Practical strategies to support acquisition and solve common classroom challenges
If you're using Somos or Vamos, then you already believe in the power of acquisition. These curricula were designed to help students acquire Spanish, naturally, through meaningful, compelling communication. But sometimes, challenges pop up:
- A student misses class.
- You need a low-prep sub plan.
- You want to add reading but don’t want to print anything.
- You’re juggling a wide range of proficiency levels in a single class.
- You want to give your voice (and your feet!) a break.
Garbanzo is The Comprehensible Classroom’s online reading platform, and we created it to help. With over 3,000 interactive lessons for Spanish and English language learners, complete with audio narration, printable resources, and vocabulary tags that align with Somos and Vamos, Garbanzo can be your favorite-ever teacher aide!
Even more, with a Garbanzo Teacher Account, you can see how many lessons students complete, how they perform on comprehension checks, and which questions are stumping them.
Here are 15 concrete ways to integrate Garbanzo into your curriculum and instruction:
Tip #1: Replace a printed reading with a Garbanzo lesson
Instead of printing or projecting a story or reading, assign it in Garbanzo. Students get the same input, but with interactive questions, built-in audio, and tracking.
Example: In Somos 1, Unit 2, use the Garbanzo lesson of La muchacha y la ardilla instead of printing it.
Tip #2: Do a two-pass read: once in class, again in Garbanzo
Have students read a text independently in class or as a whole-group shared reading. Then assign the same reading in Garbanzo for reinforcement. The repetition supports acquisition, and the interactive format adds depth.
Example: Read El Cucuy together during class, then have students complete the Garbanzo version that night. They’ll encounter the same language and ideas again, but with structured questions and audio support (at the Premium level).
Tip #3: Read together in Preview Mode + discuss questions
Project a Garbanzo text in Preview Mode, and read it together as a class. Discuss the embedded processing questions as a class! Students stay engaged, and you get built-in comprehension checks and processing support. This style of Shared Reading is a great way to model reading strategies and vocabulary decoding!
Tip #4: Use the full-text audio slide for a listening activity
While logged into your teacher account, open a lesson in Preview Mode and pop it up on the projector. Go to the last slide with the full text, mute the projector screen, and play the audio. Students can listen to the full text of the lesson and:
- Illustrate what they hear
- Identify main idea and details
- Listen for key structures
- Jot down questions or summaries
Tip #5: Use the Word Cloud to preview vocabulary
Before reading, show the lesson’s Word Cloud, which is a Premium feature. In the target language, ask students to identify familiar or unfamiliar words, or to predict the topic of the lesson. Using Garbanzo’s Word Clouds like this is an engaging, low-prep way to activate prior knowledge.
Tip #6: Compare different versions of TPRS stories
Many Somos units include a TPRS®-style story script that is designed for classes to create a unique version of a basic story plot. Garbanzo includes multiple versions of most Somos stories! After you’ve created your class story, assign some of the parallel stories from Garbanzo for independent reading. Have students compare and contrast the two.
Example: After doing the class-created story in Somos 1, Unit 3, assign two Garbanzo stories that use the same story plot! Have them choose their favorite or compare plots. With a Premium Subscription, you could even print the Garbanzo versions and have students read them on paper and illustrate them!
Tip #7: Use printable images from Garbanzo lessons
At the Premium Subscription level, each Garbanzo lesson has a printable version, which includes the full text of the lesson (paragraph-style formatting) as well as a printout of all images from the lesson. Use the images for:
- Story retells
- Picture sequencing
- Writing prompts (write new stories using the images, describe what’s happening, etc.)
Tip #8: Build a thematic Biblioteca with unit-tagged lessons
Each Somos and Vamos unit has a tag in Garbanzo. Add all the lessons with the unit tag to your class Biblioteca (Premium Feature), and let students choose what they want to read. This access to Free Choice Reading material provides students with exposure to Core Vocabulary and Incidental Unit Vocabulary in new contexts, allows them to dive deeper into topics that interest them, and provides more contextualized, communicative input with student choice.
Tip #9: Use Garbanzo for Free Choice Reading twice per week
Set aside 10 minutes, twice a week, for students to self-select Garbanzo texts. It supports fluency, builds confidence, and gives you breathing room. And, bonus! It gives you time to take attendance or check in individually with students who need you <3.
In addition to assigning unit-aligned lessons, encourage students to explore the Garbanzo library based on their personal interests. This builds engagement and gives students autonomy! As the teacher, you get to choose which lessons students can access by selecting what goes into their Biblioteca. From there, they can click into lessons that they want to read and read them as many times as they want!
Tip #10: Assign Core Paths for independent progression
If you have a mixed-level class or want to give students a clear independent path to proficiency, assign Garbanzo Core Paths. These sequenced lessons guide students from Novice Low to Intermediate Low with intentional vocabulary and structure progression. Use it as part of an RTI/intervention plan, to build literacy for heritage learners, and for independent study or asynchronous learning.
Tip #11: Assign Garbanzo instead of make-up work
When students are absent or behind, assign a Garbanzo lesson that aligns with your current unit’s target structures. It’s meaningful, input-rich recovery work… and it’s done for you, ready-to-go!
Tip #12: Differentiate for mixed-level classes
The reality is, every class is a mixed-level class. Students in a class always are at different levels of interpretive ability! Especially if you have a class that is intentionally mixed-level, Garbanzo will be a HUGE help for you. Assign Garbanzo lessons based on student needs, for extra challenge or extra support. You can assign lessons to individual students or create Classes in Garbanzo that group students by proficiency level for fast, small-group assignment.
Tip #13: Introduce or reinforce culture topics
Garbanzo includes hundreds–HUNDREDS!--of informational texts that tie directly into and expand on cultural themes from Somos and Vamos units.
Example: When teaching Somos 2, Unit 8 on the Panama Canal, assign Garbanzo nonfiction lessons on the same topic to build background knowledge in Spanish.
Tip #14: Extend thematic units with connected readings
Garbanzo includes additional stories that use the same vocabulary or expand the topic.
Example: After teaching El Cucuy, students can read Garbanzo stories about other monsters, fears, or legends using similar structures.
Tip #15: Plan ahead for sub days
Garbanzo makes sub days soooo easy! Whenever we are at conferences, teachers stop by the booth to say, with a smile, “Guess what my kids are doing today!”. Assign specific lessons to students or leave instructions for them to choose what they want to read in their Biblioteca or keep chipping away at a Core Path sequence.
More input, fewer hurdles
Every strategy above is designed to replace, extend, or enhance what you’re already doing with Somos or Vamos. You don’t need to add more to your plate; just tap into the tools already available to you.
Try Garbanzo free:
Don’t have an account? Start a 30-day trial.
Start a 30-day trial with Garbanzo!
Already subscribed?
Use your Premium Subscription to build a class Biblioteca, explore tags, or assign your first Core Path today.
Request a District Quote:
If your district is already using curriculum from The Comprehensible Classroom, contact us for a quote to get your teachers set up with Garbanzo, too.
