This printable Spanish organizer is an activity to help children think about a character they will pretend to be. Kids love finger puppets and other kinds of imaginative play and creating a character is a perfect way to practice personal questions. You can find links the organizer and to printable finger puppets at the end of this post.
Speaking for a puppet or character is an great language activity, but it is hard to create a character in a second language on the spot. When kids can think through the basic information before they start, imaginative play becomes more fun and fluid. I use simple graphic organizers with elementary school age students and it works really well. They enjoy creating the character and they have the chance to add details they probably would not include otherwise.
Below you will find a link to a printable organizer for basic personal information to use with beginners. In that situation, meeting each other, it makes sense for both (or all) of the characters to ask and answer the same questions. The organizer helps children create the character and reminds them of the questions they will ask and hear. In the center, where it says Soy, children put an identifying noun like Soy una princesa or Soy un lobo (lots of my puppets are animals).
You can use organizers as preparation for speaking activities for different situations and vocabulary. For example, one person can have certain things like clothes, food, or furniture. The other person needs things because she is cold, or hungry or has a new house. This is an excellent way to practice Necesito, ¿Tienes?, Tengo, ¿Puedo usar/comprar?
On the organizer they list the things they have or the things they are going to ask for before they have the conversation. The result is a basic information gap activity, but the children have a hand in creating the interaction. The preparation of thinking about what their “person” has or needs makes the conversation easier and more fun.
Link to graphic organizer for personal information questions.
Link to blank graphic organizer to write in prompts for other situations.
Links to finger puppets for speaking activities
People finger puppets – This set of finger puppets has a family and common animals. It also has teaching suggestions for ESL that can easily be applied to teaching Spanish.
Family finger puppets
Finger puppet characters from stories – These finger puppets are from Inkless Tales. There are characters from Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Bears.
You may also be interested in this post: Free Activity Book for Teaching Children Spanish
