Blog

It’s beginning to look a lot like WINTER! Whether you’ve seen your first feet of snow or have yet to experience the wonder of those white flakes falling where you are, there’s no denying that winter can bring some serious fun and celebration! As we see the Christmas lights twinkling down the streets and think about […]

Dual immersion programs are a great option to get more language learning in the early grades, but how can caregivers and teachers work together, especially if Spanish (or other target language) isn’t spoken at home? Read on for our tips. The (well-founded) pressure to raise bilingual kids In this modern world with all of its […]

Early language educators, it’s ACTFL week!  This Thursday kicks off the 2019 Annual Convention & Expo for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).  It’s an enormous conference that’s enormously fun and some of the best professional development around.  This year, the ACTFL Convention is in Washington, D.C.  Calico Spanish is not […]

In case the hearts, balloons, chocolates, and school dances haven’t been enough to remind you, it’s Valentine’s Day!  In other words, it’s Friendship Day! No, really, in Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, February 14th is Día del Amor y la Amistad – the day of love and friendship.  They have this “Galentine’s” thing […]

For most of the learners and teachers we know and love, the semester is wrapping up.  As we wrap up, many of us are also wrapping something else – the Christmas presents!  Whatever this holiday season holds for you, know that we appreciate you. We know that being bilingual in Spanish is an adventure that […]

In honor of the approach of Mother’s Day, the moms of Calico Spanish would like to remind you about our free printable.  It’s a fun and easy way to give kids the opportunities to sing their mom’s praise in Spanish.  Enjoy!   Happy Mother’s Day! We recently saw an adorable Mother’s Day “My mom and […]

It’s no secret: young children love games.  (And really, don’t most of us?)  It can be challenging, though, to find a game for the early Spanish language classroom that is fun, useful, and authentic.  Pañuelito fits that bill perfectly. How to play the game Pañuelito, also often called el juego del pañuelo, is  historically common in several Spanish-speaking countries.  […]

Role play for young learners? Yes, please! It’s no secret: in early language education (and even in middle and high school!), finger puppets are a win! Somehow, sometimes, it seems less intimidating to pretend you’re a puppet speaking Spanish rather than be yourself speaking Spanish.  Of course, young children usually love any kind of role […]

So, how are you today? ¿Cómo estás? It’s one of the first things we teach our learners to understand and answer, and for good reason.  Particularly young children will hear “How old are you?” quite a bit, and of course “What’s your name?” but right up there in the most common questions anyone hears in any […]

How can we help our kindergarten learners be successful in their Spanish language journey?  In this post, we offer some tips from the trenches of that sunny-yet-conflicted zone called kindergarten. 1. Establish successful routines. All elementary children thrive on routine, but we’ve especially seen this in kindergarten.  These learners have moved from a primarily play-to-learn environment in […]