Mary-Joan Gerson is the author of Fiesta Femenina. This book of traditional Mexican stories has received many awards including: the 2002 Amelia Bloomer Project List, NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People (2002), Top Ten Children’s Books on Women’s History, Booklist (2001), Kansas State Reading Circle Selection (2001-2002), and Voices from Around the [...]
Fiesta Femenina is a collection of captivating stories with wonderful characters. They are drawn from the legends of the indigenous people of Mexico and the book is a celebration of the strong women central to these traditional tales. The stories also illustrate the cooperation and kindness that are the essence of Mexican culture and enchant [...]
Ana Lomba’s guide to teaching preschool Spanish has been updated and is now available. This guide is for anyone teaching children Spanish in a school or private program, and it addresses preschool and school-age children. Spanish for Preschoolers explains how to create effective lessons based on an understanding of how children learn language. All of [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Teaching Spanish to kids is amazing fun, but it can be taxing. We all need materials to draw on and to motivate us. One of the best resources available is Ana Lomba’s Spanish for Preschoolers and there is a new edition on the way! Ana is a recognized authority on teaching language to children and [...]
I love using story sticks with kids learning Spanish. The pictures reinforce what they hear, and the movement helps them process the language. Children use the stick to order pictures of a story as they listen. These printable templates are free, the sticks are simple to make, and they are based on great books. Also, [...]
I am a big fan of mini-books, so I was happy to see that OnlineFreeSpanish.com has added a selection of bilingual mini-books to their website. I was even happier when I saw that these books include online Spanish audio! Printable mini-books let kids make the language their own. They can color the pictures, read the [...]
I am so impressed by how fun and useful Douglas Wright’s poems are with Spanish language learners. I love authentic language that really works with my students! Douglas Wright is a well-known children’s author and illustrator from Argentina. As a humorist, artist and author, his work consistently includes literature suitable for many levels. I also [...]
These are my favorite bilingual picture books to read to kids. Margaret speaks English and Margarita speaks Spanish and reading aloud the story works! The story line depends on both characters and both languages. It is an ingenious idea and the author, Lynn Reese, managed the concept beautifully to create these two lovely books. The [...]
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