Spanish Phonics Books

[ReadingMama1214]

I've posted before about Dd starting at a spanish immersion program this fall. She will finish our english phonics program in the next few weeks and I plan to start Spanish phonics this spring/summer. I'm looking at 3 books and was wondering if anyone had reviews of them or other suggestions? 

 

Nacho: One negative review discussed that it doesn't teach by syllables https://www.amazon.com/Nacho-Inicial-Lectura-Coleccion-Spanish/dp/9580700427/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8es

 

Coquitos Clássico

https://www.amazon.com/dp/098363775X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=LB89OZZSHP10&coliid=I1F7VRXK5V1S77

 

La Pata Pita: I would order from a different website that has a teachers guide and workbook

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941802605/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=LB89OZZSHP10&coliid=I1BVMPCRWL9BC0

 

DD doesn't speak Spanish either so I would use this opportunity to introduce it. Our library has an extensive Spanish children's book collection and a lot of Spanish resources.

 

 

[Renai]

The only one I have is La Pata Pita. It is what we used in bilingual first grade and k classrooms years ago and I still use at home. It is basically a Spanish reader, I think from Cuba, and it goes through teaching reading. First vowels (one page each vowel), then adds in one consonant at at a time making syllables, words, then sentences.

 

If you speak Spanish, you will be fine, or just use a dictionary for unknown vocabulary. It is written to native speakers, so no translation. The workbook is busy work practice putting syllables together to make words, etc. The teacher manual basically just has the answers to the workbook. I don't have it in front of me to get more details, and didn't really use it, or the workbook.

 

If you have any more questions, I can answer them when I get off of work, and look at the manual and workbook more closely.

[mom2bee]

I've posted before about Dd starting at a spanish immersion program this fall. She will finish our english phonics program in the next few weeks and I plan to start Spanish phonics this spring/summer. I'm looking at 3 books and was wondering if anyone had reviews of them or other suggestions? 

 

Nacho: One negative review discussed that it doesn't teach by syllables https://www.amazon.com/Nacho-Inicial-Lectura-Coleccion-Spanish/dp/9580700427/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8es

 

:huh: I have this book and it DOES teach syllables. I like Nacho because they give more practice with the vowels than my Victoria Libro Inicial book does. They have like a 2 page spread and use 3 sample words for each vowel, instead of just one. Each consonant/digraph is introduced via syllables.

<--From the beginning of the book

<--Toward the end of the book

 

Are you talking about this review?

 

The book is truly spanish but I was expecting all the syllables to be explained so therefore the lack of syllables made me rate this pretty low. The seller shound add the table of contents on the photos in order for future buyers to know what there getting

I think that what they mean is the lack of explicit instruction in blending the consonant-vowel pairs into syllables, or else the blending of syllables into words? Because this book most definitely DOES teach reading via Syllables. Most of the negative reviews are because they wanted a region-specific book--not because the book isn't any good.

 

Admittedly, I've only seen a few but I've never seen a NATIVE Spanish reading program that doesn't teach by syllables. The one program that I know taught reading in Spanish and used sight words is US based publishers. Or programs written by Native English speakers with degrees in Education/Spanish who think that by crafting reading programs modeled after the familiar but largely ineffective English reading programs that they are doing Spanish speaking students a favor, for all the same reason that they think that they're doing English speaking students a favor with teaching them read by methods are well known to be largely faulty, substandard and induce a ton of reading problems later.

 

 

Coquitos Clássico

https://www.amazon.com/dp/098363775X/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=LB89OZZSHP10&coliid=I1F7VRXK5V1S77

 

La Pata Pita: I would order from a different website that has a teachers guide and workbook

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941802605/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=LB89OZZSHP10&coliid=I1BVMPCRWL9BC0

 

DD doesn't speak Spanish either so I would use this opportunity to introduce it. Our library has an extensive Spanish children's book collection and a lot of Spanish resources.

I will write a review of my Nacho Reader for you.

[ReadingMama1214]

I will write a review of my Nacho Reader for you.

Thanks! That's super helpful! I love the look of Nacho. DD Is reading in English and knows how to blend so I'm not worried about it not explicitly teaching that.

[ReadingMama1214]

I will write a review of my Nacho Reader for you.

The school she'll go to uses Sendaros by Houghton Mifflin. I do think it teaches sight words such as yo, el, la, etc. which I am still not crazy about. I figure it will be good to get some Spanish phonics in and then have resources to help her at home during her K and 1st years.

[mom2bee]

I have a couple of Native Spanish readers and they are all similar, but I like the Nacho Reader book. It includes a moderate amount of practice. (one of my native readers contains almost NO practice) Nacho has no labeled structure, and thus no table of Contents, BUT I use the rhythm of the books lessons to talk about it by "units" 

 

Unit 0: The Spanish Vowels p3-p5

The Spanish vowels are introduced immediately and sample words that use that vowels sound in the beginning are given. The are 3 words per vowel so that students can hear it. If the student has had NO practice with reading/ and is lacking in phonemic awareness then this might not be enough practice, but for a child who is ready to read or used to words and word play, this may be sufficient.

 

This unit is only three pages long and it's 100% about the vowels. The first page is introducing the vowel sounds via words and introducing the vowel-grapheme (shape) through a letter/picture/sound association.

a

anillo, aro, araña

e

elefante, enano, escoba

i

iglesia, isla, iman

o

ojo, olla, oso

u

uña, uva, uno

 

All 15 of the words are illustrated in full color. The first word of each group, has the vowel printed in the picture, so 'a' sits in the anillo the elefante has an 'e' on it's head, the "u" is traced on the finger nail of the uña. etc...

 

For children who are visual, this might help a lot, but for children who are already familiar with or able to read, then it may be less of a plus, BUT the letters are not obtrusive and I don't think that it could be a negative for anyone--but I mention it because some kids might not like it, or they may need help IDing the vowel embedded within each picture. For a very new reader, then I think it's worth pointing this out so that they can notice the vowel "hiding" in the first of each picture.

 

The first unit is very brief and really only so that children can get used to the vowels and recognize them, but because it's expected that pre-literate children will need some to digest the vowels, then instead of jumping into the syllables next, this unit spends the next 2 pages practice writing strokes and then writing vowels.

 

Next to the writing practice for the vowels, each of the five vowel  picture-keys from the first page are there along with defined space to practice each of the vowels 10 times (there are 2 examples of each)

Then there is a mixed review of the vowel shapes/sound at the bottom of that page.

 

That is 3 solid pages of vowel sounds and learning vowel recognition. In a classroom, this might take anywhere from 3days to 3 weeks to cover if the teacher is dealing with a majority of new-to-reading students. For a child who is already reading, 1 or 2 sittings is enough to practice the vowels sufficiently and really the

 

Unit 1: Open Syllables. p6-p51

After covering the vowels, children begin using them as they begin learning to read following the standard format (among Native materials) of the syllable method. So children practice reading open syllables (CV) in Spanish.

Each 2 page spread follows a predictable AB pattern. Page-A and Page-B. I'll include a picture:

 

So, on page-A, you have 3 things

1. The syllables are introduced (_a, _e, _i, _o, _u) at the top of the page around/near an illustration
2. there are large print WORDS to practice reading those syllables. In this section, the NEW syllables are color-coded to help students contrast the syllables. niña, moño
3. In the lessons of Unit 1, there is a little, teeny, tiny, copy work at the bottom of each "A Page". NOTE: There is NO handwriting instruction included for the consonants. There is however a single sentence to be traced  over and then space to copy that sentence.

The B-page in 2 page spread has the following format.

1. Words with the new sounds illustrated at the top of the page.
2. SENTENCES using all the sounds learned up to this point, with the NEW sound highlighted each time it occurs. So from lesson 11 on ñ students have built up the stamina and skill to know where the syllables are so that they only highlight the new sound on: mi mi saco de paño and La nina adora a su muñeca, (These are practice sentences that now only highlight the new sound, not the entire syllable)
3. An illustrated sentence/rhyme using the new sounds.

In the book, Nacho has no designated "lessons" but based on the pattern of the book, I'm referring to each 2-page teaching/practice section as a "lesson" and in this unit you have 24 "lessons" they are

Lesson 01: m

Lesson 02: p

Lesson 03: s

Lesson 04: l
Lesson 05: n
Lesson 06: t
Lesson 07: d
Lesson 08: r
Lesson 09: r*
Lesson 10: c¹
Lesson 11: ñ
Lesson 12: v
Lesson 13: b
Lesson 14: g¹
Lesson 15: y
Lesson 16: f
Lesson 17: h²
Lesson 18: z¹
Lesson 19: ll
Lesson 20: gui/gue <--1 Page only

Lesson 21: ce/ci  <--1 Page only
Lesson 22: ch
Lesson 23: que/qui <--1 Page only
Lesson 24: ge/gi <-- 1 Page only

 

I'm including a sample of a 1 page lesson which has a slightly different format:

As you see, there is less of a transition from sounds to sentences in the one page format. I've tried to mark all of the lessons that are one page. At the end of this section, you have covered most of the consonants and your child is reading words with several OPEN syllables.

 

*The letter r is given 4 pages. The first page is strict r+vowel, but the second page includes a couple of rr words, without making a distinction between r and rr in Spanish. The only rr words that I see introduced are perro and torre :so this seems like a functional choice. Not sure if it will bother you that rr is not distinguished or not, but this is a relatively minor thing to supplement should you feel the need to do so.

¹The letters c, g, and z are pronounced differently before the e and i, so on this lesson only _a, _o, _u are introduced and practiced.While _e and _i, are taught later in the course. For a student who is familiar with English similar spelling rules, this is a good opportunity to point out the similarity. In English words that begin with the /k/ sound and use e and i tend to start with K, such as kitten, kettle, keg and kite, as opposed to cat, cuddle and cot.

²There is no mention or visual distinction to remind students that the letter H, in Spanish, is soundless.

 

Unit 2: Closed Syllables, X and Diphthongs p52-p62

At this point ALL Units are of the 1-page format. Now that children have mastered the open syllables, (CV) tthey begin to focus on closed syllables (VC) in Spanish and all the lessons include words on adding a consonant to the end of a syllable, each lesson is only one page the "lessons" in this unit are

Lesson 01:_s

Lesson 02:_n

Lesson 03:_r

Lesson 04:diphthongs #1

Lesson 05:_l

Lesson 06: diphthongs#2

Lesson 07: _z

Lesson 08: _m

Lesson 09: _y

Lesson 10: x_ (these are OPEN syllables with X, xa, xe, xi, xo, xu)

Lesson 11: _c

 

 

Unit 3: L Consonant Blends p63-p68

At this point ALL Units are of the 1-page format. Now that children can read open and closed syllables, and have mastered the diphthongs, they polish off their reading skills by reading words with consonant blends. They will read words where L-blends are the initial, middle or final syllable.

Lesson 01: pl

Lesson 02: cl

Lesson 03: bl

Lesson 04: gl

Lesson 05: fl

Lesson 06: Al Amenecer (a full page reading using all of the skills up to this point, and no color-coded helps.

 

Unit 4: R Consonant Blends p69-p75

Having gotten through all the exercises on open and closed syllables and gained fluency with the diphthongs, children not practice their blending skills with consonants and R. Like in the last unit ALL lessons are of the 1-page format. Now children will read words where R-blends are the initial, middle or final consonant sounds in various syllables.

Lesson 01: pr

Lesson 02: tr

Lesson 03: gr

Lesson 04: dr

Lesson 05: cr

Lesson 06: br

Lesson 07: fr

Lesson 08: Lecturas (3 traditional rhymes that flex the reading muscle.)

 

Unit 5: Passages pg76 - pg 95

Children read 1/2 page stories/passages with the following titles.

Mi Cometa

Dulce Nombre

Los Pollitos

La Bandera

El Escudo

La Noche

El Aseo Diario

Mi Escuela

20 de Julio

Mis deditos

El campesino

El arbolito

Dona Semana

Navidad

El Renacuajo Paseador (5 pages)

 

At the end of this book, a child will be able to decode fluently, though given that she is a SLL, I would recommend reading through the first 75 pages of the book, with the intention of giving her decoding skills and practice then going on to materials from the library /internet so that she can read with greater comprehension.

 

I can't post more pictures due to space restraints, but if you want to see anything else, let me know. Hopefully this was helpful to you.

 

Edited February 21, 2017 by mom2bee

[ReadingMama1214]

I have a couple of Native Spanish readers and they are all similar, but I like the Nacho Reader book. It includes a moderate amount of practice. (one of my native readers contains almost NO practice) Nacho has no labeled structure, and thus no table of Contents, BUT I use the rhythm of the books lessons to talk about it by "units"

 

Unit 0: The Spanish Vowels p3-p5

The Spanish vowels are introduced immediately and sample words that use that vowels sound in the beginning are given. The are 3 words per vowel so that students can hear it. If the student has had NO practice with reading/ and is lacking in phonemic awareness then this might not be enough practice, but for a child who is ready to read or used to words and word play, this may be sufficient.

 

This unit is only three pages long and it's 100% about the vowels. The first page is introducing the vowel sounds via words and introducing the vowel-grapheme (shape) through a letter/picture/sound association.

a

anillo, aro, araña

e

elefante, enano, escoba

i

iglesia, isla, iman

o

ojo, olla, oso

u

uña, uva, uno

 

All 15 of the words are illustrated in full color. The first word of each group, has the vowel printed in the picture, so 'a' sits in the anillo the elefante has an 'e' on it's head, the "u" is traced on the finger nail of the uña. etc...

 

For children who are visual, this might help a lot, but for children who are already familiar with or able to read, then it may be less of a plus, BUT the letters are not obtrusive and I don't think that it could be a negative for anyone--but I mention it because some kids might not like it, or they may need help IDing the vowel embedded within each picture. For a very new reader, then I think it's worth pointing this out so that they can notice the vowel "hiding" in the first of each picture.

 

The first unit is very brief and really only so that children can get used to the vowels and recognize them, but because it's expected that pre-literate children will need some to digest the vowels, then instead of jumping into the syllables next, this unit spends the next 2 pages practice writing strokes and then writing vowels.

 

Next to the writing practice for the vowels, each of the five vowel picture-keys from the first page are there along with defined space to practice each of the vowels 10 times (there are 2 examples of each)

Then there is a mixed review of the vowel shapes/sound at the bottom of that page.

 

That is 3 solid pages of vowel sounds and learning vowel recognition. In a classroom, this might take anywhere from 3days to 3 weeks to cover if the teacher is dealing with a majority of new-to-reading students. For a child who is already reading, 1 or 2 sittings is enough to practice the vowels sufficiently and really the

 

Unit 1: Open Syllables. p6-p51

After covering the vowels, children begin using them as they begin learning to read following the standard format (among Native materials) of the syllable method. So children practice reading open syllables (CV) in Spanish.

Each 2 page spread follows a predictable AB pattern. Page-A and Page-B. I'll include a picture:

NachoSample4.jpg

 

So, on page-A, you have 3 things

• The syllables are introduced (_a, _e, _i, _o, _u) at the top of the page around/near an illustration
• there are large print WORDS to practice reading those syllables. In this section, the NEW syllables are color-coded to help students contrast the syllables. niña, moño
• In the lessons of Unit 1, there is a little, teeny, tiny, copy work at the bottom of each "A Page". NOTE: There is NO handwriting instruction included for the consonants. There is however a single sentence to be traced over and then space to copy that sentence.

The B-page in 2 page spread has the following format.

• Words with the new sounds illustrated at the top of the page.
• SENTENCES using all the sounds learned up to this point, with the NEW sound highlighted each time it occurs. So from lesson 11 on ñ students have built up the stamina and skill to know where the syllables are so that they only highlight the new sound on: mi mi saco de paño and La nina adora a su muñeca, (These are practice sentences that now only highlight the new sound, not the entire syllable)
• An illustrated sentence/rhyme using the new sounds.

In the book, Nacho has no designated "lessons" but based on the pattern of the book, I'm referring to each 2-page teaching/practice section as a "lesson" and in this unit you have 24 "lessons" they are

Lesson 01: m

Lesson 02: p

Lesson 03: s

Lesson 04: l

Lesson 05: n

Lesson 06: t

Lesson 07: d

Lesson 08: r

Lesson 09: r*

Lesson 10: c¹

Lesson 11: ñ

Lesson 12: v

Lesson 13: b

Lesson 14: g¹

Lesson 15: y

Lesson 16: f

Lesson 17: h²

Lesson 18: z¹

Lesson 19: ll

Lesson 20: gui/gue <--1 Page only

Lesson 21: ce/ci <--1 Page only

Lesson 22: ch

Lesson 23: que/qui <--1 Page only

Lesson 24: ge/gi <-- 1 Page only

 

I'm including a sample of a 1 page lesson which has a slightly different format:

NachoSample5.jpg

As you see, there is less of a transition from sounds to sentences in the one page format. I've tried to mark all of the lessons that are one page. At the end of this section, you have covered most of the consonants and your child is reading words with several OPEN syllables.

 

*The letter r is given 4 pages. The first page is strict r+vowel, but the second page includes a couple of rr words, without making a distinction between r and rr in Spanish. The only rr words that I see introduced are perro and torre :so this seems like a functional choice. Not sure if it will bother you that rr is not distinguished or not, but this is a relatively minor thing to supplement should you feel the need to do so.

¹The letters c, g, and z are pronounced differently before the e and i, so on this lesson only _a, _o, _u are introduced and practiced.While _e and _i, are taught later in the course. For a student who is familiar with English similar spelling rules, this is a good opportunity to point out the similarity. In English words that begin with the /k/ sound and use e and i tend to start with K, such as kitten, kettle, keg and kite, as opposed to cat, cuddle and cot.

²There is no mention or visual distinction to remind students that the letter H, in Spanish, is soundless.

 

Unit 2: Closed Syllables, X and Diphthongs p52-p62

At this point ALL Units are of the 1-page format. Now that children have mastered the open syllables, (CV) tthey begin to focus on closed syllables (VC) in Spanish and all the lessons include words on adding a consonant to the end of a syllable, each lesson is only one page the "lessons" in this unit are

Lesson 01:_s

Lesson 02:_n

Lesson 03:_r

Lesson 04:diphthongs #1

Lesson 05:_l

Lesson 06: diphthongs#2

Lesson 07: _z

Lesson 08: _m

Lesson 09: _y

Lesson 10: x_ (these are OPEN syllables with X, xa, xe, xi, xo, xu)

Lesson 11: _c

 

 

Unit 3: L Consonant Blends p63-p68

At this point ALL Units are of the 1-page format. Now that children can read open and closed syllables, and have mastered the diphthongs, they polish off their reading skills by reading words with consonant blends. They will read words where L-blends are the initial, middle or final syllable.

Lesson 01: pl

Lesson 02: cl

Lesson 03: bl

Lesson 04: gl

Lesson 05: fl

Lesson 06: Al Amenecer (a full page reading using all of the skills up to this point, and no color-coded helps.

 

Unit 4: R Consonant Blends p69-p75

Having gotten through all the exercises on open and closed syllables and gained fluency with the diphthongs, children not practice their blending skills with consonants and R. Like in the last unit ALL lessons are of the 1-page format. Now children will read words where R-blends are the initial, middle or final consonant sounds in various syllables.

Lesson 01: pr

Lesson 02: tr

Lesson 03: gr

Lesson 04: dr

Lesson 05: cr

Lesson 06: br

Lesson 07: fr

Lesson 08: Lecturas (3 traditional rhymes that flex the reading muscle.)

 

Unit 5: Passages pg76 - pg 95

Children read 1/2 page stories/passages with the following titles.

Mi Cometa

Dulce Nombre

Los Pollitos

La Bandera

El Escudo

La Noche

El Aseo Diario

Mi Escuela

20 de Julio

Mis deditos

El campesino

El arbolito

Dona Semana

Navidad

El Renacuajo Paseador (5 pages)

 

At the end of this book, a child will be able to decode fluently, though given that she is a SLL, I would recommend reading through the first 75 pages of the book, with the intention of giving her decoding skills and practice then going on to materials from the library /internet so that she can read with greater comprehension.

 

I can't post more pictures due to space restraints, but if you want to see anything else, let me know. Hopefully this was helpful to you.

This is so helpful! And I am sold on getting it. I'll probably order it in the next few weeks. My plan is to solidify her knowledge of the English phonograms and then start Spanish towards the end of spring/early summer. I am excited!

 

Would you simply teach the meaning of the words at the same time? I speak Spanish fairly well and know a decent amount of vocabulary so I could teach her the sounds and words she's reading. But she has no Spanish ability right now. She knows a few basic words.

[mom2bee]

This is so helpful! And I am sold on getting it. I'll probably order it in the next few weeks. My plan is to solidify her knowledge of the English phonograms and then start Spanish towards the end of spring/early summer. I am excited!

Glad that you found it all useful :)

Would you simply teach the meaning of the words at the same time? I speak Spanish fairly well and know a decent amount of vocabulary so I could teach her the sounds and words she's reading. But she has no Spanish ability right now. She knows a few basic words.

I would prioritize building decoding fluency to getting her to retain the meaning with a few exceptions. Dealing with trans-literacy in monolingual students presents a unique challenge--from Eng to Spn, the child will use the same reading skills,  techniques (L-R, T-B) and much of the sound-symbol knowledge that she already possesses, but she's also going to have to learn when to NOT use certain parts of her knowledge--some parts that may be reflexive--like sounding h and making j say /j/.

 

I would probably begin teaching many of the nouns now so later when she is reading and wonders what something means, she'll have pegs to hang your translation on. But I'd only offer incidental translations on as needed basis, So when you read the M lesson, you can tell her something casual like "Mima means spoil, so he's saying that mommy spoils me", that type of thing.

 

 

Honestly I think that introducing various real life, meaningful to her words and phrases in Spanish now is a good idea and I would probably start her on aural/oral Spanish ASAP. Maybe discussing pictures in books, and an occasional Spanish Tea Party or something. But I would particularly aurally/orally introduce words beginning with h and j in Spanish. I would want her to have a good 5 or so H-nouns internalized before we got there in Spanish reading so that she will have that "Ooooh" moment, when I explain that h is voiceless, instead of "H being 100% soundless" just being a rule pulled out of the sky.

 

If she already knows hielo, hubo, hotel, hospital, etc from questions/conversations, then I imagine that it'd make it a lot easier to internalize this rule.

 

Just my conjecture anyway.

 

IF you don't want to introduce Spanish at home before she goes to immersion Kindy, then I like to use stories to introduce sounds of letters to my reading students, so you might try that when you get to that lesson if you really don't want to teach her any Spanish before she goes to the the Kindy.