Profesora Moodie-Kublalsingh has published and distributed textbooks which support the idea that Spanish must be experienced organically in order to inspire lifetime learners. In each publication, we marry hispanic and local culture through age-appropriate activities. This fosters a love for creativity and exploration and facilitates the acquisition of a “foreign” language in much the same way English was absorbed in a child’s formative years.
¡A PINTAR! and ¡A SABER! Books are based on the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Education’s Syllabus. They are written to teach Spanish within a context that is specific to Trinidad and Tobago: its history, its people, as well as its Caribbean neighbours. The themes are integrated with the ones the child is familiar with in other school subjects, especially Social Studies. The language is simple and relevant to the child’s needs for communication.
Both books are created with the learner and the teacher in mind. This is an excellent series for the home-schooled child as well. Neither parents nor teachers need to be concerned about preparing lesson plans from scratch. It is all done beforehand for them.
Listening and speaking are emphasized as the first steps to learning. Practically all the Spanish texts can be heard in the audio material which is an essential part of the course. Reading and writing skills are also developed. Even though these books are for young children, anyone can start to learn Spanish by using them consistently.
¡A Pintar! (Let’s Draw)
¡A PINTAR! uno is directed to the five year old and younger. It is a drawing book in which the child is encouraged to draw and colour pictures of him/herself and family members while learning the words that refer to them. The child is introduced to the names of colours and animals while drawing and colouring the things that are presented in the book.
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Students learn to count and state their age. They become familiar with names of fruits and the parts of the body too. They are also invited to copy words. All the words are heard in the corresponding audio so the child can listen as often as possible and repeat what is heard.
¡A PINTAR! dos is for the six year old and younger. This is also a drawing book. Both A PINTAR books are divided into three parts; the content of each part can be covered in a single term. In A PINTAR DOS the learner practices easy useful expressions for greeting people on different occasions: Christmas, Father’s Day, Birthday. There are also phrases that are good for engaging in simple conversation: ¿Dónde vives? ¿Cómo te llamas? The children hear these questions with their answers and see how they are used. The words are heard often: names of animals, school objects and others This is the key to learning: not by rote but by experiencing the words, the language. Repetition is critical. Emphasis is on exposing the learner to the sound of the language. The child learns insidiously and effectively for life.
¡A SABER! 1 and 2 are stimulating books for primary school learners of Spanish. The context is related specifically to Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. Our children learn to use Spanish to understand, read and speak about things that immediately connect with what they are learning at school: the people of Trinidad and Tobago; our indigenous Hispanic names of places and people; the geography of Trinidad and Tobago; Caribbean and neighbouring Hispanic countries.
The lessons also focus on practical, useful, relevant situations that refer to food, daily activities, celebrations such as Christmas, Divali, Carnival and Birthdays. Nature and respect for the environment are also important themes in the ¡A SABER! Books
These books are colourful, attractive and easy to follow. They serve as text and work book at the same time. Their inseparable companions are the audio files which can be accessed on our Youtube channel: SMKEspañol.
¡A Saber! Teacher’s Guide
The ¡A SABER! TEACHER’S GUIDE will prove to be the Teacher´s close friend and valuable resource. The student textbooks and the Teacher’s Guide can be used by parents or any adult; even those with a scant knowledge of Spanish. This is an excellent tool for parents of the home-schooled child as well.
This guide provides teachers and parents with complete lesson plans for every week of the school year: from Standard 1 to Standard 4 with additional material for Standard 5 students after their secondary school entrance examination.