Children can learn lots of Spanish helping you around the house. When my children were small, as we set the table I would ask ¿Cuántos tenedores? How many forks? Cinco. Then we would count them out together- uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco. ¿Cuántos platos? How many plates? Cinco. And again we would count together. The movement, the repetition and touching the objects all contribute to learning Spanish.
Here is some of the Spanish vocabulary that you use to set the table and during a meal:
Vamos a poner la mesa. – Let’s set the table.
el tenedor – fork
la cuchara – spoon
el cuchillo – knife
la servilleta – napkin
el plato – plate
el plato hondo – bowl
el vaso – drinking glass
la sal – salt
la pimienta – pepper
¿Cuántos/cuántas? – how many?
The word cuántos or cuántas changes to match the word that follows. As a general rule, if the word that follows ends in an –o, use cuántos. ¿Cuántos vasos? How many glasses? If the word that follows ends in –a, use cuántas. ¿Cuántas cucharas? How many spoons?
For more information on agreement, take a look at As a rule – nouns, adjectives and agreement.
Elaine
Mar 17, 2010
I love this. I seem to slow down more and really focus on my kids when I am teaching my kids Spanish.