World Languages

Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS) builds conversational fluency as well as previews vocabulary. Students use present, imperfect and simple past tenses of key verbs from the start. We begin the term with community-building games, then move to TPRS pre-reading stories that build oral fluency and comprehension. Reading provides the class with opportunities for gaining comprehension through a series of curated reflective questions, called “circling.” Circling questions focus on using different parts of speech to solidify understanding and vocabulary. Vocabulary building is key and accomplished always in a contextualized manner (through story or interactions) rather than through memorized charts or out of context conjugations.

Students collaborate in story dramatizations, engage in class discussions, and group presentations. Students will also be given written assignments to help them solidify their comprehension and grammar skills.

Spanish

Throughout their early years at Mustard Seed students have been exposed to different languages in their academic studies. read alouds, or as they sing in different languages in worship. In second grade, after they have mastered the basics of reading in first grade, students begin formal instruction in Spanish twice a week. Students develop fluency through reading, discussing, acting, writing, and game playing in Spanish. The class experiences are highly collaborative, interactive, and story based. Students use TPRS stories, activities, and chapter books to engage meaningful text that foster authentic conversations and expression.

SECOND GRADE

Students speak, read, react, and act out the story called, El Capibara con Botas. (The Capibara with Boots). The story carefully curates vocabulary without sheltering students from sophisticated grammar and serves to prepare students for successful reading and comprehension in Spanish. The students also play various games in class that helped them learn new words, count higher, and work with colors. Their confidence in Spanish is apparent in both classes’ ability to write the morning message on the board on their own.

THIRD GRADE

Students read the chapter book, Brandon Brown quiere un perro and completed a TPRS story based on an authentic Cuban literature, called El Gallo de bodas.(The Wedding Rooster). Both are told in the present, past, and imperfect past tenses. Students engage in many TPRS classroom mini lessons prior to reading chapters and take quick quizzes after each TPRS lesson. Mastery is evidenced by classroom engagement in TPRS lessons, by independent chapter reading, with occasional assistance, and by accurately and independently completing written assignments and quick quizzes. Students should be able to read and comprehend classroom texts, and respond to questions at the word and short phrase level.

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