April is National Poetry Month in the United States. It is an excellent time to share poems in Spanish with children who are learning the language. Poetry does not have to be abstract or use figurative language, which can be hard in a second language. It can be clear, relate directly to kids’ experiences and use everyday words. In addition, carefully chosen poems let children experience the sound and rhythm of Spanish at the earliest [...]
April is National Poetry Month. Poems are a wonderful way for children to hear and speak Spanish and enjoy the rhythm and sounds of the language. Spanish language learners can read and listen to poems and with support they can also write their own. Here are a few ways to share poetry in Spanish with children during National Poetry Month. 17 Ideas for Sharing Spanish Poems with Kids 1. Watch videos of animated poems or [...]
Preschoolers love imaginative play, so we do lots of it in my classes. One game that is always a big hit is when we pretend that our pets are hurt and need una curita, a band-aid. We practice Spanish body parts with this activity and I also teach the traditional saying Sana, sana colita de rana, si no sanas hoy, sanarás mañana. All you need to play are felt band-aids and a stuffed animal for [...]
These two sets of printable Spanish cards have pictures of words that rhyme. There are thirty pairs, sixty words in all. The cards can be used in lots of different ways. I made them without text for a group of preschoolers and added text for a mixed age group. You can download and print both sets using the links below. Rhyming is an important pre-literacy skill and an ability that should be developed in children [...]
Si yo pongo mis dos manos para arriba is a rhyme that children learn in preschool in Latin America. The actions perfectly reinforce the meaning of the words and it is an easy rhyme for little children to learn. This is an excellent video of the Spanish rhyme Si yo pongo. The images exactly correspond to the words and the audio is clear and slow. The words are on the screen, but I included them [...]
Este dedito compró un huevito (this little finger, or toe, bought an egg) is a Spanish rhyme that you say as you play with a child’s fingers or toes. It is a traditional rhyme and one of the most common games to play with little children. It is perfect for preschoolers and older kids too because it has lots of rhythm and great verbs. Older kids can do it as a finger play. This rhyme [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Spanish rhymes are fun to say and teach lots of language. They can teach basic vocabulary, numbers and letters. There are lots of Spanish rhymes to teach the vowels, and this is one if my favorites. Tomorrow I am flying to Peru visit my daughter for a couple of weeks. As you can see, this rhyme is relevant! While I’m in Peru I plan to spend time looking at books, games, and educational materials. Also, [...]