Adding Fun to Vocabulary Learning

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When you teach a language you are always looking for ways to add some fun to learning the endless amount of words that a student needs in order to communicate. A few weeks ago I bought a Magnetic Write-on Wipe-off Die and have been using it in my summer classes. The die is not quite five inches across and has dry erase surfaces that are also magnetic. Since I have been doing a bug unit this summer I decided to take the cards from a game I have, Bug Out , and use those along with the die to practice our vocabulary.

I wrote a Spanish word on each side of the die...they were all the names of insects that were represented on some of the cards.  Obviously as you can see from the picture there were more types of insects than I was able to put on the die. That is ok. It just means that students have to sort through to find what they are looking for. On one side I did put the word "insecto" so that they could pick up anyone that was a true insect. To play the game, I laid out all the cards.  The first student rolled the die and read the word.  He then tried to find the insect that corresponded with the word in Spanish.  Then we went to the next player. If a student rolled a word that no longer had a card then we just moved on to the next player. I timed the game to only last five minutes.  At the end of the game, the students counted {in Spanish, of course!} their cards to see who had the most.

This simple game can be used with any set of vocabulary as long as you have picture cards for the words you are working on. The write-on die has the potential for a plethora of uses! I am going to be on the lookout for other ways to incorporate it into my lessons.




A little more information on the die...I have read reviews that the magnetic part {supposedly you can attach magnetic pictures to the white spaces} doesn't work that great. I don't really plan to use the dice that way, but thought I would mention it. Also, as you play with the die, you have the potential to wipe off the words if you touch the white parts.  I have taught my students to handle the die on the colored areas.  It seems to work well.

Here are some links for different picture cards to use with this type of game {click on the image}...

{The caterpillar game would be a great way to review the vocabulary from that book.}

Spot the Differences {Activity for Language Learning}

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I recently picked up this Spot the Difference Card Game for a local toy store.  I am so excited to use these cards with my more advanced students!  This is meant to be a game where you compete with your opponents to find the most differences in the two pictures on the card.  However, they are EXCELLENT pictures for discussing in a target language what the differences are. There are three levels of cards:

40 challenges {20 cards with pictures on each side} with five differences
40 challenges {20 cards with pictures on each side} with ten differences
40 challenges {20 cards with pictures on each side} with fifteen differences

That's 120 spot the differences pictures!!

There are all kinds of scenes that will allow you to work with students on different topics.  Here is a list of a few of the topics...

Swimming/Islands/Oceans
Circus
Knights and Dragons
Outer Space
Animals
Doctor's Office
Fishing
Restaurant

And that is just a sample of the cards!

I plan to use these in private lessons and also in small groups where students attempt to describe to their partners what the differences are in Spanish. A great way to encourage speaking skills! These could also be used with students that finish work early in a larger classroom setting.  They can pick a card or two and write down the differences that they see. I can't wait to use them this fall!

UPDATE: I have been using these with my students and have noticed that the more they use them the better their fluency! These cards are going to be a staple with my intermediate and advanced students. Such an easy way to get them talking with so little prep from the teacher!

Another way to use these cards is when you are teaching prepositions. I pull out these cards and call out two items on the card. The students then have to tell me where the two objects are in relation to each other {like above, under, to the right, etc.}

Insect Unit in Spanish

This summer I am working with several students to teach them more about insects and creepy crawlies in Spanish. I am using several resources: books, units from Teachers pay Teachers, and some of my own ideas.

Here are some great books that I own and have used with my students...

Mi Pequena Enciclopedia Larousse Los Insectos-I LOVE this little book filled with information on different insects.  Great for younger kids, but also for upper elementary that are learning Spanish.

La oruga muy hambrienta-A classic

La Mariquita Lara-Simple story of a ladybug that loses her spots.  Early elementary.





¡Montones de mariquitas!-Great book for teaching kids to count by 5's using the spots on ladybugs.

Correle, correle ciempies! -A book from the same series as Montones de Marquitas.  This one uses a centipede and teaches counting by 10's.

Super Catarina Y Los Super Insectos-Longer book for upper elementary

                      {Sidewalk Chalk Critters}

Activities

One of the activities I do with my students is play Memory with these cards. After we have played and they are somewhat familiar with the words, I have the students draw the critter I call out in Spanish (from the Memory game we just played) with sidewalk chalk.

Here is a prior post of mine with ideas for activities with ladybugs.  You will also find links on this post to units in Spanish on ladybugs at Teachers pay Teachers.

These insect hundreds chart mystery pictures are a cool activity! I use these sheets by calling out the numbers and colors in Spanish so that my students can color in the picture.

This game reviews numbers, colors, shapes, and size.  It could be modified to play it in Spanish.  Click on the picture for the link.

Butterfly Life Cycle Unit

Ant Life Cycle Unit

Bees Mini-book

Bug Fractions

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Preschool Unit

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Ideas to teach the days of the week in Spanish

And finally, this game to learn the parts of an insect.

Teaching Rhyming Words

This coming fall I will be working with my younger students on rhyming words in Spanish.  There are several great sets of rhyming word cards available at Teachers pay Teachers. This is the set that I bought.  There are 100 words (50 rhyming pairs)!!  I made them into cards by adhering colored paper to them and then laminating them.  I have separated them into groups of ten (so five sets). I will be teaching my students the sets one at a time.  This will improve their vocabulary, teach them about the sound system in Spanish, and start them on the road to reading the language.

There are several things that you can do with these cards:

-Memory

-Go Fish

-Lay the cards out on the floor.  Call out a card.  A student has to find that card and its rhyming mate.

-The Slapping Game (No slapping of each other!!): Lay out the cards on the floor.  Call out a word.  The first student to put their hand on the correct card gets to keep the card.  The goal is to have the most cards at the end.  You can vary this by calling out a word on a card, but they must slap the rhyming word for it.

-Lay out the cards and spell a word in Spanish (provided your students already know the letters) and see if they can find the card.  Then can they find the rhyming word and spell that for you?

-Use picture dictionaries like Everyday Words in Spanish . Call out a rhyming word and  see if they can find it in the dictionary.

-Use this page at the end of learning all the words. Give your students colored pencils and the page. Call out a color in Spanish and then one of the rhyming words and have them color it in.

Here is a cute idea from another blog to do with rhyming words...rhyming snowballs or falling leaves.

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There are also bilingual books and books in Spanish that focus on rhyming like Huevos verdes con jamón. Or El viejo y su puerta  which is a cute book about an older man that misunderstands his wife.  She asks him to bring "la puerca" to the BBQ, but he ends up bringing "la puerta". This book can be a springboard to talk about how the change of one sound (which happens with a lot of rhyming words) can change the whole meaning!

There is a great series of bilingual books that have a plethora of rhyming in them.

Say Hola to Spanish
Say Hola to Spanish, otra vez
Say Hola to Spanish at the Circus

El loro tico tango is another great story with lots of rhyming.  Can your students pick out the rhyming words as you read it?

Have fun rhyming!

Teaching Compound Words {Games}

I am getting ready for my fall Spanish lessons.  I know...it seems strange to be working in May for activities that will happen in September, but I have found that it is the best way for me to stay on top of things. Yesterday I posted about working with compound words in Spanish. I am planning on doing this with any of my students that have already been introduced to the present tense.  Most compound words in Spanish involve a verb that is conjugated in the he/she form so a little background in verbs helps.

I created a set of cards to play a few games.  Basically, the first half of the word goes on one card and the other half on another {see below}. I put all the first halves on yellow cardstock and the second halves on orange because I did close to thirty words.  This way they will be easy to sort. Now I can play Memory {It won't be as overwhelming because the cards are on two colors.  They will know to always pick two of each color.}, Go Fish!, and even test my students with the cards by laying out the first halves and letting them put the second halves on top.

Any other great ideas?  How do you teach compound words?

Teaching Compound Words {List and Activities in Spanish}

I love words! I guess as a language teacher I should.  In particular, it is fun to see the real meaning behind words.  This past week I have been setting up a compound words unit for my intermediate and advanced students. My goal is to increase their vocabulary base and get them thinking about how we don't always express ourselves in the same way.  What may be a grasshopper in English becomes a "mountain hopper" in Spanish.

I chose thirty compound words in Spanish and created worksheets like these...

Las Palabras Compuestas A

The worksheets require students to look up the two (or three) parts of the word in Spanish and translate them.  They then take the second page and cut out the picture and put them by the correct word after the bubbles.  By the time they are finished they have gained ten new vocabulary words and have learned five compound words. It is interesting to see how differently things are said in another language. Instead of a scarecrow you have a "scarebird" in Spanish. Instead of a dropper you have a "drop counter".

Here is the list of words I used...

abrelatas

rascacielos

anteojos

matamoscas

picaflor

parasol

lavaplatos

salvavidas

cuentagotas

parabrisas

cumpleaños

sabelotodo

espantapájaros

paraguas

rompecabezas

trabalenguas

tragaluz

cascanueces

calientalibros

lavamanos

saltamontes

ciempiés

guardaespaldas

matasanos

telaraña

sacamuelas

girasol

paracaídas

parachoques

camposanto

If you would like to introduce the concept of compound words to younger kids then read to them
El increíble niño comelibros. While it doesn't have a lot of compound words in the text there is one in the title, Comelibros (book eater). After reading the book you can talk about how many compound words are formed...a verb in the he/she form (present tense) and a noun in the plural form.

Come back tomorrow to see my post on games you can do with compound words.

Teaching Geography in Spanish

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I have several students that are fascinated with maps!  This past spring I used their interest in geography to work with maps and increase their vocabulary in Spanish.  Here are some available resources...

World Foam Map Puzzle-This puzzle is in English, but I use it with younger kids.  As we are putting the puzzle together I name the continents, oceans, colors, and the animals in it in Spanish.  When the puzzle is complete I teach north, south, east, and west.  I also will call out a place in Spanish for them to find.  Once their finger is on that location, I give them a direction.  They move their finger in that direction until I say "Para" (Stop.).  They then have to tell me where they are at in Spanish.  If they don't know the name in Spanish we go over it.

Landforms Unit- This unit can help you teach concepts like mountains, deserts, lakes, etc.

Mi primer Atlas / My First Atlas (Spanish Edition)-This is a great atlas for elementary-aged kids.  All in Spanish! It has physical and political maps of the continents.  I love that you get all the names of the countries in Spanish. There are tidbits of cultural information along with facts on the environment and economics.

Bilingual Puzzle Map of Mexico

North America Map Bilingual Puzzle

Pequeno Mundo: Geografia-Series of books with geographical concepts

Mapping Activity

My Place in the World Activity

Continent Booklet

Compass Rose

Flag Game- Print out the flags of all the Spanish-speaking countries.  When you cut out the flags don't leave the name of the country with it.  You want only the flag.  Put them on cardstock.  You can now play the "slapping game" with a small group of kids.  Lay out the cards.  Call out a country.  The first student to put their hand on the correct flag collects that card. The student with the most cards at the end wins.  When I play with my students I do tell them to be gentle!  Just because we call it the slapping game there should be no slapping of fellow students' hands!

Memory or Go Fish- You could also create these games with the flag cards.  For memory use one card with the flag and the other matching card can be the name of the country in Spanish.  For Go Fish you can create sets of four (four cards with the same flag).  The student has to collect all four to gain the set.