For teachers

Lesson plan: «La farolera»

Children play the «La farolera» (“The Lamplighter”) circle game, act out climbing the ladder and lighting the lamp, and count by twos in the «dos y dos son cuatro» (“two and two are four”) part.

Ages: Ages 4–6
Time: 30 minutes
Areas: Getting along and feelings · Numbers and counting · Movement and the body

Opening

Show the picture of the street lamp and explain that, long ago, someone climbed a ladder every night to light the street lamps. Ask: «¿Qué luces ven en la calle cuando oscurece?» (“What lights do you see on the street when it gets dark?”).
Practice the actions: climb an imaginary ladder, hand over hand, and light the lamp with one hand up high, spreading your fingers like a light.
Watch the video once, together, to hear the whole song. Then turn the screen off.

Main activity

Make a circle holding hands and sing the first verse, walking around slowly, without the video.
Two children hold hands and raise their arms to make the gate. On «alcen la barrera» (“raise the barrier”), the Farolera (“lamplighter”) goes under it; on «sube la escalera» (“she climbs the ladder”), the whole circle climbs with their hands; and on «enciende el farol» (“lights the lamp”), the Farolera switches on the flashlight.
On «me puse a contar» (“I started to count”), stop the circle. Sing «dos y dos son cuatro…» slowly, holding up fingers two at a time up to eight, and pause so the group says the next number. Clap through the rest of the sums.
With older children, count people: on «dos y dos son cuatro», two pairs step into the middle; on «cuatro y dos son seis» (“four and two are six”), another pair; and on «seis y dos son ocho» (“six and two are eight”), one more. Count the children in the middle by twos and hold up the number card.
When the song ends, the Farolera hands the flashlight to another child, who becomes the new Farolera. Change who makes the gate, too.

Closing

Sing one last round very slowly and, on «enciende el farol», everyone opens their hands up high like a light; then lower them little by little while the Farolera switches off the flashlight.
Talk about it: “What did the Farolera do? What lights do we turn on at home when it gets dark?”
Color a page from the song’s coloring book and ask each child to tell what the Farolera is doing in their picture.

Materials

A flashlight, to be the lamp
A picture of an old-fashioned street lamp
Large cards with the numbers 2, 4, 6 and 8
Crayons

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What to observe

Stays in the circle and goes under the gate when it’s their turn.
Does the ladder and lamp actions at the right moment.
Says the next number when counting by twos.
Picks the new Farolera from the children who haven’t had a turn.

Adaptations

With 3-year-olds, keep the gate and the ladder and lamp actions; the adult sings the sums and the group claps on each number.
For children who don’t speak yet or who use AAC, use the song’s pictogram sheet: the barrier, the ladder, the lamp and the numbers announce each part of the game.
For children who need to move less, the gate can swing open like a door instead of everyone going under it, and the actions and counting work sitting down.
If the group speaks other languages, count by twos in those languages too, with the same fingers.

For families

Ask families to count things that come in pairs, like shoes or socks, two at a time, singing «dos y dos son cuatro».

If you teach Spanish as a new language

Teach the key words with gestures (TPR): «farol» (street lamp), «escalera» (ladder), «sube» (climbs), «enciende» (lights), «barrera» (barrier), «dos» (two).
Model one line at a time and let students echo it: the counting lines follow one pattern, «dos y dos son cuatro», «cuatro y dos son seis», so students soon anticipate the next number.
Hold up your fingers two at a time and ask «¿Cuántos son?» (“How many are there?”); students answer «¡Cuatro!», «¡Seis!», «¡Ocho!».

ACTFL World-Readiness Standards: Communication (interpretive and interpersonal), Cultures (a traditional game is a cultural practice; the song, a cultural product) and Comparisons (Spanish sounds and words next to your students’ languages).

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