You got mail!
5August 2, 2012 by Kara
We get to start working in our classrooms next week, so I’ve been thinking about how I will set it up. Megan and I talked for at least an hour about creating learning stations and I was scribbling layouts all over my notebook.
In my reading area, I have a bookcase with magazines, books, newspapers, etc. I will also add this mailbox with an awesome mustache. I got the mailbox from Home Depot and spray painted parts of it. I still want to add “correos” on it. How cool would it be to have an actual mailbox from another country?!
When I sign up for anything in Spanish, I use the name Carolina Parker. I totally stole this from Mia Johnston. Think about ways to get some junk mail in the target language… Sign up for magazines, online contests, booths at fairs, and so on.
Then I bring in my junk mail written in Spanish and put it in my classroom mailbox. Students have the option to read that during reading time too. Great for novice learners! You could also use the mailbox as a turn-in box.
What do you put in your reading area?
Megan
rachel573
Kara
I like your suggestions about getting ‘junk mail’ for your classroom. While it may seem like junk to us, it is extra input ‘treasure’ for the students! You guys have mentioned different learning stations in several posts but I haven’t found anywhere that explains what you do with them, besides having iPad access. What other stations/centers do you have (besides the reading one), what do you have at them and what kind of activities do students do there?
You are reading our minds! As soon as we can get back in the classrooms to take photos, we are going to talk about stations (how to set them up, activities, accountability, materials, etc.). Basically a station can be any activity you do in class. I like to have a station for each skill (1 reading, 1 listening, 1 speaking, 1 writing) that are focused on creating something. We promise details are coming soon. Maybe next week!
I love this idea for the mailbox. Where do you sign up for “junk mail” in the target language? I’d love to get my kids reading more in Spanish outside of just People en espanol and the Que tal magazine. I just stumbled across your blog and have gotten some wonderful ideas that I hope to integrate into my classroom this year!
I get some because of my People en espanol subscription. When I’m on their website, I sign up for contents. This sends some to my email account that I print out. We have an international fair in town and there are booths. I sign up there too. Glad you got some new ideas!
You can find newspaper in the local hispanic supoermarkets or in the Library