Exploratory Spanish How to Teach with Icons
Exploratory Spanish: How to Teach with Icons
Oct 14
Teaching Exploratory Spanish—the stage where students encounter the language for the first time—comes with its own set of challenges. If you are using one of our Exploratory Spanish resources with semantic anchors at the end of your resource, you are in the right place. Our foreign language resources are rich with authentic audio narrations and graphics, if you need to take a quick look at how to use the vocabulary in your Exploratory Foreign language resource, simply click here: Exploratory Spanish Audio vocabulary, How To Use them in your classroom
Today you are going to learn how to use semantic anchors to teach your students how to read Spanish without grammar! This is a different strategy that I adapted to all of my exploratory Spanish lessons, regardless if you are teaching Spanish, Italian or French - this method will work! If you are teaching the March weather lesson or Christmas foods, all of them will have audio supported semantic anchors to guide students speech.
I wanted something better than the same old text-heavy, grammar-first approach. I visualized every roadblock a beginner might face and asked myself: How can we make Spanish feel approachable, even before students understand the rules? That’s when I turned to icon-based instruction and semantic anchors—a strategy that pairs visuals with language to reduce cognitive load and enhance retention.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how semantic anchors work, how I integrate them into lesson design, and why this visual approach helps young learners build real language fluency before they even realize they’re learning grammar.
Why Grammar Is So Hard for Beginners
Teaching grammar to students in upper elementary or early middle school can feel like swimming upstream. Here’s why:
Students encounter unfamiliar vocabulary and structure in the same sentence.
Without visual context, meaning is hard to infer.
Working memory becomes overwhelmed as students juggle spelling, pronunciation, and comprehension.
Grammar rules often feel abstract and are taught in isolation.
As a result, students lose confidence, forget quickly, and struggle to engage. I created my icon-based resources to break that cycle and build lessons that support real understanding from the start.
sample of icons from our Exploratory Spanish Christmas Resource
What Are Semantic Anchors?
Semantic anchors are icons, emojis, or images that visually represent core words or concepts in a sentence. For example, a heart might represent gustar, or a blue/pink icon might show masculine/feminine agreement. The icons will depict vocabulary specific terms the students are learning in that specific lesson.
These visuals act as cognitive “handles”—they give students a mental picture to associate with a grammar concept or vocabulary word. As students speak, listen, or read, the visuals help them retain meaning by spreading the cognitive load between language and imagery.
Grounding in Dual Coding Theory
This method is supported by Dual Coding Theory, developed by Allan Paivio, which explains how the brain processes information through two complementary channels: verbal and visual.
Verbal channel: Words and sounds
Visual channel: Symbols, images, icons
When students see an icon and hear the word simultaneously, they form two mental representations. This improves recall, comprehension, and fluency over time. (Learn more about Dual Coding Theory)
Me gusta and no me gusta, students read Spanish grammar with icons and choral reading
Slide Design: Color-Coded Grammar & Iconic Task Flow
In my lessons, every slide includes:
Icons representing verbs, subjects, and objects
Color coding (e.g., pink for feminine, blue for masculine) to help learners see gender agreement
Task flow headers like “Escucha → Piensa → Repite” to guide students through the speaking process
These visual cues reduce confusion, build habits, and create consistency across lessons. The layout is predictable and clean so students know what to do—even before fully understanding the Spanish text.
Day of the Dead Choral Icon Reading
From Listening to Speaking: Choral Icon Reading
Let’s say the slide shows Me gusta el pan de muerto with supporting icons: a heart (for me gusta) and bread for the object. The steps are:
Listen to a model sentence
Think about what each icon means
Repeat the phrase in a choral format, pointing to each icon
This “Listen → Think → Repeat” cycle supports pronunciation and builds fluency. Over time, students develop a habit of speaking with purpose and understanding—not just guessing or parroting.
Gradual Release of Responsibility
As students grow more familiar with the icons and their meanings, I begin removing scaffolds:
The audio model plays once instead of multiple times
Students produce sentences without teacher modeling
We introduce new sentences using only icons, prompting students to build meaning on their own
This gradual release encourages independence while reinforcing the idea that meaning is the goal—not just memorizing rules.
Example: Day of the Dead / “Me gusta / no me gusta”
One of my favorite seasonal sets includes icon-based practice for me gusta and no me gusta. Students read, listen, and repeat sentences like:
Me gusta la calavera (with a skull icon)
No me gusta el altar (with a visual of an altar)
Icons guide the structure, while the repetition builds accuracy. You’ll find that even students who don’t yet “know” Spanish can confidently read and produce full sentences.
Tips for Success
Start small: Introduce a few icons at a time.
Use consistent symbols: Repetition builds recognition.
Involve movement: Let students gesture or point to icons.
Ask metalinguistic questions: “Why do we use una here?” to prompt awareness.
Spiral review: Reuse icons across units so students see them in new contexts.
Ready to Use This in Class?
If this approach sounds like a fit for your classroom, I’ve created complete Exploratory Spanish lessons using these methods. Each unit includes:
Fully designed icon-based Google Slides
Color-coded grammar cues
Choral reading routines
Spanish audio with clear pronunciation
Lesson flow built around semantic anchors
You can find them all on my Teachers Pay Teachers store:
👉 Explore My Exploratory Spanish Icon-Based Resources on TPT
