Supporting New Learners Who Join Your Class Mid-Year
Supporting New Learners Who Join Your Class Mid-Year
Elementary schools often welcome new learners throughout the year. It is critical that schools prioritize supporting new learners who join mid-year. While we wish that all elementary schools offered Spanish class to learners, we know that this is not the case. This presents a unique challenge: How can we effectively support new learners who have no prior Spanish experience when they join a class already immersed in the language?
The answer to this question isn’t exactly straightforward because there are many things to consider when planning to support a newcomer who is joining you mid-year. It’s critical to remember that learners can acquire bits of language at any point in time. In fact, language acquisition takes a long time and learners may be introduced to a new word in October, but not acquire it for many weeks or months later. So, don’t panic! Your current learners may not be as far ahead as you think. When it comes to supporting newcomers into your class, we have a few tips and suggestions to help you and your new learner.
Tips for supporting new learners in an elementary Spanish Classroom
The first step in supporting new learners is to remember to prioritize connections over curriculum. Being the new kid in class is scary! Being a new kid in a class where they are learning a different language is even scarier when you don’t know what’s going on.
Take time to build a connection and relationship with your new learner. We recommend helping them set realistic expectations. Reassure them that you don’t expect them to understand everything right away, but that you will support them.
Second, find them a Spanish buddy! Do you have a learner in your class who would be a great person to support your new learner? Find a child who can offer them support and show them the ropes of your classroom routine.
Next, review basics with all learners at the beginning of class! Using a spaced-retrieval technique is a great way to help all of the learners in your class practice the Spanish they know. This will provide support to your new learner in Spanish class so they can learn the basics like greeting someone, numbers, colors, etc. Also, be sure to review the unit flashcards with learners before each lesson, even if your experienced learners are feeling confident. Your newcomer will appreciate this!
Some other ideas you could consider to support your new learner are prepping printed flashcards to take home and practice, connecting with their family by sending them a link to our free games & videos page, and printing some fun activity sheets for your newcomer to do at home if they are able. Lastly, consider your teaching environment and the visual supports you have, like word walls or posters, that could help your new student during class.
Does your current curriculum support new learners?
If you aren’t using Calico Spanish in your classroom, you will need to consider how your curriculum is designed and organized to support new learners who may move in mid-year. Does it provide enough review of previously taught material? Does it use comprehensible-input methods to help learners acquire the language? Does it provide classroom connection activities to build community? Will your new learner have access to meaningful output opportunities that compel them to use the language?
If you are using the Calico Spanish Curriculum, you are in luck because we answer each question above with an exciting YES!
Calico Spanish was designed to provide learners with ample amounts of comprehensible input. Our curriculum includes spaced-retrieval methods so learners are reviewing previously learned content in each lesson they complete, while also gaining exposure to new content. Each of our video stories reviews previous and current target vocabulary learners are aiming to acquire. Our vocabulary recycles from unit to unit, so learners will have multiple opportunities to be exposed to words and phrases in Spanish.
If you aren’t using Calico Spanish, you may find that not all curriculums are designed to recycle vocabulary and your new learner will have a hard time building vocabulary that your current learners have begun to acquire.
The Calico Spanish Curriculum provides many ways to support newcomers when they join mid year. One subscription contains 365+ lesson plans! That is 5-years of teaching in one program. With over 300+ hours of content in our industry-leading resource library, you will have access to resources to support new learners who join your class at the press of a button.
If you haven’t tried out our curriculum yet, we invite you to give us a try by signing up for a free-trial of our curriculum. This is a completely risk-free opportunity that allows you to take an inside look into our elementary Spanish curriculum! Click the button below to get started!
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