Hello!!

First week of school is always very busy.  And it’s a great time for every teacher to start testing some new materials and procedures. It's always trial and error, since something that worked for one group on last year, can be totally ineffective for a later class.

Our district is following a lot of the recommendations found in the book Teach like a Champion by Doug Lemov. It’s full of methods for more effective teaching and classroom management.
 
They have a section called S.L.A.N.T.
Sit up
Listen
Ask and Answer Questions
Nod your head
Track the Speaker

It varies slightly for Kindergarten, but I came up with a way to apply it to my Spanish speakers and Spanish learners.  So here are the posters in English and Math.

They can be printed in color and then glued onto construction paper, or use them to make bigger posters with a poster maker machine.  Posters are available for free at TPT.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/SLANT-poster-EnglishSpanish-848096

Have a great beginning!!!

Free Practice Books Mini libritos foneticos de vocales!!

Hello!!

Just one more week for school to start for students, so I am already preparing some activities for my kindergarteners. I have some mini books for them to practice phonics in Spanish. Mini libritos foneticos de vocales, I use this practice a few minutes each day to make students acquaintance with letter sound and print representation. It really helped me last year with my class.

The books are available for free at Teachers Pay Teachers.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Mini-libritos-foneticos-vocales-832289

You can see the different drawings and say the word in Spanish, then isolate each sound and ask students if they know how to write that particular letter.  Works great with a document camera or if you don't have one you can show the drawing to your class and write the letter on the board.

Have fun!!

Cristela

English Alphabet video.

I use this video from KidsTV123 for my students to learn the names of the letters, usually play it after our routines so they calm down a little ;-)

Spanish Alphabet Video/Video del abecedario en español:

I love, love to show this video to my students every morning for the Spanish alphabet.  They love the rhythm and learn it really fast.  Be sure to download it first in case you have a slow connection or when the server is down.

Laundry soap!!
This posts is about washing.....

I was going through a small pile of clothes that need fixing, ex: loose buttons, sew and paint spots (from projects at school).  So I washed the spots in hopes the machine will take care of the problem. The spots fade, but were still there, and as usual you got blue spots on a white shirt and white spots on a blue shirt (Frustrating it can't be the other way around).

I am reluctant to use those chemical laden products to lift tough stains; and the idea of sending the shirts to the cleaner so they can use other chemicals on my clothing didn't appeal to me. So, I remember this trick from my mom.. laundry soap.  It really works and you hardly need to do anything.

The soap that I use is called ZOTE, I found it a the 99 cents store, it can also be found at Walmart and Fiesta. This will also work for chocolate stains, baby food, avocado, etc.  If you have a top load washing machine, just fill it with warm water and rub the soap on some wet clothes (until water turns whitish), or you can do it like I used to and just drop it there. Leave it for at least 4 hours, retrieve that soap if it's there, add your usual detergent and start a normal cycle.

If your machine is front load, you will need a recipient to hold enough water to partially cover the clothes. Fill it with warm water and rub the soap onto wet clothes, let them soak for at least 4 hours and then carry you recipient to the washing machine and transfer the clothes for a normal wash.

Other alternative is to use the bits and pieces of leftover bath soap that you can keep in a jar under the sink for this purpose.  My mom used to do this as well ;-)

Hope this works for you.

Cristela

I was on training on Monday, and was told of this great website that everyone can use to communicate with parents or students. It is delivered in text message format but your phone is never displayed or use if you access via web. After you sign up and set your account they give you a code for parents to sign up from their phones, all these without asking them for their number.

www.remind101.com/

This will really help me to send parents reminders of due dates for projects, school activities and days off.

And is free.

Enjoy!

Hello! My name is Cristela Nash and I'm just setting up a blog to talk about teaching tools in English and Spanish.  I am a Kindergarten teacher and this 2013-2014 school year my classroom will be using Dual Language Two Ways, with 12 English speaking students and 12 Spanish language natives. As the school year progresses I will post free tests and resources that I create, found or discover from all over.

Hope this can help more teachers and at the same time someone else can share their experiences with me.

Thanks a lot.
Cristela