Differentiation

Crucial!!

I am always thinking of how I am going to reach each individual learner in my classroom. No lesson is ever perfect. That is why it's important to be a reflective teacher. Know your students. Constantly be assessing where they are at and what they are taking away from each lesson. With that being said, there is always a way to reach students even better than before! How to do this? Being critical about exactly how you can differentiate each lesson based on the needs of each individual student. Every students has preferences and modes of learning that is most beneficial to them. The art to teaching is figuring that out and implementing it in the classroom.

With that being said I have been thinking about how I can reach out to my Spanish speaking students. I want the lesson to be relatable and fun for them as well. I have to be creative as to how I can integrate Spanish into their lessons and even combine it with other modalities such as the arts.


Using music and singing to encourage the use of spanish in the classroom is a fun way to involve students in the language (http://singnspeak.com/). Not only does it incorporate music into the classroom but it also allows for differentiation and offers an alternative way to help kids remember some of the language. 

A poetry unit could use some exploration of poems in Spanish! With my first graders we were beginning a unit on poetry. To implement the immersion of poetry in our reading workshop I decided to do centers. One of our centers was filled with poetry books and poetry handouts revolving around the Spanish theme. Some poems were about the Spanish culture, some were in Spanish, and some had the English translation along with it. My kids had a blast reading these poems with one another!

Offering multiple perspectives of learning


By exploring the spanish language in the classroom we are exposing children to cultures that are different than there own. It's important for our children to be able to see from the perspectives of others. Learning from a classmate can be one of the most powerful experiences for a young child. This can help them to form ideas and learn to live and work harmoniously with one another. 


More importantly, it is likely the typical classroom contains spanish speaking students. By making an effort to integrate their native language into the classroom we are validating their culture. At the same time we are activating prior knowledge and conveying a message that we value their background. This can foster a collaborative learning environment (Language Journeys, 2010). This is one way to set a tone for a classroom that appreciates and honors one another's backgrounds. Not only valuing diverse cultures but also learning and being one who inquires more about others different than ourselves. 


In my own classroom I recently taught a lesson on the different ways to welcome someone or say hello. Now each morning as my students and I greet one another we try out different greetings. Incorporating other languages has got my first graders interested in the many different ways that people communicate. Instead of something seeming so different and even strange, they now find it interesting and fun!

Is bringing another language into the classroom beneficial?

Incorporating multiple languages in the classroom is beneficial to both English language speakers and English language learners. There are multiple ways to bring spanish into the classroom that can be fun for all students. Dayamport gives examples and resources on interactive games that promotes the use of Spanish amongst learners. She explains that being immersed in this type of bilingual learning is applicable to all levels of learners (Language Journeys, 2010). How so?

• Students learn from one another, they learn about people different than themselves
• We teach them that we value their backgrounds and diverse communities, cultures, and languages
• Students are able to apply their language skills to further their thinking

A simple way to incorporate spanish in the classroom is to make it visible. Teachers can begin by labeling supplies and materials in their classroom.