The Bilingual Baby DVD is a wonderful collection of images to support a voice-over narration of basic Spanish words and phrases. There is no story, but this DVD is surprisingly engaging and entertaining. The live action video of people and animals has wonderful colors and the pacing is just right. It holds a child’s attention and yet it is never too busy or overwhelming.
Do you have children starting Spanish in school? If you are looking for games and activities to supplement what they are doing in class, The Everything Kids’ First Spanish Puzzle and Activity Book has lots of fun ways to practice basic Spanish. Kids who like word games and activity books will love this book. It [...]
I am participating once again in latinaish.com‘s Spanish Friday. Join us! Leí una vez un artículo de Anna Quindlen donde decía que el día más feliz de su vida fue cuando se dió cuenta de que su hijo podía leer. Me identifico complétamente con este sentimiento, porque cuando mis propios hijos aprendieron a leer sabía [...]
Let’s Eat! / ¡A comer! is a picture book in Spanish and English by Pat Mora. This story fits into any number of my classes. It has family vocabulary, food vocabulary, simple structures, a strong cultural component, and detailed pictures that can be used for all kinds of conversation about home and family. The story [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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