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Thursday, April 30, 2020

Books to Celebrate Día



I have a ton of new books that I have been wanting to share with you. Since we are celebrating Día de los niños/Día de los libros this week here on MommyMaestra, now is a great time!

Buying new (and old!) titles by multicultural authors has multiple benefits.

First, you are supporting these authors, many of whom have seen the launch date of their new titles postponed because of the pandemic. It seems silly because now, more than ever, books are precious and desperately needed by children and families across the country and the world.

But publishing companies are hard hit, too. Many are having to work from home or furlough their employees. And printing companies have also been closed down. So when you purchase - or pre-order!! - one of these books, you are helping a lot of people.

Last, and perhaps most important, you are helping your kids. You're providing them with opportunities to read stories about their own culture that they might not get in their schools. Or you may be exposing them to other cultures as a way of breaking down stereotypes and helping them understand different customs or outlooks. Or you may be simply providing them with a chance to escape the (boringly?) familiar confines of shelter in place. Or giving them a way to escape the stress of a pandemic that is hurting not just our country, but the world.

So there you have it. Three good reasons to buy books for your kids. And if they are books written by or about Latinos, even better!

Here are my recommendations for today.

¡A leer!

The following Amazon links are affiliate links.


Picture Books for Young Readers


Written by Monica Brown
Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri

Here's the book description, but let me tell you. I've already seen the book and it is such a great story. If you have young children who love adventure and are looking for some inspiration, this is it.
Growing up in the late 1800s, Julio Tello, an Indigenous boy, spent time exploring the caves and burial grounds in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes. Nothing scared Julio, not even the ancient human skulls he found. His bravery earned him the boyhood nickname Sharuko, which means brave in Quechua, the language of the Native people of Peru.

At the age of twelve, Julio moved to Lima to continue his education. While in medical school, he discovered an article about the skulls he had found. The skulls had long ago been sent to Lima to be studied by scientists. The article renewed Julio's interest in his ancestry, and he decided to devote his medical skills to the study of Peru's Indigenous history.

Over his lifetime, Julio Tello made many revolutionary discoveries at archaeological sites around Peru, and he worked to preserve the historical treasures he excavated. He showed that Peru's Indigenous cultures had been established thousands of years ago, disproving the popular belief that Peruvian culture had been introduced more recently from other countries. He fostered pride in his country's Indigenous ancestry, making him a hero to all Peruvians. Because of the brave man once known as Sharuko, people around the world today know of Peru's long history and its living cultural legacy.


written by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez 
illustrated by Laura González

With Spanish vocabulary and a clever counting concept, this poetic story shares the life cycle of a Mexican jumping bean. This curious jumping insect is actually a seedpod from a shrub called yerba de la flecha, into which a caterpillar burrows, living inside the pod until it builds a cocoon and breaks out as a moth. Perfect for preschoolers and prereaders, this creative picture book explores the Mexican jumping bean's daily life and eventual transformation and escape from the pod.


written by Raul the Third
colors by Elaine Bay

In this new Vamos! title, Let’s Go Eat, Little Lobo is excited to take in a show with wrestling star El Toro in his bustling border town. After getting lunch orders from The Bull and his friends to help prepare for the event, Little Lobo takes readers on a tour of food trucks that sell his favorite foods, like quesadillas with red peppers and Mexican-Korean tacos. Peppered with easy-to-remember Latin-American Spanish vocabulary, this glorious celebration of food is sure to leave every reader hungry for lunch!

Jam-packed with fun details and things to see, the Vamos! books are perfect for fans of Richard Scarry and Where’s Waldo?



written by Michael Genhart
illustrated by Priscilla Burris

When both grandpas, Abuelo and Opa, visit at the same time, they can’t understand each other’s language and there is a lot of silence. The grandson’s clever thinking helps find a way for everyone to share the day together as two cultures become one family. This unique book includes a bonus fold-out and a note from the author sharing the true story of his own family.



written by Naibe Reynoso
illustrated by Jone Leal

A bilingual book that highlights 11 Latinos who excelled in their professional careers and made U.S. history by accomplishing something that hadn't been done before in their respective fields which include science, sports, the arts and politics. By presenting the true biographical stories of these outstanding Latinos in rhyming verses, young readers will easily follow their journey to success. Each persons biographical story is written in both Spanish and English to encourage and promote bilingual literacy. Some of the men highlighted include Cesar Chavez (Activist), Jose Hernandez(Astronaut), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Playwright), Jean-Michel Basquiat (Artist), Julian Castro (Politician) and more.



written by Juan Felipe Herrera
illustrated by Lauren Castillo

Have you ever imagined what you might be when you grow up? When he was very young, Juan Felipe Herrera picked chamomile flowers in windy fields and let tadpoles swim across his hands in a creek. He slept outside and learned to say goodbye to his amiguitos each time his family moved to a new town. He went to school and taught himself to read and write English and filled paper pads with rivers of ink as he walked down the street after school. And when he grew up, he became the United States Poet Laureate and read his poems aloud on the steps of the Library of Congress. If he could do all of that . . . what could you do? With this newly translated illustrated poem of endless possibility, Juan Felipe Herrera and Lauren Castillo breathe magic into the hopes and dreams of readers searching for their place in life.



by Steven Wolfe Pereira & Susie Jaramillo

In Tiny Travelers Puerto Rico Treasure Quest, readers journey from the historical city of San Juan with its famous "El Morro" fort, to the beautiful bioluminescent bay in Vieques. Tiny Travelers will enjoy getting closer to Puerto Rican culture, and seeing why it is called “La Isla del Encanto” (the island of enchantment).

Each illustrated spread invites children to discover hidden "treasures" - icons, animals, statues, instruments, and more - that make up the rich cultural heritage of Puerto Rico.

Books for Middle Schoolers



Written by Mae Respicio

Lou Bulosan-Nelson has the ultimate summer DIY project. She's going to build her own "tiny house," 100 square feet all her own. She shares a room with her mom in her grandmother's house, and longs for a place where she can escape her crazy but lovable extended Filipino family. Lou enjoys her woodshop class and creating projects, and she plans to build the house on land she inherited from her dad, who died before she was born. But then she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer.

Lou discovers it's not easy to save her land, or to build a house. But she won't give up; with the help of friends and relatives, her dream begins to take shape, and she learns the deeper meaning of home and family.



by Hilda Eunice Burgos

Her last name may mean kings, but Ana María Reyes REALLY does not live in a castle. Rather, she's stuck in a tiny apartment with two parents (way too lovey-dovey), three sisters (way too dramatic), everyone's friends (way too often), and a piano (which she never gets to practice). And when her parents announce a new baby is coming, that means they'll have even less time for Ana María.

Then she hears about the Eleanor School, New York City's best private academy. If Ana María can win a scholarship, she'll be able to get out of her Washington Heights neighborhood school and achieve the education she's longed for. To stand out, she'll need to nail her piano piece at the upcoming city showcase, which means she has to practice through her sisters' hijinks, the neighbors' visits, a family trip to the Dominican Republic . . . right up until the baby's birth! But some new friends and honest conversations help her figure out what truly matters, and know that she can succeed no matter what. Ana María Reyes may not be royal, but she's certain to come out on top.



by Carlos Hernandez 

A brilliant sci-fi romp with Cuban influence. Among many other challenges, Sal and Gabi have to try to make everything right with our world when there is a rogue Gabi from another universe running loose.

Sal Vidon doesn't want to live a Mami-free life. Pulling different versions of his mother from other universes is how he copes with missing his own, who died years ago. But Sal's father, a calamity physicist, is trying to shut down all the wormholes Sal creates, because Papi thinks they are eroding the very fabric of our world. All of Papi's efforts are in vain, however, because a Gabi from another universe has gone rogue and is popping up all over the place, seeking revenge for the fact that her world has been destroyed. While Sal and Gabi work together to keep both Papi and Rogue Gabi under control, they also have to solve the mystery of Yasmany, who has gone missing from school. Could it have something to do with the wormhole in the back of his locker?



by Kim Baker

Newt Gomez has a thing with bears. Last year he survived a bear attack. And this year, he finds an unusual bear statue that just might grant wishes. Newt's best friend, Ethan, notices a wishbone on the statue and decides to make a wish. When it comes true, Newt thinks it's a coincidence. Even as more people wish on the bear and their wishes come true, Newt is not convinced.

But Newt has a wish too: while he loves his home on eccentric Murphy Island, he wants to go to middle school on the mainland, where his warm extended family lives. There, he's not the only Latinx kid, he won't have to drive the former taco truck--a gift from his parents--and he won't have to perform in the talent show. Most importantly, on the mainland, he never has bad dreams about the attack. Newt is almost ready to make a secret wish when everything changes.


Books for Young Adults



by Matt Mendez

Juan has plans. He's going to get out of El Paso, Texas, on a basketball scholarship and make something of himself--or at least find something better than his mom Fabi's cruddy apartment, her string of loser boyfriends, and a dead dad. Basketball is going to be his ticket out, his ticket up. He just needs to make it happen.
His best friend JD has plans, too. He's going to be a filmmaker one day, like Quinten Tarantino or Guillermo del Toro (NOT Steven Spielberg). He's got a camera and he's got passion--what else could he need?
Fabi doesn't have a plan anymore. When you get pregnant at sixteen and have been stuck bartending to make ends meet for the past seventeen years, you realize plans don't always pan out, and that there some things you just can't plan for...
Like Juan's run-in with the police, like a sprained ankle, and a tanking math grade that will likely ruin his chance at a scholarship. Like JD causing the implosion of his family. Like letters from a man named Mando on death row. Like finding out this man could be the father your mother said was dead.
Soon Juan and JD are embarking on a Thelma and Louise­-like road trip to visit Mando. Juan will finally meet his dad, JD has a perfect subject for his documentary, and Fabi is desperate to stop them. But, as we already know, there are some things you just can't plan for...


by Elizabeth Acevedo

Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…

In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal’s office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.

Separated by distance—and Papi’s secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.

And then, when it seems like they’ve lost everything of their father, they learn of each other. 


by Margarita Engle 

As a little boy, Rubén Darío loved to listen to his great uncle, a man who told tall tales in a booming, larger-than-life voice. Rubén quickly learned the magic of storytelling, and discovered the rapture and beauty of verse.

A restless and romantic soul, Rubén traveled across Central and South America seeking adventure and connection. As he discovered new places and new loves, he wrote poems to express his wild storm of feelings. But the traditional forms felt too restrictive. He began to improvise his own poetic forms so he could capture the entire world in his words. At the age of twenty-one, he published his first book Azul, which heralded a vibrant new literary movement called Modernismo that blended poetry and prose into something magical.

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Día Craft: DIY Book Tutorial

The following tutorial is contributed by Lisa Renata. It originally ran on the Latin Baby Book Club.

Reading is a daily thing in our home, as is recycling and creating. So when I was asked if I could put a tutorial together on how to create your own bilingual book, I was ecstatic. I then gathered the materials (and kids) needed to start our project. This is what we came up with.



Nothing fancy. It is made by children after all, but isn't that what makes it that much more special? The older the child gets the more intricate the work, details, and writing will be.

Make Your Book:


Creating a book is a lot easier than it looks. It is also a perfect and a fun way for your little one to practice reading in both languages (or one).



What you'll need:


• an empty cereal box
• 5 sheets of white printer paper
• sewing machine and thread (other options available)
• markers, crayons, colored pencils
• stamps and ink

Steps:


First, cut out the larger part of your cereal box. This will be your book cover.




Then use it as a template to size and crop your 5 sheets of white paper. You want the white paper to be slightly smaller than the cover.



Fold your cover and paper (at the same time) in half. Then if you have a clip available, clip one of the ends together. This will help hold all the sheets and cover in place while you sew a line across the center. Use the fold line as your guide.

If you don't have a sewing machine other options to bind your book can be: stapling the center together, or hole-punch about four holes on the edge of the fold and then run ribbon or yarn through the holes. Make sure to knot the ends.




Write Your Story:


Now it is time to write your story! What to write? Well, that will depend on the age of your child and what their interests are at the time. In our case, my five-year-old son is really into animals right now. So we decided to make a book about animals.



First, I wrote out the title and by-line page.

Because he is still learning to read in both English and Spanish, I decided to do the writing for him. I wrote simple three-word sentences. I chose black ink for the words in Spanish and blue ink for those in English.



Then he drew a picture that went along with each sentence.



For my three-year-old daughter, I wrote one word per page, both in English and in Spanish (also using different colors per language) and drew the pictures for her. All she had to do was color them in.

Once the inside of the book was completed, we then decorated the cover with stamps. How much supervision you need with each child will also depend on their age. I allowed my son free range on how he wanted his front cover decorated, but my daughter, on the other hand, needed my help.

Again, the older your child is the more detailed his/her book will be and the less involved you will be in the book-making process (in fact, if your child can sew, you can let him/her bind the book). If your child does not know what to write about, give him/her some topic ideas. The important thing is to encourage creativity in both their writing and art.

Book cover finished? Then you are done!



Have fun together reading your child's creation over and over again!

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Lisa Renata is a US-born Latina who experienced Mexican culture first-hand when she lived there as a child. Lisa is a book lover, a mama raising her two kids bilingual, and a crafter.. with a camera always in her hands. You can often find her interpreting and testing for the local school district ESOL program or making new items for her Etsy shop SaborCajeta.

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

10 Ways to Celebrate Día at Home


This coming Thursday, we'll be celebrating Día de los Niños/Dia de los Libros, otherwise known as Día. In our house, this involves reading lots of books and loving my children.

Normally, this holiday is celebrated all over the country by libraries who host events. Obviously, that's more difficult this year. But many libraries will be holding virtual events. Take a look at the official Día website to find online events.

Children's Day/Book Day is a holiday finds its roots in the 1925 "World Conference for the Well-being of Children" held in Geneva, Switzerland. Countries all over the world, like Japan, Turkey, and India, have adopted their own versions of Children's Day. But the holiday didn't blossom here in America until 1996, when author Pat Mora became inspired by the Mexican holiday, Día de los niños, and thought to combine the holiday with literacy for children. A year later, Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros was born in the United States and Mora soon found support from across the country.

This holiday was created for the honoring of our children, who represent the hopes and dreams of every family and community. They are our future. And the path that our history will take, depends upon their choices and actions. It advocates literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as essential to their mental development and well-being.


  • Throw a virtual Día book party! This year, instead of inviting friends over to talk about favorite books or have a book swap party, why not take it online? Invite your good friends to zoom with you and share their favorite books. Play games online and offer books, book-related gear, or gift cards (to be mailed or sent via email) as prizes.
  • Start a virtual book club. During your first meeting, decide which books you'll read as a group over the summer. Everyone can recommend one or more titles and there can either be a vote or just write them down on your list. Then take turns reading books over 1 - 2 week periods.
  • Do good in your community. This might be paying off library fines for people at your local school or library, or setting up a free little library in your neighborhood, or buying books and donating them to local family shelters, libraries, classrooms/teachers, or foster care centers. 
  • Make your own book! Better yet, make it bilingual! We have a simple tutorial schedule to go up tomorrow here on MommyMaestra. So check back.
  • Make a book cake! What? You read that right. Bake a cake and decorate it to look like a (favorite?) book. Check on this search on Pinterest for some inspiration. But let your kids use their own creativity to decorate it.
  • Read poetry out loud. You can either take your favorite book of poems or write your own. Then Facetime with family and friends and read aloud your poems.
  • Read Book Fiesta! (aff link) written by Pat Mora and illustrated by Rafael López.
  • Download a Día "Tool Kit." There are quite a few of these tool kits now available online. Here's the official one from the American Library Association. Just scroll down to the bottom of the page. But all you have to do is Google "Día tool kit" and you'll be able to take your pick!
  • Learn the official Día song!
  • Download my Día de los Niños Activity Pack! Enjoy this packet of 7 reading activities to celebrate Día with your kids. Includes activities for individual children and families with more than one child at home.

Friday, April 24, 2020

Save the Frogs Day 2020

© kikkerdirk - Can Stock Photo
The following is a guest post by North Carolina science educator, Susan Christman. 

Tomorrow is Save the Frogs Day!


In order to truly appreciate this day, you need to know why to celebrate. Save The Frogs is a public charity that has a mission to protect amphibian populations and to promote a society that respects and appreciates nature and wildlife. Save The Frogs Day! encourages ordinary citizens to learn about amphibians so that they can inspire, educate, and empower others to protect and care for amphibians. 

Frogs are important bio-indicators of our earth. This means that they can tell us if our environment is healthy. I’ve always loved frogs and toads of all kinds and that’s why I want to share what you can do to make our world a better place for all.

Check out these sites and help save our frogs. 


There are many fun frog activities that you can do with children. Check out this list of websites with information on how to help amphibians and how to identify them.


A froggy craft to try at home.


Here's a fun way to make your own frog skim slime!



Wednesday, April 22, 2020

5 Simple Ways to Celebrate Earth Day at Home

I was thinking about how to celebrate Earth Day with my family this year. Normally, I enjoy going to the zoo or participating in local events. But since we're homebound, we need to think outside the box a little. So here are five ways to observe the holiday at home.


1) Watch Amazing Documentaries & Virtual Field Trips

There are so many incredible documentaries out now that teach us about remarkable natural places and the fascinating lives of animals. Why not splurge and spend the day watching some? I'm not talking about old, dry, boring documentaries, either. Between National Geographic, Nova, and Disney Nature, you have plenty of options to watch, learn, and fall in love with wild places and animals. 

You can also go on virtual field trips to national parks, zoos, aquariums, nature centers and so much more! Just google them online to find the best ones.



2) Plant a Seed

All you need are some beans (or ANY kind of seed!), soil, and a plastic cup. How much easier does it get than that?  Poke a hole in the bottom of the cup, place a small rock (or piece of pottery or anything, really) over the hole to keep the soil from draining out. Fill the cup to about 1/2 an inch below the rim with soil and plant your seed. Water, set in a sunny window, and watch it grow! Just be sure to water whenever the soil dries out. 

If you want to be truly green, you can repurpose those empty cascarones and use an eggshell instead of using a plastic cup. Just use a thumbtack to poke a couple of holes in the bottom of the eggshell. No need for a rock. 

Want to take it a step further? Have older children learn how to grow kitchen vegetables from scraps


3) Feed & Watch Birds

Birds have begun to migrate back north to their summer breeding grounds. Now is a GREAT time to put up a bird feeder. You can make your own using the instructions here or for a giant list to choose from click here.

Another option is to set up your own hummingbird feeder. These feeders are a little trickier to make. But older kids can probably get it done. Or, if you already have one, get it out, dust it off and make your own nectar. Here's the perfect recipe for hummingbird nectar: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. So for one cup of water, use 1/4 cup sugar. Use hot water to dissolve the sugar. Let it cool and put it in your feeder. DON'T use red food dye. The hummingbirds don't need it and it is actually bad for them.


4) Make Crafts from Recycled Objects

Do you have a bin full of recyclables? Get your kids' creativity on and have them create useful objects by repurposing recyclable materials. Check out this huge list of ideas. But encourage your kids to be original and think of their own projects. 


5) Make Your Own Nature Log or Table

If you have access to a garden, creek, or park, then get out the camera and let your kids explore their world. Have them take photos of living things that they discover as they spend time outside. You can also have them draw their discoveries on paper and write a short description underneath. Challenge them to look closely and find tiny life forms - bugs, seedlings, fungi, or even micro-organisms (if you have a microscope!). 

The other option is to collect fascinating objects on your backyard explorations. Start a nature table (or shelf!) with remarkable things you find outdoors. Just be sure you don't take active nests. Only collect nests in the winter after they've been used and abandoned. The picture above is of my daughter's special shelf several years ago when she was around 8 or 9. Actually, she still has some of these treasures in her room today (she's now 16). 

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Earth Day Bilingual Acrostic Poem Activity



Discover how acrostic poems benefit students and learn about a fun Earth Day bilingual acrostic poem activity. Download your free templates and get creative!

Tomorrow is Earth Day. It's been all but forgotten as countries around the word are coping with the pandemic. But this is the perfect time to think remember it. Because if nothing else, this virus should show us the interconnectedness of all life on Earth.

How Acrostic Poems Benefit Students


This year, I'm offering this printable activity for Earth Day. I've chosen poetry because that is a writing form that seems to fit perfectly with the beauty of our planet and the life on it.

Acrostic poems are an excellent tool for students of all ages and skill levels. By using acrostic poems, students can:
  1. practice their writing skills and critical thinking,, 
  2. expand their vocabulary, 
  3. improve their understanding of language and syntax,
  4. and GREAT for language learners because students have to think in terms of relationships: What words associated with the topic and begin with....? 
Additionally, acrostic poems provide a structured and focused framework for students to express their thoughts and ideas on a particular topic, such as Earth Day. This can help students develop critical thinking skills and learn how to organize their thoughts and ideas effectively. 

Acrostic poems can also be a fun and engaging way to learn about a particular topic, as students are encouraged to think creatively and come up with words and phrases that reflect their understanding and feelings about the subject. They really help students to think deeply about themselves and their perceptions. 

Earth Day Bilingual Acrostic Poem Activity


Do you remember doing acrostic poems when you were a kid? They were one of my favorite activities as a child. Usually, our teacher would whip them out around Mother's Day. They even made a song about it. You remember:

"M" is for the million things she gave me
"O" means only that she's growing old
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me
"H" is for her heart of purest gold
"E" is for her eyes with love-light shining
"R" means right and right she'll always be
Put them all together they spell MOTHER...

So just for fun, I've put together this packet of bilingual Earth Day acrostic poem templates. It includes directions and examples in both English and Spanish, as well as five different acrostic pages with prompts of varying length and difficulty. There's also a blank page to allow children to use their own focus word.


Overall, acrostic poems are a valuable tool for students to develop their writing and communication skills while also fostering creativity and self-expression. I hope you enjoy this printable activity to celebrate Earth Day!

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Monday, April 20, 2020

Bilingual Toolkit on COVID-19 for Families


Are you looking for a bilingual resource for families impacted by COVID-19? The wonderful educators over at ReadyRosie have you covered.

They have dedicated a section on their site to help families cope with all the changes that the pandemic has brought. There are three main areas: Learning at Home, Prevention & Care, and Emotional Well-Being.

This is a valuable tool for bilingual educators who are trying to provide additional support to the families of their students.

If this sounds like something you need, click here to visit their website.

Friday, April 17, 2020

Skills Learned During the Pandemic



So much has been going on in my house even though we hardly go anywhere these days. And I find myself busier than ever with three kids at home. I was wondering why I can't find time to breathe around here and started noticing how much I've been doing for the kids. And I thought to myself, "Why aren't they doing some of this stuff?" Then I realized that it's because they don't know how to do a lot of it.

That's got to change.

Part of homeschooling  raising children is teaching them how to survive on their own and manage their own households when they are ready to leave home. I was telling my kids yesterday how by the time I was 12, my 'Buelita (great grandmother) who we lived with, had taught me how to do SO much stuff around the house. And I enjoyed it! Wash dishes by hand? Loved it! Iron? Yay! Set the table? No problem.

I think the only time my kids have picked up an iron has been to press their Perler beads.

So I decided that's it. It's time for them to start learning self-sufficiency. And I started putting together this list. I asked my friends on Facebook their opinions and they had a ton. So before long, my little list had become four pages long.

And I want to share them with you realize that your kids could use some direction, too. :)

Right now they are English only, but I'm working on the Spanish translation in 5-minute chunks when I can actually sit at my computer without someone interrupting me. Hopefully, I will find more time over the weekend to get it done.

In the meantime, here's a link to the BILINGUAL version that you can download for free.


Interested in more free (bilingual) downloads like these? Get them delivered to your inbox every month when you sign up for my newsletter!


Hang in there, my friends! This social distancing/stay at home business is HARD, but so important! Two of our friends and their families have been stricken with Coronavirus and they've told us how terrible it is. Some of what I read tells me that Latinos and Blacks are especially hard hit and dying of the disease. This breaks my heart. Stay at home, dear friends.

Abrazo.

Friday, April 10, 2020

New Spanish Resources from Lee & Low


In case you haven't already heard, Lee & Low has created a new section on their site to help bilingual educators and families. Check out Recursos en español for videos and activity guides in Spanish!


Also, I want to give a little plug to a new book that they are publishing. Sharuko: Peruvian Archaeologist Julio C. Tello/ El arqueólogo peruano Julio C. Tello (aff link), is now available for pre-order. It will be available on May 12th. I've already read it and it is such a great biography! So much fantastic information and inspiring for children everywhere, this book is a must-have for school and home libraries.

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Free Download & DISCOUNT: Describing with Colors



This month our sponsor, Spanish for You!, has put together a mini-lesson teaching learners how to describe things in Spanish using colors. This five-page file contains an instruction page, followed by a set of activity cards, an interactive listening grammar page, plus two practice activity sheets. An audio file is included to help with pronunciation.

And what's even better? The download contains a BOGO discount code for Spanish for You! Homeschool Packages!


Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Bilingual Easter Printables & TpT Sale


I'm losing track of the days now that our normal routine has been thrown out the window. Even though we already homeschooled, the days were easy to recognize based on when I was required to go to town to take my son to his taekwondo classes, Civil Air Patrol meetings, and homeschool Co-op classes.

So the point is that Easter has snuck up on me. I can't believe it's less than a week away. And one of my children has a birthday this week. This quarantine, while extremely necessary, is really hard on kids who were hoping to celebrate birthdays with big parties and lots of friends, but now have to spend it like any other day at home. To find ways to celebrate both, I'm looking everywhere online to find ideas for activities we can do here as a family.

And if you find yourself wondering what to do with the kids this coming Easter weekend, don't forget that I do have fun printables for your little ones to color. Or make cascarones!

PLUS EVERYTHING in my TpT store is on sale Monday and Tuesday, April 6th & 7th.

Enjoy!



Boost your child’s literacy and math skills with this fun, Easter-themed packet! This multicultural packet contains images of both the Easter bunny and cascarones.



Easter Book of Words

Introduce your young students to the vocabulary associated with Easter. This little booklet lets them color in the picture, then read and write the words.




Help your preschooler or language learner to learn their colors with this Easter-themed coloring book!




I hope you enjoy these free counting mats for children learning to count from one to five. So much fun, they can easily be used with ANY small objects...decorations, buttons, beans, Easter-themed stickers, etc. Or your little ones can just draw their own shapes or pictures to fill in each row.




This mini-book is a brief history of the popular Hispanic craft of making cascarones. This book includes coloring pages of items related to the history of this craft, as well as brief descriptions in English and Spanish that are easy for young children to understand. At the end of the book are simple directions in English and Spanish for making cascarones. Contains three language versions.




Roll the dice and decorate your cascarón using the options provided. This file now contains 3 dice activities with directions.




This is a one-page history of cascarones. From where they originated to how to make them, this informational text is written for students in 4th - 8th grade. Includes a 7-question comprehension quiz plus answer key.