For more information and links to some current research on the benefits of learning a second language, check out this article summarizing some of the key research on this topic: 15 Reasons for Kids to Learn a Foreign Language.
What are the benefits of learning another language? Most people think of practical reasons, like the fact that Spanish is the second most common native language in the world (and in the United States), or that knowing another language may help you when you travel or look for a job. While these are all true, the language-learning process is a great workout for many parts of the brain, which leads to many other benefits, from improved executive functioning and analytical thinking to increased empathy and creativity. When we use our brain for one activity (like learning another language), the parts we use become stronger in general, which help them perform better with other tasks that use that same area. For this reason, students who learn a second (or third!) language show improvement in other academic subjects like reading and math as well as a variety of other skills. In fact, studies of bilinguals show that they may delay the onset of diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia for an average five years, giving bilinguals a longer expected lifespan than their monolingual peers! Read more about these studies here and here.
For more information and links to some current research on the benefits of learning a second language, check out this article summarizing some of the key research on this topic: 15 Reasons for Kids to Learn a Foreign Language.
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Third grade students are currently working on one of their largest units for the year: the community. Student goals for this unit include: *I can name 3-5 community places. *I can locate community places on a map. *I can describe community places. *I can name 3-5 community members. *I can match community members to their places of employment *I can describe the uniforms of various community members (connects to a previous unit on clothing) *I can name 2-4 geographical features *I can give and follow directions using the cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) As part of this unit, students are designing their own cities, including geographical features and different buildings, all labeled in Spanish. In addition to creating the maps, students are using them for a number of different activities to practice speaking with each other in Spanish. These include a simple guessing game to guess a student's "lugar secreto" (secret place) based on a description of location, size, and color; giving directions to a destination using the cardinal directions (norte, sur, este, oeste), and sharing and commenting on sites of interest on their maps. Using an authentic video guide for Puerto Morelos, Mexico as a model, students will also be creating their own advertisement for their city explaining the different points of interest and recreational opportunities. Many different language skills will be put to work in our culminating map activity, in which students take turns as tourists and travel guides in their cities. As travel guides, students will gather information about their visitors, including their name, profession, and city of residence before presenting the different places of interest in their city. As tourists, students have to answer each of the guides questions and also choose an activity or destination within the city, as well ask ask for directions to help them get there. If you are interested in practicing this vocabulary more with your student, ask them to give you directions from one place to another using the phrase "¿Dónde está ___?". You can also ask them to tell you about the different activities you can do in their city, and where you can do them. Here are some questions in Spanish to help you start the conversation: ¿Dónde está ____? - Where is _____? ¿Qué color es? - What color is it? ¿Qué tamaño es? - What size is it? ¿Qué forma tiene? - What shape is it? ¿Dónde trabaja ___? - Where does ___ work? For the full vocabulary list for this unit, please refer to the 3rd grade curriculum document located on the Curriculum Guides page. The vocabulary for community members, community places, and geographical features can be found on pages 4-5 of this document.
Maps and travel guides will be on display in the 3rd grade hallway after we finish our unit in early May, so be sure to stop by to take a look! Buenos días a todos! I have an exciting announcement: as of this morning, all Runkle students can login to Rockalingua to view videos, listen to songs, and play games to help them practice Spanish vocabulary at home in a fun way! Rockalingua songs are always among the class favorites, and our new student account lets any student access them as well as lots of other great content on the site, such as games and picture dictionaries. If you or your student want a fun, easy way to practice basic Spanish phrases across a range of topics (many of which align nicely with our curriculum - see the Curriculum Guides page to check), this is an awesome resource.
To login, follow these steps:
This is a great resource, so I hope you will enjoy using it to learn and practice vocabulary in a fun way! The fall harvest is here, which means our farmer friend Pedro has set up his market stand to sell the different foods and products he can make from the plants and animals on his farm! Pedro and his farm are used throughout the year in the K-2 Spanish classes. With Pedro as our guide, students learn to name and describe a variety of animals, fruits and vegetables, and also see how the landscape and crops change from season to season. In addition to practicing Spanish vocabulary, students also get to explore where the foods they eat come from, when and where they grow, and share their preferences with their peers. Second grade students also got to set up their own farm stands to practice having polite conversations to buy ingredients to make their own lunch. If you are interested in practicing some of this vocabulary with your child, you can find the full list of vocabulary and goals on the Curriculum Guides page listed in the menu to the left. In addition to naming foods, animals, and vegetables, you can talk to your child about the size and color of the items. If you bring your child along to a farmer's market, we would love to have your student share a picture or talk about the things they saw during Spanish class time!
Our third graders have finished their calaveras -just in time for el Día de los Muertos last week! Unlike the skeletons used in Halloween decorations, these skeletons playful, colorful and often comical. Skeletons will be on their way home soon, but in the meantime, here is a preview! You can also view the calaveras in person in the 3rd grade hallway. If you would like to practice some of our class vocabulary with your student, you can ask them to tell you about the colors, clothing, and accessories or activities they included. We hope you enjoy seeing them as much as we did making them! |
AuthorProfe Paun has taught K-4 Spanish at Runkle since 2013. She started her teaching career in Philadelphia, then moved to Medellin, Colombia, where she taught English to adults and students in grades K-8, and worked for the Secretary of Education to provide training for language teachers. She loves to travel, and has spent time in 9 countries of Central and South America. Archives
March 2020
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