Since adopting an ice cream metaphor to talk about  performance and proficiency with my students, my favorite phrase to encourage students on assessments or when they are writing is:  “SCOOP IT UP!” 

To go along with this theme, we have created these proficiency level posters that teachers can’t stop raving about.  It’s an easy way for students to see the difference between novice levels and intermediate level-type performance. Teachers have been making bulletin boards and are loving the visual that makes ACTFL’s proficiency levels kid friendly.

Download the posters as-is or purchase an editable version to suit you.

Let’s break it down: think of a baby eating ice cream. At the novice level, he may be spoon-fed by a parent. He can’t do much on his own and is reliant on his parents putting the ice cream in his mouth (memorized words). He may move from getting a spoonful, to taking a bite of a popsicle, to licking a cone as the parents holds the item.

At the Intermediate stage, the child is able to hold his own ice cream. However, this stage is very messy as the student is just beginning to create with the language. He may end up getting his face covered in ice cream or it dripping down his hand. However, the child is still satisfied because a majority of the ice cream ends up in his mouth/belly.

An Advanced stage ice cream eater might be someone who is able to fully eat the ice cream without creating a big mess (although it still may drip) and add numerous toppings and flavors. He is not content with just the single chocolate scoop.

A Superior stage ice cream eater might be someone who enters ice-cream eating contests and wears a bid even though they rarely spill. They can eat a huge amount of ice cream without getting an ice-cream headache or upset stomach.

And to go along with Proficiency, we are please to announce our new line of stamps from SpanishTeacherShop.  Mark your students’ paper according to their performance level. We have a set featuring the ice cream scoops, as well as a set featuring cultural places throughout Latin America, and a checklist of proficiency levels.
 

To go along with this, we also a “level up” lesson where we give students techniques that help them grow from a novice level performance to an intermediate performance.