3rd and 4th grade ~ Los números

Numbers are always one of the first vocabulary units we cover. Most of our students come in to class already knowing the numbers 0-20, and it is easy to continue the pattern. We will be going to 39, and practicing all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Along with the numbers themselves, we are learning a few additional words to be able to use them in sentences.

Hay looks like "hay" (horse food) but is pronounced like "eye". It means "there is" or "there are" (or in a question, "is there/are there"). The letter H is silent in Spanish, and the A and Y form a diphthong. 

¿Cuántos? and ¿Cuántas? are two of our interrogative words. Both mean, "how many?", and the difference is whether the nouns they are describing are masculine or feminine. At this point, I want the children to become familiar with the idea and to hear the difference in pronunciation, but they will not be penalized if they are not sure which one to use.

Our 4th graders will review these words and numbers, and use several of the nouns from last year, such as words for school supplies, to practice counting in the classroom. 

It is important that the students practice correct spelling with the numbers. A few have accent marks. However, the most common mistake that I see with spelling is confusing the order of ie and ei. Fortunately, Spanish is spelled like it sounds. It is easy if you think of the letter I as a Y instead. The diphthong IE sounds like the YE of "yes". You can hear this in words like siete and diez. EI sounds like the EY in "hey". You can hear it in words like seis and veinte.

A couple of other pronunciation tips: the letter C sounds like an S in front of E or I, and like a K everywhere else (cinco). The letter V is pronounced more like a B. You can also listen to native speakers pronounce these words online by googling any of them. 

0 – cero

1 – uno

2 – dos

3 – tres

4 – cuatro

5 – cinco

6 – seis

7 – siete

8 – ocho

9 – nueve

10 – diez

11 – once

12 – doce

13 – trece

14 – catorce

15 – quince

16 – dieciséis

17 – diecisiete

18 – dieciocho

19 – diecinueve

20 – veinte

21 – veintiuno

22 – veintidós

23 – veintitrés

24 – veinticuatro

25 – veinticinco

26 – veintiséis

27 – veintisiete

28 – veintiocho

29 – veintinueve

30 – treinta

31 – treinta y uno

32 – treinta y dos

33 – treinta y tres

34 – treinta y cuatro

35 – treinta y cinco

36 – treinta y seis

37 – treinta y siete

38 – treinta y ocho

39 – treinta y nueve

Welcome back!

¡Bienvenidos!

I am excited about our new school year, and I hope that you are, too! Let me share some of the things that you will find on the blog this year.

3rd and 4th grade Spanish will find vocabulary and verb lists here. We don't have an official textbook for the younger grades, so you can come here to see what they are working on. We have more than 20 vocabulary units that we will be covering, starting with the numbers 0-39 and greetings/introductions. Each unit will also focus on present tense conjugations of a different verb. We will be covering quite a few grammar topics, as well, including formal/informal, definite and indefinite articles, adjective agreement and subject pronouns. Each class begins with a prayer in Spanish, and by the end of the year, students should know the Sign of the Cross, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed in Spanish.

One of the things that I am happiest about this year is that Mrs. Stafford and I will be collaborating on monthly joint classes where our buddies will get together to learn about famous Hispanics and their faith. It will be tremendous fun for all of our kids!

5th graders will be using the Avancemos 1A textbook. This class has done a fabulous job in previous grades, and I am thrilled about having them for 5th and middle school! This year is a transition year in many ways. Much of the vocabulary and grammar will be familiar to those who were at All Saints for previous grades, but there will be plenty of new material. Most of all, there is an increase of expectations in terms of homework and exams. I appreciate your feedback throughout the year. I want the kids to realize how capable they are, but not to be stressed out. There are many changes this year for them, and I want them to be happy ones.

6th grade will continue with the Avancemos 1 textbook. By the end of this year, they will have covered the same material in a Spanish I course at TCC! We will build on the grammar and vocabulary from before, and they will be learning more regular and irregular verbs, stem changing verbs, comparatives, and more. I love having the kids in class every day!

7th grade is one of the most productive years of Spanish. They know the routine, and they are focused throughout the whole year. It is one of my favorites! We make a jump into the Avancemos 2 textbook. This book is definitely a step up, with instructions in Spanish and multiple verb tenses covered.  We will be practicing the preterite for much of the year, and doing much more speaking. These kids accomplished so much as 6th graders, and I can't wait to see what they do this year!

8th grade will continue with the level 2 book that we began last year, and we will be adding many verb tenses. Along with the present tense, preterite and progressive forms, we will be doing the imperfect, preterite vs. imperfect, future, conditional and imperative forms. We will also be preparing for the Bishop Kelley Spanish Placement test and the National Spanish Exam. This class has consistently gone beyond my expectations (which were always high!). These kids hold a special place in my heart as the fist 5th grade class that I taught at All Saints, and I know they will be successful in anything that they do.

This year is going to be a great one because your kids are amazing. With all of the time that we give to academics, I never want them to lose sight of the most important thing: they are created in the image of God, and they are loved. Your kids bring joy to me every single day, and I hope to share that joy back to them.