New Spanish Album for Kids: Primavera {GIVEAWAY}

Where are my parents who are raising bilingual kids? Those of you who have toddlers and elementary-age children should check out this lovely new album from the talented Mariana Iranzi. (I wrote about her here four years ago!)

Her latest album, Primavera (aff), is a collection of 17 original songs that will teach your toddlers and preschoolers about the world around them. From animals to anatomy to the alphabet, Mariana has selected topics that are an important part of a child's education. Take a look at the song titles:

1. La Primavera Llegó
2. Voy a Pintar un Cuadro
3. Todas las Flores del Jardín
4. Florcitas
5. Caracol
6. Cosquillitas
7. Llueve
8. Riega, riega
9. Corazón
10. Animalitos Sonoros
11. Mariposa
12. Salta Conejito
13. Mariquita
14. Las Vocales
15. Rueda, rueda
16. El Abecedario
17. Planeta Tierra

The music is fun and joyful - perfect for little ears. Your children will sing and dance their way through the album as they learn about las vocales, caracoles, and la planeta Tierra! But you can judge for yourself. Go and listen to snippets of the songs on her website.

And because Mariana understands that parents and educators want to extend the learning experience, she has created an activity booklet to accompany the album. It includes a picture sheet, a suggested activity page for pre-readers/writers and readers/readers plus music/movement and the lyrics for every song on the album.

The Giveaway

Mariana has graciously offered a digital copy of her new album with the activity booklet to three (3!) MommyMaestra readers.

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cántale a tu bebé - Sing to Your Baby

For those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram, you know that I recently had a baby. That's why posting here on MommyMaestra has been super sporadic lately. My baby has been demanding ALL of my attention - as he should these first few months. We're busy bonding, talking, smiling, nursing, and singing our days (and nights!) away.

This is also why I'm super excited to share with you this resource for new (bilingual!) parents! A few years ago, the picture book Sing to Your Baby (aff) was published by award-winning musicians Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. Their intention was to help parents get over the idea that they need to have a beautiful voice to sing to their children. (Wha-what?!?) I guess lots of parents are too self-conscious to sing aloud to their babies.

But do you know what? Your baby doesn't care if you sound like Linda Rondstadt or Placido Domingo. Your baby DOES, however, need to be spoken to on a daily basis as much as possible. AND studies show that from their first day of life, babies can discriminate rhythmic patterns. Their young brains are primed for music. In fact, we know that singing to your baby can improve both their communication skills and their pre-literacy skills.

When my first child was born, I instinctively sang to her. I think most moms do? I didn't worry about what I sounded like (let's face it - she had nothing to compare me to anyway!). I chose to sing the songs of my own childhood. From "Itsy, Bitsy Spider" and Ernie's "Rubber Ducky" to "Duérmete mi niña" and "Naranja dulce limón partido" to nonsensical little ditties I just made up myself on the fly. I sang away to my first two children born over a decade ago, and my new baby is no exception. But I'm not the only one. Seeing my example, my older son now sings to our new baby, too. :)

Back to the book! Sing to Your Baby is a collection of 11 original songs. They are simple and sweet and will develop your baby's vocabulary. The cool thing is that if you purchase the book, you'll have access to the music download site. There are 22 tracks - two for each song. Why two? Because the authors recognize that women and men sing in different keys, so they've recorded each song in different keys (each with a female and a male singer). Just listen and sing along. Before you know it, you'll be singing the songs on your own anywhere and everywhere!

The picture book itself begins with a note to parents, then has a few of pages with words of encouragement, and then pages with the actual lyrics to each song. At the back of the book is a Parent Guide written by psychologist and educator, Laura G. Brown, Ph.D. She shares tips for developing your baby's learning skills and ways that you can nurture their developmental transitions.

Now for the BEST PART: This month, the authors released a Spanish version of the book! Cántale a tu bebé (aff) is a lovely translation of the original book. The songs are sung by bilingual musicians and native Spanish speakers, Sonia de los Santos and Jorge Anaya.

What I found to be especially touching is that both of these books have been adopted by the Celtino Foundation, who uses the books in schools in Honduras with families who are learning English or simply want to sing to their babies in Spanish.

So if you are the parent of a new baby or if you are expecting or know someone who is, consider investing in this beautiful book!

Dolores Huerta Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More

A few days ago on Instagram, someone asked me about resources for studying Dolores Huerta. Something similar to this post I put together for Cesar Chavez. And after thinking about it, I realized that I was guilty of having highlighted Cesar and his work while ignoring Dolores, who was equally important in the work they did...if not more so! And isn't it a shame that her contribution to U.S. history has largely been overshadowed by Cesar's, the activist with whom she partnered to fight for the rights of farm workers? In fact, that iconic phrase - "Sí, se puede!" - that was adopted by our former president, Barack Obama, was coined by Dolores in 1972.

To learn about other remarkable Hispanics or Latinos, check out my post Latinos in History Your Children Should Know.

This post contains affiliate links.

Lesson Plans on Dolores Huerta

• First, check out the Dolores Huerta Foundation website. It has a whole section dedicated to Dolores Huerta lesson plans for students in K - 12
• Teaching Books has a nice collection of resources/lessons to go with the picture book, "Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez / Lado a lado: la historia de Dolores Huerta y Cesar Chavez" by Monica Brown :: elementary students
• Check out this lesson: Celebrating Dolores Huerta Through Rhyme by Flocabulary :: middle school students
• Lesson Planet has this lesson plan featuring Dolores :: 5th and 6th graders
• PBS Learning Media has several great lesson plans for older students :: 6th through 12th grades

Printables for Learning about Dolores Huerta

• Dolores Huerta Glossary & Poster Set  SHOWN ABOVE (4th - 8th) 
  Introduce your students to Dolores Huerta with this easy, NO-PREP, printable poster and glossary! Available in full color or black-and-white, you can decorate your classroom or have your students color in the poster and read the glossary which features words related to the activist. Includes writing pages for independent research.
  
  
• 10 Latinas in History (3rd - 6th)
  Dolores is included in this reading comprehension packet that comes with one-page reading passages, comprehension worksheets that focus on facts and vocabulary from the passages, a matching activity, dictionary reference, and complete the sentence.
  
  
• Hispanics in History Character Crowns (4th - 7th)
  Based on the "Who Am I?" game, this set of character crowns features 30 influential Hispanics in History. Each crown comes with a fact sheet and extension strips for making the crown. Directions for assembly and instructions on different ways to play the game, as well as different ways to use the crowns are included.
  
  
• A+ National Hispanic Month: Dolores Huerta ... Three Graphic Organizers (PreK - 1st)
  Here are 3 graphic organizers to use when writing about Dolores Huerta during National Hispanic Heritage Month from Regina Davis.
  
  
• A+ National Hispanic Month: Dolores Huerta Writing Paper (K - 1st)
  Simple writing papers also from Regina Davis.
  
  
• Hispanic Heritage Month - Dolores Huerta - Worksheets and Readings (Bilingual) (1st - 5th)
  Ready to Teach Bilinguals has this set of worksheets and reading comprehension with a special version of Dolores Huerta.
  
  
• Pasaporte Cultural - Dolores Huerta (7th - 12th)
  A graphic organizer for studying Huerta created by La Secundaria. Includes an optional interactive digital version.

Dolores Huerta Coloring Pages

Sadly, I couldn't find any coloring pages that I like. So, I made one for preschoolers! Pair it with this one I created for Cesar Chavez to talk about the two of them and their fight for farm workers. 

• Dolores Huerta coloring activity (shown above)
• Education.com also has this one.
• SuperColoring.com has a coloring page, too.

Dolores Huerta Videos for Students

Be sure to check out my Dolores Huerta Playlist on YouTube that features videos specifically about the activist. I've listed a few of the pieces I like best below, but the playlist has other excellent videos, too. 

As always, please review movies before showing them to your students so you can check them for appropriateness. Don't forget that you can also show students YouTube videos safely with VideoLink!

• Dolores Huerta, Portrait in Minute by the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
  
• Meet the fearless labor activist who coined the positive protest slogan 'si se puede' :: a fabulous piece by Good Morning America
• Dolores Huerta and the Farmworker Movement  - This is an excellent video put together by students. A great choice for sharing in home or school classrooms.

Here's a short but good intro for students produced by Biography: Dolores Huerta – Activist & Co-Founder of United Farm Workers.

For a Spanish video biography, I absolutely love this one for little children from CBeebies Español:

Dolores the Movie

While researching for this post, I discovered that a new documentary featuring Dolores has just been released. That was a very pleasant surprise! It looks like a great resource for high school students. But as always, teachers/parents should preview it first for appropriateness. If you think it is a good fit for your students or children, you can get it on DVD or stream it with PBS Documentaries.

Books 

(the following are affiliate links)

You May Also Like Learning About...

Here are some of my other posts and reading passages that you may enjoy.

• 10 Fun Facts about Dolores Huerta
• Cesar Chavez Lesson Plans, Activities, Coloring Sheets and More
• A Mini-Lesson on Bill Meléndez
• Free Vicente Fernández Reading Passage
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - Lesson Plans, Videos, and Books for Kids
• Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Reading Passage

Printable Downloads for Hispanic Heritage Month

Time is flying away for me. I was shocked when I realized that this week, Hispanic Heritage Month begins! I love this time of year when there is an extra effort to highlight the contributions of Hispanic figures to U. S. history.

As such, if you are looking for some fun but educational activities to do with your kids/students, here are just some of the ones I offer. For a complete list, visit my TpT store or check out my post Printable Lessons and Activities to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Hispanics in History Character Crowns

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by playing "Who Am I?" with this set of character crowns featuring 30 influential Hispanics in History. It is SO much FUN!

Each crown comes with a fact sheet and extension strips for making the crown. Directions for assembly and instructions on different ways to play the game, as well as different ways to use the crowns are included.

This set features the following people:

• Cesar Chavez
• Dolores Huerta
• Sonia Sotomayor
• Ellen Ochoa
• Pablo Picasso
• Tito Puente
• Celia Cruz
• Roberto Clemente
• Rita Moreno
• Frida Kahlo
• Dara Torres
• Mario José Molina
• Diego Rivera
• Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Sylvia Mendez
• Salvador Dalí
• Pura Belpré
• Linda Ronstadt
• Carolina Herrera
• Isabel Allende
• Miguel de Cervantes
• Carlos Santana
• Sammy Sosa
• Tomás Rivera
• Plácido Domingo
• Rafael Nadal
• Sandra Cisneros
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
• Bernardo de Galvéz
• Sonia Manzano

TpT   |   MM Shop

Reading Comprehension Passages: 10 Latinas in History (vol 2)

This reading comprehension packet can be used for Women's History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, or any time of the year. It comes with one-page reading passages about the following 10 famous Latinas:

Ellen Ochoa
Isabel Allende
Dara Torres
Frida Kahlo
Linda Ronstadt
Dolores Huerta
Sonia Sotomayor
Carolina Herrera
Rita Moreno
Sor Juana de la Cruz

I've also included reading comprehension worksheets that focus on facts and vocabulary from the passages, a matching activity, dictionary reference, and complete the sentence. Answer key included.

TpT   |   MM Shop

Reading Comprehension Passages: Famous Afro-Latinos (vol 1)

This reading comprehension packet can be used for Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, or any time of the year. It comes with one-page reading passages about the following 7 famous Afro-Latinos:

• Celia Cruz
• Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Soledad O'Brien
• Roberto Clemente
• Martina Arroyo
• Pelé
• Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez

I've also included reading comprehension worksheets that focus on vocabulary from the passages, a matching activity, true or false, describing words, and a Venn diagram for comparing characters. Answer key included. The reading passages are available in full color or black and white.

TpT   |   MM Shop

Hispanics in History Fandex

These fact files may be used as individual bookmarks or a fandex. It features 36 historical figures:

• Cesar Chavez
• Dolores Huerta
• Sonia Sotomayor
• Ellen Ochoa
• Pablo Picasso
• Tito Puente
• Celia Cruz
• Roberto Clemente
• Rita Moreno
• Frida Kahlo
• Dara Torres
• Mario José Molina
• Diego Rivera
• Sammy Davis, Jr.
• Soledad O'Brien
• Sylvia Mendez
• Martina Arroyo
• Pelé
• Salvador Dalí
• Pura Belpré
• Linda Ronstadt
• Carolina Herrera
• Isabel Allende
• Miguel de Cervantes
• Carlos Santana
• Sammy Sosa
• Tomás Rivera
• Plácido Domingo
• Rafael Nadal
• Sandra Cisneros
• Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
• Franklin Ramón Chang Díaz
• Narcís Monturiol
• Bernardo de Galvéz
• Helen Rodríguez Trías
• Sonia Manzano

Directions for fandex assembly and use, as well as individual worksheets, cut-outs and answer key included.

NOW UPDATED per request with women on one sheet, men on a separate sheet for easier color paper printing.

TpT   |   MM Shop

Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera Activity Pages

Introduce your students to the famous Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and their respective forms of art with this set of activity pages. In this packet, you’ll find…

• a child-friendly reading passage about the couple and their marriage
• reading comprehension quiz
• short reading passages about each artist’s style of art
• activity pages for creating a self-portrait and a mural
• recommended reading to extend the learning

TpT   |   MM Shop

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Lesson Plans and Activities for Hispanic Heritage Month
  
  
• Hispanic Heritage Month Printables for Middle & High School
  
  
• Flashcards on Hispanic Figures & Events in History
  
  
• Latinos in History Your Children Should Know

Free Download: Spanish Numbers in the 30s & 40s

As I mentioned last month, our wonderful sponsor, Spanish for You! is focusing on numbers for the rest of the year. Counting through 20 is commonplace in foreign language learning, but a lot of programs do not focus on those higher numbers, so this is a valuable lesson available for download and I'm super thankful to Spanish for You! for sharing this free download with MommyMaestra readers. 

This month's 3-page mini-lesson will help your young Spanish learner memorize their numbers in the 30s and 40s, including how to spell them. The file includes a page of directions, memory cards, and an activity sheet. As always, it comes with an audio file to help you learn proper pronunciation. 

Click here to download this file

Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Every Kid in a Park...for FREE!

If you've followed me for some time, you may recognize the photo above. It was taken a few years ago when my husband and I decided to take our kids on an epic road trip that included visits to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone. The trip was truly a remarkable, wonderful experience my family will NEVER forget!

So I'm kicking off September with a reminder for all of you who have a fourth grader in your family: You can get a free pass to visit ANY national park in the United States for free this year! 

Just go to www.everykidinapark.gov to print out your special pass. It's valid from September 1 through August 31, 2018, and it grants free entry for fourth graders and up to three accompanying adults. You need to print your pass and take it with you when you visit the park. Electronic copies aren't accepted.

Not sure where the closest park to you is located? The website above includes a trip planner that lets you explore parks and sites. You can even reserve a cabin or campsite. There's also a suggested list of things to take with you.

And many of the sites are set up for groups/field trips and have programs created specifically for fourth graders.

PSST! Don't forget about this book (aff) from National Geographic Kids! Your child will LOVE it!

BONUS!!

Make it even more unforgettable! Amtrak is offering fourth graders a discount on train tickets. When an adult buys a full-price ticket, you'll get 75% off. Visit the site to learn more.