Compelling Input

LET THEM READ JUNK!

By |2025-09-04T09:09:52-06:00September 3rd, 2025|

Multilevel Classes?  Reading "Junk" May Be the Answer! Every class is a multilevel class. The schedule may say students are all at the same level and have been placed in the appropriate class, but reading levels are all over the place... or soon will be. When the spread becomes [...]

WHY THE EMPHASIS ON VERBS?

By |2025-08-09T19:05:00-06:00August 9th, 2025|

Teachers often ask me why I feature verbs so prominently in my training and materials for beginning students. It's because that's where the action is! And using verbs over adjectives can make for compelling storytelling. I try to follow the storytelling advice from the creators of South Park: the [...]

CREATE AND EXPAND ON A SIMPLE STORY

By |2025-07-10T10:40:26-06:00July 10th, 2025|

An expanded version of this lesson is available here. This is an activity that can be done as a follow-up to a short story between week 2 and 3 of a Spanish 1 class. The Bell Ringer/Do Now assignment, called the Repasito, is displayed below.  In the example, the Repasito [...]

MORE SPECIAL PERSON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

By |2024-11-01T13:02:38-06:00November 1st, 2024|

Regina, a teacher that attended one of my BER seminars last year, is using Special Person interviews in her Spanish 1 and Spanish 3 classes. She has some implementation questions: Hi Regina, These are good questions. For more information, look on the Special Person Interviews section on the Free [...]

TEACHING WITH GRAMMAR AND ENGAGEMENT?

By |2024-09-18T13:48:25-06:00September 18th, 2024|

Lee, a teacher I coached for 15 sessions last year, now has a new job. Here's what he's dealing with: I have a new a job teaching at a relatively small school. The curriculum is grammar-based, but the principal is open to modifications. My question is—how does a teacher [...]

LET THEM READ JUNK!

By |2025-09-03T14:48:19-06:00July 9th, 2024|

Multilevel Classes?  Reading "Junk" May Be the Answer! Every class is a multilevel class. The schedule may say students are all in level 1 and have been placed in the appropriate class, but reading levels are all over the place, or soon will be. When the spread becomes wide, [...]

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