C.C. Wells Spanish

¡Bienvenidos a la clase de español!

¡Hola!

I have had the pleasure of being the Spanish Teacher at C.C. Wells Elementary since the inception of the Spanish program here in 2008.

Elementary students receive 45 minutes of content-integrated instruction once per week. Instruction is given primarily in fluent Spanish. Our content integration is based on the SOLs for math, science, and social studies for each grade level. Spanish vocabulary terms that students learn may be used again and again throughout their years in elementary school, applying them to different units. For example, students may use weather terms to describe today's weather, then a season's weather in general, then Virginia's climate, then a Spanish-speaking country's climate, and perhaps even a different planet's weather conditions. This approach helps students to develop language skills that are approachable and long-lasting.

Lessons are broken up into four thematic units throughout the year, one for each grading period. This means that students will learn various vocabulary terms and practice with lots of different activities each grading period, all under the general theme of the unit.

If your child is not able to come home and speak in perfect Spanish to you, please do not worry! Think of it this way: can your child play Beethoven after weekly music classes? Are they ready for the Olympics after weekly PE classes? Of course not! Everything requires lots and lots of practice to master. It takes time for students to internalize the Spanish in order to begin speaking it. Often, they will understand what is happening in class, but they will only be able to respond in simple one- or two-word answers.

If you would like any additional information about the CCPS Elementary World Language program or your student's progress, please contact me.

Blair Warren

Blair_Warren@ccpsnet.net