Storytelling serves as an essential component of the language-learning classroom: every conversation can be reframed as a story. In the younger grades, stories are experiential and narrated within an immersive environment where comprehension is the primary goal. As students progress to older grades, stories are explored sentence by sentence, with greater emphasis on interactive dialogue—questions, answers, and conversation become central to the learning process. Through storytelling, we introduce literacy, combine vocabulary in innovative ways, and weave creativity, humor, and problem-solving throughout the classroom experience.

In PK3 and PK4, our mini-stories focus on my stuffed animal duck, Pato. Tapping into the letter and/or theme of the week in their regular classroom, we create wild adventures about him with frequent hands-on, experiential activities to reinforce vocabulary. From vinegar volcanoes, dyed paper, lightning bugs, a real egg whose fate is to be smashed, maps and treasure hunting, ziplines, and ocean animals, to skiing in the mountains and wandering through the jungle, students truly live the language.

In kindergarten through second grade, our mini-stories expand to semester-long sagas. Each class, we add one or two sentences, focusing on proper pronunciation, inflection, and intonation in the target language. We take our time to absorb vocabulary and stop to add extra details not necessarily mentioned in the text. Students gesture-tell and act out the plot (a combination of ASL and AIM—Accelerative Integrated Method), and somewhere along the way, this shared experience of storytelling brings both students and the curriculum together. We pause for culture projects and center work, but always spiral back to our class story.

In third and fourth grade, we shift to co-creating stories and plays using the TPRS 2.0 methodology (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling 2.0), with the goal of asking and answering questions in complete thought formations. The culmination of this storytelling unit is a 15-page play: every year, fourth graders co-create, memorize, and perform an original play–entirely in Spanish–for the community.

As an aside, it should be noted that vocabulary from other activities appears in storytelling and vice-versa; units frequently overlap and are woven together to make learning more meaningful for students. Whenever possible, gestures are paired with vocabulary to supplement learning, which both keeps students engaged and supports long-term retention.

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Grades K-2: Storytelling (Interactive)

• Combine new and old knowledge of the target language.
• Repeat key phrases and vocabulary and create movements/gestures to match each one.
• Follow and comprehend short stories in the target language.
• Apply words and phrases in everyday conversation (spoken).
• Read lines of mini stories in the target language.

Students experience immersion in the target language and learn about The Adventures of Pato (my stuffed animal duck). Some of these stories are class conversations and wordplays and have ridiculous outcomes! Keep reading for a few examples.

Kindergarten: Pato starts the year off in a more low-key than not fashion, calmly singing a song to learn the names of the colors in Spanish. This quickly turns more exciting when he brings food coloring and coffee filters to the next class, so that kindergarteners can make their own designs. There is a lot of comprehensible input here: “How many drops of blue? Two more of red? Where? Which color over there? No, I don’t have purple, but is there a way we could make it? What happens if we mix blue and red?” etc.

The following class, Pato brings both vinegar/vinagre and water/agua, and students take turns smelling the identical-looking liquids, and commenting on whether they like the smell or not (me gusta/no me gusta). The story/conversation just keeps growing, complete with wordplays (a boy named Kai became the caimán, or alligator, in a mini story, where Pato is out on a boat with pirates looking for treasure when he is suddenly surrounded by alligators and must learn how to fly in order to escape (cue pulley/polea lesson and up/down directionals).

Grade 1: While some lessons evolve into crazy, unanticipated projects that span several classes, other silly stories are intentional class projects, as a means to an end. For example, when Pato wants to visit Spain, the class is divided into small groups and has to build him Popsicle stick boats with paper flags; this becomes a mini unit on floating and sinking objects (flota/se hunde).

Students later take a faux plane ride to Spain, have to go through customs/aduana, take off their shoes, show their pasaportes/passports, etc. When they arrive in Spain, Pato wants to see La Alhambra, the famous red fort, so first graders actually ended up painting huge swaths of cardboard red and building a very cool kid-sized model of the actual fort and gardens. They made tickets to visit and charged euros to enter the large fort. Wow!

Grade 2: A memorable day was when Pato thought fútbol, or soccer, was “food-ball”; this became a class joke and new sport, called, “Comida-ball”, wherein students took turns rolling [raw!] eggs on a soccer type field on the floor of their regular classroom (rompe el huevo). You lost if you cracked the huevo/egg, of course.

Somehow the class ended up building Pato a massive zipline outside and we experimented to see if the raw egg could make it down in one piece (it did, miraculously!). This led to the creation of a papier-mâché hot air balloon. Pato was pretty fixated on modes of transportation that first quarter.

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Grades 2-3: Storytelling (AIM)

Students experience immersion in the target language via the AIM methodology.

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Grades 3-4: Storytelling (TPRS)

Students experienced immersion in the target language via TPRS methodology. We co-created (as teacher and students) a number of mini-stories in the target language. The teaching style of these stories evolved over the year, in that some were pure TPRS, others were more script/play/ acting/theater style, and yet others were more AIM (gestures and repetition, but less of a focus on PQA). The latter seemed more effective for this age, mostly because processing levels (of reading and written translations on the board) varied significantly, based on their L1 reading levels.

**Note that students did not do much, if any, writing during this unit; the focus was on using language in meaningful contexts and encouraging them to apply words and phrases in everyday conversation. Students were exposed to proper spelling and punctuation/reading on the board, of course, but I did not require any written output. That said, I framed the TPRS story more as a class play, so that students had the opportunity to volunteer and read their lines aloud if they so desired.

We also incorporated well-known song classics into the story/play; for example, when an actor had “lost all hope” and was crying, the class would sing, “Ay yie yie yie, canta y no llores” (sing and don’t cry) and hear a short clip of Cielito lindo. They won’t know the name of the song, but they will recognize that line! Freewrites in the target language on a regular basis will be a goal for next year.

Grade 4: Spanish Soccer (Outside)

• Respond instinctually in the target language.
• Gain confidence speaking the target language (~shouting as opposed to speaking).
• Simplify thoughts to communicate a basic message in the target language.

Students learn about the cultural importance of fútbol/soccer in the Spanish-speaking world, and play “Spanish-only” games outside with specific vocabulary they are expected to use.

Somehow, this unit always ends unexpectedly. Last year, the ball was kicked over the fence by accident and lost forever. This year, a student fell into a bush, from which emerged a swarm of very angry bees. Oh my! Ah well, c‘est la vie…

Grades 3-4: Duolingo

NOTE: My school no longer supports the Duolingo app, as it does not comply with COPPA regulations. While students can not use the app in class, they are welcome to use it at home to extend their language study.

• Create and build the habit of studying a language in short spurts, on a regular basis.
• Work independently at his/her own pace.

Students began the year working on the Duolingo app in class for five minutes a day, 3x/week. Partway through the year, this was assigned as homework; fourth graders were expected to be working on Duolingo 3x/week. There was a very wide range here: some students went crazy, earning more than 16,000 XP over the year (rockstars!, some had streaks of 100+ days in a row), while others ended the year with less than 1,000 XP.

The overarching goal was to give those extra-motivated students an outlet to work at their own pace–which they most certainly did–and to gently encourage and build the habit of studying a language a little bit each day. I will structure this differently next year for more accountability on the students’ part (~the homework piece was more a lack of maturity, since some were not even 9 years old at the beginning of the year!).

• NOTE: The commentary above is directed toward fourth graders only. We tried using the app with third graders as well, but it fizzled out–those who were not on grade level for reading in English were discouraged. That said, I had the native speakers choose a different language to study (in lieu of Spanish), which was a good challenge for them.
• The majority of second & third graders preferred the Fun Spanish app, but we did not have the paid version this year (I will look into that for the future) and the free version was very limited.

Grades K-4: Floor Map

**Online Map, All 21 Countries, Imports/Exports, Country Flags**

• Name and locate all 21 Spanish-speaking countries (jumping on a floor map).
• Transfer knowledge to other maps (find countries on globe, paper, poster, etc.).
• Connect country names with class Culture Projects.
• Apply map knowledge in free play.
  • Actual quote: “No, you can’t drive to Puerto Rico- it’s an island! You have to take a boat! ~first grader proceeds to ‘row’ himself in cardboard box across the room.

Students jump on and name Spanish-speaking countries on tape floor map. Many also become familiar with the flags of said countries, more through osmosis than anything else!

• Grades 2-4 completed/mastered all 21 countries.
  • Some classes looked at clothing tags in class (e.g., shirts, shoes) and food labels at home to identify imports/exports from Spanish-speaking countries: bananas from Costa Rica, shirts from Honduras, avocados from Mexico, etc.
• Grade 1 learned all 21 Spanish-speaking countries on the map, and loved trying to better their times with an online timer.
• Kindergarten learned all of South America on the map, and recognizes names of several other countries from projects.
• PK-4 recognizes “Puerto Rico”, “Guatemala”, “Mexico”, and “Colombia” from projects.

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El Mapa.

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Spanish-Speaking Countries: Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico (technically a territory), Spain/España, Equatorial Guinea.

NOTE: The “x”‘s on the map for Spain & Equatorial Guinea indicate that the geographical distance between the latter and all of the other countries is not accurate (~they are across the ocean!).

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Country Flags

LINKS: Bandera de España et al

All images taken from Wikimedia Commons (public domain).

Center work provides students with opportunities to use Spanish in meaningful, hands-on contexts. Through play-based stations, students learn and practice relevant vocabulary and phrases connected to storytelling, culture projects, daily routines, and more. Centers encourage communication, cultural awareness, and confidence in using Spanish for real purposes.

At its core, center work is about student agency. First, students “sign up” for an activity of their choice in Spanish. They do this individually, either by getting in line to talk with the teacher 1:1, or by writing a complete sentence on paper or a whiteboard surface and handing it in for immediate feedback. Activities are scaffolded and their options gradually increase in number as the year progresses and the class’s common pool of vocabulary grows. The overarching idea here is to create an experience around a word—sure, we can memorize that “jugar” [“who-gar”] means “to play”, but wouldn’t it be better to have an actual memory of playing associated with the verb?

After students produce a short sentence in the target language expressing their basic wants and needs and are “approved,” they head off to said station. Because of their age, however, ideas and creativity bubble up continuously while they work; and they request assistance as these thoughts take hold of them. “Maestra, I need the tape!” This is where the magic begins to unfold: it is precisely this dependence and need for help to make their ideas come to life that create myriad teachable moments. For example, if I foresee that students will ask for tape, I might hide it, forcing a linguistic interaction in order to teach, “Where is it?” (¿Dónde está?). The urgency to pursue an idea makes this work; students know that as long as they comply with the “rules” of speaking in Spanish and learning something new, they usually get the material(s) they want.

Some days are quieter, with minimal interaction and a general cloud of ‘absorbing new material’ hanging over the classroom. Many teachers might appreciate the tranquil learning environment here. However, I prefer the fast-paced, boisterous days, where countless ‘mini conversations’ are had and Spanish circulates naturally—when students reference cars as coches even when the teacher is not standing beside them; when they spontaneously ask, “¿Quieres jugar?” (do you want to play?) to a friend; or when they shout, “¡Entrega!” (delivery!) from across the room, holding a plate of plastic food. There is a palpable joy in allowing children to actively integrate what they are learning with activities they love to do. Socrates had a great quote along these lines: “Therefore, you best of men, don’t use force in training the children in the subjects, but rather play. In that way can you better discern toward what each is naturally directed.”

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Grades K-2: Center Work

• Make connections with the written and spoken word in the target language (e.g., phonetics).
• Combine and relate new and old ideas, especially in written work.
• Apply memorized key phrases in meaningful contexts, especially in spoken work.
• Express wants and needs in the target language.

Students “sign up” for a center work activity of their choice. Here, they write a letter (similar to the town simulation written work in grades 2&3), and check in with the teacher for immediate feedback re: the written mechanics, punctuation, spelling, etc. of their work. Feedback is personalized and differentiated to/for each student, dependent on literacy and reading levels.

When the majority of students are comfortable with a grammatical concept or phrase, new information is provided. Partway through the year, students are given the option to write OR speak/voice aloud their requests (hablar/escribir). By the last quarter, students are encouraged to just speak; by that point, their confidence with the language has grown tremendously. Many continue writing their requests and enjoy reading them aloud to the teacher!

Following 5-10 minutes of written work and check-ins, students proceed to said activity and work on asking for items and using key phrases in the target language with their classmates and teacher. Most days, there is constant linguistic interaction between students>students and students>teacher and teacher>students.

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Written Component

• Kindergarten: Students write, “Soy + [their name]”; the name of a Spanish-speaking country (those less literate draw the flag stripes instead); and an activity (jugar/play; dibujar/draw; construir/build). Focus on the letter “j” and that it is pronounced like the letter “h” in English.
• Grade 1: Students write, “Hola, yo me llamo + [their name]; Quiero + [infinitive]; and work on using and pronouncing “y/and” and “con/with” properly and in context. Conversationally, they worked on adding discourse fillers such as pues/well…, and también/also.
• Grades 2 & 3: Students write, “Hola/buenos días”; “Yo me llamo + [their name]”; Quiero + [infinitive]; work on using and pronouncing “y” and “con” properly and in context; Necesito + [one or more nouns]; and something for the closing, like un abrazo/adiós/hasta luego. Second graders learned, “Yo voy a + [noun or country name]”, while other grades used, “Quiero ir a + [nouns or country name]”.

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Verbal Component

Culture projects focus on landmarks, beliefs, customs, traditions, geography, food, art, music, sports, and realia/ artifacts from the target language. These projects naturally morph into center work. Students playfully incorporate their knowledge of Spanish-speaking countries and cultural tidbits into whatever they are doing.

In PK3 and PK4, we introduce a handful of Spanish-speaking countries via said culture projects. Although fewer in number, the projects are meant to be memorable and leave a lasting impression. For example, a highlight of PK4 is when we “travel” to Puerto Rico to explore bioluminescence. After learning about the unique phenomenon, students scribble on their hands with yellow highlighters and then see them glow under a blacklight, which produces an effect very similar to bioluminescence.

In kindergarten through fourth grade, students delve more deeply into culture projects, working to build associations and a feel for each country—tango dancing, dulce de leche, and yerba mate tea become synonymous with Argentina, while flamenco, El Camino de Santiago, and Don Quijote grow to embody Spain. Animals endemic to certain regions as well as different currencies pique the interest of many. We look at product labels and clothing tags to begin noticing imports and exports from Spanish-speaking countries, and have the opportunity to taste many foods, including Mexican hot chocolate, gazpacho, fried insects, flan, and plantain chips. We even play soccer (rather, fútbol) in the target language.

As students advance through grade levels, they ask more pointed questions about culture; these meaningful conversations are woven into the fabric of the curriculum and surface naturally, as opposed to being directly taught on a specific day (e.g., coffee, late lunches and dinners, sobremesa, time differences, tapas, 24-hour clock, calendar days, besos as social greetings, personal space, etc.).

Last but not least, students in kindergarten through fourth grade learn the names and locations of Spanish-speaking countries by jumping on two large Floor Maps. We start with one or two countries the first day, and then just keep adding on, utilizing the idea of spaced repetition for long-term retention. The year ends with mastery of the material via timed “Floor Map” competitions; both speed and accuracy count here. During center work, the floor maps are often referenced (“I’m building my [Lego] house in Mexico” and/or “No! You can’t sit there! You’re in the water/ocean!”). 

No matter the age, classes are immersed in culture from all angles, and begin to develop a love for travel, languages, foreign lands, and new perspectives and ways of seeing and understanding the world.

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Grades K-4: Culture Projects & Songs

• Recognize well-known classic songs in the target language.
• Memorize chorus lines and quote clips of said songs.
• Match English meaning to Spanish lyrics and input into class stories and everyday conversation in meaningful contexts.
• Appreciate the foreign sounds of another language, without necessarily understanding all of the words.

• Locate country on the map and identify as Spanish-speaking.
• Combine and relate new and old ideas (both Spanish>Spanish and Spanish>other disciplines).
• Point to cognates in the target language (e.g., arte, hotel, volcán, tomate, sal, instrumentos).
• Explain, retell, or demonstrate understanding or mastery of new information.
• Create a relevant product pertaining to said Culture Project (both group and/or individual).

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NOTE: Some projects are “School Projects” (e.g., Guatemala- Sawdust Carpets), where everyone in Lower School participates, while others are grade-specific.

Grades 2-3: Town Simulation

• Locate country on the map and identify as Spanish-speaking.
• Combine and relate new and old ideas, especially in written work.
• Create a relevant product or business pertaining to said country.
• Apply memorized key phrases in meaningful contexts.
• Understand that countries use different currencies and that the value of bills with the same number on each one is not necessarily worth the same amount (e.g., 500 pesos does not equal 500 dollars).

Students participate in a town simulation. First, they choose a country as a class in which to “live”. Next, they set up businesses, make transactions with the local currency, do mini-projects relevant to said country, and really try to live the language, utilizing words and short phrases in everyday interactions as much as possible (e.g., mira/look!; necesito ayuda/I need help; necesito eso/I need that; por favor/please; gracias/ thank you; dónde está/where is it?; quiero/I want to…; etc.). Businesses evolve based on student interests. To prepare their minds each class for the task at hand, students compose short letters to the teacher (based on a sample/model) explaining who they are, what they want to do that day, and where they are going, along with the appropriate salutations.

Sample businesses this year included banks, restaurants, art museums, factories, and more. Key verbs included the following, among others: trabajar/to work; ir/to go; construir/to build; dibujar/to draw; etc.

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Grade 4: Theater Unit

• Memorize lines in class play.
• Relate/match Spanish meaning with English; understand what their characters are saying (do not just repeat).
• Choose appropriate body language/dramatization and expression for lines.
• Apply lines from play in different contexts and situations.

Fourth grade students rehearse and present a play in the target language. More info coming soon. Click link(s) below to read more.

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Plays

• THE PATO SHOW
• THE SPANISH PLAY (2020-21): The Fruit Gang
• THE SPANISH PLAY (2021-22): In Theaters Now!
• THE SPANISH PLAY (2022-23): The Dancing Pineapple
• THE SPANISH PLAY (2023-24): The Case (Que-so?) of the Missing Golden Taco.

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Casting

LINKS: RedKid.net, @Cinesa, Términos de terminología cinematográfica, Las plataformas, Se acabó la espera: ¡Hoy se estrena…!, cartel del teatro- ideas, theater program template- ideas

Grade 4: World Languages & Accents

• Identify different accents of the Spanish-speaking world (esp. Spain vs. Argentina vs. Mexico).
• Mimic/copy different accents of the Spanish-speaking world.
• Determine what language is being spoken in online game (“ear training”).

• Part 1: Translation & Interpretation
  • Students learn about different careers and how some words and concepts are un-translatable.
    • Translation & Interpretation
    • Translations Gone Wrong
    • Syntax & The Un-Translatable
• Part 2: Different Spanish Accents & Gibberish
  • Fourth graders watch videos, discuss, and begin fine-tuning their ear training. They were very interested in this subject.
• Part 3: Ear Training
  • We played these language games a fair amount. They are great fun!
    • LanguageSquad
    • LingYourLanguage
    • Wordles in 64 Languages
      • Spanish Wordle
      • Wordle- Accents
      • Wordle- Scientific
• Part 4: More Info
  • Most articles on THIS PAGE are relevant.