How much money do we spend on educational toys, workbooks, or other items to help our students learn Spanish? Wouldn't it be fantastic if we could just use items WE ALREADY OWN to teach these skills?
WE CAN!
I love using household items, toys, or other things I already own to teach my students Spanish. Let's talk about some of my favorite items that I use all the time to help my students improve their fluency.
1. Wordless Picture Books:
Since we only visit Spain during the summer, I can never seem to find enough authentic Spanish books for my kids and students. I found that I can use wordless picture books to help my students work on their fluency and specific vocabulary.
Some of my favorite wordless picture books (also available at my local library!) are:
- Wave, by Suzy Lee
- The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
- Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann
- One Frog Too Many by Mercer Mayer
You can also click here to find a more compressive list of wordless picture books that may work for you and your students.
2. Magazine pictures or Photo Albums:
In the same vein as wordless picture books, students can piece together their own story using magazine photos or photo albums. Here, the students have more creative license to not just tell a story, but to tell their own story.
I find that helping them limit their choices will enable them to target specific vocabulary that they are currently learning (or already know) so that they can concentrate on improving their fluency.
For example, if students are learning travel related vocabulary and the past tense, they could find some pictures of a family or group of friends taking a vacation. Using magazines or the internet, they could find pictures of famous landmarks in their chosen destination and talk about their travels.
If, instead, the students are learning about foods and only speak in the present tense, they could tell a story about going to their favorite restaurant (or a funny story about going to a not-so-favorite restaurant).
3. Sequencing Cards:
I have found that sequencing cards are SO PERFECT for working with beginning Spanish students. You can even have a word bank to trigger key vocabulary that the student can use while telling the story. Sequencing cards provide a simple and short plot that increases confidence and enables students to begin to tell meaningful stories that happen every day.
4. Puppets, Stuffies, or Action Figures:
For whatever reason, many of my students (young and old) love to work together to make a silly puppet show. I find that if I set the scene and pick out two to three "characters", students will jump at the chance to create a short, one to two minute dialog.
Some examples:
- Duck and Penguin cannot decide where to go and what to pack on their vacation. Duck wants to go to a warm mountain lake and Penguin wants to go skiing.
- Grandma and Grandpa want to buy a birthday gift for their grandson. They discuss his hobbies and decide what to buy him.
- Turtle and Horse are trying to plan a party. Turtle has a terrible memory and horse has to describe everyone he wants to invite before turtle will agree (or not) to put them on the party list.
5. Sticky Notes and Flash Cards:
Sticky notes or flash cards can be used to prompt ideas, grammar or vocabulary into a dialog or story plot. If your students are talking about their last vacation, you could ensure that they are also using interesting transition words by giving them 3 phrases that they have to use at some point in their story.
Another way they can be used is to help students with role playing. One of my favorite games to play with students is to have a group of students pretend to be in a restaurant. One student is the waiter and each of the customers draw a card with a specific problem or characteristic written on it. For example, one diner is allergic to tomatoes. Another is a vegetarian. A third only wants cold food. It is the waiter's job to figure out what is going on!
6. Costumes and Props:
Many students love to "dress up" and play the part of a character. It's often easier to speak as a professor when you are wearing glasses, or as chef if you are wearing an apron. Allow students to bring in or use some props you have when performing a dialog and watch them take it to the next level!
Props can also be used as a game in which students must invent an advertisement for a specific object. Students can work alone or in teams to write a script to convince others to buy their item. Another game would be where students write a description of an item that they "lost" somewhere in the classroom and have the other students try to identify and find the item.
What other non-traditional, household items do you use to help your students learn Spanish? Let me know in the comments below!
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