Nacho Aprende, Lee y Colorea

The following is a sponsored post with Nacho Books. All thoughts and opinions are the writer's own.

This review is one of a series of educational books in Spanish available from the new Nacho Books website that shops these popular books across the United States. Find additional reviews in this series here. 

A Spanish Workbook for PreK - 1st

Nacho Aprende, Lee y Colorea is a fun 192-page practice book for young children from Nacho Books. At first glance it is a coloring book with an image to color on each page that is identified in Spanish and English. A wonderful way to introduce vocabulary in both languages or for English dominant speakers to learn the Spanish vocabulary. It would also work for Spanish dominant speakers who are younger and working on vocabulary development, hand strength and writing skills. 

The images themselves are cartoons of the items or roles connected to the words themselves. However, those looking for culturally sensitive materials should know that it does have a Eurocentric aesthetic. For example, the image for "Indio" has a boy, that does not have indigenous features, with a headband and three feathers... 

A great feature in this book is that the vowel tracing on the first few pages quickly progresses to full sentences to copy by the end of the book. Each phrase or sentence is written in both print and cursive, which is a nice touch. My son and I compared the two and identified similarities and differences in print and cursive so he could see that cursive doesn’t have to be intimidating.

There is an emphasis on syllable recognition. Syllables are highlighted in the main Spanish vocabulary word on each page, in the phrases, and children are given opportunities to fill in the correct syllable for lists of incomplete words several times throughout the book. The visual cues and repetition take it beyond a simple vocabulary coloring book. There are also word searches throughout to reinforce the vocabulary through play. My son was very excited about the word searches...

This book is a great practice workbook for young learners to build vocabulary, writing skills, motor skills and creative expression.

Click over the Nacho Books to order this and other titles to support your child’s emerging reading and writing in Spanish. 

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Monika Aldarondo is a former arts educator, and current photographer and creative shape-shifter with Puerto Rican roots. She posts about her bilingual home/un-schooling journey on Instagram @librolovinmama. Her photography and creative projects can be found at laancla.com.

El Gran Nacho: A Spanish Literacy Workbook

The following is sponsored post with Nacho Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. 

Last month, I told you about Nacho Books' new website and that they had added new titles to their selection of books they sell. Today, I want to tell you about one of those titles that I think many of you will really like.

A Spanish Reading and Writing Master Activity Book

El Gran Nacho is 288 pages of literacy developing activities. It is definitely THE activity book to get to engage your kids during the summer or throughout the school year.

It's designed for children in the first grade. The book's introduction says that the exercises emphasize the following:

• stimulates the development of literacy skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing
• exercises basic function such as visual perception, auditory skills, fine and gross motor skills
• and motivates children to follow the instructions of their teacher (you!), while helping them understand their leading role in the building of their own knowledge.

Okay, so what does this all mean? A LOT of experience and work has gone into creating this book.

It presents letters carefully; the most frequently used letters in the Spanish language are taught first. So naturally, the book begins by teaching the vowels and vowel sounds. The book teaches letters and words in a structured manner so that your kids can start building sentences.

Really, there's an entire process to how the alphabet, sounds, words, and language are taught in this book. And it's all backed by sound pedagogy.

But it's totally fun for kids. The illustrations are very well done, and the activities include things like tongue twisters, poetry, riddles, and crosswords. I even like how they mix print and cursive together to teach children how to read and write both.

I really love this book. And I think that you will, too.

Take a peek at some of the inside pages. Check out how they progress in difficulty...

If this looks like something you're looking for, click over to Nacho Books now and purchase your copy.

A Discount for YOU!

MommyMaestra readers can get a 30% discount on any order of Nacho Books. Just use this link and the discount code MommyMaestra at checkout.

Free January 6 2021 Writing Pages

 

As I type this, the news has been on in our home most of the afternoon and evening. Today has been historic, and not in a good way. And it has been a teachable moment of gigantic proportions.

My teenagers have been asking all sorts of questions. My oldest is taking AP US history and my middle kid is taking civics. So what happened at the Capitol today held their attention. 

Today, we talked about the Constitution and ethics. We talked about peaceful transfer of power. We talked about the right to protest...and the federal offence of entering the Capitol by force. 

I think this is a really important opportunity for kids to think critically and deeply about government and power and laws. So I created some writing pages for my son to use tomorrow during our civics lesson. 

And I thought, well, maybe some of you would like to use them in your classrooms, too. They are FREE and very versatile. 

You can use them to have your students write down their thoughts about what happened today. They can write about how they felt or how the attack on Congress relates to what they have learned about how our government works. Or they can write about the events leading up to it. Or the events they witnessed on the television. 

The file comes in English and Spanish. And it has several formats for a variety of ages and skill levels. 

Click here to download these writing pages

Wishing for peace for our country.

Free Download: Day of the Dead Writing Pages

It's time for MKB's Day of the Dead Series! This year, I'm sharing this free download of Day of the Dead writing pages. I hope you'll download them and share them with your children and/or students. Scroll down to see how to add to their writing experience!

This post contains affiliate links.

The Multicultural Kid Blogs' Day of the Dead Series

I can't express how much I love being a part of the Multicultural Kid Blogs community. In my own struggle to raise world citizens, they have taught me so tremendously much about what it means to be a global citizen. From recipes to holiday descriptions to art, music, and so much more, they've truly helped me to better understand other countries and cultures and, most importantly, people. And I so enjoy all the resources that they offer their readers, especially those downloads and crafts designed for families and children.

So, of course, it is no surprise that every year they recognize the Día de los Muertos holiday. The last few years, I wasn't able to participate as I struggled to care for my mom and have a baby. (One was hard enough, but juggling both duties at the same time took most of my attention.) But I definitely followed along. And I'm happy to join this year.

Free Day of the Dead Writing Pages

My contribution is a free download. These Day of the Dead Writing Pages come in several designs and formats for beginning and advanced writers. AND they are available in both English and Spanish.

How to Use these Writing Pages

You can, of course, just give your kids the writing pages and allow them to write whatever they want. But if your students need some guidance or topics to get them started, here are a few ideas for using the writing pages. You could have your student(s):

• write their own Calavera poems
• write a report on the holiday
• write about what Día de los Muertos means to them
• write about how their family celebrates the holiday
• write about who they are remembering this year in their Day of the Dead celebration
• write about the elements that are included on the ofrenda

The Free Download

I hope you enjoy using them in your classrooms or at home.

Click here to download your free pages

Additional Ways to Make Writing Fun

If you'd like some more ideas for making this writing activity extra fun, consider giving your children the following as a gift or packet to celebrate the holiday.

Sugar Skull Smens - Scented Pens

Sugar Skull Ballpoint Pens

Sugar Skull Pencil Case

Sugar Skulls Elephant Organizer

Other Posts from the MKB Series

Multicultural Kid Blogs is proud to be hosting another blog hop for Day of the Dead! (Don't miss our series from last year, 2017, 2016, and 2015!) Be sure to visit all the posts below for great ideas on sharing Day of the Dead with kids:

• Simple Tender Joyful on Multicultural Kid Blogs: Sumpango Giant Kite Festival in Guatemala
  
  
• Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes: Guatemalan Barrilete Craft
  
  
• MommyMaestra: Day of the Dead Writing Pages
  
  
• Spanish Playground: Día de los Muertos Video Activities
  
  
• Kids Spanish Book Club: Día de los muertos Books for Kids
  
  
• For the Love of Spanish: Shop Small for Día de los muertos

Other Posts About Day of the Dead

• Printable Lessons and Activities to Celebrate Day of the Dead
  
  
• José Guadalupe Posada Lesson Plans
  
  
• MommyMaestra's Favorite Dia de los Muertos Books for Children
  
  
• Monarch Butterflies & Day of the Dead
  
  
• Dia de los Muertos Nichos

Free Thank Your Writing Pages for Teacher Appreciation Week

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Lots of goodness coming your way this week, starting with these free thank-you-themed writing pages to share with your children. Teachers love hand-written notes from their students, so why not have your kids write a little thank you to their teachers for all the hard work they do?

There are eight different designs, each in two different styles (for beginner or advanced spellers). And, yes, they are all in English and Spanish. You can download them here in my TpT store. Or if you are signed up for the MommyMaestra newsletter, look for them in your inbox soon!

IN ADDITION: Don't forget that tomorrow, TpT's sitewide Teacher Appreciation Sale begins! Get up to 25% off my entire store. What a great time to stock up on those items you have on your wishlists! Or get ready for summer with educational - but super fun! - downloads, like these...

Enjoy!

Bilingual Martin Luther King Jr. Resources

Over the years, I've created a few different printables to help teach my kids about Martin Luther King, Jr. And since MLK Day is coming up on Monday, January 21st, I wanted to be sure to share them with you in case you are looking for fast, easy printables to share with your kids.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Color-by-Number Activity

For little ones, here's a fun activity. All you need is crayons or markers! I would first read one of the many wonderful MLK books available. Here's a list of my five favorites that I shared on Mom.me.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Triptych Activity

In this writing triptych, kids can read a little bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and read some quotes from his famous speech. They can color it, and draw or paste a picture of themselves on one of the folds of the triptych. Then they can think about the quotes and write a few words (short paragraph) sharing their own hopes for this country.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Writing Activity

This simple activity allows students to write their own ending to Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. They simply color in the base sheet and write in their ending, before coloring in and attaching a flap-style poster to the top. Available in English or Spanish.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Glossary for Families

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with this easy, no-prep, printable poster and glossary! Available in full color or black-and-white, you can decorate your classroom or have your students color in the poster and read the glossary which features words related to Dr. King. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. Bilingual BUNDLE - NEW!

Love them all? Then SAVE when you purchase the BUNDLE!

2nd - 4th Grade Writing Handbooks for Bilingual Learners

I'm pretty excited about my weekend discovery during one of my regular trips to my favorite used bookstore. When my older kids were little, we used the Write Away series and it was awesome. So imagine my delight when I found the SPANISH VERSIONS of both the second-grade and third-grade handbooks!

¡De viaje! and ¡Vía libre! (aff links) are handbooks for young aspiring writers. They guide students through the writing process by using easy to understand directions and giving clear examples. Your child will learn the basics of writing with this book through a variety of writing topics.

For example, in ¡De viaje! your 2nd grader will begin by learning ideas on what to write, keeping an idea journal, making a plan or outline and why an eraser is your friend (😉). They'll learn about making revisions, meeting with other writers to get feedback, how to correct their own work, and how to publish what they've written.

There's also a section on the nuts and bolts, which covers sentences and paragraphs.

Then there is a series of writing activities: personal writings (diaries, funny notes, cards to friends, and personal narrations), themed writings (book reviews, news articles, instruction guides, etc.), investigational writings (illustrated dictionaries, reports, etc.), stories, and poems.

These writing activities are followed by a section on learning to learn. It covers how to improve your reading, letters and words, how to talk and listen better, and a chapter dedicated to learning skills.

Oh, but we're not done! Then there's a grammar section to help students learn about parts of speech, sentences, the mechanics of language, how to improve your spelling, using the correct word, punctuation.

The final section is a student almanac with lists and tables of all sorts of things (sign language, the Braille alphabet, Roman numerals, etc.), maps, math, penmanship, and a look at history.

There is a TON of information packed into this little book!

And ¡Vía libre! is similar with a little more advanced content geared toward students in 3rd and 4th grades. But it has the same engaging style and is also jam-packed full of resources for your young students.

Anyway, I bought all three copies of each book and have them for sale in my shop. I wish I could have bought more, but these were the only ones they had. So it's first come, first served. You can find them here.  I've sold out, but you can find them here and here on Amazon (aff)!

Enjoy!

Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Triptych Activity {Bilingual}

Looking for meaningful ways to engage children in celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day? This writing triptych activity inspires students to reflect on Dr. King’s vision while developing their writing and critical thinking skills.

Inspiring Students on Martin Luther King Jr. Day with Creative Writing Activities

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech has been on my mind a lot the last few weeks. Last year, I created a writing activity for children in upper elementary/lower middle school. And earlier this week I shared a free, simple color-by-number activity for introducing Martin Luther King, Jr. to younger children in preschool and lower elementary.

Martin Luther King Jr. Writing Triptych Activity

But I have one more printable I want to share. It is designed to make children think about what they would like to see happen in our country. In this writing triptych, kids can read a little bit about Martin Luther King, Jr. and read some quotes from his famous speech. They can color it, and draw or paste a picture of themselves on one of the folds of the triptych. Then they can think about the quotes and write a few words (short paragraph) sharing their own hopes for this country.

This printable activity encourages students to think deeply about their own hopes and dreams for the country. Designed for upper elementary and lower middle school students, it offers a creative way to explore Dr. King’s powerful message.

What’s Included:

• A brief introduction to Martin Luther King Jr.
  
• Inspiring quotes from Dr. King’s "I Have a Dream" speech.
  
• Space for students to color and personalize the triptych by drawing or pasting a picture of themselves.
  
• A writing prompt encouraging students to reflect on the quotes and share their own vision for the country in a short paragraph.

Available in both English and Spanish, this activity is perfect for classrooms and at-home learning.

How Parents Can Use This at Home

Parents can use the writing triptych to spark thoughtful conversations and promote creativity:

• Story Time Connection: Start by reading a book about Martin Luther King Jr. to provide context and inspiration.
  
  
• Personal Reflection: Encourage your child to discuss their thoughts on the quotes and write about their own dreams for a better future.
  
  
• Art Integration: Let your child add vibrant colors and personal touches to the triptych, making the activity both educational and fun.

These activities help children connect with Dr. King’s message while fostering family discussions on important values.

How Teachers Can Use This in the Classroom

Teachers can integrate this activity into language arts or social studies lessons:

• Classroom Discussions: Use the quotes as discussion starters to explore themes of equality, justice, and hope.
  
  
• Group Projects: Have students present their completed triptychs to the class, sharing their reflections and hopes.
  
  
• Cross-Curricular Learning: Combine the activity with a history lesson on the civil rights movement or a study of persuasive speeches.

The activity’s bilingual format ensures accessibility for diverse classrooms, making it a valuable resource for celebrating MLK Day.

Other MLK Resources

I would recommend that you pair this activity with one of the books from my list of 5 Books to Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Read the book(s) first and then hand out the activity and give your student(s) time to complete it.

The activity is available in English and Spanish and you can find it here in my TpT store.

Enjoy!

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Martin Luther King Jr. Glossary for Families
  
  
• Martin Luther King Jr. Bilingual Writing Activity
  
  
• Racial Justice & Equity Glossary Packet
  
  
• 5+ Videos for Kids on How to Draw Martin Luther King Jr.
  
  
• Teach for Justice Lesson Plans
  
  

Don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter!

First Day of School for Struggling Writers

This post is written in conjunction with Bic and The Motherhood. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Some of you know that we've already started our school year. As a homeschooling family that travels a lot, I prefer to start our school year promptly on August 1st. It gives me an opportunity to ease into school without a lot of stress, focusing on fun new curricula before I start concentrating on those skills with which my kids struggle. (This can be a bit tricky since my kids are so different and they have strengths and weaknesses in different areas.)

One of the best things about homeschooling is being able to choose which skills I want my kids to develop better because I know those skills will be valuable to helping them become successful adults. Skills like handwriting.

I'm not just focusing on it because I'm a writer. It's because I know that research proves that developing strong handwriting skills impacts other areas, such as critical thinking, reading comprehension, fine motor skills development, creativity and even self-confidence.

While my daughter has a writer's heart, I've really struggled with getting my son to write simple sentences. For years, he's resisted simple writing assignments. I was frustrated, not understanding why he was that way when my daughter could write entire novels by the time she was 10.

But this year, I finally had a breakthrough when I discovered that my son appears to have dysgraphia, a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper. He actually has very neat handwriting, but it takes him a long time to put his thoughts down on paper, if he's able to do so at all.

I'm still learning about how to proceed. Mostly I see articles recommending more verbal and typing work instead of handwriting. And while I can live with this to some extent, I know that my son needs to know how to write. So I continue to move forward with small writing assignments, not pushing, but allowing him to move forward at his own pace. And I look for ways to make writing more fun.

One of those ways includes making the entire process more exciting by giving him writing tools he enjoys. And I'm so thankful that this year, I discovered new products from Bic to make this journey a little bit easier!

So as part of our first day of school ritual, my First Day of School Gift to my children included pencils in bright colors, pens with multiple ink options, and colorful mechanical pencils. These were all new and different tools for my son to use, so they make him want to write. While I know that the novelty of these instruments won't last forever, they've really helped to kick off our school year on a positive note.

To get my kids into this contest, we talked about one thing they each learned last year, which subjects were hard for them, what they were looking forward to this year in school, and one thing they really wanted to learn about before the December holidays. My son prefers drawing to writing, so I use this to our benefit and have him create comics where he can draw all he wants, but he also has to write thought bubbles, speech clouds, and more.

Then I had my kids write out what they would do if they were the principal of a school for a day. My daughter went ahead and created the poster you see at the top of the page using her 4 color pen. But my son needed a more manageable writing activity, one that was very focused but still fun. Big blank pages aren't productive for us at this point. So I created a small writing prompt on a card where he could fill in the blanks. All he had to do was think of one thing he would do as the principal. And so he did.

Because I enjoyed creating these simple, focused writing cards, I wanted to share them with MM readers, too, so you can download your free copy by clicking the link below. And yes, they are available in English AND Spanish.

Click here to download this file

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Free Download: Bilingual Back-to-School Labels
  
  
• Making the First Day of School Special (Free Downloads)
  
  
• Martín y Pepe - Spanish Beginning Reader Books
  
  
• The Grammar Missions

NACHO Lectura Inicial: A Spanish Reading Workbook

One of the requests that I get on a regular basis is for materials that teach children how to read in Spanish. I always refer parents to my FAQ page located in the top menu of this website. But I also have a page dedicated to Resources for Parents of Children Learning to Read in Spanish. And now, I have another wonderful resource to add to that list!

Last month, Sra. Jackie Amaya-García sent me a workbook that she says, "¡Es el libro con el que aprendimos todos en latinoamerica a leer!" And after looking through it, I believe her!

Take a look:

What are Nacho Books?

NACHO: Libro Inicial de Lectura is an awesome workbook printed in Colombia by SUSAETA ediciones. They publish a collection of (Spanish) reading and writing books for kids ages 4 - 13. This particular book is the first in the series, and helps beginning readers to master writing and reading by learning syllable combinations. The book is colorful and I love how even the text is in different colors to stress syllable learning, as well as individual letter sounds. (It sort of reminds me of Dick & Jane titles from my own childhood...but in Spanish!) Each page has a section at the bottom for copying sentences or to practice new reading skills.

I went to SUSAETA's website and gave a big whistle. I think some of you would let out a little "WEPA!" if you could see everything they have available.

BUT, you say, these are all the way in Colombia! How am I supposed to get my hands on these little tesoros?

Well, lucky for you, Cultural Bytes, a foreign language enrichment program out of Burbank, CA, is the rep for the US & Canada for this book and all titles from Susaeta. So you can purchase NACHO Inicial for only $16 + shipping.

But I wouldn't stop there. You can also find handwriting and spelling workbooks on Cultural Bytes' site.

And hey, if you live in California in or around the Burbank area, check out Cultural Bytes' summer Spanish camps. You can also find Sra. Jackie doing Spanish story time at a few Barnes & Nobles. Just visit their website for more information.

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Resources for Parents of Children Learning to Read in Spanish
  
  
• First Readers in Spanish
  
  
• Chapter Books in Spanish
  
  
• Aula Creativa 5
  
  
• Nacho Aprende, Lee y Colorea

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Free Download: Making Words in Spanish

Teacher Appreciation Week is almost over! And I have a free download that our sponsor, Lectura para niños, wants to give you.

You may remember that Lectura para niño's creator, Leah, is a teacher herself, so she knows how valuable teachers are to our children. If you are a professional educator, homeschool parent, librarian, or simply a parent who loves to get involved in your child's education, and you have a child/student who is learning to read and write in Spanish, then this freebie is for you!

Haciendo palabras is a beginning level set of worksheets to help children begin writing words. This sample packet contains six activity pages.

The whole book comes with 217 pages (wow!). Here's a short description of it:

This homework book has 5 parts. In each mini book, there are 1-2 pages of homework for each theme you are working with. If you are working in Theme 2, you will be working with words containing the letters m, p, s and the vowels. After working for at least a week with in any theme, you can send home pages from each of the following pages.

1. Leyendo Palabras: Whole word reading (32 pages) The student reads the words in the box above and writes the word below the corresponding picture.
2. Busca Palabras: Word Searches (32 pages) Find the hidden words from each theme.
3. Escribe palabras correctamente: Unscramble the words (32 pages) Unscramble the words from each theme.
4. Escribe las palabras en cajas: Writing words in Boxes (32 pages)
5. Corta y pega dibujos con las palabras: Cut and paste pictures to match the corresponding word (82 pages)

If you love these sample pages and would like to get the whole book, you can find it here.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FILE

For more awesome Spanish materials, especially those that teach children to read in Spanish, check out Lectura para niños on Facebook, Teachers Pay Teachers, Blog, and Pinterest.