Knowing the days of the week in Spanish allows children to understand and communicate important information. That is why the days of the week are some of the first vocabulary taught in beginning Spanish classes. You can teach your child the days of the week in Spanish and use that vocabulary to talk about family activities. Here is some useful information about the days of the week in Spanish: The days of the week are [...]
This short, simple song asks the sun to warm the Earth. It is a good example of how word families extend a child’s vocabulary as she learns Spanish. Children can hear the relationship between the common words calor (heat) and frío (cold) and the verbs calentar (to heat something) and enfriar (to make something cold) that are used in the song. Also, most children are introduced to the word sol early in their contact with [...]
This activity is from Manualidades para niños; thanks to them for the permission to embed the video! Make this sun with your child and at the same time provide the opportunity for her to listen to and understand native-speaker Spanish. Your child hears Spanish as she listens to the instructions, and the images make the meaning of the language clear. Follow these simple steps to make the most of the craft as a language-learning activity. [...]
There are several versions of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in Spanish. Children love this familiar song, and both versions use basic vocabulary and structures. Choose the version that most appeals to you and sing with your child! If you are learning Spanish with your child, you can search Estrellita donde estás on You Tube and listen to many versions. That is good way to hear the correct pronunciation. Here are the words and a literal [...]
I love this pretty little song in Spanish.. It captures a child’s puzzlement at the changes in the moon and its coming and going. I also like the confidence it shows in Mom to be able to explain things! The phrase yo no sé or no sé (I don’t know) is vocabulary that all parents, and children, can easily add to their daily routines. If children learn this irregular Spanish verb form when they are [...]
Oso bajo el sol is the bilingual edition of Bear in Sunshine. Like the other Bear books in this series the illustrations are fanciful and full of details that create a world that appeals to children and adults alike. In addition to pictures that support the Spanish words about weather and the seasons, there are stars, flowers and animals to point out and to count. The bilingual edition includes Spanish vocabulary words and a pronunciation [...]
This Spanish song is short, simple and always popular with even my youngest groups. It lends itself to actions that reinforce the words the children are singing including día, noche, sol, luna, pequeña, mayor, frío, and calor. You can see the actions in the video. The kind people at Yo canto y bailo está canción have given me permission to embed this video. The words and a translation follow. La luna es muy pequeña y [...]
Variations of familiar games are an easy way to incorporate Spanish into the day. The game Duck,Duck,Goose is a good example. I play this game in class in Spanish with the phrases buenas noches and buenos días. One child moves around the outside of the circle saying buenas noches as she touches each child on the head. The children in the circle should be “sleeping,” keeping their heads bowed. At some point the child who [...]
Day and night, sun and moon – these natural rhythms establish a child’s sense of time and daily routine. It is also vocabulary that children acquire at a young age. el día – day la noche – night el sol – sun la luna – moon la estrella – star These common words are easy to use with your child. Try these phrases: On a sunny day: Hace sol. It’s sunny. When you see the [...]