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Middle School Students Share Spanish Skills and Experience with Lower School Students

This week, nearly 45 sixth graders had the opportunity to display their language skills to Lower School students as part of a cross-divisional World Languages project.

Ranney students start their World Language curriculum as Kindergartners, where they are introduced to Spanish as well as French and Mandarin Chinese. In second grade, they choose which of the three languages to study in-depth throughout their Lower School years and, when they transition to Middle School, they have the opportunity to try a new language or continue with their current course of study. As sixth graders, this group of students had an average total of six years of experience reading, writing and speaking Spanish.

The students spent a week creating and writing original short stories in Spanish and finished their project by reading the stories aloud to fifth graders as well as first graders who are also learning the language. After sharing their stories, the sixth graders talked with the Lower School students about what Middle School level Spanish is like. The project therefore achieved a second goal by providing fifth-grade students with a specific preview as to what kinds of language skills they will be covering when they move onto sixth grade next year.

“Not only were the fifth-grade students able to see first-hand how the older students are able to write their own stories in Spanish, but also they had a chance to experience the quality of vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure that Middle School students learn,” said Lower School Spanish Teacher Jeannette Cordero. “Next year, the fifth graders will be able to use the strategies they employed this year, such as using video technology to review and improve their presentation skills, when they create additional projects.”

Added Middle School Spanish Teacher Karen Britto, who spearheaded the sixth-grade project, “In the World Languages Department, we like to create as many practical applications for students to use their Spanish skills in real world ways. Oral presentations such as this project help students to feel more comfortable using a new language so that they are able to use it in business, travel and further academic pursuits.”
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society. 

We envision Ranney School as a nurturing learning community, in which families, faculty, alumni, and all of Ranney’s constituents collaborate to know and value every child, foster individual talents, sustain powerful connections between children and adults, and graduate resilient, globally-minded citizens.