Are you looking to help your students take their writing to the next level by using Spanish transition words for opinion writing?

Are you on the hunt for bilingual end of year activities for your class? As the end of the year approaches, you it's important to keep students engaged and

"How do I teach writing in a dual language classroom?" A big part of my job now is mentoring other teachers, and one of the most common questions I get from

Get ready to discover the world of guided math notes.

So, if you're ready to embark on a transformative journey that will unlock the true potential of heritage month celebrations, then let's dive in and discover

Here are my go-to tips for teaching math games in a bilingual or dual language classroom:

Do you know what cognates are? Do you use them in your classroom? If you have ELLs in your classroom (even if you're not a bilingual teacher) you should be using them!! Or maybe you are a Dual Language teacher and have students learning Spanish? Use cognates!! For some strange reason my students adore that little word and we talk about it EVERY SINGLE DAY in our classroom. If you were to come into my classroom and ask one of my students what cognates are, they would simply say: words that sound about the same in English or Spanish and share a similar meaning. That's it! Pretty easy to understand...right? Let's see some examples from the Cognates Wall in my classroom: Some cognates are spelled the same in English and Spanish, some others aren't and that's ok. Like I tell my kids: as long as they sound close to another word and they remind you of a word in Spanish. Why should I use cognates in my classroom? Cognates are a super powerful strategy to use with ELLs. They are able to make a connection between the two languages and build their comprehension. Every time we are getting ready to read a new text, I immediately ask my students to look for cognates and underline them. Other times, while my students and I are talking, a cognate will come up. I usually say very quickly and excited: THAT'S A COGNATE!! Eventually, the kids start telling me when they find one and it becomes an exciting little game! WATCH OUT FOR FALSE COGNATES!! Unfortunately there are some words that appear to be cognates but they aren't. Remember that cognates have a similar sound and definition. Some words sound the same in English and Spanish but they DO NOT share the same definition. For example: the word embarrassed is usually misused by bilingual students because it sounds similar to "embarazada" in Spanish which means pregnant! We certainly don't want our kids misusing that word lol! The word carpet in English is similar to "carpeta" in Spanish. However, "carpeta" means folder. If you are going to teach cognates to your kids, you gotta watch out for these tricky words. Remember, when in doubt, just Google it! If you tell your students about false cognates they will be aware and understand not all words are cognates! And let me tell you... they will LOVE to find those false cognates. Here is a link to my favorite list of cognates. (By the way Colorin Colorado is an amazing website with very helpful articles on teaching ELLs). I use this list every day! Remember to talk to your students about false cognates, they will learn to recognize them faster than you think!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the constant search for materials to spruce up your bilingual classroom decor? I feel you! It's a challenge to find decor

Let's dive into the world of dual language vocabulary strategies and how we can use them to improve our students' comprehension in their second language. As

Six powerful professional development books books that every bilingual teacher should read to enhance their pedagogy engage students effectively, and cultivate a thriving bilingual classroom.

Teaching math in a dual language classroom can be a unique and rewarding experience. With emergent bilingual students who speak both Spanish and English, it's

Are you looking to help your students take their writing to the next level by using Spanish transition words for opinion writing?

OK...so we just got home from seeing the Lego Movie and I just HAD to redo the title of this post. Have you seen it? Super cute! Anyway...back to the regularly scheduled post. Do you ever have an AWESOME lesson idea at home, plan it out, knowing it will be super fabulous, only to have it fall short when you actually implement it in class?? Yeah...that is what happened at the beginning of this week. You see, I had this fabulous idea to have the kids construct buildings using the bazillion Lego bricks I had at home, then measure the buildings to find the volume of the entire thing. Additive volume, measuring, problem solving....the whole shebang. Awesome, right?? So I brought all of the materials into class, had the kids get into groups, explained what I wanted done, modeled it, and the kids were off. Here is where it all melted down. The kids were building crazy thing with so many different levels that when they eventually went to find the volume of the entire project, they would have been there for days. The 45 minutes I gave them to think about what they were going to construct was probably the most stressful 45 minutes I have had all year. I was roaming around putting out "building fires" all over the place, reexplaining, remodeling. FINALLY, though, they understood, and we ended up with lots of buildings with lots of rectangular prisms that would be suitable for the math portion of the project. Here are a few of the completed structures so you can get an idea of the format with which I wanted them to build. From here on out, the project actually went smoothly and turned out pretty good. So if you are still with me, I will explain how we finished it out. :) The next day, we did a lesson on the various views of solid figures. This helped them to visualize and see how their rectangular prisms all came together to form a complete figure. They then had to draw the top, side, and front view of their buildings using sticky notes. Day three, the students broke out the rulers and began measuring the lengths, widths, and heights of each rectangular prism within their structure. It was up to each group to decide what to measure and which units to measure with (cm or mm.) They were discussing, providing evidence to back up their thoughts, and working together. They had to figure out the heights when there were hidden pieces and widths when part of one prism could possibly overlap another. Some kids did try to take it apart, however I quickly stopped that from happening. The amount of mathematical strategy talk that was happening on this day made my heart smile. Those first day "this is the worst thing ever" thoughts were gone by now. On Day four we worked to organize our findings to present it all. I printed out a black and white picture of each building. The kids color coded each rectangular prism and then wrote their work on little cards that were also color coded. They mounted all pieces onto a piece of construction paper so that their math work was visually appealing to passerbys. The last day of this project we discussed all of the problem solving strategies that we used during the course of the week. I wish I had taken a picture of our white board because the strategies we brainstormed literally took up the entire board. There were just SO many different things we did! We: * Used formulas * Broke the larger problem into smaller, similar problems * Used different math tools (rulers, pencils, etc...) * Drew models * Diagramed with labels * Drew pictures of our thinking * Made lists of all possible outcomes * Discussed how to solve the problem and many more things. The kids were even a bit taken aback by all of the mathematical thinking processes that were taking place. So I had them work together to write a paragraph explaining at least three math strategies they used and how the strategy was successful in helping them complete the project. So there you have it. Something that started out as an awesome idea, that turned not so awesome, but ended pretty awesomely (can I say awesome anymore?) One tip I do have though is to use Duplo blocks, not actual Lego bricks. The Legos were just too small to manipulate and much harder to create the solid rectangular prisms. Duplos worked a lot better. What do you do to teach additive volume? Any awesome projects? Do you need even more lessons to teach your students all about volume? Here are my fav "Volume in 5 Days" lessons to help you out!

Are you ready to conquer the challenge of teaching dual language reading comprehension in a bilingual or Spanish immersion class? Let's dive in and unpack six

Here are 5 fun and bilingual back to school activities for your dual immersion class, ideal for the upper grades 3-6.

Children will have fun learning about the South American country of Chile with this FREE Printable Chile Coloring Page for kids of all ages!

Check out this post for point of view mentor texts or read alouds for teaching point of view, including how point of view affects a story.

Estrategias de cognados para niños para utilizar en el salón de clases bilingüe. Encuentra ideas y actividades de cognados para el aula.

Learn about the island country of Cuba for Kids with this free printable Country Study. Simply download and print then read, color, and learn!

Are you a new Dual language teacher? Welcome! I hope you'll find this tips helpful! This post may contain affiliate links. It might seem obvious, duh I'm a teacher of course I have to be patient! It is so different when you have a room full of kiddos who are learning a language. You will give directions and some students will give you a blank stare because they have no idea what just happened. Let me tell you, when teaching language learners, you will have to find the patience you didn't know you had. Speaking to a group of kids who are learning a language will not be easy. You will become more and more creative to get your point across. When you feel like you're about to lose it, take a deep breath and remember you can do this! Wether you're a one or two-teacher model, work with your colleagues whenever it's possible. It will make your life easier! It will lessen your work load and you might find a good teacher friend to go out with on Fridays! Plan together, help each other and share ideas. Dual language works better when all teachers are working as a team!! If you're lucky enough to have your district give you a scope and sequence or a pacing guide you've hit the jackpot! Read it! Learn it! Use it! If your district does not provide one, look at your standards and try mapping out one or two weeks. This is also when #2 comes into place, work with your team. Divide up the load and collaborate. I know this might seem dumb but my first year teaching I bought a planner that I didn't really use because I didn't like it. I refused to buy a new one because I didn't want to spend again but I wish I had. Planners are not just about having pretty paper to write with. Your planner will become your bible. Take it to all faculty and grade level meetings. This is my favorite planner. I have been using it for two years now and I love how flexible it is to my needs. I can add pages, folders, and don't even get me started on the cute stickers and washi tape! I know you probably already heard in all your college classes that it takes YEARS to acquire a new language. Your students will not become 100% fluent in a year. The Dual Language program takes time. However, if you stay true to the program, follow the guidelines and don't give up when you're working on a target language you WILL see results and progress. Use visuals, gestures, peer discussions, sentence stems, etc. It will be difficult at the beginning but your students WILL learn the language. Do not be afraid to ask for help. You will need to reach out to someone MANY times during the school year. Veteran teachers still ask for help. No one will think less of you because you are asking for help. I'm also here to help!! If you need help finding a resource, setting up centers or need classroom advice, contact me and I'll be happy to help! If you feel the urge to prepare over the summer (also completely ok if you're not), begin by making a list of the must-have resources you will need in your classroom (word walls, schedule, rules,objectives, etc..)That will give you time to THEN move on to the cutesy wants. Some BONUS tips from fellow dual language teachers: "Lots and lots of patience. They're will be a lot of changes your 2nd year and every year after." - Veronica "Get your hands on the curriculum and study it well. Make sure you have a print rich environment in BOTH languages!" - Janie "Love your students as much as you can! It encourages and comforts them in what can be a very stressful process." - Adriana Good luck! Remember we are here to help <3 SaveSave

So often, students just tell about the large picture of an experience. They get so caught up in listing all of the “moments” of the experience that they forget to really hone in on each

When I started at my new school last year, I came into a new reading program. I was used to doing almost all of my reading instruction WHOLE CLASS, but my school uses a guided reading model all the way up to 5th grade. I definitely had to rethink my reading block! I had done centers in the past, but wanted a really clear way to maximize the time and make the transitions clear for the students. Here's how I do my guided reading block! ROTATIONS We have Guided Reading/Centers Monday-Thursday from about 1:10-2:00 and I rotate through four groups. This means each center is 12 minutes long, with about 30 seconds for a transition. 12 minutes can fly by, so the students have to work on getting those transitions DOWN. I found a FANTASTIC resource by my friend Kristen of Chalk & Apples, and it has made centers SO easy. There are tons of different icons that can be easily swapped out on different days or weeks. I change mine up all the time! In a typical week, I do guided reading with leveled passages on Monday and Wednesday, and we do literature circles on Tuesdays and Thursdays. GROUPS My students are grouped according to DRA levels, because that is what my school uses. You might use AR, Lexile, or another measure. I have four groups: Low, Low-Mid, High-Mid, and High. Each group has a number, but I assign the number randomly so it doesn't match up to skill level in any way. I have 24 students in my class this year, so there will be 6 kids in each group. If you have a larger class, you can still make it work by having your higher groups work on their own while you work with a lower group and just check in! GUIDED READING I LOVE this close reading resource from Fifth in the Middle. I bought the entire bundle so I have TONS of options. Each reading comes in four reading levels, but they are on the same topic and look the same so students don't notice. There is also a paired text that I try to use for morning work toward the end of the week. There are several pages of activities for each passage, and I often have the students start these at the table with me after we've read the passage out loud. When it is their turn for guided reading, the students come to me at our back table with a pencil and a highlighter. I give them their sheets for that day and discuss what we will be looking for while we read (unfamiliar words usually) and we begin reading. I like to make sure each child reads, so however I have to break it up to make that happen. After reading through, I ask them to scan through again to find specific information. This changes week to week, so one time it might be looking for transition phrases, and another it might be looking for dates to create a timeline. Then, we talk about what everyone found and work on putting together the information on the worksheet. I, of course, provide a lot more scaffolding and support to my lower readers, while my high readers are able to do the activity on their own. LIT CIRCLES On the days that we have literature circles, the students still come to the back table with me, but this time they bring their lit circle book (which varies) and their lit circle binder. In their binder, they keep all of their jobs and their reading schedule. I have used about a GAZILLION resources for lit circles (including online blogs), but this one from Pocketful of Primary is my absolute FAVORITE: It is SOO easy to adapt to groups of different sizes and I found it very user-friendly for both the kiddos and for myself! I organize the jobs using a hanging file I found on Amazon. You can find it here: THE OTHER CENTERS So what do the kiddos do during their other blocks of time? Here's some options I cycle through: STAPLES: Partner Reading Each student has a partner from their reading group that they meet up with for this activity. I typically use "I Survived" books or similar short chapter books. I stock up through Scholastic! I have 6 shared books for the entire class, and I place a sheet inside the front cover so the students can write their names and where they ended each day they read. I always have new books ready to go for the students who finish. I do this strictly for fluency, so I don't do quizzes or worksheets. Silent Reading (KBAR) In my class, we call silent reading KBAR- Kick Back and Read. When we do a whole class KBAR, I sometimes take it outside. Spelling (Spelling City) I typically use Spelling City for centers, but sometimes do a worksheet instead. Vocabulary (Quizlet)Quizlet is AMAZING. I love using this for vocabulary! The students really enjoy it as well. Keyboarding (KWT) This is a tough one since monitoring the students' finger placement is so important. I don't do this OFTEN as a center, but throw it in now and again. Writing If we are working on a longer project (such as the state report), I have the students use this chunk of time for that. Otherwise, I sometimes provide a prompt or allow them to free write. Here's one of the resources I use: NoRedInk If you've never used this site, CHECK IT OUT! It's one of the best ways to get some extra grammar practice into your day! Be aware that the initial set up takes a bit of time because the students have to select a bunch of their favorites from different categories: books, tv shows, movies. What's neat is the site uses their preferences and their name + their friends' names when building the practice sentences. The kids get a kick out of it! Task Cards (small group) Students work with their reading group and record their answers on individual answer sheets. I have a huge selection of task cards that I keep in one of these bad boys from Michael's: Cursive (Can Do) I love that my school teaches cursive, but in fifth grade, we don't have a lot of specific time for it. To keep the kid's practicing, I assign pages from our cursive book during centers. Reading Comprehension (Reading Plus) We use Reading Plus, but there are many online reading comprehension sites. Use whatever your district provides or what works for your class! Games I will occasionally throw in a review game for the kids to play with their small group. The key is they have to be short and not too loud! Comment below if you have other questions or want to add some advice on running smooth ELA centers with Guided Reading!

An important way to build relationships in your classroom is with a morning meeting. One of the components of morning meeting is a “game.” As a Spanish immersion teacher, I am always looking for easy, quick games that can be used during this portion of the day. I often use equity sticks and let the ... Read More about 12 Morning Meeting Games in Spanish

Have you been searching for free bilingual reading passages in Spanish and English? I know how difficult it can be to find appropriate and culturally relevant

So, if you're ready to embark on a transformative journey that will unlock the true potential of heritage month celebrations, then let's dive in and discover

Are you looking to help your students take their writing to the next level by using Spanish transition words for opinion writing?

Are you ready to conquer the challenge of teaching dual language reading comprehension in a bilingual or Spanish immersion class? Let's dive in and unpack six

Here are 5 fun and bilingual back to school activities for your dual immersion class, ideal for the upper grades 3-6.

Are you ready to conquer the challenge of teaching dual language reading comprehension in a bilingual or Spanish immersion class? Let's dive in and unpack six

If you're looking to support your bilingual students with math sentence stems in Spanish and English, you are in the right place!

"How do I teach writing in a dual language classroom?" A big part of my job now is mentoring other teachers, and one of the most common questions I get from

Let's dive into the world of dual language vocabulary strategies and how we can use them to improve our students' comprehension in their second language. As

Are you on the hunt for bilingual end of year activities for your class? As the end of the year approaches, you it's important to keep students engaged and

Teaching similes and metaphors is the first step in moving your students beyond literal meaning and teaching them to mature as writers. Students need to see and hear figurative language many times before they will use it in their own writing. Transferring these skills into writing is a long...

Your students will quickly learn to cite text evidence with this set of SPANISH posters, bookmarks, and reference sheet. Perfect for your dual-language or immersion classroom! Includes: POSTERS (set of 6) These include text evidence sentence stems with examples to help students respond to their reading. Provided in both color and black and white versions. BOOKMARKS Black and white bookmarks with useful sentence stems that students can refer back to while reading REFERENCE SHEET Includes stems and examples from the posters in a condensed one-page sheet for student folders.

Would you like to decorate your classroom with fun, hand-drawn anchor charts/posters? Do you simply not have the time to get them done? Well, you have come to the perfect place! I love making these engaging and appealing anchor charts. I also can draw/create any other topic you would like, just contact me directly and ask! My students absolutely love these posters and references them every day. Many of them are visual learners, so the colorful images really help them connect and remember what they have learned. This particular anchor chart is for readers/writers learning all about cause and effect. My students always have trouble with this comprehension skill so these visuals seem to always really help them picture it in their heads. It allows them to see how causes relate directly to their effects! **These will be copies unless asked otherwise for a custom poster. They are not laminated, and are printed on normal, anchor chart paper. I ship these out ASAP after being ordered, but please keep in mind once shipped, it is outside of my control. Therefore, if shipping does not meet your expectations, I highly encourage you to please reach out to me first, and we have always been able to work something out to make up for anything that may have occurred after I have sent your package, thanks so much!! Hope you love it :)