Teaching English in SPM, Dominican Republic: Halloween Party

The ice cream cone color project was a huge hit with the 3rd graders! They are really getting into colors, and they love singing "Red and Orange, Green and Blue, shiny Yellow, Purple too!" I think they especially like that we've been using the carefully guarded stash of crayons that the teacher keeps locked up in the classroom cabinet. Some of them have their own colored pencils, but most don't have their own supplies to draw with colors. I think I might extend the color lesson for a few more class periods before we move on to sports or animals.

Abagail holding up the finished ice cream cone of colors
The English and Spanish versions are now hanging on
their classroom wall

3rd grade writing their "color" vocabulary

Fourth grade is working hard on "family." They have all the vocabulary of mother, father, sister, brother, grandfather, aunt, etc. and they've drawn families and labeled them. They could either draw their own family or they could make up a family. There were two flower families, a penguin family, a monkey family, a cat family, and a Dora the Explorer family. All very well labeled! Next I think we'll move on to houses and house vocabulary like kitchen and bedroom. They are learning fast and they really enjoy class. I need some more songs to sing with them though, so if anyone has suggestions for easy family or house songs to sing, let me know!

Euri showing off his "family" drawing (he drew a family of penguins)

I hosted a Halloween Party for my teenage English students this weekend. A lot of them have plans to go to a big party next Saturday, so I decided to have it a week early. I made American treats and bought some candy corn and a pumpkin at the store. We lit our Jack-o-Lantern, ate sweets, and watched a scary movie. All very American and very Halloween. They didn't come in costumes, but Juan Francisco wore a skeleton shirt, which he was very excited to be complimented on. They all laughed at how scared they were watching the movie and many said they weren't going to be able to sleep, but I think they (just like American kids) love the drama of acting scared! It was a great evening.

This week in class, we've read an article on the history and culture of Halloween and how it has evolved over time and we have also studied some Halloween vocabulary (like zombie, witch, haunted house and other fun words!) On Friday I'll bring them each a bag of treats (pens and pencils as well as some sweets) and we'll celebrate as we wrap up the end of the directions and descriptions unit we have been studying.