today, so the total is $72. This will carry them through the end of the year in May.
This week in Spanish class we sang "If You're Happy and You Know It" and our Spanish ABCs. We also reviewed our opposites, "big" and "little." We also learned three new words- sun, moon and stars in Spanish. Our focus word of the three was "stars."
The children made a craft using colorful sticker stars. They had to count them as far as they could and if they counted them all I gave them more. Some students made it as far as 16 by themselves! If there was time, I also asked them which stars were big and which were little in Spanish.
Vocabulary Words:
Sun- El Sol (sole)
Moon- La Luna (loo-nah)
Focus Word:
Stars- Estrellas (es-tray-yahs)
At Home Activity:
Use our craft to ask your child about their colors in Spanish.
Advanced: Ask "Cual es rojo" (Cwal- es ro-hoe) Which is red? Practice all the colors if you know some Spanish.
Or "Cual es grande" (Cwal es granday) Which is big?
Or "Cual es pequeno?" (Cwal es pay-kane-yo) Which is little?
Please remember to place payment for our Spring session at the front office. It is due next week and is $72 for the 9 weeks.
This week in Spanish we focused on two opposite words- big and little. We also reviewed the Spanish word for "happy"- contento. We sang "If you're happy and you know it" in Spanish (Si tu estas contento). We reviewed some commands such as "clap," "stomp" and "shout hurray!"
Today I introduced the Spanish ABC song, which is called "El Abecedario." We will be singing it each week. The tune is different than the English ABC song and with the older children I discussed how there are extra letters in the Spanish ABCs.
We did a craft today with happy face stickers. The children had to sort them into the right column for grande (big) and pequeno (little). When they were done, I worked with them individually on their counting and also had them say the colors in Spanish.
Ask your child to name you animals that are "grande" (big).
Ask your child to name you animals that are "pequeno" (small/little).
*You could also hold up photos of animals or objects and ask "Es grande o pequeno?" (Is it big or little).
Next week (March 7th) will be our final class for the Winter Session. Payment of $72 will be due for the Spring Session. Checks can be made to "Best Amigos Preschool Spanish."
We will conclude the Spring with a Spanish recital in May. I will get you the dates of your school's recital as soon as I have confirmed with each school director.
This week in Spanish we learned the Spanish word for happy (contento). Many of you know feliz, which also means happy but in our song that we sing with the CD the word "contento" is used, so we learned that word today.
We focused on the word "happy" but we also discussed the words for "sad" and "mad." The children made faces to match each emotion. We sang the song "If you're happy and you know it" in Spanish with music.
We also read a book "Ocho Monitos" or Eight Little Monkeys. It reviewed counting and number recognition, as well as repetition of phrases in Spanish (no mas monos= no more monkeys).
For our weekly counting, we counted to 13 in Spanish. I also incorporated colors as the topic arose (I let the children pick which colors they want and they have to tell me in Spanish).
Focus Words:
contento (happy)
monos (monkey)
no mas (no more)
Other Vocabulary:
triste (sad) tree-stay
enojado (mad) in-oh-ha-doe
once (eleven) on-say
doce (twelve) dose-say
trece (thirteen) trace-say
At Home Practice Idea:
Have your child make different faces for each emotion. Tell them to show you a "contento" face or "triste" face. You can also ask them to say the words as they make that face.
I am doing a new feature starting this week. Each week I will post a random Spanish phrase that you can incorporate at home with your child if you choose. Or it can just be a phrase that you learn for your own knowledge!
This week in Spanish we learned some Valentine's Vocabulary. We practiced counting with hearts and learned the word for "heart" in Spanish. The children counted sticky hearts and stuck them to the wall or table as they counted in Spanish. I asked them "Cuantas corazones," which means "How many hearts?"
We also began learning the song "I love you" from Barney in Spanish (see videos below). At the end of Spanish, each child had to give our puppet, Senor Mono, a heart and tell him I love you in Spanish.
Focus Words:
Heart- Corazon (core-ah-sown)
Hearts- Corazones (core-ah-sown-es)
I love you- Te Quiero (tay key- arrow)
I sent home an activity sheet with hearts that you can do with your child. They have to count the hearts. Encourage him/her to count in Spanish. Usually, if you start off with "uno" they will continue to count in Spanish. You can ask him/her "Cuantas corazones?" which means, "How many hearts"
Videos:
I have two videos for you this week. They are of the same song but one is from the TV show Barney and the other is of a little boy singing the song. You can play both for your child and see which he/she likes better. It is interesting- I have found that young children love watching other children sing and talk, even if the singing isn't the best!
Song Lyrics:
Te Quiero Yo y Tu a mi (I love you and you love me)
Somos una familia feliz (We are a happy family)
Con un fuerte brazo (With a great big hug)
Y un beso te dire (And a kiss I will give you)
(The last line varies depending on how you sing it)
Mi carino yo te doy (My love and care I give to you) *Barney says this
or
Mi carino te dire (My love I will give to you)*The little boy says this
At Home Activity: Tell your child I love you in Spanish! You can say it as much as you want- before leaving in the morning, before going to bed, etc. Ask him/her to say it back to you!
Today we finished our self introduction unit. The children should now be able to introduce themselves in Spanish and answer the question "Como te llamas (What is your name)?"
Occasionally, preschool children have the tendency to repeat the question "Como te llamas" instead of answering by saying their name. The best resolution to this is practice! Ask them, "Como te llamas?" and if they are silent or repeat the question, tell them to say "Me llamo _______." Once they have it right, ask again 3-4 more times and praise them when they answer correctly.
We did a craft today- Me llamo masks. On the back part of the stick it says "Me llamo _____" and the child's name. They turned out great!
The children decorated them and we added wiggle eyes, a button nose and yarn for hair. I told them the body parts in Spanish and had them say the words several times. Although we are not officially learning body parts right now, it never hurts to incorporate more Spanish because sometimes they remember!
Each child also got to pick what color hair he/she wanted. We said the colors in Spanish and they had to tell me which color they wanted in Spanish.
You can practice the body parts with your child at home by asking him/her to point to the body part and you say it in Spanish. Start with one or two and when they have those down, move on to others. You can even play "Simon Says!"
Today's Focus Words:
Negro (Black)
Amarillo (Yellow) ah-ma-ree-yoe
Cafe (Brown) cah-fay
Eyes (Ojos) oh-hose
Nose (Nariz) na-reese
Pelo (Hair) pay-loe
January General
Vocabulary: (words we used last week and this week- this list will
grow)
Hola (Hello) Adios (Good-bye) Como te llamas? (What is your
name) ko-mo-tay-ya-mus Me llamo (My name is) may ya mow Maestra (Teacher) Mono
(Monkey) Espanol (Spanish) Salta (Jump) Silencio (Quiet) Manos
arriba (hands up) Baila (dance) bye-lah Hasta luego (see you later)
Listos? (ready)
Rojo (red)
Azul (blue)
Uno
Dos
Tres
Cuatro
Cinco
Seis
Siete
Ocho
Nueve
Diez
I apologize for not having this week's review up earlier. Normally I have it up by 2 p.m. or so but today I missed my usual mid-day break so I had to type it this evening.
Today we continued to review self-introduction and next week we will finish this unit with a craft. The children practiced introducing themselves to each other and to our class puppet, Senor Mono. They also practiced answering "What is your name" in Spanish and we sang our "Hola Como te Llamas" song (see previous updates for video). Each child got to take a turn playing the rhythm sticks and being the leader and answering "Como te llamas?"
I touched on colors more today. Although colors are not officially part of this unit, I try to incorporate them as the opportunity arises. For example, when picking out flags or rhythm sticks, I ask the children which color they want and they have to tell me in Spanish. When turning in class items, I usually call each item by color.
We also continued our weekly counting. This week we are still counting to ten. Most of the children can at least count to five; some to ten. Sometimes they miss numbers between 6-10, so we are working on solidifying their counting skills. I have written the numbers below so that you can practice with your child if you wish.
Finally, we did our freeze dance and the children had to reply to the commands, "Jump" "Hands up" "Dance" and "Stop!"
Today's Focus Words:
Listos? (Ready everyone)
Listos! (Ready!)
Uno 1
Dos 2
Tres 3 (trace)
Cuatro (cwah-troe)
Cinco (seen-co)
Seis (sace)
Siete (see-eh-tay)
Ocho (oh-choe)
Nueve (new-eh-vay)
Diez (dee-ehs)
January General Vocabulary: (words we used
last week and this week- this list will grow)
Hola (Hello)
Adios (Good-bye)
Como te
llamas? (What is your name)
Me llamo (My name is) may ya mow
Maestra (Teacher)
Mono (Monkey)
Espanol
(Spanish)
Salta (Jump)
Silencio (Quiet)
Manos arriba (hands up)
Baila (dance) bye-lah
Hasta luego (see you later)
Listos? (ready)
This week in Spanish we continued to work on self introduction as our overall theme.
We reviewed saying "hello" in Spanish, as well as practiced answering "what is your name" in Spanish. This week I encouraged the children to answer in a complete sentence saying "my name is...." They spoke to our class monkey puppet in Spanish and at the end of the class were rewarded for good behavior by getting to feed him bananas!
I also touched on colors a bit at the beginning by letting them choose which color flag they wanted to hold while we sang our opening song. They got to choose from red, blue or yellow and had to tell me the color they wanted in Spanish.
They also danced to our commands song again and this time had three commands to listen for- "jump (from last week)," "hands up," and "dance!"
As they left class, they had to tell me "Adios, hasta luego" which is "Good-bye, see you later."
I encourage you to use any words from our list at home. You do not have to use them all; perhaps pick a word or phrase that you could work into your normal routine. For example, at breakfast you could ask your child, "Do you want platanos (bananas)?" You can hold up bananas and show him/her as you ask. If you have experience with Spanish, you may want to use a complete sentence and say "Quieres platanos (key-air-es pla-ta-nose)" (do you want bananas) and allow your child to answer with a "si" or "no."
Today's Focus Words:
Como te llamas- What is your name (koe-moe tay ya-mus)
Me llamo- My name is
(may-ya-mow)
Platanos- Bananas (pla-tah-nose)
January General Vocabulary: (words we used
last week and this week- this list will grow)
Hola (Hello)
Adios (Good-bye)
Como te
llamas (What is your name)
Maestra (Teacher)
Mono (Monkey)
Espanol
(Spanish)
Salta (Jump)
Silencio (Quiet)
Manos arriba (hands up)
Baila (dance) bye-lah
Hasta luego (see you later)
I have received payment from most parents; if you have not yet paid for the winter session, please drop a check at the front office made out to "Best Amigos" and also write your child's name on it. Gracias!
Finally, don't forget to fill out the parent survey (see link at top)! I will be drawing a name next Wednesday night and will announce the winner in next week's weekly update.
This week in Spanish we are focusing on our greetings unit for January. Our focus for the month will be learning to greet others and introduce oneself in Spanish.
The children met the class puppet, Senor Mono and introduced themselves to him in Spanish. We also practiced saying "Gracias" whenever I gave them something (a name tag, maracas, stickers, etc.).
We danced to a song where we count to 10 in Spanish and then follow a command. Today's command was "salta" which means "jump."
Finally, some groups started on a book called "Say Hola to Spanish." This is one of my favorite books and is great for ages 4-5. It is in English but introduces many Spanish words and has wonderful pictures. If you know a little Spanish, it would be a good book to read to your child. It is available at the public library as well as here on Amazon.
Also, see this cute video that reinforces self introduction in Spanish (lyrics below). Show it to your child as many times as they will bear to watch it!
Hola como te llamas, (Hello what's your name)
Hola como te llamas,
Hola como te llamas
Me llamo Miguel (My name is Miguel)
Me llamo Javier, (My name is Javier
Me llamo Javier,
Mucho gusto (Nice to meet you)
Podemos ser amigos (We can be friends)
Te llamas Miguel (Your name is Miguel)
Me llamo Javier (My name is Javier)
Parent Tip:
Throughout the class I throw in many Spanish words. The best way to learn a foreign language is through repetition, so I use the words as often as possible. The more your child hears these words, the better! So feel free to throw in any of these words that you feel comfortable using at home. It is fun to throw in "gracias" when your child gives you something and have them say back "de nada" and vice versa.
We also have focus words each week. These are phrases that I plan to focus on each week so I use those words more than the other general Spanish vocabulary. In addition, I have the children say the focus words as much as possible throughout the class.
At the preschool age, I do not recommend flashcards or rote memorization- usage is the best way to encourage language with them.
Please see our general vocabulary and focus words for today:
Today's Focus Words:
Me llamo- My name is (may-ya-mow)
Hola- Hello (oh-lah)
Gracias- Thank you (gra-see-us)
January General Vocabulary: (words we used today- this list will grow)
Hola (Hello)
Adios (Good-bye)
Como te llamas (What is your name)
Maestra (Teacher)
Mono (Monkey)
Espanol (Spanish)
Salta (Jump)
Silencio (Quiet)
Hasta la proxima semana! (Until next week)
Senora Mellor 231-3514 Best Amigos Preschool Spanish
I am excited about meeting all the children tomorrow for the first day of Spanish Class!
Be sure to check back here tomorrow for a review of what we did and tips for how you can support and encourage your child at home with Spanish.
Also, I request that parents complete the parent survey. You have ten days to complete it and as a thank you, once you complete it I will enter your child into a drawing for a Spanish related prize.
As always, please contact me at 231-3514 or bestamigosnc@gmail.com with questions, suggestions or concerns!
