From reading to assessments: 4 Classroom Strategies from SCOLT: Part 2

Last week, I shared four essential takeaways from SCOLT 25 that are at the heart of the strategies I will share with you today. These ideas and takeaways will help us stay consistent and energized when bringing new strategies into our classroom. You can click here to read more about these ideas. 

Today, I’m sharing 4 classroom strategies that are:

• Grounded in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research
• Joyful and engaging for students
• Easy to implement with clarity and intention

Let’s jump in!

1. “No me digas” – The Reading Game That Sparks Joy

I learned this strategy from Annabelle Williamson (aka. La maestra loca), and she learned it from Kate Walker. This strategy is pure gold for reading with purpose and connection.

Here’s how it works:

• Create 5–6 short texts that sound unbelievable — think Guinness World Records or viral “Did you know…?” facts. Make sure 1 is fake.
• Read each one aloud, slowly and with expression.
• After each text, ask your students personalized questions that make them connect the text with their lives.  That will help release a lot of dopamine which creates engagement and joy.

One of the texts that Annabelle shared with us was about pizza and she asked: “What is your favorite ingredient in pizza?” To the surprise of many, some of us said “pineapple”, and immediately we looked at each other thinking: you must be from Colombia. 

Those are exactly the moments that connections make dopamine flow in our brains causing more joy and consequently engagement. 

• After reading all the texts, students discuss in small groups: Which one do they think is fake?
• Reveal the fake one, and bring in a visual or article to confirm the real ones.

My twist:  Last Friday, I tried this in my class but since it was Friday, and usually my student’s attention span is short, I decided to write 5 texts about incredible houses in the Spanish world and make up one. I put the texts as a gallery walk, and gave my students a graphic organizer to take notes about the houses. The goal was to identify the fake house. 

It was a success! This process let me do more picture talks with more input and at the end a Map Talk to locate all the houses around the world.  

Why it works:

• Students listen with a purpose
• You get lots of reps on essential structures
• Students connect emotionally (dopamine!)

2. Story Mapping for Deeper Comprehension

In the session from Kaley Hayat and Julimar DeLeón, I learned so much about fun and drama based strategies for our classes.  

Kaleb shared one amazing strategy called StoryMapping. This is a flexible activity that helps students process and revisit what they read.

How it works: After reading a text (chapter, article, biography, etc.), students complete a story map with four sections:

• Characters: Draw and describe using 3 adjectives or more depending on the level.
• Setting: Describe when and where the story happens. You can even add a research element for real places.
• Key Events: Summarize 3–5 major events using transition words.
• New Words: List and define 5–10 new words from the reading.

Kaleb mentioned how this activity works very well if students had read the text before with the teacher so comprehension has been established. Then students re-read the text to create the story map.  

Since students are working in groups, I highly recommend assigning roles to each student so we keep them accountable.  For example, one student can be the leader, one the vocabulary master, and one check back on the text for text-based evidence. Also, having students use different color markers to identify who does what can be useful. 

Why it works:

• It allows for repeated reading and builds reading stamina
• Students learn to organize and reflect on input
• It helps you differentiate and scaffold output without jumping into full-blown writing.

3. Let Students Choose Their Rubric

How many times have you had this question:  

How can my assessments reflect the reality of my students’ proficiency levels? This idea from Liza Hyatt and Johanna Jiménez answers that question because it helps us assess mixed proficiency levels without lowering the bar or setting unrealistic expectations.

Liza learned this strategy from Rebecca Aubrey a few years ago at ACTFL.

Here’s the setup:

• Teach your students about proficiency levels. I have been doing that for the last five years, and it works so well. And if you need a refresher in the new changes of the 2024 ACTFL descriptors, check out our episode with Maris Hawkins.
• Create simplified rubrics for Novice Low, Mid, High, and Intermediate Low or the levels applicable to your classes
• Before an assessment, students choose which rubric they’ll use!!! 

For example, if you are in Spanish 2 class and your proficiency target level is Novice High that will be equivalent to a B. Intermediate Low will be an A and novice mid will be a C. However, if you have a student at novice mid level, that student can select the novice-mid level rubric. This way, students will easily achieve the target level with a B but will be challenged to work to be a novice high which will be an A.  

When we allow students to select their proficiency level rubric, we are recognizing that language acquisition is developmental and that students can still be successful in the class even if they come at a proficiency level lower than what is expected. I think that’s so powerful. 

Why it works:

• Students take ownership of their learning
• You’re able to challenge high-proficiency learners and support those still developing
• The activity stays the same — only the expectations shift based on the proficiency levels.  If the activity is to describe, every one in the class is describing but at a different level. 

🔁 For more on this idea in practice and the concept of allowing students to show us what they can do, listen to my episode with AnneMarie Chase about assessments.

4. Content-Based Calendar Talk for Building Knowledge

Let’s finish this blog with one of my favorite activities: calendar talk.  Calendar talk is one of my highly effective routine activities in my class that can be leveraged to be more than dates and weather. 

Calendar Talk is a chance to build cultural knowledge and global awareness in the target language.

I shared these three extensions we can use in class when using Calendar Talk:

1. WEATHER ➡️ CLIMATE + ENVIRONMENT
   Use this weather site to explore weather around the world. Compare seasons in different hemispheres, talk about extreme weather, and ask questions like:

• What is the weather in Colombia?  Why is it so hot in Cartagena and so cold in Bogotá?  Are there seasons in Colombia?
• Why is Argentina’s fall during our spring?
• And, when your community experiences extreme weather, ask about the consequences, the causes and make more cross-curriculum connections

2. DATES ➡️ REAL EVENTS
   When looking at the calendar and the different dates, instead of just asking “What day is it?”, ask “What’s happening today in the world?” 

I love to use my Calendar and click on the links for each day and discover with my students about each day. You can check out my Calendar Talk for April 2025 here or just check out my TPT store for the current calendar talk. 

But since April is here, these are some examples of things that can be discussed in class using the target language to build knowledge and connections. In April, for example:

• National Poetry Month → I will be introducing an amazing cuban poet, Nancy Morejón
• Día del Español → Explore how Spanish varies across regions
• Día del Arte
• Día de la Tierra
• An more…

3. KNOWLEDGE CHECK ➡️ REFLECTION
   Ask students: “What did you learn today that wasn’t about grammar or vocab?” You’ll be surprised at what sticks — especially when it’s meaningful, relevant knowledge.

Why it works:

• Helps you use the language for a communicative purpose: learning about the world
• Increases student curiosity and global awareness
• Makes your class feel real and relevant

Listen to the Full Episode on Calendar Talk for more examples!

A Note on Routines:

One thing that I kept listening to in all the sessions was about routines. Routines aren’t “just one more strategy”. They are the anchors in our classes that will allow you to feel in control in your class without the question: what am I going to do tomorrow?  You have your columns and you can add things in between.  

Routines create the predictability our brains need to feel safe and focused. In an acquisition-driven class, routines reduce cognitive load, help manage class energy, and create space for true engagement.

In my 90-minute block, routines like Calendar Talk and class closings give structure without limiting creativity. Because when you know how you’re starting and ending each day, it frees you to be flexible in the middle.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with one solid routine. That consistency will pay off in student confidence — and your own well-being.

Final Thoughts

Whether you try one or all of these strategies, remember:

• You don’t have to start from scratch
• You can make each strategy your own
• Clarity, not complexity, is what keeps us going

You can find all the episodes and resources mentioned here:

• Episode 139: The 4 Big Takeaways
• Episode with Maris Hawkins on ACTFL Descriptors
• AnneMarie Chase on Low-stress Assessments
• Full Episode on Calendar Talk

If this blog post helped you, share it with another teacher or tag me on Instagram @claudiamelliott.

Keep teaching with joy, purpose, and heart.

And if you need more support and you´re a Spanish teacher, join the waitlist of Growing With Proficiency The Spanish Teacher Academy to be the first one to know when we open doors and more surprises.