Buena Idea

Buena Idea was written to provide key Spanish vocabulary for twenty topics used in primary schools, and to give teachers ideas for introducing, teaching, reinforcing and extending new vocabulary. Each topic has key vocabulary, word matching cards, an activity sheet, a puzzle page, and ideas for extending learning through sentence building. Many topics also have picture cards. Using the book can support the teacher in covering many of the objectives in the Framework for Modern Foreign Languages using a choice of fun and lively activities.

The key vocabulary pages can be enlarged to A3 for classroom display or photocopied and laminated as reference cards. The word and picture matching cards can be used in many ways. Lessons should begin with work on the Oracy Objectives in the Framework by repeating the new words after the teacher and playing some flashcard games. The children can then work in mixed ability pairs, using the photocopiable sheets from the book. They can match the words face up, then progress to matching them face down in a 'pairs' game. They could also play snap. They could glue the English words on an A3 sheet and carefully write the Spanish words next to them, or glue on the Spanish words, and draw pictures to match each word, and progress to writing the new words from memory.

The sentence building sheets can further develop the children's language skills, reinforcing vocabulary by using it in simple sentences. The suggestions work towards the Literacy Objectives in the Framework and will further develop children's reading and writing skills. The puzzle pages reinforce the language further in a fun way and could also be used for homework.The topics included in this book are: Los números, The numbers; Los días, The days of the week, Los meses, The months; Mi familia, My family; Los colores; The colours; Los animales, Pets; En el aula, In the classroom; Las asignaturas, School subjects; Las comida, Food; ¿Qué tiempo hace?, The weather; El cuerpo, The body; Mis pasatiempos, My hobbies; La ropa, Clothes; En la cuidad, In the town; Mi casa, My house; Feliz Navidad, Happy Christmas; San Valentín, Valentine's Day; Carnavales, Shrove Tuesday; Feliz Pascua, Happy Easter; La víspera de Todos los Santos, Halloween.