Spanish at GICS

Be sure to read our Monthly Highlights following the Curriculum Overview!

Curriculum Overview

Pre-Kindergarten

     The Pre-kindergarten students receive an exposure to the Spanish language and culture.  Each student is given a Spanish name.  They begin to learn Spanish just the same way they learned their first language, by hearing sounds over and over, by repeating these sounds when they are comfortable, and finally by attaching meanings to the sounds.

     The students are exposed to greetings, family, numbers to 10+, colors, body parts, animals, weather, food, fruits, vegetables, and so much more!  We sing many songs, recite poems, play games, and do fun activities with basic conversation and vocabulary.

Kindergarten

     The Kindergarten students are introduced to greetings, family, numbers to 20+, colors, shapes, body parts, animals, weather, seasons, months, days, date, foods, likes and dislikes, holidays, and so much more!  Students learn the alphabet, one letter at a time with a word, song or activity to go with each letter, and will bring home the letter papers.  If saved, the papers will make a complete alphabet-coloring book!  We sing many songs, hear stories, recite poems, finger plays, and nursery rhymes, play games, and do fun activities with basic conversation and vocabulary.

1^st Grade

     In First Grade, areas of vocabulary and basic conversational phrases previously presented are reviewed and expanded.  We also introduce vocabulary for clothes, transportation, sports, and health.  Students do activities, songs, games, and pictures with vocabulary of family, weather, days, body, animals, colors, food, house – rooms and parts, school items, table setting, and lots more!

     We learn about some customs and holidays of some Spanish-speaking countries and compare them to our own.  They learn an appreciation of language, people, and the cultural similarities and differences of Mexico, Spain and other countries, including their own, through books, discussions, and visitors.  We make alphabet “libros pequeños” (little books) and learn a word for each letter.  We begin our first Spanish notebook, which we use for many activities during the year and bring home at the end of the year.

2^nd Grade

     The second-grade students review and expand vocabulary and conversation previously presented.  They do fun activities with the alphabet, numbers, clothes, body parts, transportation and lots more!  Students recite the days, months, date, seasons, and numbers, and learn to describe their homes and some furniture, using colors, both masculine and feminine, and other adjectives.  To reinforce learning and communicating, we use visuals, songs, games, realia, poems, and stories.  Students begin to “see” the written Spanish words, but they are not emphasized.  They learn an appreciation of language, people, and the cultural similarities and differences of Mexico, Spain and other countries, including their own, through books, discussions, and visitors.

3^rd Grade

     Third grade students continue to learn, review, and expand areas previously presented.  Students are introduced to time on the hour, professions, sports, shops and stores, health and body. They build a sight vocabulary and begin to write the words and phrases that they have learned orally, read and write short “stories”, make “libros pequeños” (small books), and create picture/poster projects on areas of vocabulary.

     Students also learn more about the customs and culture of Mexico and Spain, make a book, and create a Christmas bulletin board.  They learn an appreciation of language, people, and the cultural similarities and differences of Mexico, Spain and other countries, including their own, through books, discussions, and visitors.

4^th Grade

     In the fourth grade Spanish classes, we expand greatly on vocabulary. Students begin to learn Spanish grammar, such as definite and indefinite articles, subject pronouns, adjectives and agreement, regular “ar” verbs and much more using the textbook, Spanish is Fun. Book A.  (Amsco School Publications, Inc.)  We focus on the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing Spanish. We will continue to explore Spanish speaking countries of the world, learning to appreciate their cultural differences and similarities.

5^th Grade

     In the fifth grade we continue to expand all areas of vocabulary and culture. We continue to use the textbook, Spanish is Fun, Book A (Amsco School Publications, Inc.), and learn more vocabulary, regular and irregular verbs, and more grammar. We become more familiar with the Spanish speaking world through maps, books, and class discussions. Students will also present a report on a Spanish speaking country of the world.

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  Spanish Highlights

   May & June 2008

Pre-K:  In May we will begin a unit on “helado”, “ice cream”, which will include new adjectives. We will do lots of fun games and activities to help reinforce the new vocabulary.
We still have Tobillo visiting our class and joining us when we sing. We continue to review our past vocabulary and counting 1-20. The students will participate in a Cinco de Mayo celebration to become aware of a special event in Mexican culture.
 

Kindergarten:  In May we are working on Dr. Seuss’ Un Pez, Dos Peces, Pez Rojo, Pez Azul, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. We will begin a new unit on the months of the year and the days of the week.  There will be songs and fun activities to accompany the new vocabulary.  We will also add new vocabulary to our list of “opuestos, “opposites”. We continue to review past vocabulary, practice the alphabet and count 1-30 and we still have “Tobillo”, the elephant, joining us in class. The students will be participating in a Cinco de Mayo celebration to become aware of an important event of Mexican culture.
 

1^st Grade:  In May we will finish our unit on “primavera”, “spring”, and begin a unit on “verano”, “summer”.  We will do alot of fun activities to reinforce the new vocabulary. We will also begin a unit on the months of the year.  They will be learning a song “Dientes Como la Serpiente”, “teeth Like a Snake”. We continue to review past vocabulary, practice the alphabet and our pronunciation and counting 1-30 and by 10’s. The students will be participating in a Cinco de Mayo celebration to become aware of an important event in Mexican history.
 

2^nd Grade:  In May we will begin a new unit on “la comida”, “the food”. We will also be adding to our existing list of “opuestos”, “opposites”.  We will do a lot of fun activities to reinforce our new vocabulary. We will be learning a song “Rataplan” and we continue to review past vocabulary, practice counting and reading, spelling, pronunciation and comprehension.  The students will be participating in a Cinco de Mayo celebration to become aware of an important event in Mexican history.
 

3^rd Grade:  In May we are finishing our “tengo”, “I am hungry, I am thirsty…” vocabulary. We will begin a unit on “la ropa”, “the clothes”.  We will do lots of fun activities and learn a song to reinforce our vocabulary. We will also learn a song “Muevete”, “Move Your Body”.  We continue to review past vocabulary, practice reading, spelling, pronunciation and comprehension.  The students will be participating in a Cinco de Mayo celebration to become aware of an important event in Mexican history.
 

4^th Grade:  In May we will begin to conjugate the verb “ser”, “to be” and learn the different uses of “estar” and “ser”.  We will do a lot of fun activities to reinforce learning. We continue to work on descriptive words and their correct use. Our new vocabulary unit is “las profesiones”, “the professions” and we will do a lot of activities to enrich the unit. We continue to work on “las preguntas”, “the questions”, past vocabulary, spelling, pronunciation, reading, and comprehension. The students will participate in a Cinco de Mayo celebration to become aware of an important event in Mexican history.
 

5^th Grade:  In May we will take a field trip to a Mexican restaurant and use our Spanish vocabulary.  We will begin to conjugate “ar” verbs and will do many activities to reinforce this segment. We will continue “Que hora es?”, “What time is it?”. We will do more work with descriptive words and their proper use.  We continue to review past vocabulary and practice reading, pronunciation, comprehension and spelling. We will have “un amigo secreto,” “a secret friend” with the fourth grade.  The students will participate in a Cinco de Mayo celebration to become aware of an important event in Mexican history.

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