Which Spanish Phonics?

[ReadingMama1214]

DD will start K at an immersion Spanish school in the fall. She is reading well in English and I thought we would start introducing some Spanish phonics and vocabulary over the summer. I looked at Nacho and Coquito and cannot decide which one to get.

 

I want something straight forward and effective.

 

I know some Spanish although I read it better than I speak it, so I know how to introduce the sounds. We have some Spanish kids books as well to read aloud to her.

[Renai]

Which one is cheaper? :D I use this one, it's cheaper than both: https://www.amazon.com/pata-pita-Spanish-Hilda-Perera/dp/1941802605/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490276077&sr=1-1&keywords=la+pata+pita

 

Seriously though, I haven't seen the other two so can only go with what I know. Someone else will chime in, I'm sure. Your post just looked lonely.

 

I have to share: I've had the workbook for Juguemos a Leer since my 11th grader was 4. Yesterday at a second-hand store, I found the lectura. I was so excited!

 

Ok, carry on...

[ReadingMama1214]

Which one is cheaper? :D I use this one, it's cheaper than both: https://www.amazon.com/pata-pita-Spanish-Hilda-Perera/dp/1941802605/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1490276077&sr=1-1&keywords=la+pata+pita

 

Seriously though, I haven't seen the other two so can only go with what I know. Someone else will chime in, I'm sure. Your post just looked lonely.

 

I have to share: I've had the workbook for Juguemos a Leer since my 11th grader was 4. Yesterday at a second-hand store, I found the lectura. I was so excited!

 

Ok, carry on...

Oh I've seen this one mentioned as well. Does it have a workbook too? I had only thought about the lecturas

[Renai]

It does, but for some reason I can't find it on Amazon. I'm only finding the Libro de Trabajo for the second book. Give me some time (my family is currently in town), and I can upload some examples of the pages. It's stuff you could possibly do yourself. Back in the day, I did a lot of my own pages and copywork. There is a bit of matching words to pictures, putting syllables together to make words, and other activities.

[mom2bee]

Which one is cheaper?

:iagree:

 

OP, are you looking for any particular teacher supports? If so, what sort of teacher support do you think would be most helpful to you?

 

Seriously though, I haven't seen the other two so can only go with what I know. Someone else will chime in, I'm sure. Your post just looked lonely.

Because student-wise, in my experience ALL of the Spanish Phonics programs (that I've seen personally) follow a very similar scope and sequence. It's on the teacher to make or break the experience.

 

Well, okay, there is one Spanish phonics program that I can think of that does things differently, but it's $$$ and made by an American woman for children from socio-economically disadvantaged homes and who were at high risk of illiteracy. It is more of an Intervention Program and teaches by drilling the syllabary ONE vowel at a time through the whole, then adding another one. I don't think it's a whole Reading program. It's marketed to schools and costs $$$. My understanding is that this $$$ program, is supposed to lay the ground work so that Spanish speaking children can be successful with the typical readers. I think that spending the money on this program for in-home use with a child who has no problems with reading phonetically would be excessive and needlessly expensive. You can recreate the benefits of that program for pennies on the dollars.

 

 

I am perfectly happy to help you brainstorm ways to "stretch" a phonics program, without buying more stuff and to make it more meaningful to her.

 

If you want to put in extra effort for anything, then my vote would be to place that extra effort on the vowels, and consonants that differ from English but to just do it at home on your own but in a way that the exercises are beneficial and not busy-work for the sake of busy work.

 

Make a chart of the ABC en Espanol. Highlight the consonants that have different sounds than they do in English:. Begin orally and aurally teaching words that have these exclusive consonant sounds. (such as Pajaro and anillo).

 

Just order the cheapest Spanish reader that you can find. By my estimation, you'll want to spend about 7-10 sessions (5-10 minutes each) on the Spanish vowel sounds before you begin the Native Spanish reader with your daughter, because the readers don't spend much time on this at all.

 

Here is a sample lesson plan for vowels:

Get a mirror and teach her the vowel sound. Have her make that vowel shape with her mouth and practice saying it.

Let her cover her eyes and listen to the vowel sound as you say it. Have her repeat the sound that she hears.

Read 10 or so words to her (don't let her see the paper you read from) If she hears the sound, she gives you a thumbs up, if she doesn't, she gives you a thumbs down.

Orally and aurally blend the consonants that are in her full name, with the vowel sound to make syllables.

 

Then show her the vowel letter and let her write the letter 10 times, saying the sound as she does. Using a chart, go through the syllables of ONLY that vowel. (ba, ca, da, fa, ga, ha...)

 

You can make or download a chart that has the Silabas con a/e/i/o/u for free.

 

For a child who reads as well as your daughter does, I really can't imagine this being a complicated process. I think that you might be at risk of making things harder than needed. By like...a lot.

 

After you've taught the vowel sounds exclusively for a week or so, begin the reader but for the first 2 weeks or so, each time that you sit down to do do the reader, quickly chant/drill through the syllables by vowel right before you do a couple of pages in the cheapest Spanish reader you can find.

 

Typically the coverage of vowel sounds in the Native readers are minimal. Like 1-3 pages and the few times I've seen it take 3 pages is because they are including handwriting practice.

 

Any child who was able to phonetically thrive with OPG and read other books is not likely going to require a lot of trappings and extras to learn to read in Spanish. If you have a workbook lover on your hands, fine get a series that has a workbook. If not, then save yourself some money and some time. Just teach Spanish phonics.

 

For an English speaking child, I would intentionally teach several words (aurally and orally) that use consonants that are unique to Spanish, so I would want her to know lluvia, anillo, reloj, pajara, etc...before she reached lessons on those consonants. That way she can map those sounds to some of the the words that she knows already.

[Renai]

:iagree:  Since op already knows Spanish, it will be much easier. Teachers Pay Teachers have free Spanish phonics charts. I use one. :D When I first taught my oldest Spanish reading, I probably knew about as much as you do. I used a one-page Spanish syllabary (I can get you a copy), and some index cards to make syllables. That's what I had. I did also have the benefit of native Spanish teachers I worked with that showed me how it was done, but mom2bee has outlined it above. You really don't need much. And, if you want, you can sign her up for a free online Spanish alphabet pronunciation class. Check my signature. :D

 

You can do this, and you don't need much! I will say though, having the reader might also help with your other goal of introducing vocabulary you may not have thought of introducing.

[mom2bee]

I will say though, having the reader might also help with your other goal of introducing vocabulary you may not have thought of introducing.

 

Yes. I agree with getting the reader. I hope that OP doesn't think I'm saying not to.

 

What I'm trying to get at is that you really don't need much to get started laying a strong foundation at all, but OP, having the reader will make your task easier and manageable. She can read and re-read pages in it for fluency practice and vocabulary.

 

But I wouldn't over thing which reader. I'd get the cheapest Spanish reader that I could find. I can link you to some of our past discussions on readers if you'd like.

 

Seriously OP, I think that you will be able to be very successful with teaching your DD to read in Spanish. Begin with the exercises that I outlined above,  and some time in early April begin using the commercial reader.

 

OP, based on what I think I know about you and your daughter, in your shoes, my shopping list would be:

Cheapest Native Reader Possible

It seems that La Pata Pita is the cheapest one at 8.99 USD, but if I found one cheaper, I'd go with that. You might even be able to download something for free online.

First 100 Words in Spanish (Usborne.)

This book has clean pages and each of the words are clearly and plainly illustrated. Great for basic discussion and easy sentence making exercises. Sharing a page spread you can spend a few minutes talking about the picture and asking/answering "Donde esta..." and "Que color es...?" type questions.

Spanish for Beginners (Passport's language guides)

Once your little girl is reading Spanish (probably early May), this book has a lot of basic Spanish conversation and the phrases are illustrated in easy to read comics. She can ignore a lot of the side-bars. This is a good book to share and will expose her to many of the basics and is great as a spring board for Role-Playing in Spanish and this book, unlike most others enables beginners to communicate.

 

Does your library have many Learning Spanish videos? If so, start taking them out and letting your daughter watch some. She'll develop her ear for Spanish and it'll grow and reinforce her vocabulary.