Dear Parents,
Hello, my name is Greg Reynen. I teach 3rd-5th grade Spanish Novice. Please save this email for future reference. This information is on my website, which is linked in all my emails
About me: I am from Minnesota in the US. I have been teaching Spanish in the Elementary school since 2013. My wife Erin cares for our children James and Betsy and leads one of the mom’s group at our church. I love spending time with my family at home or out in nature. I also enjoy road and mountain bike riding and rock climbing.
The Spanish Novice Class is designed for students who are new or fairly new to Spanish and the focus is oral proficiency. Some students come in with Spanish experience at other schools and the content is similar at the beginning, but before long they are learning new things and growing in their speaking ability.
In the Novice class it is particularly important to develop the discipline of using Spanish and avoid using English. Also, since I speak Spanish 90% of the time in class, it is important for students to focus on what happens in class and use the visual resources provided. By the end of the year, students who do these things are more likely to show evidence of being ready for the Intermediate class (i.e. they have reached Novice 3 proficiency and are able to demonstrate creativity with the language).
Students become ready for the Intermediate class at different times. Many are ready after one year in the Novice class, some are ready earlier, and some need more time. Whatever the case, we move students when they are ready and when the transition makes sense. Elementary school children have the tremendous advantage of time so we challenge them, support them, and give them the time they need at each level.
Homework and Helping your child at home: If you speak Spanish, please practice with your child. Otherwise, the very best thing for beginners to the language is lots of input they can understand despite the language barrier. I suggest 10 minutes a day of practice with the resources below. All of them are fantastic, but they require screen time. I try to limit screen time for myself and for my children, so I understand if you want your child to opt out.
Contacting me is most efficient by email, but I recognize that email lacks the human touch. If you prefer to talk about something over the phone or in person, please let me know so we can arrange a time. I will do likewise.
If you have questions or concerns about any of the above, please let me know.
Gracias,
Greg Reynen
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