This year will be the best 
for students at M. E. Lewis 
Elementary.
Our Motto: 
Yo creo que puedo 
aprender
Yo puedo aprender
Yo aprendere.
DE REGRESO A CLASES!!!
M. E. LEWIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOLSPANISH COURSE OUTLINE
Instructor: Senor Fabio Clavijo
M. Clavijo’s website” http://fabioclavijo.educatorpages.com As a teacher I believe that students learn best when…
- Spanish instruction is consistently conducted in the target language with a minimal use of the native language.
- Learners are active constructors of meaning.
- Learning occurs in meaningful, communicative contexts that carry significance to the student.
- Learning is organized in terms of concrete experiences.
- Comprehension in emphasized.
- Reading and writing are used as communicative tools.
- Assessment of learning is frequent.
- Culture is learned through experiences.
- Planning is organized around a thematic unit.
- Curriculum and instruction are organized according to a communicative syllabus.
- Activities are geared to the young learner’s interests and development levels.
- The Spanish language reinforces the elementary curriculum.
PLEASE KEEP THIS PART FOR REFERENCE. CUT AND RETUN THE BOTTOM PART.
a. GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The course is to provide the students with the basic Spanish structures, as well as the necessary vocabulary required to communicate in Spanish. Children are capable of learning a foreign language
.b. COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course will address the needs of those students new to the language. The grammar exercises and directed conversations are designed to allow the student to progress rapidly and master the most basic Spanish expressions and constructions.
-
MATERIALS:
- Cuaderno (notebook) Grades 3-5. Folder (grades 1-2).
- Journal: This is required for students in grades 3-5. Here students write a brief summary of what they learned during class.
- Graded papers will not be returned.
- Projects: Students in 3rd grade:1. Students in 4th grade:2. Students in fifth grade: 3. PROJECTS WORTH TWO GRADES.
3. EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
a. Honor Roll: To get your name in the Honor Roll the student must have A (95-100%). In order to keep this average the student should do all class work and homework, keep an accurate notebook, and to participate in all the classroom activities. Furthermore, the student is expected to show outstanding behavior and citizenship.
b. Each week I contact in writing parents of students that are succeeding or failing.
c. CHESS CLUB.
4, RULES!!! REGLAS!!!
1. Stay in your seat or work area.
2. Listen to the person speaking and follow directions.
3. Arrive on time with all necessary materials.
4. Speak when recognized or when in work groups.
5. Hands, feet, and objects-Keep to yourself!
5. CONSEQUENCES:
1. Warning
2. “See me.”
3. Call home
4. Go to the office
As a parent/guardian, I will:
- Show respect and support for my child and the teacher.
- Support the discipline policy: behaving in class, staying in his/her seat, etc.
- Supervise the completion of homework.
As a student, I will:
- Always try to do my best work.
- Be kind and helpful to my classmates.
- Show respect for myself, my school, teacher, and classmates.
- Obey classroom rules.
- Show respect for property of others.
- Come with my supplies.
Now, hand in hand, we will work together.
_______________CUT AND RETURN TO TEACHER FOR CREDIT____________
___ Yes. I have read this document.
Parent signature/date ___________ Student’s name _________________
Grade: _________ Teacher _____________ e-mail address: ________________
BE SURE THAT YOUR SON/DAUGHTER RETURNS THIS OUTLINE
This is the progress report I will be sending to Parents:
Spanish
Student:
Date:
Excellent(E) Average (A) Poor (P)
|
Interacts with children. |
|||
| Interacts with adults. | |||
| Demonstrates self-control. | |||
| Follow classroom rulers. | |||
| Participation. | |||
| Demonstrates effort. | |||
| Follows directions. | |||
| Turns in homework. | |||
| Stays on task. | |||
| Is responsible for materials. | |||
| Works independently. | |||
| Behavior in class. | |||
| Academic average |
MY TIPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD LEARN SPANISH!!!
We, as parents know that learning a foreign language connects children directly to the rest of the world. Children are picking up a language as they would a toy: it's right there and it looks fun. It's part of life in twenty-first century America.
Language lessons, like other subjects, can be even more successful with a little encouragement at home. Even parents who are particularly enthusiastic about their kids' studying a second language can be reluctant to get involved. Here are five reasons parents often give:
- It's better if you do it yourself.
- You won't really learn it if I help you.
- I don't understand it.
- I'm too busy.
- I'm too tired.
And there is absolutely no reason why any parent should have to conjugate Spanish verbs or pound out a paragraph (while the child stands by watching TV over the top of the parent's head. For while it is true that the child will learn something by this exercise, it won't be a second language).
On the other hand, parents can do a lot to grease the wheels of learning another language.
- Join your child. If it is a language you have always liked, wanted to learn, or talked your child into learning, support and praise your child. Studying together helps the parent as well as the child.
- Just dabble. "Oh, Spanish! I've always wanted to learn that. How do you say, 'Good morning'"? Talk about the class at dinner or when walking the dog together. "Let's see how long we can talk in Spanish." Yes, good teaching can involve a bit of trickery!
- Go to a restaurant specializing in the cuisine of the country whose language your child is studying, and invite a couple of his or her classmates along. Encourage the waiter to urge them to try out their new language, but remember that they might feel shy with you listening. So seat the students at another table and let them rise to the challenge.
- Invest in the foreign language magazines and comic books and leave a couple of copies in the bathroom, bedside table, and family room.
- Ask your child to get his second language book and read to you while you fix dinner or do chores. If you don't understand a word of what you're hearing, that's fine. Ask your junior translator what he or she just read.
- Borrow the Richard Scarry books (in the appropriate language) from the library and play the Kim Game. Look at a page of identified objects for five minutes. Now close the book. How many can your child remember in both languages?
- Don't just watch cultural events of people who speak the language your child is studying--attend them! Talk to people, try things, volunteer, get involved.
- Why did you get an Internet connection if you aren't interested in the world? See what places far from home have to offer.
- Praise progress. Super grades, good ones, decent ones, and daily triumphs in second language learning should get just as many cheers as athletic or artistic ones. If you are interested in the results every day, not just at the end of the term, your children will be too.
A final note: Can you go too far with a foreign language and multicultural program? Not really, but you can go in the wrong direction or in the right direction too quickly. If your school is introducing a foreign language, don't start a program at home without coordinating it with the school's program. Avoid using adult-level tapes, which can overwhelm a child. Don't insist on an hour of practice every single night when twenty minutes a day may sufficient for younger students. Consulting your child's teacher for suggestions is the best plan if you want to do more than the usual homework. In addition, school libraries and school language programs often have stacks of material that they are willing to loan to keen students and enthusiastic parents.
How far your family wants to go into the wide world is entirely up to you. For the next few years anyway, the sky is the limit.