Learning Spanish
Together
A handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
Written and prepared by Megan Howie
Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Contents
Page
Introduction to the handbook
Getting started in Spanish
Pronunciation guide
Practising greetings: Te Whariki links
Try it today! Practising Greetings
Mix and Mingle
Balloon Salutations
Who is that?
Secret Names
¿Dónde está? Peek-a-boo game
Practising Numbers: Te Whariki links
Try it today! Practising Numbers and Counting
Surprise Numbers
I spy
Texture Numbers
Number Photography
Coin Rubbings
Number Run
Practising Colours: Te Whariki links
Try it today! Practising Colours
Colour Run
Colour Treasure Hunt
Colour Sort
Colour Circle
Colour Peek-a-boo
Colour Swap
Colour Jump
Practising Opposites: Te Whariki links
Try it today! Big and Small
Try it today! Up and Down
Try it today! Fast and Slow
Try it today! Yes or No/ Sí o No
Glossary
Printable resources
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Introduction to the handbook
Who is this handbook for?
This handbook has been prepared for Early Childhood educators who are interested
in assisting young people make connections with foreign languages and cultures,
with a particular focus on Spanish. It is for Early Childhood educators to read and use
as often as they can to further enrich their Early Childhood Education programme.
The learning engagements outlined in this handbook are intended for educators
who do not speak Spanish fluently. It is for those who wish to engage children further
in cultural and linguistic learning and encourage them to have fun with Spanish.
These short and simple engagements have been successfully tried and tested to
stimulate young children, ensuring their interests, capabilities and enjoyment are at
the centre.
What is Chiquimundo?
Chiquimundo is a unique New Zealand owned and based Spanish Language
School. Megan Howie is the founder, director and lead teacher. She is a qualified
New Zealand Primary School teacher with lots of experience with children of
different ages. She is bilingual - having learned Spanish as an adult - and is an active
advocate for adults learning another language - it is never too late!
Chiquimundo differs from other language schools because we have very strong
beliefs that in order for children to successfully learn another language they must
have regular opportunities for reinforcement, and they must drive the learning. We
encourage and support educators and parents to learn alongside the children.
Research has shown that children learn best when they perceive interest from peers,
mentors, parents and teachers. This means, that when children see Mum, Dad, their
friend or their teacher having a go and showing an interest, they will too! We
welcome and encourage children to contribute their own skills, knowledge and
experiences to our lessons. Children feel valued and respected when we notice their
contributions and ideas, so we ensure this becomes the starting point for planning
our sessions.
Te Whariki links
The engagements in this handbook have connections with the Te Whariki New
Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum. Particular attention is given to the five strands
Well-Being; Belonging; Contribution; Communication and; Exploration when
engaging with Spanish language and culture. We have hand-picked learning
experiences that will help to develop children’s language and cultural knowledge,
skills and attitudes.
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
How to approach the activities
As an Early Childhood educator, you will already understand that children do their
best learning when they are in the driver’s seat. We must become skilled at
recognising learning opportunities and work alongside children to help them make
connections with the world around them. Language is best learned when it comes
up in natural contexts, for example when the children are washing their hands,
sharing toys, observing nature, greeting others and using manners. This handbook will
help you to map simple Spanish phrases and vocabulary with every day
experiences, as well as introduce fun and stimulating games and activities that
children will enjoy and be challenged by. Look for the page at the beginning of
each section titled ‘Try it today!’ to read about short, simple ways to use Spanish
right away!
A quick note on the way the modelled engagements are organised:
Practice
vocabulary
Aim of the
game
What is
needed
Warm
up/hook in
Having a go
The intended vocabulary and phrases to be practised in the
activity. However, this does not mean other vocabulary cannot
be reinforced also!
The skills, knowledge and attitudes that are being targeted in the
activity.
Outlines the materials and preparation needed for the activity to
be successful
The initial ‘teaser’ to get children excited and interested in the
activity. Remember, if they see you getting excited about it,
they’ll want to join in the fun!
This is what we also refer to as ‘handing over’. This is when the
teacher has explained the game to the children, boundaries
have been established and it’s time for the children to have a turn
and take ownership of the activity. More often than not, you will
find children have their own take on the situation and adapt it in
ways we couldn’t imagine! Encourage this creativity and be sure
to let us know YOUR version!
Some activities, highlighted by this symbol
are intended for small group (4 or
less) or one on one situations that might arise spontaneously. Other activities are
better suited to larger groups in situations like ‘Mat time’. These are highlighted by
this symbol:
Do we need special resources?
We have specifically designed this handbook knowing that very few centres will be
equipped with an extensive range of Spanish resources suitable for early learners. For
this reason, our learning engagements are designed to utilise generic centre
resources and require little to no set up. Any additional printable props or resources
are included in the back of this handbook.
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Are we supposed to teach Spanish with this handbook?
Whilst your Chiquimundo visiting teacher will be in charge of new learning and
establishing a solid base for developing an understanding of Spanish language and
culture, your centre teachers will be able to practise the basics to further cement
understanding, confidence and provoke further inquiry and interest in the Spanish
language.
These learning experiences are designed for teachers to help reinforce vocabulary
and phrases learned in Chiquimundo sessions and are not intended to be used to
teach new Spanish. So relax and enjoy learning Spanish alongside the children in
your centre!
We welcome and encourage questions and clarifications, so please either ask your
visiting teacher, or email us at [email protected].
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Getting started in Spanish
Here are some basic Spanish words and phrases we use in our Chiquimundo
sessions, and ones that can be regularly reinforced at your centre:
The basics/Lo básico
Spanish
Sí
No
Por favor
Gracias
De nada
Permiso
Pronunciation
see
noh
pour fah-vohr
grah-see-ahs
deh nah-dah
pehr-mee-soh
English
yes
No
please
Thank you
You’re welcome
Excuse me (when you’re coming through)
Greetings/Saludos
Spanish
Hola
¿Cómo estás?
¿Cómo están?
Pronunciation
Oh-lah
Koh-moh eh-stahs
Koh-moh eh-stahn
Bien, gracias
Adiós
Chau
¡Nos vemos!
Byehn grah-see-ahs
Ah-dee-ohs
Chow
Nohs beh-mohs
Hasta luego
Ah-stah loo-weh-goh
English
Hello
How are you? (1 person)
How are you? (more than 1
person - in Latin America)
Good/well thanks
Goodbye (formal)
Bye!
(Literal) We see us -used to mean
‘we’ll see each other soon’
See you later
Praise
Spanish
¡Muy bien!
¡Excelente!
¡Perfecto!
¡Qué bueno!
¡Qué bonito!
Pronunciation
Mooy byen
Ex-seh-lehn-teh
Pehr-fec-toh
Keh bweh-noh
Keh boh-nee-toh
English
Very good/very well
Excellent!
Perfect!
How cool/good!
How lovely!
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Pronunciation guide
Most of the letters in Spanish are pronounced in the same way they are in English, for
example:
L, m, b, s, k etc...
However, there are a few letters that are pronounced very differently, and need
practice as often the sound is not found in English.
VOWELS
Vowels are always pronounced in the same way, unlike English. They are very similar
to Maori vowels which are:
A
E
I
O
U
As in father
As in peg
As in feet
As in Auckland
As in flu
CONSONANTS
B
– is sometimes pronounced as a ‘v’ sound, Spanish speakers generally don’t
differentiate between a ‘v’ and ‘b’ sound. So the word ‘verde’ (green) could be
pronounced ‘behr-deh’ OR ‘vehr-deh’. Likewise, the letter ‘v’ is sometimes
pronounced like a ‘b’, so the word ‘bueno’ could be pronounced ‘vweh-noh’
C
– is the same as in English, when paired with an ‘a’, ‘o’ or ‘u’ is a hard ‘k’ sound,
and with ‘i’ and ‘e’ makes a soft ‘s’ sound. Example: Cambio (change) is
pronounced ‘kahm-bee-oh’ and Centro (centre) is ‘sehn-troh’
G – is pronounced ‘hkk’ when followed by an ‘e’ or ‘i’. When followed by ‘a’, ‘o’ or
‘u’ makes a ‘g’ sound as in English. Observe the difference in: Amigo (friend) is ‘ahmee-goh’ and Jorge (Hkohr-hkay)
H – is always silent, except when paired with an ‘s’ where it makes ‘sh’ as in English,
or a ‘c’ where is makes ‘ch’ as in English. Example: Hola (hello), hora (hour)
J – makes a ‘hkk’ sound. Example: Jorge (George) is pronounced ‘Hkohr-hkay’ and
Japón (Japan) is ‘hkah-pon’
LL – makes a ‘yeh’ sound, like the letter ‘y’ would in English. Example: Llama (llama)
is pronounced ‘yah-mah’ and amarillo (yellow) is ‘ah-mah-ree-yo’
Ñ
– is pronounced ‘nyeh’ as in ‘onion’ in English. Example: ‘niño’ (boy) is
pronounced ‘nee-nyoh’ and mañana (morning/tomorrow) is ‘mah-nyah-nah’.
Q – is pronounced like a ‘k’, although it is always paired with a ‘u’ it keeps the same
sound, so in English we pronounce ‘queen’ like ‘kween’ the word ‘que’ (what) in
Spanish is pronounced ‘keh’ and ‘quince’ (15) is pronounced ‘keen-seh’
RR – is rolled more than an ‘r’ on its own. Example: ‘pero’ (but) and ‘perro’ (dog)
Z – is pronounced just like ‘s’. Example ‘zapato’ (shoe) is pronounced ‘sah-pah-toh’
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Practising greetings
Te Whariki links
Strand
Well-being
Learning Outcomes: Children develop…
- A capacity to pay attention, maintain concentration,
and be involved
- A sense of personal worth
- An ability to identify their own emotional responses and
those of others
Belonging
- Awareness of connections between events and
experiences within and beyond the early childhood
education setting
- A feeling of belonging, and having a right to belong in
the early childhood setting
- An increasing ability to play an active part in the
running of the programme
- An understanding of the routines, customs, and regular
events of the early childhood education setting
Communication - Responsive and reciprocal skills, such as turn-taking
and offering
- Language skills in real, play, and problem solving
contexts
- Language skills for increasingly complex purposes
- An increasing knowledge and skill, in both syntax and
meaning in at least one language
- The inclination and ability to listen attentively and
respond appropriately to speakers
Exploration
- The knowledge that trying things out, exploration, and
curiosity are important and valued ways of learning
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Try it today!
Greetings and Basics / Saludos y Lo básico
Greet the children with ‘hola’ as they arrive to the centre. After doing
this for a while, ask the child ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?) and offer an
option ¿Bien? (hold one thumb up) or ¡Muy bien! (two thumbs up)
When a child is engaging in pretend play with dolls or puppets, greet
the character in Spanish, and encourage the child to give it a try too
Hide behind the whiteboard or a part of the outside equipment and
each time you pop out say ‘¡hola!’, when you go away again say ‘¡chau!’
Greet other staff members in Spanish as they arrive or pass by
Use a Spanish greeting ‘hola’ or ‘buenos días’ as a way to greet the
children at Mat Time
If a child is observing an animal outside, greet the animal in Spanish (to
call a cat nearby, Spanish speakers say ‘mishu, mishu, mishu’ in the same way
we would say ‘puss, puss, puss’)
When the children leave the centre, say ‘adiós’ or ‘chau’
When you hand something to a child, offer the Spanish word ‘gracias’,
they will quickly catch on and repeat after you! When a child says thank you,
say ‘de nada’ (you’re welcome)
When a child is sharing with another, help the other child to say
‘gracias’ to show their appreciation
When two children are trying to move past one another in a tight
space, say ‘permiso’ (excuse me)
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Learning Spanish Together - A Handbook for Early Childhood Educators in New Zealand
©Megan Howie 2014: [email protected]
Mix and Mingle
Practice vocabulary:
Spanish
Hola
Pronunciation
Oh-lah
English
Hello
Buenos días
Bweh-nohs dee-ahs
Good morning
¿Cómo estás?
 Bien/Muy bien
Koh-moh eh-stahs
 Byen/Mooy byen
How are you?
 Well/ Very well
¡Chau! ¡Adiós! ¡Hasta luego!
Chow! Ah-dee-ohs! Ah-stah lweh-goh
See ya! Good bye!
See you soon!
Aim of the game:
Children practise greeting one another in Spanish using a variety of salutations and
responses.
What is needed:


A large space for children to move around in
Music and speakers
Warm up/ hook in:
How do we greet one another in English? What do we say to our friends in the morning?
What can we say at any time of the day? What would we say in the afternoon? Who knows
how we can say these things in Spanish? Let’s practise greeting our friends in Spanish!
Having a go:
Play some Spanish music for the children to move (dance, walk, wiggle…!) safely
around the room to. When the music stops, the children need to make eye contact
with the nearest person to them and greet them in Spanish. At first, they can start
with ‘hola’ (hello) accompanied by a wave. Then, move on to ‘buenos días’ (good
morning) or buenas tardes (good afternoon). Before children practise ¿Cómo estás?
(How are you?) They will need to know how to respond appropriately with bien
(well) muy bien (very well) or bien/muy bien gracias (well/very well thank you)
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