Números, colores y ¿cuántos hay?

¡Hola padres! Week four has been an exciting week as we have incorporated our knowledge of classroom vocabulary with learning colors and numbers. 

In P.E. this week we have begun to learn and practice our colors! We played zapped tag where the students used different colored foam balls to tag each other with. As I passed the balls out to my taggers, I said and had the students repeat the colors en español. As we played with the parachute on Wednesday, we discussed the different colors of the parachute and who was standing on which color. This adds a fun dimension to our classes as you can see the kids realize that they aren't there just to play, but to apply knowledge that they have. On parachute Wednesday, we also played games like palomitas and gato y ratón. If your scholar had P.E. on Wednesday this week, ask them about these games and how they were played. We had a lot of fun! 

In Spanish this week, we learned that it is ok to not know an answer and that we should then ask for help from our classmates around us. When the scholars aren't sure how to answer something I have asked them in Spanish, I taught them to say "ayuda, por favor" (help please) signaling to their classmates that they need help. The scholars have done a great job not only asking for help but jumping to each other's aid. I don't ever want a scholar to feel embarrassed to answer in Spanish because they are unsure, but wanted to give them a phrase they could rely on in case they got stuck. This seems to have done the trick. 

In Kindergarten Spanish this week, we started a packet on números or numbers 1-5. This packet will take us a few days to complete and I am hoping that it will help them visualize the numbers well both in English and in Spanish. They have done great so far. 

In First Grade Spanish this week, we played a fun game of memoria to practice the words for objects around the classroom and started on numbers through 16. I also put a classroom scene up on the document camera and had the scholars count how many of what objects they could see. They very eagerly learned that ¿cuántos hay? means "how many?" and that the appropriate answer is hay....I am so proud of how well they grasp these concepts and let them know that while they are out and about at school that I will be asking them this new question as well as how they are and what their name is and that they need to be ready with the appropriate answer. I know they will work hard at being ready for whatever I ask of them. 

Have a wonderful long weekend and as we look to next month, we will be studying Mexico and learning why their independence is celebrated in September. 

adiós,
Sra. Hamilton

la clase

¡Hola padres! Here we are in our third week of school and the kids are excited to be learning the names of some of the common objects found in the classroom: la maestra, la muchacha/el muchacho, el libro, el papel, la pluma, la mesa, la silla, el reloj y el lápiz. After learning the new vocabulary, we  spent some time on a "slap jack" type game where I divided the class into teams and had one player from each team come up to the board to see who could first point to the classroom object correctly. As we did in P.E., we talked about how not everyone always gets a turn and that sometimes we lose and sometimes we win, but that we always say buen juego after the game to show good sportsmanship. They really enjoyed this. We also worked on a page in our workbooks to reinforce the classroom vocabulary and Ms. Keating's class learned about Cuba.

For Kindergarten, we also worked on classroom object vocabulary and on our matching skills. I will start números de uno a cinco with them today with various games.

With both classes, in P.E. this week we have been hula hooping and they love it! On Wednesday I also broke out the parachute and although not much Spanish was incorporated, I hope to increase the use of colors words in the Wednesdays to come with this lesson.

Please ask your children about what they are learning in either class and let me know what they say. Feedback is a great way for me to make any adjustments that are needed to class and also a way for me to continue using what works. I would love to hear their stories.

Sinceramente,
Sra. Hamilton

¿Cómo te llamas?

¡Hola padres! We have completed our second week of school and also our unit on greetings. This week as well as reviewing ¿cómo estas? we began learning ¿cómo te llamas?  Me llamo....or "what is your name?" and "my name is....".  Now the trick is having the scholars differentiate between the two questions and responding appropriately to each question. I will continue to practice with them in class as well as when I see them around campus or in P.E.

In terms of integrating the first grade curriculum, this week I had the children listen to the continents said in Spanish on the quizlet website. For some reason, Asia was not included, but I went ahead and just said it myself. The scholars practiced listening to the words as well as saying them and locating them on the map.  Here is the link I used:  http://quizlet.com/395910/the-seven-continents-in-spanish-flash-cards/

For Kinder, I contined our study on igual y diferente with a matching game which they are also working on in math. I plan to continue matching with them next week as we move into our lesson on classroom objects. We also worked on completed our lesson on greetings.

Each month, I also intend to highlight a Spanish speaking country. This lesson will take place on
 Wednesdays and will rotate with a different class every week. This month we are studying Cuba. 
We talked about Havana, its capitol, the fact that it has both beaches and mountains, we talked 
about how many people ride bikes instead of driving cars due to the warm weather, we talked
 about where  Cuba is located and about its flag and how it is modeled after ours. 

In P.E. for both classes I did my best to incorporate numbers as we counted our saltos or jumping 
jacks, and plan to work on colors next week as we work with the parachute and hula hoops. I'll let 
you know how it goes.  

Next week for both grades, we will begin our study on the classroom and objects within it. Have a great weekend!

Adiós, 
Sra. Hamilton

The first week!

Hola padres! We have made it through our first week of school! I told the scholars this morning that I was so proud of them; I know it can be a tough and tiring week, but they did a great job and still have smiles on their faces. It has been so fun to see their them every morning and be able to greet them with the greetings that we learned this week in class: hola, buenos dias, ?como estas?, muy bien, muy mal, and asi, asi. They have really caught on and and eagerly used the hand motions I have shown them to converse with me.

Kindergarten: In Kindergarten this week, I have been working closely with the teachers and learned that they are studying same and different in math. I have then worked with them on igual and diferente, which means same and different in Spanish. They seem to catch on and I hope that I am not confusing them, but emphasizing concepts they are learning.
In P.E. the scholars were excited to play the Spanish version of duck, duck, goose or pato, pato, gonzo. What fun it was for them to see that they could do exactly what they normally do in English, in Spanish! I think they really enjoyed it and we will definitely play it again. We also worked on gross motor skills in squads and worked on some color and number recognition which I hope to work in more seamlessly as we progress through the year. Right now, this is all a bit of experimentation as I see how this will best work for both grades, but I do think it can be done.

First Grade: In first grade, I plan to follow the Sing N Speak Spanish workbook that all the students should have. This is a comprehensive curriculum that includes music, worksheets and flashcards that help reinforce the vocabulary and concepts taught. Instead of homework, we will do the worksheets together in class.
In terms of integrating curriculum with Spanish class, after talking to Mr. Record, my plan is to spend a few minutes at the end of each class discussing some geography, history or science concepts that the children have learned and teaching some of these words to them in Spanish. I know right now they are learning about the continents and I hope to be able to cover those words with them in the next week or so.

Again, I am very excited about this year and hope that your children are too. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I will also be presenting next Tuesday night at curriculum night and hope to see you there!

Sra. Hamilton

Bienvenidos!

Hola padres! Welcome to another year of Spanish! My name is Andrea Hamilton and I will be the Kindergarten and First grade Spanish teacher as well as the Kindergarten and First grade P.E. teacher this year at Archway Trivium. I am so excited to be given the opportunity to share this beautiful language with your children not only once but twice daily through Spanish class as well as P.E. class. You might be wondering how that will work. It is my belief that language is learned when it is applied to the everyday. For these young scholars, that means practicing their numbers, letters, colors and discovering all the new things around them. Children also learn through movement. As we learn moves in P.E., they will also be learning what those moves and actions mean in Spanish. This learning through movement and action solidifies word meanings in their minds. It is my hope to be able to conduct most of P.E. in Spanish after a few weeks. 

I will be partnering closely with Mr. David Brittain the new 2-5 grade Spanish teacher. It is our philosophy that Spanish will be taught through immersion, integration and initiation. Not only will the Spanish curriculum closely follow what your scholar is learning in their main classroom, but I hope to be in the classroom throughout the week reinforcing the Spanish vocabulary taught and also working with the lead and assistant teachers to see how they can integrate Spanish on their own throughout the day. We are very excited for this integrated approach and hope that it will be a successful way to foster a love for the Spanish language to your children. Please feel free to email me anytime at ahamilton@archwaytrivium.org 

Adios, 
Sra. Hamilton