For+Parents

**[|Advance-Ed Parent Survey]**

**Spanish 3 Parent Information Acknowledgement** **IB Spanish Parent Information Acknowledgement**

**A few things about Spanish 3 and IB Spanish classes:**
 * Homework is assigned by the week. They get the assignments on Monday and they are due on Friday. For IB classes that meet on an A/B schedule, they have a 2-week cycle that still includes 5 days of instruction.
 * For each Spanish 3 unit there are 3 assessments: an interpretive that measures reading and listening comprehension; an interpersonal which is an impromptu speaking and listening task; a presentational which is a written or spoken task that will be graded for accuracy and quality of language. Students are usually allowed to use a resource or a graphic organizer for support on the presentational.
 * IB Spanish classes include assessment tasks similar to what will be asked of the students on IB exams in their senior year.
 * Our goal is to use at least 80% Spanish in every class. When I introduce new topics or when we do activities, students are expected to use Spanish, but will have the opportunity to ask questions or clarify information after hearing a Spanish explanation. It is very important that the students focus on what they do and don't understand, as well as instructions in order to ask for help when needed.

**Parents tell me all the time..."I want to help my child, but I don't speak Spanish! What can I do?" My students and I appreciate parental support and feedback so here are some starting points...**

1) When you find Spanish in your daily life, share it with your student. Pick up a free newspaper from the grocery store, pause on one of the Spanish channels on TV, share the multi-language instructions from products you buy.

2) Ask your child about what he/she can do and what they are learning. Teenagers work hard at being cool, but they still appreciate an audience for projects and presentations. Be sure to ask about what they thought about or learned from their projects and not just what grade they earned.

3) Help with vocabulary. Vocabulary cannot be taught, but rather is learned through practice and opportunities to use it. You can help with flashcards or environmental vocabulary. An easy strategy is a bit like I-Spy--when you are in different places say, "Quick--tell me the Spanish words for 6 things that you see right now."

4) Take an interest in the news and current events. Technology has helped us connect with the world, so even things that happen thousands of miles away will probably have an impact locally.

5) Encourage them to practice Spanish with media. They spend a lot of time watching TV and movies, listening to music, playing video games, and chatting on the computer. Watching a favorite movie with Spanish subtitles or a favorite channel in Spanish, listening to music in Spanish, and simply interacting with others will help their language skills, even if they only do it a little bit. I share many online resources that they can use at their own pace to learn.

6) Discourage using a translator or dictionary unless absolutely necessary. Learning a language is a process, not simply a matter of finding the right word. They need to be able to use what we study in class and if they are using a translator to express themselves, they aren't getting the practice they need. Excessive translator usage is considered cheating/plagiarism and can have disciplinary consequences.

7) Help with organization, if needed. The final exams require students to incorporate all knowledge from the semester, so having a complete notebook will be helpful. Because we don't use a textbook, the unit guides and class notes are the primary guides for what they need to know.