Class Experience
I use Google Slides to teach this unit. Students should have some previous knowledge of Spanish to join this class (one year of Spanish is recommended).  I teach with a focus on Comprehensible Input and not grammar since that is not how language is naturally acquired.  Comprehensible input Spanish readers are a game changer in the classroom. Leveled readers in Spanish tell captivating stories and incorporate repetition of high-frequency language making them an extremely effective way to engage students.  We will read a novel entirely in Spanish, have discussions in Spanish and play games/activities to expose students to the target language. Some fun traditional games that we will play are Tic-Tac-Toe, Connect 4, Sorry, Snakes and Ladders and Pictionary. The focus will be on developing skills in the areas of listening, speaking and reading.   

Many people are new to Comprehensible Input, so let’s start with a general question. Why is reading important in the CI classroom? How does it complement the input students get listening? Reading is essential to growth in proficiency. It allows students to process the language with their eyes at their own pace. They can change speeds, read a passage multiple times and more easily decipher meaning of unknown words. It also allows teachers to vary the delivery of input.  Students need to hear many different voices in the target language. As they read, the input comes from the voices in their heads. Reading invites us to create pictures in our imaginations. Doing so forces students to engage with language in a new way. It also exposes students to the flow of natural language and many current and historical cultural themes.  

The novel for this Book Club is called, Frida Kahlo.  Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) is one of Mexico’s greatest artists, a remarkable achievement for someone who spent most of her relatively short life racked with pain. Frida expressed her pain through her art, producing some 143 paintings, 55 of which were self-portraits. To this day, she remains an icon of strength, courage and audacity. This brief biography provides a glimpse into her turbulent life and her symbolic art.

The low unique word count and high frequency factor (the number of times core structures are embedded in the text) in the Comprehension-based™ reader, ‘Frida Kahlo’, make this an ideal read for beginning Spanish students. Each page is loaded with cognates (words that are similar in English and Spanish), recycled vocabulary, and illustrations, which makes this read highly comprehensible. Enjoy the story! The more you enjoy it, the more you will acquire Spanish without even realizing it! We hope you enjoy reading your way to FLUENCY!


Class 1- Students will read and discuss Chapter 1-2 of novel.
Class  2- Students will read and discuss Chapter 3-4 of novel.
Class  3- Students will read and discuss Chapter 5-6 of novel.
Class  4- Students will read and discuss Chapter 7-8 of novel.
Class  5- Students will read and discuss Chapter 9-10 of novel.
Class 6- Students will read and discuss Chapters 11-12 of novel.
Class  7- Students will read and discuss Chapters 13-14 of novel.