We know reading is super important for our students’ language learning, so we try our best to give them many ways to read in class! These 5 activities are fun ways to interact with any reading selection, as you are reading out loud in Spanish class! I love reading out loud because it’s a great way for your students to not only get the benefits of reading, but also gain a better understanding of what the language is supposed to sound like. (I mean, we’ve all had those words we’ve only read, but didn’t know how to say until you had an embarrassing moment, right? Right?)
Reading Out Loud in Spanish Class
Links & Resources:
- Choral Translation
- Volleyball Reading
- Speed Date Translate
- Mentirosa
- Reading with Emotion
- Reading with Emotion – Emoji Cards
Choral Translation
Set up: You just need a reading that all students can see, and your students! Easy peesy.
Play: Read a sentence from the reading out loud, in the target language. Pause. Students translate the sentence. Read the next sentence, pausing for the students to translate. Clarify any meanings as necessary! Read more here.
Volleyball Reading Summary
Set up: Students need a reading and a partner (a group of three works too!)
Play: Similar to choral translation, Student A reads a sentence from the reading out loud. Student B translates it, then reads the next sentence in the target language. Student A translates it, then continues. See an example here!
Speed Date Translate Summary
Set up: Students need a reading and to be able to easily rotate between pairs. I will often arrange desks into rows or have them stand for quicker rotation. Teacher will need a tabata timer running.
Play: Students begin as with Volleyball Reading – in pairs, taking turns to translate. When the timer beeps, one student from the pair rotates to another partner. They compare where they left off, then begin to read again. Continue until all students have been paired, or the students have finished.
Learn more about Speed Date Translate here.
Mentirosa
Set up: You just need a reading that all students can see, and your students!
Play: Begin to read the selection out loud. As you read, make minor changes to the information (swap nouns, addd or remove “no”, etc). When students hear a change, they call out “MENTIROSA”! Click here read more about how to play!
Reading with Emotion
Set up: Students need a reading, and you need a way to select emotions (I prefer cards like these!)
Play: As a whole class or in pairs, a student draws an emotion card & reads the reading in that tone or feeling. You can have the class guess, or just rotate on a timer! Click here to learn more about ways you can tweak this for your class.