Spanish Lessons!

My hard work has paid off!

We have started a Spanish Club. 2 moms from our new homeschool group are coming over weekly to enjoy a few hours of my beautiful Spanish language. We have planned activities for the kids and are trying really hard to only speak Spanish while they are here. Today we had a great day! With the beginners we played a matching game, we read a book, and we ate tostones. When the more advanced students arrived we played Monopoly, Dibujonario (my Spanish version of Pictionary), read some pictures books, and Oldest Peep gave us an oral presentation on a book she read. The assignment was to pick a picture book in Spanish and then tell us about it; the story line, what she liked about it, etc.

This is the book she read.

Empanadas que hacia Abuela

Here is her report (just as she wrote it).

• La familia de abuela vienen para una fiesta. La abuela hace empanadas para la fiesta. Ella pone calabaza en la empanadas. Los ninos llevan la calabaza a la casa. La calabaza en vuele la masa. El rodillo extiende la masa. Los nietos empujan el rodillo. El abuelo viene a la fiesta, y los primos da muchos abrazos. El perro de abuelo sige el todos partes. Son empujan el rodillo. Los primos arrive a la fiesta. Son persigen el perro! Los primos da abrazos a la abuelo. Ahora todos familia vienen a la casa de abuela. It is time para la fiesta! Abuela alimenta la familia. La familia loved la empanadas. La familia quiren leche. So abuela sirve la leche para la familia. La familia content est. Finally la fiesta was over. Abuela suena con las caras content. Este libro es bueno. Yo quiero que mi abuela hace empanadas todo dias.

English words Latin words

I was very impressed. I handed her the book, told her the assignment and then left it to her to do completely on her own. Afterwards I asked how she felt having done a great job? She said she was proud of herself. Once she started writing she said the words just came to her and she was able to do most of it without having to look things up. WOW!!!! Thank you SO YOU REALLY WANT TO LEARN SPANISH!!!!! Mr. Oulton (publisher) and Mr. Bolger (author) you are my heros!!!!

Spanish Part 2

So now your child has all this vocabulary (where I am with oldest peep) but is not really speaking Spanish. What do you do? You get So You Really Want to Learn Spanish because you really do want to learn.

I have written often about this program many times on the WTM boards and on the Galore Park yahoo group. I can not say it enough. This program will get your child reading, writing, speaking, and thinking in Spanish. All you have to do is use it, study it, learn it. I will be the first to admit I need to have my peeps speaking it more, but they can translate most of what they hear me say to them. They can understand most simple books I read to them. I just really really need to make them answer me in Spanish. Funny enough, I know many in my generation whose parents speak Spanish but they do not. They understand completely but will answer completely in English. I am creating this!!! AHHHH!!!

Back to SYRWTLS......it has exercises to translate sentences from English to Spanish from Spanish to English. They have short passages that tell about the culture in Spain. For example, they have a diary of sorts about a young boy's day. Your student reads it and then the is asked questions to see if they comprehend the passage. I read the passage to them. I let them read it aloud and to themselves. I copy it and let them mark the words they do not know. I ask them to translate orally and then I ask them to write out the translation. Then I read it to them again and ask them to just listen to it in Spanish and try to understand in Spanish. This is just one of the many exercises. Enough to say I love it.

Now my cautions. I speak Spanish fluently so I find it easy to use. I don't know how this would relate if I did not speak Spanish. I do know that French Prep and Latin Prep are books that I am easily using without really knowing the language. I do not own the audio cd's. I have read and heard from others that the cds are not that helpful. I am sorry for that as I will soon order the French one just because there are a lot of words I know I am pronouncing wrong. Also, it is Spain Spanish not South American Spanish. I know the differences and can easily add them in when necessary. There really are not many and anyone you speak to will know the differences. Most importantly I would not begin this with anyone younger than 10 and only if they have a large Spanish vocabulary. If they are younger I am finding some other things helpful.

I would find a Spanish Immersion class for the year, rent favorite videos and watch them in Spanish, tape Plaza Sesamo, read Dr. Seuss in Spanish (that is challenging even for me) and just immerse yourselves. If you have Dish Network or access to United Streaming, I highly recommend Elementary Spanish. I dismissed this program when I first reviewed it. Baby Peep is using it and enjoying it tremendously. I may start Middle Peep on it soon. If you can use this, I recommend you watch it with your peeps and help them practice throughout the day.

Another program that we are enjoying a lot if Fun Spanish. If you look farther down the blog you will see Middle Peep has started this also. It is funny and is allowing my not so language crazy peeps to have fun and still learn. It is written by a fellow homeschool mom who has some wonderful ideas and products available at her site so go check her out.

It is not an easy task to learn a language. It is not something to be undertaken by the faint of heart. It is immensely rewarding and satisfying. Just think of the part of the world that will open to you because of your new acquired language.

Spanish

I have been asked several times how I teach Spanish to my kids. I will write this upfront...I wish I had done better when they were younger. Learn from my mistakes. If you are fluent, I beg you to please talk to them in Spanish as much as you can. Make the effort. Tell yourself for this hour I will only speak spanish to them. The younger the better of course, but really any age will benefit.

If you are like me and have missed out on those formidable years, do not fret. There is hope. But it will cost you!

First, label the house. Everything you can. Like everything else this is a stage of your life that will pass. Like not buying diapers anymore, the day will come when you can take them down. For now bear with them. But don't just put them up. Use them! Make the kids ask for leche, taza, cuchillo, agua, pan, plato. Make them say gracias, por favor, de nada. When you need to go say Vamonos, Apurate/Apurense, sientate/sientense.

Flashcards like these may help yo with this task.

What they use, sticks. Bottom line.

Go to the library and get books in Spanish.

Clifford, Froggy, Franklin and other popular kids books can be found in most libraries now.

If you are lucky, Scholastic has a warehouse sale near you. Take advantage. They usually have the Spanish books in the $1 section. Get other tales in Spanish. I once found this book in Spanish with a lot of action verbs. The first day I read it I translated the whole thing as I went along. The second day I translated less and made them act out some of the verbs. The third day even less and more acting. The fourth day totally in Spanish and they had to act every verb with no prompting from me. The fifth day they acted the whole book for dad while I read. They loved it. Whenever we encounter those verbs you bet they remember what they mean.
Have some kind of scavenger hunt. Say a word in Spanish and they have to work together to find the item....zapato, libro, abrigo, etc.


I like this book and this one for word ideas. This site has some great booklets you can print out to help with the reading.

These are fun as well as the others on that page. I have not used them all but some and they are fun for the crafty or easily bored child.

This one is cool and this one.

This is a workbook that worked well when oldest peep was 8 or 9. Here is another version of the same book. Looking for that one I came across this one. I have not used it, but their reviews look good. Check your library for it first.


This is a set of three books the peeps have enjoyed a lot.

Say Hola to Spanish, Say Hola Otra Vez, Say Hola to Spanish at the Circus.


Basically whatever you do, have a plan, stick to it, and most importantly get your kids repeating after you. This is the most important.

More to come........