Students learn the letter sounds so quickly from practicing the chant! You can check out the chant here (it’s not my video – I found it on YouTube!).Įven if you don’t have access to Estrellita, you can still use an alphabet chart and create a chant to go with it. I’ve used the Estrellita program to teach letter sounds for the last 5ish years, and I absolutely love it! There’s a chant and hand movements for each letter, as well as an alphabet chart that goes with it. Again, you can access the scope and sequence I used when I taught Kinder HERE. I like to start with the consonants m, p, s, and l, because these are “easier” consonant sounds for students to hear, say, and spell.Īfter that, I progress through the rest of the consonants, teaching several per week (when I was in the classroom). AND the vowel letter names and sounds are the same, which makes them easy to remember!Īfter I teach students the vowels, we move on to the consonants. For example, if you asked an emergent reader to write the word “mesa,” you might get something that looks like this: “ea.” It’s easier for students to hear (and spell) vowels as opposed to consonants. I always teach the vowel sounds first, because these sounds are the ones that kids can hear and spell most easily. My personal preference is to teach letter sounds first (without syllables), because I think it gets kids writing and reading emergent texts more quickly. Honestly, I don’t think it matters much which way you do it (as long as you move relatively quickly into teaching the syllables, because Spanish is a syllabic language). Some bilingual teachers teach the letter sounds in isolation, while others teach them in the context of syllables. Young readers are always so excited when they are able to read or write the type of syllable you’ve been studying in class! This also helps them understand the importance of learning the different phonics skills. I’ve found that it’s important to always relate whatever skill you’re teaching to real reading and writing. I have students correct their work at the end, and help them make the connection between our phonics work and the words or sentences they’ve written. I incorporate some words that have the same sounds and spelling patterns we’ve learned throughout the week. On Fridays, I do a dictado, where I dictate words or a sentence to students. When they’re with me for guided reading or small group literacy instruction, I either reinforce those same phonics patterns or work on other ones (depending upon what students need). Click HERE for a great book of Spanish word sorts.ĭuring independent work, students continue to practice these same letter sounds, syllables, or spelling patterns. I also encourage students to search for additional words (with the same patterns) in books.Īs time goes on, I have students begin to sort words rather than pictures. I also give different students different sorts, based upon their needs. It gives them practice with the letter or syllable in the context of real words.
I have students cut out and sort pictures into 2 or 3 columns (by beginning sound or syllable, for example), and then write each word underneath. We brainstorm words that contain the letter or syllable. I write the letter or syllable for students, have them read it, and then have them write it in the air. To introduce a new letter sound, syllable, or spelling pattern, I typically start with a minilesson. Although I differentiate and deviate from it, having a planned-out path helps keep me on track. I’ve found it helpful to choose a scope and sequence for the year (click HERE for the Kindergarten scope and sequence I’ve used in the past). And, of course, they also learned it through reading and writing activities! When I was a classroom teacher (in the primary grades), my students learned Spanish phonics primarily through a daily minilesson, small group or guided reading work, picture/word sorts, independent centers, and dictados. However, I’m focusing on these areas in my post because I’ve worked mostly with beginning readers. There are other types of phonics patterns that you’ll want to teach your students, depending upon their developmental levels (like diptongos, or diphthongs). I’ll cover letter sounds, open syllables (sílabas abiertas), syllables with blends (sílabas trabadas), and closed syllables (sílabas cerradas). In today’s post, I’ll share ideas and free materials for teaching beginning phonics in Spanish. Similarly, there are some differences between teaching phonics in Spanish and phonics in English. Yesterday I wrote a post about teaching phonological awareness in Spanish (and how it’s a little bit different from teaching phonological awareness in English).