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Spanish educational games.

"Teaching" or guiding a child in learning Spanish using illustrated children's story books in Spanish - parent and child; some basic techniques. Ideas for children from 4 to 8+. It is assumed here the parent knows some Spanish.

1) Choose a time of day when you would normally tell your child a story or play with her. Why? It's the time when the child feels relaxed and is accustomed to doing similar activities with a parent.

2) Ensure you are both comfortable and can both easily see the pages of the book, ie. sitting on the bed or at a table. The television is turned off and preferably there is nobody else in the room. eg. the child's bedroom. Why? So the child does not become restless and there are few distractions.

3) If this is the first time you have used Spanish with your child, ask her what language she speaks. If she has a friend from a Spanish speaking country, ask what language her friend Pablo speaks, where he comes from, or where his parents are from, does she know any Spanish words? Which? etc. Why? To help the child with the concept of what language is, that in other countries people often have different words to talk about things. To create an interest in and reason for learning Spanish.

4) Ask the child in English about the illustration on the front cover of the book. Talk about it together in English. Identify objects and elicit from your child about what is happening, colors, clothes, etc. Ask what she thinks the story is going to be about. Why? To create interest in the book; by asking your child what she thinks the story is about, she will then be eager to discover if she is right or not. Younger children will want to turn the pages over right away (if they have not already done so!). Try to gently dissuade them by keeping interest on the page being talked about. However, adjust the pace of the activity so that the child does not become irritated or bored. NEVER try to force the child to participate or scold it during these sessions. Ensure your child and NOT you is the focus of attention; ELICIT from the child rather than tell them the answers. (See more on this below.)

5) Let's consider a page from a child's story book in Spanish. Click here to open a page with the Spanish text. Briefly elicit, in English, things she can see in the picture. Read the story in English (it does not matter if you do not understand everything) but insert some key words in Spanish to replace the English equivalents. Which words you use and how many will depend on your child's previous knowledge. Initially, choose common objects and expressions. In this example, I would choose: conejo(s), casa (or "casa grande"), rosa y morada, amarilla, ventanas, buenos días. As you mention the words in Spanish, pause, point to the appropriate part of the picture and repeat. If necessary, translate, eg. "buenos días". Note: do not try to teach the words, just introduce them and let the information and sounds of the words sink in. Explain that these are Spanish words and that is how you say these things in Spanish (or how Pablo says these things).

6) If your child has not already done so, ask if she wants to try to say the words. However, if she does not (through coyness, etc), just carry on. Do not press your child. She may prefer to just listen to the sounds and enjoy the story. Help with the Spanish pronunciation and PRAISE your child on how well she says the words in Spanish. If she cannot pronounce a particular word very well, do not insist but continue to the next. You may practise some expressions together in a sort of mini role-play: eg. "Buenos días.". Note: ensure the story is perfectly comprehensible and the dynamic of the story-telling is not held up too much through practising the Spanish or your child may get bored. Enjoying the story is the principal objective here. Therefore, do not bring in too many new words during one session. Above all, be aware of your child's mood and allow your child to set the pace. Perhaps one evening she is tired and restless and is not interested in doing anything more than listening to a good story while the next day she may be more receptive and willing to respond to your eliciting.

More techniques on eliciting and correcting -

As you procede through the book or during later story-reading sessions, look out for vocabulary in the pictures that you have already introduced in Spanish. You now have a chance to test your child. What is important here is to avoid negative words like "NO", "THAT'S WRONG", which may serve to discourage your child. Instead, use an "alternative reply" approach. Here is an example:

P - OK, what's this here? (point to it in the book) Is it "casa" or "conejo"?

CH - Conejo.

P - Well done, Melissa. Conejo.

or...

P - OK, what's this here? (point to it in the book)?

CH - Casa?

P - Casa or Conejo?

CH - Conejo.

P - Well done, Melissa. Conejo.

The child soon learns that the answer is the "other one". To make it easy at first, say the correct answer last. Why? The child feels encouraged by this approach because she feels she has chosen the right answer and has not made a mistake. Making mistakes is an essential and unavoidable part of language learning to such an extent that we can say that "it is correct to be incorrect". If mistakes are not made, learning will not take place. However, and unfortunately, young children soon learn to become discouraged by making mistakes during their education so we should try to disguise their errors as much as possible and encourage them to feel good about their learning.

Reading Spanish books and young children...

If your child is already reading a little in English, then you can bring her attention to the written words in the book. I suggest that even at more advanced ages you do not start reading tasks at all until your child is pronouncing vocabulary well from memory. Why? Because children who already have a notion of phonetics in English may tend to readjust their pronunciation when they see the word written. However, this is less likely if the child has properly acquired the correct pronunciation.

But then you can use the written type in the Spanish story books. Activities can be as the following depending on maturity and age:

a) ask the child to look for certain words in the text and point to them and say them.

b) point to things or actions in the picture and get the child to say the corresponding phrase and look for it in the text.

c) ask the child to read some of the sentences and you read others.

d) you read and the child follows the text with her finger (or vice-versa).

e) you read one character and the child another putting emphasis on intonation and feeling to consolidate meaning. Both parents or other children can take roles too; the narrator etc. Make it fun.

f) the child reads you the story and elicits information from you in the form of question about the pictures. ie. inverting parent / child roles.

Note: Do not engage in reading tasks with text the child does not understand.

Final thoughts...

At other times of the day, bring out the language you have raised during the story-telling sessions with your child. Make references to things around you, in the house, in the street and elicit what they are in Spanish. Use expressions with your child in appropriate situations. eg. Buenos días, ¿Qué tal? etc. I use invented hand signs, which represent various objects or actions. This is an effective way to elicit vocabulary without translating into English.

When you tell the story again, extend the vocabulary range and introduce new words. Try to build up small "chunks" of language eg. "son conejos"; "todos los días". As the child now knows the story, you can bring in other activities like counting the windows of the house in Spanish etc.

Being an effective guide / teacher for your child is also a learning process for the parent. And as you continue, you will get better if you take heed of some of these suggestions used by good teachers all over the world.

Best of luck and enjoy it by making it enjoyable!

Michael Bilbrough (Teacher of English in Spain and Editor of English Spanish Link.com)

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