We are going full speed ahead with our vocabulary and grammar in all the grades. Here is what we are covering:
3rd Grade: We have been working on the colores and la ropa (clothing). We have learned songs to help out with our vocab:
Red is
rojo
Green
is verde
Blue,
azul
Negro, black
Yellow,
amarillo
Purple
is morado
Brown,
café
Gris
is gray
Rosa
or rosado, pink
White is
blanco,
Orange, anaranjado
Gold,
dorado
Plateado,
silver
Blonde
hair is rubio
Moreno,
brunette (dark hair)
Pelirrojo,
red hair
Dress is vestido, shirt is camisa,
pantalones cortos—shorts,
Coat is abrigo, belt—cinturón,
Zapatos are a pair of shoes.
Chaqueta—jacket, blouse is a blusa,
Guantes are a pair of gloves,
Skirt is a falda, socks—calcetines,
Botas are a pair of boots.
Pants—pantalones, sandals—sandalias,
Un sombrero is a hat,
Scarf is bufanda, clothing is ropa,
And a gorro is a cap.
Later this month, we will be using the definite articles and ser to create sentences and describe the colors of clothing and school items.
4th Grade: Along with reviewing the colors, we are learning the singular possessive adjectives mi (my), tu (your-informal), su (your-formal, your-plural, his, her, their), nuestro (our-masculine object) and nuestra (our-feminine object). In Spanish, the gender of the possessive adjective matches up with the item, not with the owner. For example, our house is nuestra casa because the word casa is feminine, even if the people who own the house are male. I have been so impressed at how well our fourth graders remembered the gender of nouns from last year, and how readily they have applied these concepts. The gender of nouns can be tricky, because there are many exceptions. In general, nouns ending in -o, -ma, -ta, -l and -r tend to be masculine, along with words that identify boys, days of the week, months of the year and the names of rivers. Most nouns that end in -a, -d and -ión tend to be feminine, along with time (la hora) and words that identify girls. There are several exceptions, though, including día (masculine, which is why it is buenos días) and mano (feminine). We are writing sentences telling to whom different things belong, as well as describing the colors of those objects. Examples: Su cuaderno es morado. Nuestra mesa es de color café.
5th Grade: We have been working with all of the subject pronouns and the present tense conjugations of the verb ser, as well as the use and omission of subject pronouns. Soon we will be using the prepositional pronouns, indirect object pronouns, the verb gustar and the infinitive of other verbs from this chapter to express how we like or dislike different activities. We are generally alternating written and oral quizzes each Friday, so they are practicing all their skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). It is a lot for them to keep track of and fit together, but they are doing very well. At this stage, they should also be reading through their vocab lists once every day, even if they do not have an assignment to turn in. Because the grammar structures are pretty intense, we are spending more class time on the grammar than the vocabulary, and it helps tremendously for them to review it frequently on their own. Don't forget the ¡Avancemos! links on the right hand side of the blog. They are great for practice!
I am always impressed and excited by the proficiency that our students are developing in Spanish. They work very hard, and I hope that they can see how much they are accomplishing!
