Learning to read in SPANISH

I decided to spice up my daughter’s reading journey! If learning to read was not hard enough, I had to be extra and sprinkle in some Spanish.

I have been preparing for this for a while and really did not know when was the best time to start, the best method, etc!

I have learned from her reading journey in English, that this adventure starts AT HOME and not in Kindergarten. Stressing phonics, letter recognition, and sight word sets up every Kindergartener for success.

But does this same method work in Spanish. Would teaching her to read in Spanish confuse her? Mess up her phonetic sounds in English? Would she have some type of regression? Etc?

I have been hesitant to teach her how to read in Spanish because I never really found any answers to the questions I listed above. Everyone stresses bilingualism but I have found much that provides answers to learning how to read or write in another language and its overall impact.

However, I decided if I kept waiting for these answers, my kids would ultimately not learn to read in Spanish. So, I just jumped right in.

Here I share a few tips and resources

Phonics: learning the alphabet and vowel sounds is probably the hardest part of reading in Spanish. Once you know the sounds, you are well on your way.

I have found just by knowing the alphabet and vowel sounds, I can read anything in Spanish. Here is a video I made awhile ago of Spanish vowel sounds. I also have a free printable of the Spanish alphabet here.

I used this Phonics book that I ordered off of Amazon. The picture above is of Vol 1. I bought all 3 volumes.

2. Pick books below their reading level. This will help build confidence and limit frustration. The Cerdita and Elephante books by Mo Willems are a great start! There is a lot of repetition in those books, so it is a great confidence booster.

3. Read books in Spanish during story time.

4. Watch shows that show Spanish words on the screen

Little Pim on Amazon Prime is a great early learning show that displays the words on the screen as well.

Perro y Gato is also another show you can add on HBO.

5. Watch tv and movies in Spanish with the Spanish subtitles ON!

6. Epic is a reading website that has a lot of content is Spanish that your child can read. Some of the books are also read to them. Check with your school to see if they have an account. It is free for schools, so we use that account. You can also pay for the service.

7. Don’t stress. This is AN ADDITIONAL language.

8. Reward!!!

Hope these tips and resources are helpful. Let me know how your reading journey goes!

Enjoy!

Maya

Maya Claros is a Domestic Engineer of 3, children’s books lover, super science geek, Hip Hop connoisseur, and small business owner. You can find her here or at www.thedopekid.com