“¡Hola! Cómo estás?” These are among many Spanish words and phrases preschoolers at Logos comprehend. No matter what their background or native language, Logos kids know greetings, shapes, numbers and other Spanish phrases. They can’t help it – Spanish surrounds them. Based on its dual immersion approach, Logos has woven Spanish into almost every aspect the day. From the classroom to the playground, the kids are learning Spanish. And loving it! Logos kids love learning Spanish because it is taught in a fun and natural way.
What is the approach to learning Spanish at Logos?
Ms. Nathali, head of Logos’ Spanish program, describes Logos’ approach to teaching Spanish as follows:
“Our philosophy is to engage the children and fully immerse them in Spanish as much as possible in a natural way by playing and having fun. “
https://www.facebook.com/immersionpreschoolinHerndon/videos/1921478494537959/
Since the vast majority of children come to Logos knowing little or no Spanish, Ms. Nathali applies methods used in teaching babies to talk. She focuses on using body language with exaggerated movement and animated facial expressions, as well as repetition. Parents take note, “If a child tends to repeat, he or she will improve faster”.
Singing / chanting and games are used liberally to teach since they help kids “catch” the language. Rhyming is also used frequently because it makes things easier to remember.
Spanish Club: Multiply the Learning, Multiply the Fun
What is Spanish Club?
Spanish Club is an extension of the Spanish immersion program at Logos. Last year, Ms. Nathali noticed some of the preschoolers were absorbing Spanish at a faster rate than the curriculum taught and thought they could learn more.
Thinking about how she raised her two sons to be bilingual, Ms. Nathali was inspired to start Spanish Club. Her guiding principle can be summed up as “Vamos al parque” / “Let’s go to the park.” This idea is to focus on conversation and daily activities in a way that feels natural to children.
Spanish Club, or Club de Español as the kids affectionately call it, occurs Tuesday and Thursday. It lasts an hour, and those who participate are engaged each minute. Spanish Club focuses on a theme that is not covered in regular Spanish class. A recent example is the theme of community workers (e.g. policemen, postal workers, doctors), what they do and the tools associated in their professions. Check out the video below to see an activity the kids did to learn about community workers.
https://www.facebook.com/immersionpreschoolinHerndon/videos/1921477004538108/
An Afternoon in Spanish Club
Kids participating in Spanish Club know what to expect. Spanish Club follows a set format: game, reading, topic introduction with activities, craft and a farewell song.
Themes vary every 3 – 4 weeks based on the kids’ interest and mastery of the subject. But the format stays the same. Ms. Nathali has designed this format to accomplish one goal: “I just want them to talk.”
Multiple opportunities are created for the children to converse naturally in Spanish, such as asking them to respond to questions, listening and answering their questions or creating discussion around something they have an interest in. When possible, chanting / singing and rhyming are used to reinforce concepts and vocabulary. For example,“Mi amigo Mario es un veterinario.” (My friend, Mario, is a veterinarian.)
The smaller group dynamic in Spanish Club helps students learn the language faster. Having back-and-forth conversations with a native speaker make the kids comfortable speaking Spanish.
Start with a Game
As soon as the kids come into the room, the fun begins. And it usually take the form of “Hide and Seek”. For some reason, the kids love to be found in Spanish!
Read a Book
After the game, it’s time for reading. This usually lasts about 15 minutes with plenty of interaction. The kids often become quite animated discussing the book.
Discuss a Topic with Two Activities
The topic, e.g. community workers, is introduced using flash cards. Often, Ms. Nathali brings objects associated with the flash cards to add another hands-on element to class.
Ms. Nathali engages the kids through two activities. Sometimes activities involve role play or a game. No matter what, Spanish Club activities always incorporate movement to stimulate thinking and use preschooler energy.
Use a Craft to Discuss Further
Completing a craft creates an opportunity to have further discussion on the topic. It also uses fine motor skills and sparks creativity. Ms. Nathali often uses this time to get the kids to think critically. In the picture on the left, Ms. Nathali has drawn an ambulance and is asking the children to point out what is missing on it, e.g. the red siren. The kids are very proud of the crafts they make in Spanish Club.
End with a Song
After following directions in Spanish to clean up from their craft making, kids leave Spanish club singing this song from Calico Spanish:
Es hora de decir, “Adiós”,
(It’s time to say goodbye)
de la clase de español.
(to the Spanish class.)
Muchas cosas aprendí,
(I learned many things,)
por eso estoy feliz.
(that’s why I’m happy.)
¡Qué alegría me dio estar aquí!
(What a joy it was to be here!)
Meet Ms. Nathali and Ms. Nancy
Ms. Nathali and Ms. Nancy are the lively, loving and talented duo behind Logos’ Spanish program. Led by Ms. Nathali, the two of them teach Spanish to all children at Logos, run Spanish Club and interact and have fun with students throughout the day, all in español.
Originally from Venezuela, Ms. Nathali has a background in economics and international business. In her quest to raise bilingual sons, Ms. Nathali volunteered with several language programs. Her gift for teaching was quickly spotted, and eventually Ms. Nathali found herself teaching at Language Stars. She found Logos in 2016 when exploring the possibility of starting a pro-bono Spanish program. Ms. Nathali is also a chess whiz! She has held the title of national chess champion for two countries: Venezuela and Barbados. Ms. Nathali currently teaches chess to kids on the weekends and in the summer. She also loves to exercise.
Originally from Colombia, Ms. Nancy has a background in Airline and Travel Agency Administration. Nancy started volunteering with Fairfax County’s Rising Start and Head Start programs when her children were participating. Inspired by this experience, she then started an in-home daycare. Ms. Nancy joined the Logos family in 2014 through the introduction of a friend. She loves spending time with her family and enjoys exercising and swimming.
Spanish Immersion at Logos
Spanish immersion at Logos is formally taught with a curriculum but it is supplemented in a 100 different ways throughout a regular school day. Ms. Nathali and Ms. Nancy ask the kids to line up in Spanish or speak to them in Spanish when helping them tie their shoes.
Spanish learning in the classroom focuses on a different topic every month, e.g. emotions, parts of the body and shapes. Each topic has associated learning goals for comprehension and expression. The four- and five-year-old “Monkeys” class also learns letters in Spanish and vocabulary corresponding to the letters. Logos seeks to integrate topical learning in Spanish with other parts of its curriculum. In December, the final project for Spanish focused on the pentagon. Later the kid’s pentagons were used in Art class to make a colorful frame for their Nativity sets – they loved this!
Are you curious about Logos’ Spanish program, or would you like your child to participate in Spanish club? Email Babette at babette@logosacademy.net
