Hey there, Joyful Journey Makers! Let’s talk about a fantastic way to bring your Spanish lessons to life—interactive digital games. Whether you’re teaching online, in person, or through a hybrid model, these games can captivate your students while helping them build essential vocabulary. The secret to success? Scaffolding these activities, incorporating tactile/kinesthetic intelligence, providing differentiated instruction, and encouraging students to say the words out loud at every stage!
In this post, I’ll share tips on how to create engaging digital activities for whole-class instruction, small group practice, and independent learning. I’ll also dive into why tactile/kinesthetic learning is essential for retention and how incorporating physical movement can help students solidify vocabulary. Finally, I’ll introduce my Digital Flashcards Resource and show you how to use it for a scaffolded approach that gets students actively involved.
Step 1: Whole-Class Introduction (Say It Out Loud and Get Moving!)
Start by introducing the digital game to the whole class. Scaffold the lesson by modeling how to use the digital flashcards, while encouraging students to say the words out loud and engage their tactile/kinesthetic intelligence.
- Introduce and Model: Display the digital flashcards and model how to use them. For example, if you’re teaching colors, flip the card and say the word “Rojo” (red) out loud. Ask students to repeat the word after you, ensuring everyone practices pronunciation together.
- Incorporate Tactile/Kinesthetic Learning: For a hands-on experience, ask students to find a real object in the classroom that matches the color you’re practicing. For example, if the word is “azul” (blue), students can find a blue pencil or notebook. This taps into their tactile/kinesthetic intelligence, which engages the brain’s motor regions and helps solidify retention.
- Whole-Class Practice: Play a few rounds as a class. Flip a card, say the word out loud, and have the students repeat it. You can also challenge them to use the word in a sentence, like “El cuaderno es azul” (The notebook is blue) for advanced learners.
Tip: Encouraging students to use their bodies by physically connecting the vocabulary to real objects boosts retention. Studies show that engaging in physical movement while learning strengthens memory and comprehension.
The Science Behind Tactile/Kinesthetic Learning
Research shows that when students engage their tactile/kinesthetic intelligence, they activate multiple areas of the brain. Physical movement increases the brain’s capacity to retain information by engaging the motor cortex, which is responsible for planning and executing movement.
A study from the Journal of Educational Psychology found that students who combined movement with learning, such as manipulating objects or performing gestures, showed greater retention than those who learned through passive methods. This is because tactile/kinesthetic activities make learning a multi-sensory experience, which enhances the brain’s ability to store and recall information.
Step 2: Small Group Practice (Speak, Move, and Collaborate)
Once students are comfortable with the activity, break them into small groups for more hands-on practice. Continue emphasizing the importance of saying the words out loud while also incorporating tactile/kinesthetic tasks.
- Group Collaboration: Have students take turns flipping the digital flashcards and saying the word out loud. This keeps everyone engaged and practicing both speaking and listening. Encourage students to find real objects around the room that match the word they’re practicing.
- Engage Tactile/Kinesthetic Intelligence: For each flashcard, ask students to physically interact with the classroom environment. For example, if they’re working with the word “cinco” (five), they can gather five objects and say, “Hay cinco lápices” (There are five pencils). This physical interaction reinforces their vocabulary.
- Observe and Take Notes: Walk around the room and observe how students are interacting with the vocabulary. Are they saying the words out loud? Are they finding the correct objects to match the words? Take notes on which students may need additional support or who might benefit from more challenging tasks.
Tip: Small group practice with hands-on learning provides students with the opportunity to engage deeply with the vocabulary while using their tactile/kinesthetic intelligence, boosting memory retention.
Step 3: Independent Practice (Mastery with Speaking and Movement)
After group practice, move to independent work, where students can apply what they’ve learned in a scaffolded format. Encourage them to continue using tactile/kinesthetic methods as they practice.
- Independent Digital Flashcards: Assign students to create and complete their own set of digital flashcards. They should continue saying the words out loud as they flip through the cards. This repetition, combined with the act of creating the cards, helps reinforce learning.
- Tactile/Kinesthetic Mastery: Even during independent practice, encourage students to physically interact with their surroundings. For example, when practicing numbers, they can count real objects in the room, saying, “Hay tres libros” (There are three books) to reinforce the vocabulary with movement.
- Challenge Advanced Learners: For more advanced students, ask them to use the vocabulary in full sentences or even create short stories using colors and numbers. This encourages them to apply their vocabulary in a more complex context.
- Monitor Progress: As students work independently, observe how they’re engaging with the flashcards and objects. Are they confidently saying the words out loud? Are they correctly identifying objects and numbers in their environment? Take notes on any areas where students may need additional support.
Tip: Independent practice that incorporates tactile/kinesthetic intelligence helps students transition from guided learning to confident mastery. By combining movement with vocabulary practice, students solidify their knowledge through active engagement.
Differentiation Strategies for All Learners
Here’s how to differentiate instruction throughout each stage of scaffolding:
- Novice Learners: Focus on pronunciation and word recognition. Encourage students to say the word out loud with each flashcard and use physical objects to match the vocabulary.
- Intermediate Learners: Encourage students to ask questions using the vocabulary. For example, they can ask a peer, “¿Cuántos libros hay?” (How many books are there?), and respond using numbers and colors.
- Advanced Learners: Push students to create full sentences using the vocabulary. For example, “Tengo tres lápices verdes” (I have three green pencils). This encourages more complex language use while reinforcing foundational skills.
How to Track Progress and When to Intervene
To ensure all students are progressing, here are some tips for tracking growth and providing the right support:
- Observation Checklists: Use a checklist to track which students are mastering vocabulary and which might need additional help. Monitor their pronunciation, ability to recall vocabulary, and their use of tactile/kinesthetic tasks.
- Use Formative Assessments: Ask students to explain their thought process or describe how they arrived at their answer. This helps you gauge their depth of understanding in real-time.
- Provide Personalized Feedback: After observing students, offer personalized feedback based on their progress. You can praise their pronunciation or suggest areas for improvement, such as using more complete sentences.
Get Your Resource: Spanish Digital Flashcards on Colors and Numbers
Now let me introduce you to my Colors and Numbers Digital Flashcards Resource, designed to engage students with scaffolded, hands-on learning.
What’s Included:
- Interactive Digital Flashcards: Students insert images onto the flashcards, say the words out loud, and use the flashcards to practice vocabulary for colors and numbers. By pairing the words with images, they strengthen visual and linguistic connections.
- Customizable Google Slides™: This resource is fully customizable, allowing you to adjust the slides to fit your class’s needs. It integrates seamlessly with Google Classroom™, making it great for group or independent practice.
How to Use the Digital Flashcards for Scaffolding and Tactile/Kinesthetic Learning
- Whole-Class Introduction: Start by projecting the flashcards for the entire class. As you flip through them, say the words out loud, and have students repeat after you. Incorporate tactile learning by asking students to find objects in the classroom that match the colors or numbers.
- Small Group Collaboration: Break students into small groups where they can practice saying the words out loud and finding objects to match the vocabulary. Encourage advanced students to use the words in full sentences, while novice learners focus on pronunciation.
- Independent Mastery: Assign students to create their own digital flashcards. Have them continue saying the words out loud as they work through the slides. For a tactile twist, ask them to find real objects in their environment that correspond to each word.
The Gist of it All
Interactive digital games, like my Colors and Numbers Digital Flashcards, provide engaging, scaffolded learning experiences that incorporate tactile/kinesthetic intelligence to enhance retention. By combining physical movement with vocabulary practice, you’ll ensure that students retain what they’ve learned, while gaining confidence in speaking Spanish.
Resources
Culatta, R. (2018, November 30). Dual coding theory (Allan Paivio). InstructionalDesign.org. https://www.instructionaldesign.org/theories/dual-coding/
Dual coding: A teacher’s guide. Structural Learning. (2021, October 26). https://www.structural-learning.com/post/dual-coding-a-teachers-guide
Learning a language with flashcards: What the Science says. Tandem. (n.d.). https://tandem.net/blog/learning-a-language-with-flashcards-what-the-science-says
Marinelli, Tiffany P. Hwa, Christine M. Lohse, Matthew L. Carlson, Harnessing the power of spaced repetition learning and active recall for trainee education in otolaryngology, American Journal of Otolaryngology, Volume 43, Issue 5, 2022, 103495,ISSN 0196-0709, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjoto.2022.103495.
Quinn, S. (2024, June 30). The benefits and challenges of spaced repetition flashcard apps for language classes. The FLTMAG. https://fltmag.com/spaced-repetition-flashcard-apps/