The website Presencias de Música is a wonderful resource for anyone teaching Spanish to children. The site is maintained by a group of volunteers, under the direction and supervision of Prof. Pablo Bensaya of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The purpose of the site is to provide resources for music education to teachers in countries, or classes, where the first language is Spanish. However, the material that they have made available is also a resource to those [...]
Expressions of courtesy are a part of our daily interactions. If a child is learning Spanish, these polite words should be part of her vocabulary. By learning a few basic words and phrases, children can understand and use appropriate Spanish expressions of courtesy in most situations. It is polite to greet others with one of the following phrases: Buenos días – Good morning Buenas tardes – Good afternoon Buenas noches – Good night When asking [...]
Spanish poems for children are a wonderful way to share culture and language with language learners. Spanish-speaking countries have a rich tradition of reciting poetry (declamar un poema or una declamación). Many children learn to recite poems from the time they are very young, and there are contests for all age groups. Reciting Spanish poems for children teaches vocabulary, pronunciation, expression, and instills an appreciation of poetry. There are wonderful videos of children, and adults, [...]
This activity consists of listening for a letter or number, and then clicking on it. It is intended for native speakers, but is a good listening exercise for Spanish language learners. Each phrase that you hear begins la letra….or el número…Hearing and identifying these words, your child narrows the set of possible answers, and focuses on either the letters or the numbers. It is a simple version of “listening for the main idea.” This activity [...]
You can turn this routine worksheet into an effective Spanish learning tool by using the pictures in different ways. This is a worksheet with pictures to cut out and glue in a labeled space on a second worksheet. The activity consists of matching the picture of a common object to the Spanish word and is meant for native speakers who are beginning to read. These pictures can be used effectively with Spanish-language learners. The goal [...]
These online activities are designed for native Spanish speakers, but they work well for Spanish language learners. Because the activities have audio, children learning Spanish can hear and imitate correct pronunciation as they learn the vocabulary for parts of the body. The images give the language context, so that the meaning of the words is clear without translation. To make the most of the activities, be sure to repeat the Spanish words with your child. [...]
Mi carita redondita is a song about the parts of the face. It is sung to the tune of “Oh my darling, Clementine” and there are several versions. You can search carita redondita on YouTube and hear lots of children singing this song. Here is one great video with the lyrics and a translation below. I have also included links to a couple of other versions that I like, with the lyrics and a word-for-word [...]
Spanish poems for children help kids produce correct grammatical structures that they might not use spontaneously. When children learn and recite poems they absorb the deeper patterns of the language. Also, short verses can be combined with actions that help children internalize the meaning of vocabulary. Here are several short Spanish poems for children about the parts of the face, and the five senses. I have included word-for-word translations for meaning, with no attempt to [...]
It’s only advertising. Let it go. That is what I told myself today as I read the description of a computer program that promises your child will be “near fluent in two years.” That is what I always tell myself when I read products that say “your child will be bilingual,” or “your child will be fluent.” Is it that marketers have a different understanding of these terms than educators do? No, marketers use “fluent” [...]
If you have ever misplaced your keys, you know how you think of the word “where” as you search for them. Where did I put them? Where could they be? Where did I last see them? The same experience makes these lift-the-flap books in Spanish excellent language-learning tools. All of them ask ¿Dónde está? (where is…). All of them involve looking for something. This is the perfect way to teach dónde because the action of [...]
This simple game is called Encuentre el bebé (Find the Baby). Each screen presents a different scene, such as a living room, or the park. You and your child click where you think the baby might be hiding. The game asks in Spanish ¿Puedes adivinar dónde está el bebé? (Can you guess where the baby is?). You will see the question on the screen and hear the Spanish audio. Repeat the question ¿Dónde está el [...]
There are several children’s songs in Spanish that teach or reinforce the question word dónde (where). These songs also teach estar, the Spanish verb for “to be” that is used to express location. ¿Dónde están las llaves? (Where are the keys?) is a traditional song with several versions. It can be a game played by a group of children, a clapping game, or used for jump rope. It is a very fun song to sing [...]