Chelsea Torres is SpanglishBaby’s Book Editor and a regular contributor. She is not a native Spanish speaker, but is raising her Latino son to be bilingual. A graduate of Rollins College, Chelsea lives in Orlando with her blended family.
Chorrito Spanish Literacy Series {Giveaway}
I knew I would be impressed with the Chorrito series by Pacific Learning before it even arrived in the mail, but it was better than I expected. I cannot express how impressed I am with these books. The Chorrito I package comes with 20 excellent, entertaining, and well-illustrated stories and a Cuentos y canciones CD that includes story audio plus adorable sound effects and the songs whose lyrics are at the end of each book. The stories are about everythingRead More ...
Books & Libros: Día de los Muertos
While we are busy dressing our little ones for trick-or-treating and attending costume parties, los mexicanos are putting on calacas and honoring the deceased in the traditional Aztec ritual, el Día de los Muertos. On November 1st and 2nd, Mexicans (and some in other parts of Central America) visit cemeteries, build altars for loved ones in their homes, and enjoy a feast featuring pan de muerto. Even if this is not your family’s tradition, you can take advantage of theRead More ...
Books & Libros: Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Given that we are in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), we should pause to examine the meaning of being Latino in this country. Though I cannot count myself in this ethnic group, I am interested in staying abreast of Latino contributions to America because my entire world is wrapped up in the language and culture of this rapidly expanding population. One of the easiest, and most enjoyable, ways for me to delve into theRead More ...
My Search for a Bilingual Preschool
Living in Orlando, Florida, provides a multitude of opportunities to speak Spanish. Everywhere I go, I hear Spanish speakers. At the bank, I often notice that not a single person is speaking English when I walk in. Sometimes, I find myself jumping in to translate for monolingual Spanish speakers in the grocery store or at the mall. There is one place in which they are not being accommodated, though: education. Latinos make up 24% of the K-12 population of Florida, yetRead More ...
Rubber Shoes…A lesson in gratitude {Giveaway}
This is my new favorite bilingual children’s book! Rubber Shoes…A lesson in gratitude is an adorable story by Gladys Elizabeth Barbieri about a young girl (by the same name) who goes shopping for new shoes with her mother. When she can’t get the sparkly ballet slippers she wants, and instead receives a pair of zapatos de goma, little Gladys is disappointed and embarrassed. She tries her hardest to destroy or lose the shoes, but fails to rid herself of theRead More ...
Back to {Bilingual} School: Why Reading Is The Key to Keeping Up
Editor’s note: We’re dedicating this whole week to Back to {Bilingual} School. We have a variety of posts that we hope will make the transition easier regardless of what your kids’ schooling situation is. We hope you come back all week to read the posts by our amazing guests and to enter the awesome giveaways we’ve put together for you! I have always joked that I was born with a book in my hands, but this wasn’t my choice. Someone had toRead More ...
