Hello everyone!
I need some advice. I teach a Primary class for 5- and 6-year-olds. Recently, a family moved into our ward with their 5-year-old girl, Nina (name changed, privacy, all that). She only speaks Spanish, and she's too young to be in Kindergarten, so I don't think she's learning English in school, either.
I feel really bad because I speak approximately *no* Spanish (I've got "Hola" and that's about it) and the other little kids don't speak any Spanish either. So basically I'm just some strange woman in a strange classroom that speaks to her in a language she doesn't understand for an hour, which makes me sad.
I make an effort to smile and make sure she's included in games and activities, but I'm not sure how to reach out to her and make her feel welcome, loved, and happy.
So -- if anyone has suggestions on how to teach a multilingual classroom or how to learn Spanish for the purpose of teaching these classes, your comments are very welcome!
Thank you so much. :)