A text-rich environment is very important for children learning Spanish. One of the difficulties of teaching Spanish as a minority language is that children are not exposed to the written language the way they constantly see signs, labels and advertisements in English. It is important to keep an interesting, changing flood of Spanish text at home and in classrooms. Here are 15 ways to create a world of Spanish words in your home. 1. Make [...]
If you read your children picture books that have been translated from English to Spanish, you have probably had moments when you were disappointed by a translation or felt that the experience they were getting was somehow not as rich or authentic as it would have been in English. In the case of Quienquiera que seas, the opposite is true. The Spanish translation is better than the original English, and the English is great. I [...]
Whoever you are is a beautiful book with a moving message about our common humanity. It is by Australian author Mem Fox. Quienquiera que seas is the equally beautiful Spanish translation by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy and a wonderful book to read with any child learning Spanish. Spanish language learners enjoy Quienquiera que seas for the same reasons that make it a good tool for learning Spanish. The central idea is that [...]
This is a song with pictures, perfect for the very littlest children learning Spanish. Luna has the words luna (moon), sol (sun), caracol (snail), girasol (sunflower), ruiseñor (nightingale) and corazón (heart). The idea of labeling common objects to a familiar tune is one that you can easily adapt and use with your own pictures. The tune here is a variation of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. In general, words used in context are best for language [...]
Learn Spanish with Pictures helps children learn Spanish by talking about pictures in a structured way. The description of this photograph of cats lets children hear and understand the Spanish words because they can see the picture. Following the photos, as in all the Learn Spanish with Pictures activities, there are questions that are ordered to help children master the vocabulary and gain confidence with the language. First, Describe the photo (1). Be sure to [...]
This is a quick, simple activity to review food vocabulary with children learning Spanish. Tengo hambre y quiero comer is based on the memory game kids play in Spanish called Me voy de viaje, but uses pictures to provide a visual reminder of the meaning of the words. I play it with groups of 4-8 students and up to 20 food words, but it also be done with two or three children. Of course, it [...]
Por lo general no me gustan los juegos. El ajedrez y los juegos de cartas no me interesan lo suficiente como para concentrarme. O es lo que me digo para no admitir que son difíciles y no los entiendo muy bien. La estrategia no es mi fuerte y mucho menos perder. La excepción son los juegos de palabras en español. Me encantan. Son caros, pero todos me parecen una inversión excelente. Es una impresión sin [...]
This song about summer is a good example of authentic language that can be used effectively with Spanish language learners. It is from Músicaeduca and they have lots of other resources to use with children of a variety of ages and language levels. Many thanks to them for permission to embed the video! The simple chorus of Verano y sol (Summer and Sun) can be used as a song in itself and has a lot [...]
I am always on the look out for pictures to use to teach Spanish to children. Ideally, the pictures are scenes of common situations with several people. They need to have enough detail to provide a context for what we say and to help kids practice common Spanish vocabulary and different structures. It is great if they can be printed, copied and colored. I use pictures like these for lots of activities, from games to [...]
Hoy me junto a un grupo de blogueros que escriben en español los viernes. Spanish Friday se llama. ¿Cómo se van a relacionar estos artículos con el contenido de Spanish Playground? Como lo veo, muchos pasamos los días metidos en el mundo de los niños, enfocados en como crear un ambiente que facilita el aprendizaje del idioma. Nos fascina (lo digo en serio), pero a veces no nos damos tiempo para disfrutar del idioma como [...]
You can use this simple dice game to practice specific vocabulary with children who are learning Spanish. To play this game, everyone needs a copy of the same picture. You will also want to have a copy of the picture to use as a key that everyone can see. I have included two coloring pages that you can print and use below, but any picture will do. To play, assign objects in the picture a [...]
What is your ringtone? You might want to try something different when you hear this one. This idea is from the new blog Children and Parents Having Fun in Spanish Together. It is an example of how you can have your child record a ringtone in Spanish and English. I think it is really cute, and it also is a clever way to let a child use her bilingual skills. This is a brand new [...]