It’s a familiar dilemma for educators: so much rich material to explore, yet never enough class time. This past spring, while planning for my Spanish 4 class, I faced the common challenge of selecting comprehensible readers. Torn between the engaging narratives of Selena and Santana, I found myself asking: Why Not Both In Spanish class? Initially questioning the practicality, this approach turned out to be surprisingly effective. Here’s a breakdown of how we successfully navigated teaching with dual readers.
Setting the Stage for Dual Readers
Preparation was key to introducing two books simultaneously. Approximately two weeks before diving into the readings, I initiated a “book talk” for both Selena and Santana. I highlighted key features for the students: both were comprehensible readers with glossaries, they were similar in length, and each offered compelling storylines that I believed would resonate with them.
To involve students in the selection process and pique their interest, I distributed copies of both books. I then instructed them to spend five minutes reading the back cover and the beginning of chapter 1 for one book, followed by another five minutes doing the same for the second book, encouraging them to switch and compare. After this brief exploration, students indicated their initial preference via an online form. This step not only gave me insight into student interests but also began the process of engaging them with both texts from the outset. With student preferences noted, I began preparing to teach using both books, embracing the “why not both” philosophy.
Implementing the ‘Why Not Both’ Strategy
Several practical strategies were essential for managing two books in the classroom.
Simultaneous Games
One unexpectedly useful technique was running simultaneous learning games on platforms like Gimkit, Blooket, and Quizlet Live. While it required a slight adjustment to manage, we quickly adapted to creating two separate game sessions – one for each book. This allowed students to engage with content relevant to their chosen book while still participating in class-wide game activities.
Chapter Chunks
Drawing inspiration from an English teaching colleague, we moved away from a chapter-by-chapter reading schedule. Instead, we divided each book into larger “chunks” of chapters. This approach maintained the narrative momentum and prevented the reading from feeling drawn out, especially given our alternating-day class schedule where a single chapter per day could feel slow. For Selena, we broke the book into these sections: chapters 1-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-10. Santana was similarly divided into chunks: 1-4, 5-9, 10-12, and 13-15. This chunking strategy proved crucial for keeping students engaged without feeling bogged down in the details.
Study Guides and Materials
Although teacher’s guides would have been beneficial, I created my own study guides and materials for each chapter chunk. These resources included vocabulary support, guiding questions to aid comprehension, cultural investigations to deepen understanding, and personal connection prompts to encourage student reflection. Students utilized these materials while reading and working in small groups during class time.
Alt: Student feedback highlighting positive experience with dual book reading method.
Shifting Classroom Dynamics
One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching with dual readers was the change in my role. I transitioned from being the central lecturer to a facilitator of learning. With students working in a mix of semi-independent and small group settings, I was free to circulate, providing targeted support to groups that needed more assistance while allowing more independent groups to progress at their own pace. This flexible approach catered to diverse learning needs within the classroom, enhancing the overall learning experience.
Enhancing Engagement with Varied Activities
To complement the reading, we incorporated a variety of whole-class activities throughout the unit to maintain engagement and reinforce learning across both books.
Song Activities
We integrated two song activity packs, each focusing on one of the featured artists. These packs, available for download (Corazón Espinado by Maná & Carlos Santana & Como la Flor by Selena), allowed students to connect with the cultural context of the books through music and lyrics, further enriching their understanding.
SmashDoodles
Midway through the unit, we implemented a SmashDoodles activity. This visual and kinesthetic activity served as a dynamic review of the material covered so far in both books. It encouraged creative expression and provided a break from traditional review methods.
Speaking Assessment
For a speaking assessment, we utilized an activity inspired by Carrie Toth’s “Real Conversation with Discussion Thursday” (this activity). This small group speaking task promoted authentic communication and allowed students to demonstrate their comprehension and engage in meaningful discussions related to the books.
Alt: Student feedback showing appreciation for the choice and engagement in reading.
Graphic Novel Project
Finally, students worked on a re-enacted graphic novel version of their chosen books. This project, which will be detailed in a future post, offered a creative and collaborative way for students to synthesize their understanding and retell the stories in a visual format.
Key Takeaways: The Benefits of ‘Why Not Both’
Our experience with teaching two books simultaneously yielded several significant benefits.
Firstly, the intentional gap in preparation time before starting the unit was invaluable. It provided ample opportunity to thoroughly read both books, divide them into manageable chunks, and develop comprehensive supporting materials. This upfront preparation was crucial for the smooth implementation of the dual-reader approach.
Secondly, students reported a notable increase in their confidence in tackling longer Spanish texts. Particularly after the challenges of pandemic learning, this confidence boost is a significant outcome. While both Selena and Santana are designed for lower-level classes, they proved to be perfectly suited to the needs and skill levels of my Spanish 4 students, allowing them to build upon their existing abilities.
Alt: Student feedback emphasizing increased reading confidence and enjoyment.
Finally, student feedback overwhelmingly favored this method. Exit surveys revealed positive sentiments towards having a choice and enjoying the reading experience, reinforcing the effectiveness of the “why not both” approach. Inspired by this success, we are implementing this strategy again with Minerva & Felipe Alou. Moving forward, I plan to incorporate even more intentional conversation opportunities and encourage greater collaboration as we explore these new texts, particularly focusing on comparisons and connections between the books given their similar time periods.
For further ideas, you can explore previous posts detailing activities used with Felipe Alou and the film In the Time of Butterflies:
Introduction to Felipe Alou
In the Time of the Butterflies, part 1
This dual-reader strategy has proven to be a valuable and engaging method for enhancing the Spanish learning experience. Embracing the idea of “why not both” can open up new possibilities for enriching curriculum and empowering students.
