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The Primavera English Blog

Flashcard Fun

Janean Fischli, May 20, 2025

Some of the favorite resources of our young learners’ teachers are flashcards. They are […]

Where the wild things are

Hela Goodwin, February 19, 2025

Last week at Primavera English we wrapped up our Colonia de Vacaciones program with […]

Parachuting?

Janean Fischli, December 16, 2024

It is December again and our kids activity classes are in full swing. This year, one of the teachers was inspired to make a parachute...

Island. Why don’t we say the “s”?

Janean Fischli, November 7, 2024

In Old English, the word for land surrounded by water was igland, which later became iland. However, mistaken English scholars changed the spelling...

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Turn Around

Evelyn Koppschall, April 12, 2024

There’s a reason we remember children’s songs and skip rope chants long after we cease to be children. Children’s brains are more receptive to growth, and the music, rhythm, and joyful memories that accompany the words of a song or skip rope chant help to stamp the words into a child’s memory forever...

Matti

Hela Goodwin, March 1, 2024

Meet Matti – the newest member of the Primavera English team. He lives out in our yard and loves to eat peanuts and fruit. He’s super friendly...

Five More Minutes

Evelyn Koppschall, April 13, 2023

Five o’clock p.m. is a close, fetid time of day, when the cobbled roads steam and the concrete walls of buildings seethe with foul hot air. I’m sitting in my classroom, trying to look perky, my hair tucked wetly behind my ears, when my student walks in...

The Art of Learning

Yolanda Wegner, February 6, 2023

There are many ways to absorb a new language and practice the words and rules of English as you learn them. One of these ways is through creating art together. In the context of English class, I have the privilege of helping my student to discover her talents and beautiful gift for creating things...

Star Gazing to Splatter Paint

Ana Meier, January 10, 2023

The vocab for the last week had been astronomy, gaze, universe, telescope, reflect among others. Time to move on but one more class of review was needed, the final tap of the hammer on the nail. All weekend long my brain weaved in and out of various topics concerning life and the general upheaval of the world but somehow, it always returning again and again to this specific class; how can I make these words interesting so ten-year-old Felix remembers them?...

Why Should Kids Have Hobbies?

Emily Thomson, August 24, 2022

We at Primavera English believe it is essential for kids and adolescents to have hobbies, or creative activities that they can enjoy in their free time. Not only do hobbies help kids learn problem solving and life skills, but they can also be great educational opportunities...

Meet the Teachers!

Emily Thomson, July 22, 2022

We love our teachers! Primavera English’s dynamic young staff have agreed to answer a few questions so you can get to know them better...

It’s All Fun and Games

Emily Thomson, June 6, 2022

Who doesn’t enjoy playing games? This is one of our most important resources for English classes with young learners. At Primavera English we have an extensive collection of board games, card games, and party games (not to mention running games) that can be used in class to practice grammar concepts, review vocabulary, or...

How-To Writing: English in the Kitchen

Shana Goodwin, April 8, 2022

Recently, one of my students and I have been learning about process writing, or how-to writing, which can be a great, accessible place to start writing instruction. Read on to discover a fun how-to writing lesson plan that includes spending a good portion of class time in the kitchen!

Celebrating Pi Day

Everett Button, March 15, 2022

Yesterday at Primavera English we celebrated Pi Day, which is a special day for math fans. It is Albert Einstein's birthday and also celebrates Pi (π)...

A Letter Journey

Michelle Cavanna, January 24, 2022

Besides sending us on imaginary adventures, this fun activity provided good descriptive writing practice and taught Val the basics of letter writing (an ancient but useful – and classy! – skill). We hope you enjoy reading our letter journeys!

A Cycling Adventure

Hanna Cavanna, January 4, 2022

Today I want to tell you about a project I am very excited about. Yesterday my son Denton and husband, Reuben, set off with another father-son duo on a bike expedition from Asunción, Paraguay, to the Atlantic coast at Curitiba, Brazil, a journey of one thousand kilometers. Besides being an amazing adventure, the trip is a fundraiser for the PROED-SERVOME school in Bella Vista, Asuncion...

Pizza at Primavera!

Emily Thomson, December 13, 2021

Who doesn’t love pizza? Last Friday evening, we invited our teen students to join us for a pizza party. But what made the event fun was that each student made their own pizza (or pizzas) themselves! This was a great way to practice food and cooking vocabulary, and learn some new culinary skills in the process...

Trick or Treat!

Michelle Cavanna, October 29, 2021

Last night we hosted a crowd of witches, pirates, princesses, and their parents in an October celebration, the first of its kind here (to my memory). Several families in our neighborhood opened their doors to the young visitors to give them candies or cookies. Many of our young English students stopped by to eat...

Celebrating 1OO Days to Christmas

Michelle Cavanna, September 18, 2021

Learning a language is not only about studying grammar and expanding your vocabulary. It’s important to learn about the traditions and customs of the countries in which that language is spoken as well – and fortunately, that’s a very fun thing to do! This week we invited many of our young students to a party...

New Staff Member: A Beta Fish

Jeanette Bazeley, September 4, 2021

Meet the newest staff member at Primavera English! This beautiful blue beta fish now lives in one of our classrooms, where he delights students of all ages. The younger students are enthralled to watch him eat the fish food they give him, and he never misses the chance to show off his lovely colors...

A Roundup of Our Favorite Online Resources for Teaching ESL

Shana Goodwin, July 8, 2021

When I’m preparing for class, it’s sometimes overwhelming how many online ESL resources exist, […]

Why I Always Include Running Games When I Teach Kids’ English Classes

Michelle Cavanna, June 7, 2021

Running games are an amazing learning tool, giving children a way to have fun, vent some of their energy, learn English vocabulary, and practice teamwork...

Meet Messi, Assistant English Teacher

Janean Fischli, May 25, 2021

My young students’ favorite part of class is visiting Messi, our resident parrot and assistant English teacher. During class, we often go outside and spend a few minutes talking to Messi...

Learning from the Ancients

Emily Thomson, April 28, 2021

As part of our European geography unit, my class and I delved into the mythical world of Greek gods and goddesses. Along with a lot of new vocabulary, my students gained wisdom from the ancients!...

A Universe of Fun

Carissa Cavanna, March 16, 2021

As well as teaching English, I love painting and art projects, so I was excited to hear that my middle school-aged students shared my passion...

English You Can Eat

Michelle Cavanna, January 15, 2021

The best learning happens actively! When I wanted to teach my students about gardening, we collected...

Making Christmas Cards over Zoom

Hanna Cavanna, December 30, 2020

Several weeks before Christmas, a student and I made Christmas cards together over Zoom. First, we painted...