Here's how I handle all things alphabetical in my classes.
Introducing the alphabet is a breeze in second grade because of "transfer." The children are very familiar with the shapes of the letters and the initial and final consonants sounds that are identical/almost identical in English.
I introduce the vowels first before any of the consonants. The fact that vowels sound differently in another language really captures their attention.
I use this authentic rhyme:
A, a, el burro* se va. (A child acting as the burro or holding a burro walks around a bit.)
E, e, el burro se fue. (Then the child quickly hides behind something.)
I, i, el burro está aquí. (The teacher points to a place and the burro goes
there rapidly.)
O, o, el burro llegó. (The child again walks around a bit.)
U, u, el burro eres tú. (The child points to another child in the room to take
his/her place.)
*I sometimes substitute la vaca for el burro. This substitution is, in turn, a nice way to introduce/reinforce the differences between b and v -- "b de burro" and "v de vaca"
A child pantomimes (with my guidance initially) each line of the poem. The children love to disappear from view in line two and giggle when someone is chosen as the next burro.
I also use five extra-large, decorated pieces of poster board. On each poster is a giant vowel. I line up five chairs and have five children sit on each chair. Then I choose a child from the rest of the class to say one of the Spanish vowel sounds. Of course, the children tend to say "o" most of the time initially because it is familiar, but I make a rule that they must not use the same vowel twice. If a child hesitates, I whisper one in his/her ear or ask another child to do the same and the child repeats it aloud. When the vowel sound is said, the child with the correct vowel poster stands up quickly. We applaud the vowel and say "!Viva la __ ! The pace increases and the children have a lot of fun seeing the vowels go up and down in front of the class. Of course, "e" is the most difficult. I usually jump in and give that one if it has been neglected.
I have used the silly, fun song "Una mosca" by José Luis Orozco to review the vowels in second grade at the end of the year. We act as flies and use different flying motions or speeds with our arms as all the vowel sounds change in each verse. The children as fascinated to see the actual lyrics written out. I cover the vowels and the children replace them according to the particular movements for the verse. Each verse of the song changes with vowels so that the children see the fun effect of the changing sounds. For example, part of the first verse is Una mosca en la pared. The second verse is Ana masca an la parad. The third verse is Ene mesque en le pered. The fourth verse is Ini misqui in li pirid. The fifth verse is Ono mosco on lo porod. The sixth verse is Unu muscu un lu purud.
To teach the entire alphabet, I use two large poster boards with fifteen Spanish letters and appropriate initial sound pictures on each one. For a novel approach, I teach the alphabet starting with the letter "s" since I teach under the name of Señora S. The children delight at that unexpected twist.
Regarding the construction of my alphabet boards...
Each letter has a separate card about 4x6 with the letter in upper and lower case with an illustration. The picture has been carefully chosen to match the list of goal vocabulary words for grade two. The card has two holes punched in the top and is attached to the poster board with yarn so the letter can be easily turned over by means of two punched holes on top. Don't tie too tight as each card must be able to be flipped easily to the other side. On the reverse of each card is a question mark (for Spanish I use both the upside down and the rightside up question marks.
I emphasize the object as well as a vocabulary item because I have purposely selected nouns directly from the curriculum, i.e. "q de quince." It's necessary to make perfectly clear for the children the fact that "qu" refers to the letter and that the number fifteen is the picture for the initial sound. For example for "q," I say "qu de quince." I point to the letter and say "qu" and write a giant "q" in the air. Then I point to the picture of the number 15 and say, "Es quince." I hold my hand with four fingers and thumb extended and open and close my hand slowly three times (5x3=15).
And -- I always teach a gesture with each letter to speed memorization via TPR. For example, for P de pájaro, the children flap their arms like wings. For Z de zorro, the children draw a Z in the air in a swashbuckling manner like Zorro de California from the TV series and the film.
I introduce each letter individually. The children hear the pronunciation of the Spanish letter the first time when I call attention to the individual letter. They learn most of the letters quickly because they are cognates. The children first learn the name of the letter; second, the name of the particular picture that accompanies the letter; and third the TPR movement to accompany it.
I teach at least four to five letters a week. We recite to the end of the alphabet and then even go backwards which the children love and is a real challenge. In all of the classrooms I teach in, there is an above-board chalkboard of letters in the English alphabet that the children refer to to get help. That's fine, too, as the children are comparing/contrasting which is an important part of learning a new language.
Now and then, I turn a small group of cards over, the children shut their eyes, and then open them. They must tell me what letters are missing. (But the alphabet always stays in order on my giant chart.) Once the alphabet is really learned, I turn over all the letters over, except the vowels, and have children find where particular letters are. They really like this type of detective work. When I turn cards over, the children see question marks on the opposite sides of the cards, showing gaps in the alphabet, and have to remember the letter that are missing.
For example, I say to the children, "Cierren los ojos." The children must put their hands over their eyes or put their heads down on the their desks. Then I might turn over "j, l, s, w." I then say, "Abran los ojos." The children excitedly open their eyes and look at the alphabet chart to see what's missing. Then they must name the missing letters as well as the accompanying objects. Sometimes a child comes up with the object without the letter sound or the letter with out the object. That's OK; I ask another child (who I suspect truly knows) to help the other child by whispering the letter in that child's ear; they both receive credit for a correct answer and good teamwork.
Although there are some new letters in the Spanish alphabet, the overall order is the same as in English. This activity really reinforces alphabetical order skills so necessary in their regular language arts classes. This board comes in handy also when we play a game of "la lotería del abecedario" as well because we keep track of the letters that have been called. Find more information here for playing lotería.
In third and fourth grade we do short repetitions of the above during the first few months of the school year. I teach them the formal syllabary first using consonants that sound (almost) like English. I look for simple words in their thematic units to reinforce their identification and production of the essential syllabary. I have designed a "rueda de palabras" (word wheel) with which the children manipulate five small attached piles of letters to spell out simple Spanish words.
I like using songs like "La mar estaba serena" also available by José Luis Orozco (A group of children paddle around the class with a life-size teacher-made canoe and two paddles made of flexible corrugated paper. Two children precede/follow them with waves.)
Charlotte Diamond also has a very good vowel-changing song for Halloween /
El día de los muertos called Estaba la muerte un día.
There is also a popular consonant-changing children's song called
"Eme, a, ma," from Spain. The core verse is:
Eme, a, ma.
Eme, e, ma, me
Eme, i, ma, me, mi.
Eme, o, ma, me, mi, mo.
Eme, u, ma, me, mi, mo, mu.
Now change the consonant -- Ese, a, sa or Erre, a, ra or Ele, a, la, etc.
I found a variation of the tune that I use on the Internet. I presume there are more variations, also. I make up a small poster for each part of the syllabary which a child holds up during the song. The following link contains a worksheet for this song:
I have also created a new hands-on activity called "Alphabet Sarape." Click here.
Lastly, I just discovered a song that would integrate nicely in a Christopher Columbus or sea/ocean unit called "Anclas, patanclas."
These songs keep the children aware of the vowel sounds, the syllabary, and the sound system in general while enjoying learning Spanish.
