Creating Spanish substitute lesson plans for beginner students can be tricky because it is necessary to ensure that the content is accessible and appropriate for their level. It can become particularly challenging if the sub-teacher does not have a good understanding of Spanish basics or where the student is at in their language development. In addition, finding a sub-teacher that speak Spanish is like fining a needle in a haystack.
12 Spanish Sub-Plans for Beginner Students
Here is a list of ready-to-use sub-plans designed to that any teacher can cover you, even if he/she doesn’t speak Spanish.
Quinceañera Infographic – Spanish Substitute Lesson Plan for Novice Students
After watching videos about a quinceañera, and comparing and contrasting this celebration with one of our own, students will show their understanding by creating their own infographic about what happens during a quinceañera celebration
Synonyms for Classroom Objects – Spanish Sub Lesson Plan for Novice Students
Students will play a vocabulary-building game that asks them to label objects in the classrooms. The vocabulary cards used during the game will contain synonyms of words the students should already know (desk, wall, etc.). After playing this game, students will pair up to create a vocabulary quiz that can be used to assess their learning another day.
Empanadas Spanish Substitute Lesson Plan for Novice-Low Students
After reading an excerpt from the blog post, Empanadas Around the World, students will have the opportunity to create their own menu of empanadas to demonstrate their understanding of the various types of empanadas.
Color by Number – Spanish Substitute Lesson Plan for Novice Students
By creating their own color-by-number drawings for other students to color in, students will be able to attach visual images to their review of numbers 1-10 and basic color vocabulary. If the students and teacher desire, the individual drawings can be photocopied and compiled into a collaboratively designed classroom coloring book to distribute elsewhere and to share with family members and friends.
Family Tree – Spanish Substitute Lesson Plan for Novice Students
Through the creation and illustration of an informal family tree, students will review family vocabulary and reinforce their understanding by labeling the Spanish vocabulary words with the names and illustrations of their own family members. By incorporating colors and drawings, students will be able to make connections between written language and visuals of their own creation.
Paper Bag Piñatas – Spanish Sub Lesson Plan for Novice Students
Piñatas are containers typically made with papier-mâché or pottery. They are often linked with Mexico, where the containers are brightly decorated and filled with candy or small presents, before being strung up and broken as a celebration event. This activity gives students an opportunity to make their own piñatas with household materials, adorning the piñatas with traditional tissue paper fringe, and filling them with candy and other small treats.
Cultural Scavenger Hunt Substitute Lesson Plan
By the end of this activity, students will have created a visual presentation of the Hispanic cultural topics listed on a scavenger hunt list. Students will also have a deeper awareness of Hispanic culture.
Festival of Tomatoes Sub-plan for Novice Students
By the end of this activity, students will have learned about the Spanish festival of La Tomatina that happen every year on August 31st in Buñol, Spain.
My Music Journal – Spanish Substitute Lesson Plan for Novice Students
Students will research Hispanic music artists and create their own music journals. They will share a brief bio about the artist, as well as the song of their choice, with the song title and music video.
Spanish Cartoons Sub-PlanBy the end of this writing activity, students will have created a Spanish cartoon demonstrating their Spanish language skills.
English to Spanish – Practice with Cognates Substitute Lesson Plan
By the end of this activity, students will understand the concept of the cognates and practice reading in Spanish, applying their newly acquired knowledge to the identification of cognates.
Cognate Dictionary Substitute Lesson Plan
By the end of this activity, students will have created a dictionary of Spanish/English cognates. Students will also have a deeper understanding of the Spanish language and a greater ability to identify words similar between Spanish and English language.
This lesson is meant to be completed after the students have learned about cognates.
Tips to Prepare a Spanish Sub-teacher
1. Always have a sub-plan ready and set in your classroom with copies and instructions for the sub-teacher. If something unexpected happens one day and you can’t go to school, you just tell the teacher where to locate it.
2. Provide an overview of Spanish with key terms for the substitute to become familiar with. This could include basic Spanish words such as greetings, colors, numbers, and common objects.
3. Give the substitute a list of resources that they can reference during the lesson, such as flashcards, videos, books, or worksheets.
4. Set up activities that students can do while the substitute teaches that rely heavily on visuals, such as matching games or labeling exercises where the students match photos with their Spanish names.
5. Have a sample dialogue written out in Spanish that the substitute can show and have students repeat as they practice vocabulary words and pronunciation.
6. Create fun activities like a cultural scavenger hunt or having students identify cognate words they learned in class.
7. Encourage students to ask questions in both English and Spanish so everyone is comfortable participating regardless of language ability level.
Click here for more Spanish Lesson Plans.
