Comments on: Transitioning From English to Spanish Reading

By: Becky

Becky — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:07:59 +0000

My daughter is 3 and is starting to read more fluently in English. I’ve dabbled a bit with teaching her reading in Spanish as well, but really I’ve been more focused on her English right now, as I think that’s the harder language and she’s so interested. I have heard that once a child understands how phonics works, for phonetic languages they can apply those skills easily enough to other languages. She sounds out words in Spanish on her own sometimes, but it’s less common than the amount of time she spends reading on her own in English. I suspect in the next year she’ll start reading more in Spanish on her own. Right now the plan is to remember to point out Spanish words to her while we read and follow her lead.

This site is a little cumbersome, but there are easy short books that you can print out that my daughter loves reading/coloring. Some of them are translated into Spanish, you just have to look around. http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/winter_sight_word_booklets.html

By: Jeanne @soultravelers3

Jeanne @soultravelers3 — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 02:17:44 +0000

We are monolingual parents raising a fluent-as-a-native trilingual/triliterate child, so I understand your concerns. I had read that it is best to learn to read well first in your native or strongest language and add the second language reading later.

That is what we did and it has worked out wonderfully with both her Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. We kept reading to her in Spanish, but did nothing with reading and writing in it until she was very fluent in those areas in English.

We started all three languages when she was in the womb ( even read a Spanish and English book to her daily starting at 3 months pregnancy when they can hear and start to develop language). We’ve also used travel and local schools ( in Spain and Asia) for even more immersion and learning the language/literature like locals do.

She is 12 now and it has worked amazingly well for us and she still reads daily in all 3 languages.

http://www.soultravelers3.com/2012/11/multilingual-learning-reading-in-3-languages.html

Hope that helps!

By: Denise

Denise — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:21:32 +0000

I’m teaching two little girls Spanish and would love to know what websites you recommend Casey! Especially using the Montessori methods! Thanks in advance!!!

By: Katie

Katie — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:51:22 +0000

Actually, would you all mind sharing the sites that you use to teach phonics en espanol? Thanks!

By: Katie

Katie — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:46:47 +0000

My son is also 5, and I am not a native Spanish speaker either. I have had success with him reading “early reader” books in Spanish (I have found a few on Amazon). They have very short words and sentences, and if it is a longer word (“locomotores” in the “Feliz Cumpleanos Thomas” book) I just cover up the syllables to help him sound it out. It’s so much easier than when he tries to sound out that crazy English! I feel bad for him when he is so sweet and writes out, “I luv you.” Phonetically, it should be spelled that way (he knows “you” as a sight word)! I haven’t corrected that one yet because I don’t want to hurt his little feelings. But anyway, just try to get him interested in it, but don’t push. Mine isn’t that interested either. It might be a boy thing. I intend to work on him with writing letters and reading in Spanish this summer, since he starts kindergarten in the fall and will be swarmed with English! He may have some instances where he gets confused between languages, but I think it will be very short-lived when you consider how long he will actually be in school. Thanks for posting this, and thanks to previous commenters for those links! I’m going to check them out.

By: Chelsea Torres

Chelsea Torres — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 12:07:35 +0000

Thanks, everyone, for the great advice. It’s helpful to hear that it may be easier than I think it will be to introduce the Spanish reading. I didn’t learn to read in more than one language until high school, so it’s hard for me to relate to the seamless process it probably is for a 5-year-old.

By: Marika

Marika — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:05:17 +0000

Thanks for the post, am about to dig into this myself!

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:24:50 +0000

I agree with the others. Do both! He is already exposed to Spanish as a spoken language. He will learn to read it with time, if exposed regularly. Keep up the good work!

By: Xochitl Oseguera

Xochitl Oseguera — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:02:57 +0000

I am not familiar with the Montesorri method but from my experience, Spanish is easier for them than English, he is not going to have a hard time reading in both languages, keep us posted!

By: Ali

Ali — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:28:32 +0000

Some people do believe that you should wait till the child has stronger reading skills in the first language before beginning to teach them to read, but I don´t! I would say start right away. I actually think learning to read the “montesorri” way works better in Spanish than it does in English. I am not extremely experienced in this, but I think kids learn the sounds first in Spanish, and not specific letter names. (I have said this before how all the English teachers at my bilingual school hate how the students come to 1st grade and have no idea how to say the name of any letters!!) They work with Ma Me Mi Mo Mu and then can start reading right away. Mi mama me ama! I would say the best thing you can do is read read read with your child and then maybe start to point out the different sounds. He should catch on in no time as reading in Spanish is much more straightforward than reading in English.