Spanish Easter Activity

March 28, 2013

easterproject1

It’s Semana Santa and we did this simple Easter project to build Spanish vocabulary, spelling and conversation. Thanks to Mommy Maestra and SpanglishBaby for providing free printables! I also printed free Easter images from First Palette and created this for the boys.

easterproject2

Diego did the Mommy Maestra’s Palabras plurales first and we read the SpanglishBaby vocab and coloring sheet to Santi.

eaterproject3

Diego used the vocabulary words to identify the images I glued down. I made sure to scatter them around and repeat some of the images so he can write the vocab words over and over.

easterproject4

An activity for all ages! Diego and I helped review colors in Spanish for Santi. We spoke Spanish for over thirty minutes!

easterproject6

easterproject7

Eventually, Diego stopped looking at the worksheets to write the Spanish words!!

easterproject9

Diego waiting patiently for el color rojo!

You can do these types of Spanish vocabulary projects with any theme! I think I’ll do a Spring one next!

Have a fantastic Easter weekend!!!

10 Comments Filed Under: Arts and Crafts, Education, Kids Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Book Review #5-Bilingual Is Better

March 26, 2013

bookcover
Bilingual is definitely better; a lot of us know it, but we also know it isn’t easy! One of my very first posts on this blog was about the things we do at home to reinforce Spanish with our  boys. That was a year ago and I am revisiting once again because in our home we all need a little push. The discussion has continued here throughout the year and I have reached out to friends who, like me, were born in the United States and consider themselves first-generation Mexican-American. I reached out to find our their secrets, their struggles and their success stories. Our children, the second generation, LIVE in English. So how do we stay focused and on track?

A few months ago, I learned that the authors of Spanglish Baby published Bilingual Is Better: Two Latina Moms on How the Bilingual Parenting Revolution is Changing the Face of America and I knew I had to get it, read it, and share what I consider highlights of the work of Ana L. Flores and Roxana A. Soto:

[Read more...]

15 Comments Filed Under: Books, Education Tagged With: , , , , ,

Corazoncitos

February 1, 2013

corazoncitos1

When Diego came home from school a few days ago, I had these construction paper hearts cut out and ready for him. I asked him to tell me what he loved the most in his life right now. We then made a list and translated the words to Spanish. We also translated common Valentine’s Day words. Most importantly, this small project definitely opened up a cute conversation between the two of us.

corazoncitos2

Jajaja! I love cookies too!

vdayheart

Diego helped me arrange the Spanish hearts into a wreath. It is now hanging in their “study”. I smile every time I see it.

We have been reading our Valentine’s Day books as well! Check them out! And don’t forget to enter my Valentine’s Day Giveaway!

Do you have creative/decorative Valentine’s Day activities to share? Would love to know!!

P.S. That little white heart on the right does not say “tequila” (although the adults around here love it very much). The heart says “Te Quiero”. :-)

Have a great weekend everyone!

9 Comments Filed Under: Arts and Crafts, Kids Tagged With: , , ,

Latino Cultural Academy

January 30, 2013

LatinoCulturalAcademy

Chicago friends, great news!! This past weekend was the beginning of a new program and the first day of the Spring session for the Latino Cultural Academy! Imagine a place where your little ones can go on Saturdays and be completely immersed in Spanish with other children, while being led by very knowledgeable teachers to collaborate and learn about Latino heritage!

The Latino Cultural Academy was founded by four multicultural Latino families aware of the challenges their second-generation Latino children were facing in connecting with their heritage. These parents made their children’s cultural education a priority and helped create an environment where many children can benefit from learning in a traditional classroom setting (at UIC!), while allowing them to contribute to the curriculum along with supportive participation from parents.

On this blog we have discussed the concern many of us have regarding our children losing their identity and Spanish language-but we continue to work hard on this issue. When I heard that a college friend of Jose’s was one of the founders of LCA, I said, I have to ask him some questions. Here is an exchange Jose Luz Frausto and I had recently: [Read more...]

1 Comment Filed Under: Education, Kids Tagged With: , , ,

Mas Para El Pequeño Estante

January 12, 2013

Bilingual Books

I have more books for your bilingual cuties! These are the latest additions in our home and we are reading and re-reading and re-reading… Some were gifts, some were purchased and some are from the library. Only two of the books below are not bilingual (English only) but they are all by Latino authors and they all have a rich cultural theme.

Pele, King of Soccer/Pele, El rey del futbol by Monica Brown

Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People by Monica Brown
This one is only in English. Why not show your kiddie a Spanish poem from the poet? Pablo Neruda Para Ninos/ Pablo Nerudo for Children (Alba Y Mayo) (Spanish Edition)

Gracias / Thanks (English and Spanish Edition) by Pat Mora

Just In Case: A Trickster Tale and Spanish Alphabet Book
by Yuyi Morales

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours by Duncan Tonatiuh (English)

The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred by Samantha R. Vamos

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match / Marisol McDonald no combina by Monica Brown

It is very important that bilingual parents support Latino authors. We need more books like these and publishers, authors, librarians and teachers need to know that Latino children’s literature is a great component in our kids’ education. Our voices are heard by asking our librarians to stock these authors on their shelves and of course, when we personally purchase wonderful picture books that our children can treasure.

Do you have other bilingual books and/or Latino author recommendations? Would love to know!

Have a great weekend!

P.s. My new subscription link is up and running. See it right below the social buttons? If you would like to receive email notifications when I post on my blog, please submit your email address. Gracias!

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Books, Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

We Can Contribute!

December 20, 2012

I made two trips to the library this week. I took Santi on a one-on-one little book date and literally scanned the picture book shelves for Latino-sounding last names…Morales, yes! Pull that book off that shelf! I do this a lot. I do racial profiling with books!! jajaja!

My second trip to the library was on Thursday. I was the Thursday Reader guest in Diego’s kindergarten (an awesome way to get parents in the classroom) and because I have a pretty full plate around here, I was not prepared. I asked Diego a few days before what he would like for me to read to the class. He said he wanted me to read How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (I told you it is one of our favorite things right now). On Thursday morning, it occurred to me that Las Posadas were about to begin!! I should have taken the opportunity to read to the kiddies about Las Posadas! What a great way for them to learn about the nine day procession and celebration of the birth of Baby Jesus!!!  Too late. The teachers have to approve the book a few days before, etc., but I went to the library anyway AND I found something! Just ONE book and not by a Latino author (but it didn’t matter because the amazing Tomie DePaola is the author). I checked out The Night of Las Posadas, read it at home and thought, I’ll take it to school anyway. [Read more...]

Leave a Comment Filed Under: Books, Education, Kids Tagged With: , , , , , ,

My First Teacher

September 17, 2012

My mom is here again! It’s been such a treat! She has been here three times since the birth of Jordi. We are very fortunate. You all know how much I love my mom and having her around to do things like this with my boys is a bonus!

I was finishing up tonight’s dinner and I peaked in the sunroom to see what Diego and Santi were doing. I found Diego next to my mom working on his Spanish reading. Santi was at their feet playing with cars but listening intently to Tita and Diego read from our Spanish books.

The scene brought be back to 24th and Drake in Chicago where my mom would sit with us in the kitchen to read. All my early memories of reading are set in that tiny kitchen! I remember her reading to us. I also remember the thick, red and white ESL textbooks she shared with my dad. I liked to flip through them and read the conversation bubbles on top of each cartoon. And later, I remember reading aloud from a children’s Bible in Spanish. I remember the images of all those books. And I’ll never forget these images of her helping me teach my children.

What are you feeling this Monday morning? I’m happy to be pampered yet another week! I have a haircut scheduled too! Ha! Can you tell I don’t get out much? Have a great week everyone!

Your friend,

Betty

5 Comments Filed Under: Education, Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Best Gift

August 10, 2012

It’s my birthday this weekend and look what arrived in the mail this week! Yes, the author of Jordi’s Star, Alma Flor Ada sent us books! Autographed books!! Bilingual books!!! Just like she said she would! I know they are for the boys but because they are for the boys…it made me so happy. [Read more...]

10 Comments Filed Under: Books, Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

¿Hablas Español?

July 27, 2012


I wrote this on May 13, 2009. I thought about it yesterday as I posted about my parent’s trip to Europe and the wonderful traveling quote from Paulo Coelho. I hope you like it!

Just got back from Phucket! Thailand was amazing!!! It was a short trip and we hope to go back soon because the country seems to offer soooooo much!!

As always, we hear the beautiful Spanish language in its unique accents and even little Diego’s ears perk up. We met a really nice Argentino and his girlfriend on the beach. They have been dating long distance because she lives in Bangkok and he lives in Shanghai. They asked us a lot of questions about living in Asia and wondered if it was difficult to live abroad (more like without family!) and have a child? I always think [Read more...]

2 Comments Filed Under: For YOU, Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Summer Reading for Kids

May 28, 2012


I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Although it is still spring, summer is really here isn’t it?! Diego has a week and half left of school and I am trying not to freak out about how I will keep him and Santi entertained while Jordi is still an itty bitty baby!

Reading is always going on in our house but with no school during the summer, we must remember that reading levels and skills can go down during the break. Although Diego is reading well, we don’t mind taking out everything from “baby books” or board books so that he can read to Santi, to books above his grade level so that we can read to him (Spanish books too). I plan on pulling out these books shown above to make that connection of all the wonderful activities summer has to offer, to show them the things we will be doing and of course, to encourage their love for reading. [Read more...]

3 Comments Filed Under: Books, Education, Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
«Older Posts