2 Ways to Make Engaging Spanish Reading Activities that Reinforce Vocabulary

When you're teaching new Spanish vocabulary words, you want students to get all sorts of practice listening, speaking, writing, and reading these new words.

Because how else are they going to master them?

And authentic texts are fantastic, but they aren't going to target the new vocabulary words every time you teach new words.

Which is probably like several days a week. 😂

So what's a teacher to do?

Make. Your. Own.

Here are 2 types of reading activities that are easy to make and will help students learn new vocab words (after they've been formally taught).

The Penpal Letter

Format

Students read a paragraph and answer questions based on the reading. I usually use clipart for the new vocab words, so they really have to use their brains.

Example

The top example above is for teaching school subjects & supplies vocabulary in a Spanish 1 class. It includes clipart for the vocab words, so students have to really think about what the Spanish words are.

The bottom example is for teaching interests & pastimes vocabulary in a Spanish 2 class with a variety of verbs that work like gustar (interesarse and aburrirse).

How to make it

1. Write a paragraph with the vocabulary you're teaching that day.

2. Add a greeting at the beginning and closing at the end.

3. Include previous vocabulary students should already know.

4. Write questions that specifically target the vocabulary you're teaching. See the example below for the questions to the example texts above.

Students are required to read through the text and answer the questions in complete sentences.

I always write the questions in the same order in which the info is in the text, but you can make it trickier and change the order of the questions.

The Conversation

Format

Two or more people discuss a topic or share their experiences and students answer questions about the text.

Example

The example above is for teaching places in town and giving directions vocabulary in a Spanish 2 class. Two students are lost in a city and have to ask directions for how to get somewhere.

How to make it

1. Write a conversation with the vocabulary you're teaching that day.

2. Add any necessary info to give the conversation context.

3. Include previous vocabulary students should already know.

4. Write questions that specifically target the vocabulary you're teaching. See the example below for the questions to the example text above.

Again, I always write the questions in the same order in which the info is in the conversation, but you can make it trickier by changing the order of the questions.

I write questions that target that day's vocabulary and require students to use it.

Check out the resources mentioned above

The Spanish School Subjects & Supplies Lesson is ideal for a Spanish 1 class and brings together both school subjects & school supplies vocabularies. Both are taught individually in previous lessons.

The Spanish Interests & Pastimes Lesson 3 is ideal for a Spanish 2 class. This lesson brings together interests & pastimes vocabulary taught in the previous 2 lessons + includes both interesarse and aburrirse.

The Spanish Places in Town with Giving Directions Lesson 2 is ideal for a Spanish 2 class. Students learn giving directions vocabulary from this lesson and the previous one, and it includes places in town vocabulary taught over 4 previous lessons.