Introduction to Spanish Preschool
At my first school in Chicago, I taught Preschool students twice a week for twenty minutes. At my second school, I taught Preschool once a week for twenty minutes.
The typical topics that are covered throughout the schoolyear are colors, numbers 1-10, how to to say "please", "thank you", "you're welcome", "hello" and "goodbye", intermediate family members, farm animals, opposites, and clothing.
Methods of Teaching
1. TPR
2. Picture slide shows
3. Fill-in-the-blank stories
4. Songs
5. Games
6. Physical objects within/outside the classroom
7. Many books were used throughout the year to supplement some of the lessons.
Songs
At the start of every class, the students sing our "hello" song that follows that tune, "If You're Happy and you Know It".
Hola, mis amigos. Hola.
(clap, clap)
Hola, mis amigos. Hola.
(clap, clap)
Hola, mis amigos.
Hola, mis amigos.
Hola, mis amigos. Hola.
(clap, clap)
At the end of class, we use the same tune and words except replace "hola" with "adiós".
Adiós, mis amigos. Adiós.
(clap, clap)
Adiós, mis amigos. Adiós.
(clap, clap)
Adiós, mis amigos.
Adiós, mis amigos.
Adiós, mis amigos. Adiós.
(clap, clap)
Videos
For numbers.
Colors - this a shorter version of a song that is beloved by all of my students. The actual version of this song will presented after the video below.
"Colores, Colores" - Bacilos
Family - At first I thought the Spanish pronunciation was horrendous in this video. But then how the singer changed from "our" way of saying the Spanish words to the native way of saying them, the students caught on and were able to say the words very well.
Animals - not all animas that were mentioned in this video were covered in the lesson. But this was a fun song to use to introduce the students to Spanish animals sounds - they're different from the sounds we're acustomed to.
Clothing - a great song to show/teach the students about clothing. As they're singing the words they're pointing to the articles clothing that they're wearing or to a friend's article of clothing (if he or she is not presently wearing a specific article of clothing)
Throughout the year, especially towards a holiday or break, I had the students watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in Spanish. This video had the students count from one to ten several times in Spanish and identify other items that we have learned throughout the year.