This is one of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard, so I’ll try my best to tell it! Someone with amazing creativity and desire to help saw a problem, that many children in the remote parts of Colombia had no access to books. Of course this not only happens in Colombia, it happens in different corners of the world, but I am sure that if Luis Soriano had the power to get to every single part of the world where a book was needed, he would be there putting a book in the hands of many children. This dedicated librarian was a third grade teacher when he started to use his two “burros” (donkeys) Alfa and Beto to bring his mobile library to the children of La Gloria, Magdalena. This region of Colombia has been forgotten and neglected for years, and it has a high rate of poverty and minimal access to education for young people. Many of the children here travel long miles to reach their schools. Luis and his two burros (donkeys) “Alfa” and “Beto” (“alphabet”) travel to see them every week, fording rivers, and walking for miles along unpaved and dusty roads, carrying books for the children. His work has been widely covered by the media, including a documentary made by PBS. Luis has gained significant fame around the word due to his creativity and desire to make change, but unfortunately his organization still needs money to survive and to continue giving access to books where children need them.
Bring the love of “El Biblioburro” to your classes! I created a set of free resources for you to use with your students. These resources are for anybody to use in their classrooms, but if you are familiar with TPRS, you will love this story!
Just click on the picture to download the story, teaching tips, worksheets and more!
I have been in love with the Interactive Notebooks since day one! It’s a fun way to keep your students engaged with hands on activities that will help them feel a sense of pride. You will hear them asking when they can take the notebook home to share with their families or teach Spanish to their siblings. Interactive Notebooks are a great tool for teaching for Spanish if used correctly. Given that I emphasize oral aspects of language learning, I normally wait to use Interactive Notebooks until the end of a unit or story. They are a way for students to keep track of what we do during the school year and for me to gather qualitative data in an authentic, developmental format.
Here are my top 5 activities for Interactive Notebooks:
1. Así soy yo: In this activity students can describe themselves and write about their likes and dislikes in Spanish.
2. Los colores: This activity goes beyond helping students identify colors in Spanish. It turns into a fun memory game!
3. El Calendario: This definitely is an interactive way to help students remember months, days of the week and seasons in Spanish. Students can also use it anytime when they need to talk about the date.
4. La Familia: Students enjoy learning names for family members with the flower activity. This has room for them to describe their own families. This set includes a variety of activities for different levels.
5. Mi Armario: Students have a lot of fun putting this activity together! They get to customize it and talk about what the doll should wear according to the weather. There is also space for them to write about what they have in their closets.
¡Hola! I am Carolina, a Colombian elementary Spanish teacher based in Boston, MA. Fun for Spanish Teachers is the result of my passion for teaching Spanish to children and my desire to inspire collaboration and creativity in a vibrant teaching and learning community. It’s the perfect stop if you are looking for songs, games, teaching tips, stories, and fun for your classes.
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