Bienvenido a Español!
Welcome to the Bennett Spanish Website! Mi clase es su clase. It is my hope that this site will allow you the opportunity to support your child in his or her learning of the Spanish language and culture. It will be updated every trimester, so that you will know what we are studying in the classroom. Feel free to work with your student (s) at home. Even better, let them teach you!
My name is Diane Gibbs, and this will be my thirteenth year as the Bennett Spanish teacher. I previously taught high school and middle school Spanish in California. I live in Fort Collins with my husband, two children, and 2 dogs.
As you look at the site, you will see that there is a link for each grade level, and a link for a general vocabulary list. The older the student, the greater their vocabulary base should be. Encourage these older students to take risks with the language. The more practice they have, the more natural the language will feel. Ultimately, the language learning will feel more authentic. However, each child will acquire the language at his or her own pace. Encouragement, exposure to the language, and practice are key.
Poudre School District is incorporating the methodology of Comprehensible Input. That means lots of story telling, questioning, acting, gestures, and re-telling. We have a lot of fun :) 4th and 5th graders will be incorporating reflection and note-taking into their class as we expand our cultural awareness about the Spanish-speaking world. The journal is counted as a graded assignment for each student. We will not have an emphasis on long writing assignments, but reading, writing and speaking are all embedded in the curriculum. Work is usually in process for the entire unit. That means it stays here in the classroom until the unit's completion. Please email me if you would like to come in and see your child's work while in progress.
Please take some time to look over the Scope and Sequence tab. Central ideas by grade level are there, as well as the month-by-month break down of units. Also, proficiency levels are explained.
Most importantly, have fun!!!
Gracias,
Señora Gibbs