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Spanish Reading Resources and Tips for Emergent Readers

In this post you can find a variety of Spanish reading resources for emergent readers such as ABC books, reading workbooks, YouTube videos and Early Readers in Spanish!

January is the month of literacy! So let’s get reading in Spanish.

In my last few posts, I shared some ABC books in Spanish with your to help your children learn the Spanish alphabet. 

I also created some FREE alphabet flashcards in Spanish for you to learn the alphabet in various ways. One of those ways is through this interactive ABC Bingo!

Today, I want to share some Spanish reading resources and tips with you to help your emergent reader start connecting the dots of the print world to form syllables and send them on their way to start reading their first words!

Ahh, so exciting!

I have been head deep into research, but today I will share my favorite reading resources in Spanish with you.

I hope they help you on your child’s literacy journey!

For daily literacy tips and bilingual parenting resources, do make sure to follow me on Instagram!

Happy reading!

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In this post you can find a variety of Spanish reading resources for emergent readers such as ABC books, reading workbooks, YouTube videos and Early Readers in Spanish!

Prepare your child for the world of print.

All children become emergent readers once they start connecting the dots and understanding that those weird shapes in books form words that have meanings. 

We parents must guide our children into a love for reading, and there are several things we can do to help them.

Related: Spanish Alphabet Printable With Animal Words for Each Letter

Below are some tips I recommend for emerging readers. 

  • Read often to your children, so they fall in love with reading. 

    Even if you have a younger toddler who can’t seem to sit through even the first page of a book (trust me, I am familiar with this setting), do not be discouraged. Keep on reading.

    This was Lennox not too long ago. Now he is 4.5, and he is obsessed with books. Books at bed, books at bath, books, books, books!
  • When you read to your child, talk to them about the different parts of the books. The title, the author, the introduction etc. This will help them understand that the letters they see written have a meaning. And so do the words in the book!
  • When reading, model finger-point reading so your child can learn how we read.
  • Encourage pretend reading. Ask your child to tell you what is happening in the book.
  • Create a space to read to your child.
    We keep our books in little baskets all throughout the house. The baskets we use the most are right beside our bed for bedtime stories, and right outside Lennox’s bathroom for bath time stories! This allows us to keep out books in a rotation so that they all get some love!

Related: How to Read to Bilingual Children

Once your child starts to show more interest in reading, you know you are ready to move on to the next steps; learning about letters and syllables!

Below I’ll share some resources to help your child on their reading journey!

Books to Learn the ABCs in Spanish

Before your child starts learning how to read, the first step is to learn the Spanish alphabet.

Now, learning 27 complicated shapes is very intimidating for young children, so learning the alphabet needs to be done in an engaging manner to encourage the learning process. 

I will share a round-up of play-based ways to learn the alphabet in my next post. The majority of these posts that I will shared by other kid bloggers are intended for the English alphabet, but likewise, you will be able to apply them to the Spanish alphabet in your unique way. So stay tuned.

Related: Don’t Break The Ice Letter Smash: A Creative Way To Learn The ABCs

Furthermore, to begin learning the ABCs, check out these picture books in Spanish to learn the ABCs.

When you begin teaching the letters to your children, start with the vowels—A, E, I, O, U. They are the most important letters of the Spanish alphabet. Your child can learn the rest of the letters around the vowels.

YouTube Literacy videos in Spanish for kids

There are so many amazing and FREE resources on YouTube that you can use to help your children learn to read. Learn about two of my favorites below.

  • Monosílabo

Monosílabo is such a great resource to have at home. It is a monkey puppet and his accomplice, Nicolo Cavernícalo.


Together, they will teach your child the ABCs, vowels, and consonants in a fun and entertaining way that will stick!


When we wake up and prepare for the day, I put monosílabo on for Lennox for 15-20 minutes. Each day I put a different letter on, and we talk about that same letter throughout the day!


The video below works on the letter P, one of the first recommended consonants to teach.

  • Aprender a Leer is another great YouTube resource to help teach your kids the Spanish syllables.

There are many more resources that you can find on YouTube, from animations to bloggers, that can help you teach your child to read. All you have to do is BUSCAR!

Spanish Reading Readiness Workbooks

Once your child has a solid foundation of their letters, most importantly the vowels, you can start using a beginning reader workbook.

Throughout my research, I have come across quite a selection that I will share with you, starting with the books that I have physically at home.

Coquito

Por: Profesor Everardo Zapata Santillana

Year 2019

Coco is a great literacy workbook for emergent readers in Spanish. It utilizes the method of “Reading by Words” to train children to recognize some of the most common words in the Spanish language.

This book is an ideal resource for children ages 5-7 who are ready to embark on their reading journey.

It is broken down into 7 sections and 54 sequential lessons with colored themes and captivating visuals. Below are the seven sections Coquito covers:

  1. Vocales– This section works the five vowels A, E, I, O, U
  2. Sílabas directas – direct syllables which, are the most commonly found consonants followed by a vowel.

    Related: Letter A Printables in Spanish

    This book begins with M and P since they are the the first sounds formed mamá and papá.
    PA / PE / PI / PO / PU

    With each new direct syllable formed, there is an activity for the child to work on afterward. Also, at the end of each section there is an evaluation activity for the child to do, too.
  3. Sílabas inversas y mixtas
    Inverse syllables are when the vowel comes before a consonant. AS / ES/ IS / OS/ US.
    Mixed Syllables are when there is a mixture of direct and inverse syllables.
  4. Sílabas dipotongadas– Diphthong when two vowels form one syllable, for example–> hielo, pronounces. (yeh-lo).
  5. Sílabas trabajadas– When two consonats are found in one syllable, for expample, planeta [pla] [ne] [ta].
  6. Sílabas complejas– four letters (usually one vowel and three consonants) that make up one syllable. Some examples are: tres, then gris.
  7. The last section is an activity section that children can work on reading comprehension through short stories.

Nuevo Silabario Hispano Americano

Next we have the Nuevo Silabario Hispano Americano. I bought this book because my partner, Carlos, swears by it! This book is popular throughout Latin America, especially in Central America. 

You might have used this book growing up!

This book was written in 1948 by Argentine pedagogist Adrián Dufflocq Galdames.

El silabario takes a phonetic approach to learning how to read. Here is a quote from the introduction. 

“Las únicas letras que pueden nombrarse por separado son las vocales (a, e, i, o u), porque sus nombres son sonidos (y los sonidos nombres) ; en cambio las 24 letras restantes son todas mudas y, por lo tanto, no pueden pronunciarse solas.”

My translation; The only letters with their own names are the vowels (a, e, I, o, u) because their names are sounds ( and the sounds, names); whereas the other 24 letters are all mute and therefore cannot be pronounced alone. 

The author argues that the children do not need to learn the sound of the individual letters (except for the vowels) but rather be able to recognize their forms. 

And with that introduction, the book throws us right into the consonant P and its sounds with the five vowels. 

Nacho: Libro Inicial de Lectura 

Por: Various Authors

I do not own this workbook, but throughout my research I found this book which is another popular reading workbook throughout Latin America.

This book was printed in Colombia and is for children ages 4-13 who are learning how to read.

It is the first book of a series and helps children learn how to read and write by learning syllable combinations.

This book also has colorful and vibrant images to help differentiate between the different syllables.

Furthermore, each page has a practice reading and writing section at the bottom for the children to be able to execute their newly learned skills.

La pata pita

Por: Hilda Perera

We just received our copy of La pata pita in the mail today and it is awesome!

It starts out with introduction to all the vowels, and then jumps right into the most commonly used consonants!

It also includes activities to use with your child too!

This is the first book in a series. The second book is called La pata pita vuelve

Nuestra Cartilla Fonetica Puerto Rico

Here is another reading workbook resource used in Puerto Rico! Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance to get my hands on this workbook, but it has five stars, so it must get the job done for those who use it!


Have you used this workbook? Tell me a little more about it in the comments below!

Aprender a Leer con el Método Diverlexia

Por: Carmen Silva, speech language pathologist, expert in Neuropsychology and learning disabilities.

A learning how to read resource specialized for dyslexic children.

Aprender a Leer con El Método Diverlexia is a two-part series to help your children learn how to read. Part 1 is about phonological awareness, while part 2 is about vowels and first consonants.

Additional workbooks to teach your child how to read in Spanish

Beginner Readers Books in Spanish

Below I am going to share a selection of books that a great for beginner readers.

  • Books in Spanish by Mo Willems

Mo Willems books are PERFECT for beginner readers. His books have big print, short sentences and simple vocabulary that will encourage your child to finish the entire book.

  • National Geographic Readers Series

National Geographic has a little reader series on different topics such as animals, naturedinosaurs, and more!

They have different levels, too, so your child can grow as their reading improves.

I am super excited to buy ALL of these books over time, not only for Lennox to practice reading but also to enhance my Spanish vocabulary! Lennox has always been super curious about the world, and sometimes it is hard for me to respond in my nonnative minority language, so these will definitely help!

This pack comes with 25 Spanish<> English bilingual beginner reader books. They have simple, predictable story with lots of high frequency words!

Related: High-Frequency Words in Spanish

Looking to solidify your child’s Spanish literacy even more?

My friend and lingüist, Kaila Díaz (I’m sure you have heard of her, and if you haven’t, you need to—> check out her very active Instagram here), offers a VIRTUAL foundational Spanish literacy class for children ages 5-7.

I am most definitely enrolling Lennox in this class, and once I do, I will come back and write a more in-depth review. Although, I know it will be nothing lower than a five-star review because Kaila’s lessons are super interactive and engaging. She also creates her own tunes and activities to learn Spanish in a play-based way that sticks.

Well I hope these Spanish reading resources help guide your child’s literacy journey! Leave me a comment below with any questions or comments you might have!

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In this post you can find a variety of Spanish reading resources for emergent readers such as ABC books, reading workbooks, YouTube videos and Early Readers in Spanish!