What is FLES? Foreign Language Early Start Learning a foreign language in elementary school is essential to a child’s success. Why? How?

Language acquisition is easier at a young age because the area for language development in the cortex of the brain grows up until puberty. Children are more eager & receptive to learning at an earlier age, they want to know. Children are curious, interested & absorb new information.

Math Multicultural Understandings Communication Skills Spanish Language Arts Social Skills Geography Science Spanish Art Music Social Studies

When children learn about cultures other than their own, their eyes are opened to differences which leads to acceptance. Children learn more about their own language when they learn a second language. They develop an understanding for language concepts which also aid in learning other languages in the future.

¿Qué tiempo hace? Hace buen tiempo. Hace mal tiempo. Hace calor. Está lloviendo. Está nublado. Está nevando. Hace frío. Hace sol. Hace viento. Hace fresco. Music Social Skills Communication Skills Spanish Geography Science Math

¿ Qué tiempo hace ? En el otoño En el invierno _______________ _______________ En la primavera En el verano Ilustrado y Escrito por___________________ Communication Skills Art Spanish Spanish Language Arts Science

Social Skills Geography Spanish Math Multicultural Understandings Science

Social Studies Multicultural Understandings Geography Spanish Science Art Communication Skills Spanish Language Arts Math Social Skills

Spanish Communication Skills Spanish Language Arts Social Skills Geography Science Art Math

Songs, gestures, games, visuals, drama & activities motivate all children to learn a foreign language, be creative & problem solve. Children’s ability to learn other subjects within the grade level curriculum improves when presented & reinforced in a second language. The interdisciplinary approach used in FLES allows students to make connections & construct new understandings. Vital listening skills are developed along with oral communication & socialization.

Interdisciplinary FLES Instruction

Benefits of classroom teacher’s participation in FLES lessons: As a role model they validate that learning a foreign language is important. They set an example that listening & participation matters. Teachers can learn Spanish. They can better support Spanish-speakers in their classroom. They can follow-up “teachable moments” when grade level content & topic stimulate interest. They can reinforce the content area that compliments the curriculum to extend learning.

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: When teaching numbers; 0 – 20, one more & one less, teachers have continued the lessons in English. When teaching horizontal, vertical & diagonal directions in a Bingo game, a teacher mentioned that they were learning about directions & showed the following at the end of the FLES class on oak tag: 6 + 4 10 V e r t i c a l 6 + 4 = 10 Horizontal

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: When playing Bingo, teachers circulate to see which students recognize the numbers & help guide children to find the numbers by counting with fingers in Spanish when needed. These observations lead to valuable insight of bilingual & less able student achievement. While waiting for FLES to begin, students have their folders out with their name cards & are practicing from a handout stored in their folders, with their classroom teacher.

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: Teachers play FLES songs I’ve recorded on tape to reinforce learning during circle time. Teachers made tape copies for their grade. When a map was needed to show Mexico, the teacher supplied me with one. Teachers have the days’ schedule on the board so students are empowered to keep track of when to be ready for FLES & other subjects. Thus little start up time is wasted while time management skills & responsibility are learned.

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: Teacher participates in morning greetings/sharing circle time in Spanish as well as English, i.e. the days of the week, Today is …, Yesterday was …, Tomorrow will be …. When teaching noun gender, a teacher typed & illustrated the masculine o and the feminine a example I drew on the board for a handout to distribute to the children to tape into their FLES folders. Teachers share what they are teaching.

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: While doing a lesson displaying even numbers 0 to 12 vertically on the board, the students discovered a pattern & that odd numbers were missing. They mentioned the homework assignment given by the classroom teacher the night before. After finishing a FLES lesson with shapes and patterns, the teacher participated & continued the lesson activity, elaborating in English because the students were actively engaged.

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: A teacher labeled a poster of shapes in Spanish during a lesson on shapes & placed it on the wall. A teacher wrote the frequently used stop, look, listen, & silence words in Spanish next to the words in English. Teachers extend the Thanksgiving lesson with print shop having children illustrate foods they like which are also healthy for you.

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: After doing a unit on Columbus & the continents in FLES, the teacher continued with the social studies lesson because the children showed interest in finding the continents on a map. After a student found a map in their social studies text book, they all pulled out their text books to look. A teacher collected the folders asking the children in Spanish to “Put it in the box.” - “Ponlo en la caja.”

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: Teachers participated in the science lesson on chocolate to discover what happens to solid chocolate in your mouth, or to powdered chocolate when placed in a glass of water. Teachers sing along, move to the songs, participate in the games & repeat in Spanish whatever is said. Teachers have drawn illustrations during the lesson. Teachers help hand out papers, crayons, etc. to save instructional time.

How Teacher Participation Has Enhanced The FLES & Regular Class Lessons: Teachers have followed the lessons by using the vocabulary & song handouts made especially for teachers who want to learn Spanish as they participate during the lesson. Spanish-speaking students know, feel good, & benefit when teachers show they try to understand & communicate in Spanish.

Listening Speaking Gesturing Thinking Observing Interacting Singing FLES Process Meets: Multiple Learning Styles Multiple Intelligences ADHD/ADD Learning Needs Skill Development Needs Applicable to: All Grade Levels All Content Areas Singing Thinking Drawing Having Fun While Learning Coloring Touching Writing Smiling Laughing Building Reading

Teacher to Teacher FLES Goal: Collaborate during the FLES lesson to promote the highest outcomes for the children involved in the program.

Created by Claire-Louise Meng Spanish FLES Instructor District Wide Uniondale Schools Long Island, New York K – 12 Spanish Instruction Experience 11 Years Teaching Experience Favorite Travel Location Is The Caribbean, Puerto Rico 01-09 -2006