True Friends Slides
¡Bienvenidos! • 4th Grade Spanish Phonics
40-Minute Workshop
🎉 Sonidos y Letras
The "True Friends" of Spanish
Unlock Spanish pronunciation instantly with pure vowels and consonant cognates that make the exact same sounds as English!
🎵
Las 5 Vocales
Pure Vowel Rhythm
🤝
10 True Friends
Zero-Guessing Consonants
🎯
Screen Bingo
¡Lotería Rapid Play!
0:00 – 0:05 Warm-Up & Hook: Pure Vowel Sounds
🗣️ Rhythmic Vocal Chant
✈️ A /ah/ avión
🐘 E /eh/ elefante
🦎 I /ee/ iguana
😮 O /oh/ oso
🐒 U /oo/ uva
⚡
The Spanish Secret Rule
Spanish vowels NEVER glide! Short, crisp, and pure from start to finish!
¡A! • ¡E! • ¡I! • ¡O! • ¡U!
Vocal Gym Echo Routine & Volume Check
Follow the Conductor! 🪄
🤫
1. El Susurro (Whisper)
Say them super quiet like secret spies:
a... e... i... o... u...
🎭
2. Ópera Dramática (Opera)
Big chest voice like an opera superstar:
¡AAA! ¡EEE! ¡III! ¡OOO! ¡UUU!
⏩
3. Adelante (Speed Sprint)
Lightning speed rhythm test:
A — E — I — O — U!
⏪
4. Al Revés (Reverse Blast)
Brain teaser backward power:
U — O — I — E — A!
💡 Teacher Prompt: "¡A!" (Class repeats) • "¡E!" (Class repeats) • Clap hands to maintain rhythmic momentum!
0:05 – 0:15 Direct Instruction: Los Amigos Verdaderos
10 Consonants
ZERO SURPRISES!
Why do we call them "True Friends"?
✅
They make the exact same sounds as they do in English!
🧠
You already know how to pronounce them. Zero memorization headaches!
📖
They connect directly to cognate words that look and sound alike in both languages.
The 10 True Friends
B
D
F
K
L
M
N
P
T
V
Ready to meet each friend? 🤝
English sound = Spanish sound. If you can say it in English, you can say it in Spanish!
True Friends Group 1: B • D • F • K • L
Spanish Cognates
B
⚾
béisbol
/b/
(baseball)
D
🦖
dinosaurio
/d/
(dinosaur)
F
📷
foto
/f/
(photo)
K
🐨
koala
/k/
(koala)
L
🍋
limón
/l/
(lemon)
🔊 Practice Rule: Say the Spanish word, feel your mouth make the exact same first sound as English!
True Friends Group 2: M • N • P • T • V
Spanish Cognates
M
❤️
mamá
/m/
(mom)
N
🎵
nota
/n/
(note)
P
🎹
piano
/p/
(piano)
T
🍅
tomate
/t/
(tomato)
V
🌋
volcán
/b/ - /v/
(volcano)
💡 Native Tip: In Spanish, B and V sound very similar — soft lips together! Easy and friendly!
Chant Routine Letter Name vs. Letter Sound
Call & Response 📣
M
Teacher says:
"La letra EME suena /m/, como mamá."
🗣️ Class Repeats!
F
Teacher says:
"La letra EFE suena /f/, como foto."
🗣️ Class Repeats!
B
Teacher says:
"La letra BE suena /b/, como béisbol."
🗣️ Class Repeats!
⚡ Rhythm Action: Clap on the letter name! Tap desk on the sound! Snap fingers on the cognate word!
0:15 – 0:25 Guided Practice: Guided Phonics Blending
Zero Pressure Zone
NONSENSE WORDS = SUPERPOWER
How to do the 3-Tap Blend
Nonsense words mean zero guessing about what it means. Your brain focuses 100% on the letter-sound connection!
1 Tap 1: Point & make the First Sound
2 Tap 2: Pure Vowel Sound (Cut it short!)
3 Sweep: Slide your finger & BLEND IT!
Example Blend
B
A
M
/b/ + /ah/ + /m/
= "¡BAM!" 💥
Class Signal: When teacher points with two fingers, everyone blends together on the count of 3!
Blending Arena Round 1: Tap • Tap • Tap • BLEND!
Whole Class Practice
Challenge 01
B /b/
A /ah/
M /m/
Blend Together: ¡BAM! 💥
Challenge 02
F /f/
I /ee/
N /n/
Blend Together: ¡FIN! 🏁
🔊 Point & Sound: Remember: Spanish "I" sounds like "ee" in peek! F - I - N → ¡FIN!
Blending Arena Round 2: Rapid Fire Trio
Speed Challenge ⚡
Word 03
M /m/
E /eh/
T /t/
¡MET!
Word 04
T /t/
U /oo/
N /n/
¡TUN!
Word 05
P /p/
O /oh/
L /l/
¡POL!
👏 ¡Excelente! You read 5 complete Spanish words using pure vowels and True Friends!
0:25 – 0:35 Active Game: "Screen Bingo" / ¡Lotería!
10-Minute Battle 🎲
1
Draw 3x3 Grid
Grab your paper or dry-erase board. Draw two lines down and two lines across: a simple tic-tac-toe grid!
# (9 Boxes)
2
Fill Any Order
Choose letters from the screen bank and write ONE per box in any order you want! Make it unique!
A • E • M • P • T • B • O • L • F
3
Listen & Win
Teacher calls the sound or letter name. Cross off the match. 3 in a row yells:
¡LOTERÍA! 🎉
Ready in 60 seconds: Get your 3x3 grids ready! The Master Letter Bank is up next!
Game Screen Bingo Master Board: 9 Secret Letters
Round 1 of 3
A /ah/ • avión
E /eh/ • elefante
M /m/ • mamá
P /p/ • piano
T /t/ • tomate
B /b/ • béisbol
O /oh/ • oso
L /l/ • limón
F /f/ • foto
🎯 Win Conditions: 3 across ➡️ • 3 down ⬇️ • 3 diagonal ↘️ • First to get 3 yells "¡LOTERÍA!"
0:35 – 0:40 Wrap-Up & Exit Mission: Air-Writing!
All Students Stand Up! 🧍
🪄
Giant Magic Marker In The Sky!
Point your pointer finger straight up. Trace giant strokes in the air while chanting the Spanish name!
A
"¡A!"
1. Slant up /
2. Slant down \
3. Bridge across —
Sound: /ah/
M
"¡EME!"
1. Straight up |
2. Down & up V
3. Straight down |
Sound: /m/
F
"¡EFE!"
1. Tall post |
2. Top roof —
3. Middle branch —
Sound: /f/
Final Chant: "¡A - EME - EFE! ¡Sonidos amigos para siempre!"
Mission Accomplished!
Spanish Phonics Milestone 01 🌟
🏆
¡Excelente Trabajo!
You learned all 5 pure vowels, decoded nonsense words like a master, and conquered 10 Spanish True Friends!
5 Vocales
A • E • I • O • U pure sounds mastered!
10 Friends
B, D, F, K, L, M, N, P, T, V unlocked!
Phonics Power
Ready to blend any Spanish syllable!
¡Hasta la próxima clase! (See you next class!) ¡Adiós amigos! 👋
True Friends Bingo Ticket
4th Grade Spanish • Phonics Lab
Lotería de Pantalla: True Friends Bingo
Nombre:
Fecha:
Banco de Letras (Choose each letter once per board): 9 Available Letters
A
E
M
P
T
B
O
L
F
Instrucciones: Write one letter in each box in any order. Listen to the teacher call the sound or letter. Cross off matches. 3 in a row yells ¡LOTERÍA!
1 Ronda 1: Nombres de Letras Board A
Target: 3 in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal)
2 Ronda 2: Sonidos Rápidos Board B
Target: 3 in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal)
Guided Blending Check: Tap, Sound, & Write 3-Sound Tap Formula
Word 1
B • A • M
●●●
Word 2
F • I • N
●●●
Word 3
M • E • T
●●●
Word 4
T • U • N
●●●
Spanish Rule: Vowels never glide (/ah/, /eh/, /ee/, /oh/, /oo/) Página 1 de 2 • Hoja de Juego
Check de Salida • Exit Ticket
Misión Final: Sonidos Amigos
Nombre:
Puntaje: ___ / 10 pts
Complete each section to demonstrate your mastery of pure vowels and True Friend consonants!
1 Air-Writing Mastery: Write & Name (3 Points) Tracing in the Sky
A
Spanish Name:
Sound it makes:
M
Spanish Name:
Sound it makes:
F
Spanish Name:
Sound it makes:
2 Pure Vowel Sound Match (3 Points) Draw a line or write the letter
1. /ah/ like father
Which vowel letter?
2. /ee/ like meet
Which vowel letter?
3. /oo/ like moon
Which vowel letter?
3 Nonsense Word Decoder: Sound it Out! (4 Points) 100% Phonics Power
Break each 3-letter word into its 3 sounds, then write the blended word on the line:
P • O • L Word A
Write the 3 sounds: [ ___ ] + [ ___ ] + [ ___ ]
Blend:
B • E • T Word B
Write the 3 sounds: [ ___ ] + [ ___ ] + [ ___ ]
Blend:
¿Cómo te sientes hoy? / Self-Rating:
🌱 I need practice ⭐ I understand well 🚀 I can teach a friend!
True Friends Teacher Guide
Guía Didáctica • Teacher Facilitation Guide
True Friends Phonics: Lesson Playbook
4th Grade Spanish • 40 Mins
Novice-Low Proficiency
Target: Build instant Spanish decoding confidence by coupling pure vowels with high-transfer consonant cognates.
Timeline & Action Plan Key Classroom Moves
0:00–0:05
5 Mins
Warm-Up & Hook: Vowel Gym
Project Slide 2. Point to A, E, I, O, U with emojis. Lead rhythmic vocal chant. Conduct volume checks: whisper mode (“susurro”), booming opera mode, forward speed, and backward reverse blast.
0:05–0:15
10 Mins
Direct Instruction: The 10 "True Friends"
Introduce B, D, F, K, L, M, N, P, T, V. Explain that these letters produce the exact same sound as English. Use cognates (béisbol, foto, mamá) to anchor phonemes. Run letter name vs sound chant routine.
0:15–0:25
10 Mins
Guided Practice: 3-Tap Nonsense Blending
Model 3-sound tapping (B-A-M → BAM!). Explain that nonsense words remove comprehension anxiety, letting students focus 100% on pure phonics decoding. Practice whole-group with FIN, MET, TUN, POL.
0:25–0:35
10 Mins
Active Game: Screen Bingo (¡Lotería!)
Students fill 3x3 grids from the 9-letter bank on Slide 12. Teacher calls letter sounds or names. Run 2 rapid rounds (Round 1: names; Round 2: isolated sounds). First with 3-in-a-row calls “¡LOTERÍA!”
0:35–0:40
5 Mins
Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket: Giant Air-Writing
Whole class stands. Use pointer fingers as giant sky-markers to trace A, M, and F while chanting Spanish names. Collect Exit Tickets as formative check.
⚠️
The #1 Mistake for English Speakers: Vowel Gliding
English speakers instinctively turn “O” into /o-oo/ (diphthong glide) and “E” into /ay-ee/. In Spanish, vowels are static and pure. Cue students: “Cut the vowel short like a karate chop! Keep your lips frozen from start to finish.”
Verbatim Call-and-Response Scripts Rhythm Routine
Consonant Sound Chant
Teacher: “La letra EME suena /m/, como mamá.”
Students: “¡La letra EME suena /m/, como mamá!”
→ Repeat with FE (/f/, foto) and BE (/b/, béisbol).
Air-Writing Chant
Teacher: “¡Dedo arriba! Tracen la letra A... ¡A!”
