Here's a great way to lock in those Present Tense AR,ER,IR verbs!

So, you nod your head a lot and smile while your instructor explains how to conjugate verbs but you really, really aren't getting how they work at all! Sound familiar? Although you might be puzzled, there’s actually a reason that Spanish verbs have different endings for each tense. Well, are you ready to learn?

First of all, why do we even need to change the ending of the verbs in Spanish?   

Answer: so that people know who in the world we are talking about!

In English, we have those wonderful pronouns like “I, you, he, she, it, we, and they” tell us what or who we  are talking about. We pretty much use them all the time -  yep, can't live without them. The good news is, we also have them in Spanish! The difference is that in Spanish we have the choice to use them or not. We have choices people, choices! When we change the ending of the verb in Spanish that's how we know who or what we are talking about.

Let me give you an idea how it works, using the word hablar or to speak. Hablar, without being conjugated, literally means “to speak.” So, we must change the ending to indicate who is speaking - you? Me? Him? Her?

English:

I speak

You speak

He speaks

So clearly, we can't just say 'speak' because how random would that sound?

But on the flip side, in Spanish:

I speak = (Yo) hablo

You speak = (Tu) hablas

He speaks = (El) habla

We have two great ways to say the same thing! When we replace the ar at the end of hablar with an ‘o,’ it forms the word hablo, which means ‘I speak.’ We can use this verb alone or with the pronoun (pronombre) ‘yo.’ Let’s see an example of how to use the conjugated ‘yo’ and ‘tu’ form of hablo:

Juan: Hola, hablas español?

Julia: Si, yo hablo español!

Or, in English:

Juan: Hello, do you speak Spanish?

Julia: Yes, I speak Spanish!

That, my people, is why we change the ending of verbs.

One of the best ways to really nail these verbs is to create study sheets for each verb. Then,  take all your unit/chapter verbs and group the verbs together based on whether the verb ends in AR, IR or ER. Do a separate study sheet for each group and read them outloud once a day to commit them to memory!

Here's a sample of a study sheet I have my tutoring students do:

Study Sheet for Regular AR Verbs

Hablar = to speak

I speak = (yo) hablo

You speak = (tu) hablas

He speaks = (el) habla

She speaks = (ella) habla

You (formal) speak = (usted) habla

We speak = (nosotros/nosotras) hablamos

They speak = (ellas/ellos) hablan

All of you/you all speak = (ustedes) hablan

Let me know if you have any questions or if there are other instructional blogs you would to see!  And remember....you got this!!!

Prep your homeschoolers to be Spanish Savvy!

The moment has come... Your homeschool counselor has added Spanish class to your Homeschool schedule. And the only thing you remember from your highschool Spanish is 'hola' and 'adios'!
Whew!  Good thing I started these super savvy blogs, right?😀

Ok, no time to waste here, stick with me and launch your child into pure Spanish savvy!
First step of success is to encourage your Homeschoolers to love.. Yes love.. that he gets to learn Spanish because not everyone gets this chance. Then talk about how much Spanish he,she already knows (and you too).  This would be a terrific conversation while sitting at your favorite Taco shop on, of course Taco Tuesday! Words you both already know,for example,  taco, burrito, tortilla- you get where I am going with this,  right?
Why the pre prep talk?  Easy.  Because  in all of my 25 years of teaching and tutoring Spanish, there is one majorly  savvy important fact-Attitude is everything!

Next savvy tip, dig out the old map/globe and "travel" around the hundreds of places where super Spanish is spoken.  Then,  talk about the best things about things about those places. I always start of with Mexico because my city borders it and because it rocks!   Easy! Talking points like colorful pinatas delicious churros!  I could go on but I will stop writing and head down there for some!!!!
I remember my daughter and I visiting Tijuana,  Playas, often when she was younger. Each time I made sure to stop by a panaderia/bakery filled with unbelievable pastries, cakes and cookies.  The catch was that the ladies who worked the counter only spoke Spanish.  So,  yes my daughter had to use her Spanish to start munching!
Savvy Tip 3- take total advantage of Spanish story hours at your local library or bookstore.  A great way for your child to make friends and accustom his ear to the melodic sounds of Spanish!

For the older Homeschoolers, investigate Spanish clubs or meetups, or create your own by having a tutor lead onebat a coffee house .  For the younger Homeschooler, a play group with a Spanish speaking leader is ideal.

The emphasis of all these savvy tips is to make Spanish a natural,  normal concept in your family.
Finally,  the last savvy point for today is to sit your older homeschooler down over a frappucino and talk about the money he could make being bilingual in almost any career! Not to mention the plus it will be on his academic and career resume.

Thanks for visiting my blog!   Need more ideas, message me here!!