Spanish was a language that The Barracuda decided he wanted to learn. I don't exactly know why, but apparently Dora and Deigo weren't cuttin' it. Full on language learning was necessary and Rosetta Stone is a bit sophisticated/boring for a high energy five year old.
I took some Spanish in college and Jules was an English as a Second Language teacher when he first started teaching. We both know just enough Spanish to realize we have very little clue how to speak. If he or I became stranded in a Latino country, we wouldn't die but life would suck quite a bit. This has meant that quite a bit of Spanish learning has been required of us parents, as well.
Thank goodness for the library!
Our local library system has a small section of books which are written in either all Spanish or Spanish and English together. These resources have been invaluable in helping to begin teaching the Barracuda the language. I wouldn't even know where to begin without them.
Below is a list of the first two (and currently the best) books we have found.
This book is simplistic enough that you don't get lost in all the verbiage. Each page starts with the same phrase "Que forma tiene(n).....?" What shape is......? Then on the following page there is a full color piece of artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When you turn the page it answers for you "Circulo!" "Triangulo!" "Estrella!" and has sections of other famous works which have the same recurring shape.
Definitely something our speed. The language is simple, but not babyish. The Barracuda can identify the shapes in English and easily understand their translation into Spanish. Even better, we now have developed the game "Que forma tiene?" and play it everywhere.
"Mom," he will say, "Que forma tiene the sign over there?" "Rectangulo!" I will respond.
"Barracuda, Que forma tiene la rueda en ese carro? the wheel on that car?" "Circulo!" He will scream. This game makes him very happy and is slowly building his vocabulary.
I took some Spanish in college and Jules was an English as a Second Language teacher when he first started teaching. We both know just enough Spanish to realize we have very little clue how to speak. If he or I became stranded in a Latino country, we wouldn't die but life would suck quite a bit. This has meant that quite a bit of Spanish learning has been required of us parents, as well.
Thank goodness for the library!
Our local library system has a small section of books which are written in either all Spanish or Spanish and English together. These resources have been invaluable in helping to begin teaching the Barracuda the language. I wouldn't even know where to begin without them.
Below is a list of the first two (and currently the best) books we have found.
Formas de Museo by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
This book is simplistic enough that you don't get lost in all the verbiage. Each page starts with the same phrase "Que forma tiene(n).....?" What shape is......? Then on the following page there is a full color piece of artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When you turn the page it answers for you "Circulo!" "Triangulo!" "Estrella!" and has sections of other famous works which have the same recurring shape.Definitely something our speed. The language is simple, but not babyish. The Barracuda can identify the shapes in English and easily understand their translation into Spanish. Even better, we now have developed the game "Que forma tiene?" and play it everywhere.
"Mom," he will say, "Que forma tiene the sign over there?" "Rectangulo!" I will respond.
"Barracuda, Que forma tiene la rueda en ese carro? the wheel on that car?" "Circulo!" He will scream. This game makes him very happy and is slowly building his vocabulary.
Terrible terrible Illustrated by Gabriela Rubio
Quite a cute story which is cleverly translated in English. There are two boys, one a blue bear (oso azul) and the other a red tiger. The blue bear speaks Spanish, the red tiger speaks English. The boys are bickering over who is the strongest, who can do the most things, who is the best. Each boy says the exact same thing; one page in Spanish the opposing page in English.
"Mi nombre es Alejandro. Soy un oso azul terrible!" says a boy in a blue bear suit holding his stuffed blue bear and walking in on the first page. "My name is Alexander. I am a terrible red tiger!" says another boy in a red tiger suit holding a stuffed red tiger and walking in from the opposite side of the opposing page. The language is simple, but lively. The Barracuda had no trouble reading any of the English words, which really helped with his engagement.
They jump, roar, spin. They hide under the bed and in the closet. They go up and down. They wind up being friends at the end of the book. It is a great story that describes so well the interactions of boys. It also does so with wonderful illustrations which provide excellent context clues. Since each page has both the Spanish and English the Barracuda can use the pictures along with the words he can read to make the Spanish connections.
The Barracuda really liked all the action in the book and it gave us a few new phrases. The verb puede is written all over as they boys describe what they can do. The bear can Un oso puede over and over. We have tweeked this phrase into "I can" Yo puedo and now go about trying to one up each other in silly ways. The Barracuda will say, "Yo puedo make a silly face," and scrutch up his nose while sticking out his tongue. I will respond with "Yo tambien puedo!" ("I can, too!") and then make my own silly face. I will be doing the dishes or something and call out to the Barracuda, "Yo puedo saltar! jump!" and jump up as high as I can. He will come bounding out of his room and scream "Yo tambien puedo!" and jump in place half a dozen times.
We are currently looking into a few more that have to do with colors or other common question words. We will keep the list updated as we go and find more.
"Mi nombre es Alejandro. Soy un oso azul terrible!" says a boy in a blue bear suit holding his stuffed blue bear and walking in on the first page. "My name is Alexander. I am a terrible red tiger!" says another boy in a red tiger suit holding a stuffed red tiger and walking in from the opposite side of the opposing page. The language is simple, but lively. The Barracuda had no trouble reading any of the English words, which really helped with his engagement.
They jump, roar, spin. They hide under the bed and in the closet. They go up and down. They wind up being friends at the end of the book. It is a great story that describes so well the interactions of boys. It also does so with wonderful illustrations which provide excellent context clues. Since each page has both the Spanish and English the Barracuda can use the pictures along with the words he can read to make the Spanish connections.
The Barracuda really liked all the action in the book and it gave us a few new phrases. The verb puede is written all over as they boys describe what they can do. The bear can Un oso puede over and over. We have tweeked this phrase into "I can" Yo puedo and now go about trying to one up each other in silly ways. The Barracuda will say, "Yo puedo make a silly face," and scrutch up his nose while sticking out his tongue. I will respond with "Yo tambien puedo!" ("I can, too!") and then make my own silly face. I will be doing the dishes or something and call out to the Barracuda, "Yo puedo saltar! jump!" and jump up as high as I can. He will come bounding out of his room and scream "Yo tambien puedo!" and jump in place half a dozen times.
We are currently looking into a few more that have to do with colors or other common question words. We will keep the list updated as we go and find more.
Labels: Other Non School, Spanish
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