Children need to hear the past tenses in Spanish over and over before they can use them. There are two past tenses in Spanish and context will determine which one is correct in any given situation. Listening to narration in the past a child begins to understand the difference in the two tenses, but it takes extended exposure to both Spanish past tenses in context to be able to produce them accurately. Reading stories, watching [...]
This bilingual edition of My Friends/Mis amigos by Taro Gomi has Spanish and English on facing pages. It is an enchanting book, and a wonderful way to expose children to lots of Spanish. In terms of vocabulary, the book teaches animals in Spanish, and also the infinitives for many common Spanish verbs. I love the concept of this book– a child recounts learning essential skills from her friends, tracing the accomplishments of learning to walk, [...]
Escoge una mascota (choose a pet) is an interactive online activity that exposes children to lots of Spanish vocabulary and grammar. This activity teaches the structure of gustar, animals in Spanish, and also uses four very common Spanish verbs: correr (to run), nadar (to swim), buscar (to look for) and jugar (to play). The game consists of the question ¿A cuál mascota le gusta…? (Which pet likes to). Then, it asks about an activity that [...]
Children naturally play with language as they learn, experimenting with Spanish rhyme and rhythm. In English, they say “See ya later, alligator” and “After a while, crocodile”. They also make up rhymes and sayings with their friends. The expressions are often nonsense. Children say them for the sound of the language. There are lots of Spanish rhymes like this, and children enjoy learning them because they are fun to say. These are some of the [...]
These activities for learning body parts are part of the website created by the Instituto de Tecnologías Educativas which is part of the Ministry of Education in Spain. They are intended for native Spanish speakers, but work well with Spanish language learners too. The Spanish audio is excellent and each game uses small sets of vocabulary. There are four activities focusing on different sets of Spanish words for body parts. Two activities limit the vocabulary [...]
Counting is one of the first things that many children learn in Spanish. It is logical that they learn the question ¿Cuántos? (how many) at the same time. This is a question that even very young children can understand and answer if there is a context that makes it clear. Use the verb hay, there is/ there are, to form a simple question. You can practice this question in many situations. You can ask “how [...]
Highlights has many printable hidden picture activities on their website. Kids like looking for the hidden pictures, and these can be good Spanish language-learning activities. As you repeat the word and point to the small clue picture, your child sees the object, hears the word, and has the concept present as she searches for the object in the bigger scene. She associates the image and the language, and she understands and learns the Spanish word. [...]
Do you know that feeling of wanting something different for your class? Sometimes I know that I need a high-interest activity, something that will break the routine, engage the children, and at the same time provide real content in Spanish. The songs by Victor Hugo Santos are a resource that I turn to again and again when I feel that need for something fun, yet substantial. Kids love to sing these songs, and there is [...]
This is a game that involves odd and even numbers, guessing, and counting in Spanish. It is called Pares o nones (evens or odds) or Par o impar. The phrase pares o nones is most often used in gambling. I teach número impar for odd number. To play, give each child about 12 small objects in a bag or cup. Beans work well, but you can use anything that a child can easily hold in [...]
Spanish rhymes, like eeny-meeny-miny-mo in English, are an easy way to add Spanish to your home or classroom. These are choosing rhymes, or counting-0ut rhymes, and are used to start games. They are fun for children to say, and teach them Spanish pronunciation and rhythm. There are many different rhymes like these and many variations of each one. De tin marín, is the most common of these Spanish rhymes in Latin America, and my children [...]
Traditional features of many picture books make them excellent Spanish-language learning tools. For example, illustrations that support the Spanish text and the repetition of grammar structures are features that teach vocabulary, word order and the rules of syntax. This online book in Spanish is a great example of how technology can provide new features that contribute to the language learning process. In addition to traditional elements, this story is interactive. On each page, the child [...]
Saco una manito (I take out one hand) is one of the first songs that many Spanish-speaking children learn. Even before they can talk, very small children do the hand motions as their parents sing this song. In Mexico and Spain, the diminutive of la mano (hand) is la manita. In those countries, the song uses la manita instead of la manito. I teach this song early in my classes because it helps children learn [...]