Inside: How to create a CI curriculum. Curriculum planning for a year of comprehensible input Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 3 & Spanish 4, as well as weekly lesson plans.

Teaching Spanish with Comprehensible Input
How do I create a CI curriculum for all levels?
I have been working on my next year’s CI curriculum without a textbook and due to some requests, I thought I would do a pre-curriculum post explaining exactly how I planned it. As a disclaimer, remember I am the only World Language teacher in my entire district. A supportive administration trusts me as the Spanish expert and allows me complete freedom in my curriculum. I understand that this is rare, but hopefully, this will help you see some possibilities if you do get the chance to help create your own scope and sequence.
Also, please remember this has been a multi-year process and did not happen overnight. I just tried things out, failed on some attempts, had success with others. Then I tried again until I found what worked best for my students and me.
Here has been my curriculum journey.
year 1 – ancient textbook – I taught how I was taught
then year 2 – new textbook – I tried to spice it up with projects
& year 3 – CI baby steps – got 4 novels, some target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>SOMOS Units & El Internado in III & IV
Curriculum year 4 – Full CI at a new school, novels, SOMOS Units & El Internado (Sp1-4 + Explore)
then year 5 – Added more novels & Sr. Wooly Pro units (thank you curriculum budget)
next year 6 – Added in Super 7 Units & finally hit my groove
Curriculum year 7, 8 & 9 – Refining curriculum with a few new novels. Back to Spanish 1-4
As a department of one, I also have to have a sustainable program for me to implement with four+ separate preps. For me personally, this means I can not do story units or special person interviews at all levels at the same time. It is too exhausting for me and I am prone to losing my voice.
Novels are my bread and butter because I have gotten them down. Since I have done all the prep work upfront, once we get rolling, I know I have a couple of weeks of a well-oiled comprehensible input novel machine. But, once again this is after four years of teaching with novels. I did the math and I have taught 53 full class novel units using 16 different novels. You can find all posts for these novels here or using the label novels. If you want to get started, check out Teaching a Novel 101 to help research, find funding, organize, plans teach, and assess your first novel.
Create a CI Curriculum – So where do you start if you are dabbling in comprehensible input and want to try something new?
Spanish 1 or 2 – create a CI curriculum
Super 7 Units – Depending on the previous knowledge of your students, I would start with a Super 7 Unit either present, either as a review or to introduce important words. You could even keep going with the Sweet 16 as well.
SOMOS 1/2 Units – Then I would do units from Martina Bex’s SOMOS curriculum. It was how I figured out skills like personalized questions, movie talk, story asking, and many other activities as well. She lays everything out great for a beginner.
Novels – If you are able to get funding for a class set of novels, I would start with El capibara con botas in Spanish 1. (after about unit 5 of SOMOS). If your Spanish 2 students have not yet read a novel, I would start with Brandon Brown quiere un perro or Tumba. If they have read a book, I would do Esperanza or Fiesta Fatal.
Sr. Wooly – These songs hook students in Spanish class and provide a nice break from always giving the input yourself.
Spanish 3 or 4 – create a CI curriculum
Super 7 Units – I would start the year with upper-level classes Super 7 Unit either imperfect or preterite, depending on your goals. It is a great class community builder and helps solidify important past tense words for future novels.
Hi! Enjoy your blog, and your posts. A question: What advice would you give to someone considering a mid-year shift from traditional, book-based teaching, to more of what you are doing? My teaching, and my students' learning, need a reset, and was thinking re: returning to school following the holiday break with some new strategies. Thoughts?
I would pick one strategy to try out, like special person, a story, a book or a movie talk and try it out
Hi Allison! I am a French Teacher in Ontario, Canada, and your resources are just incredible. I am so glad I have found you as I embark on my 2nd year of teaching. I will be teaching French from grades 1-7 on a cart!
Question: I see you have some resources in French, which are fanstastic, but I was wondering if you have a similar yearly plan for French. 🙂
Thank you!
Marina
I am sorry since I do not teach French I do not have a whole year plan, but just some ideas. If it was me I would do my high frequency verb unit & then the Martina Bex Units 1-8 in French 1. Then I would use novels from Fluency matters in French for years 2-4. My template is editable and in English so you could use them if you want.