Recommended Website:
Juegos y Canciones (Children’s Songs and Games for Learning Spanish)
Age Range: 4 (with help) and up. Designed by a kindergarten teacher to
appeal to the very young, beginners of all ages can learn something here :)
When you get to this website, you can read the long introduction (if you
like), that explains this webpage author’s experiences learning and teaching
Spanish abroad. (Teachers may find the discussion of bilingual education and
second language acquisition of interest.) You will also find a bookstore
full of Amazon-linked recommendations, an opportunity to participate in some
discussions and help develop curriculum, and information about how families
can learn Spanish together through immersion programs in Guatemala or
Mexico.
But there’s a special treat at the bottom (scroll way down) under the
heading “Songs and Games for You!” :)
Here you will find popular tunes in Spanish such as the classic folk song,
“De Colores,” and about a dozen other tunes available in midi or mp3 format
(and many are in the downloadable iTunes collection as well). There are also
printable lyrics in Spanish, plus games or hand motions or, in one case, a
“show” (a series of illustrations) for you to watch while you sing. :)
There are also about half a dozen other games and activities for Spanish
learning. Every page is available in English or Spanish. The email address
is provided for the author of each song or activity so that you can contact
them directly if you have any questions. Although the lyrics aren’t provided
in English, the activity descriptions are often clear enough that you can
guess! (And for the words that you can’t guess, just type “translate” into
your favorite search engine. :)
