The following is a sponsored book post with NicaGal.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
One of the most frequent requests I get is for elementary teaching materials in Spanish. So many parents are looking for the materials that will support their children's bilingualism, especially those starting their homeschool journey. Today's post highlights the new bilingual Explore with Animals series from NicaGal.com.
Several years ago, there was the most excellent Spanish-language magazine available for children ages 8 to 12 called Iguana Magazine. The force behind that magazine was the talented Christianne Meneses Jacobs. She created that wonderful resource from scratch and eventually it was purchased by Cricket Magazines. (That's a story for another day.)
Since then, Christianne has been developing her NicaGal line which includes her podcast, Latino Book Chat, and now her bilingual book series for preschoolers.
Bilingual Preschool Skills Books
There is a list of fundamental skills and specific concepts that every preschooler should learn before entering kindergarten. Among these concepts are the ability to recognize numbers 1 through 10 or higher and to identify colors. Many preschoolers also begin learning alphabet recognition in preparation for learning to read in kindergarten.
NicaGal's new bilingual and Spanish animal-themed books focus on these three concepts and are a wonderful addition to any home library.
Bilingual & Spanish Book of Colors
These books are absolutely fabulous. Los colores / Colors includes vibrant images that really help to teach young children their colors. And using animals is a great way to engage preschoolers who are fascinated by them. I love the simplicity and focus of the text which directs children to learn.
Parents and children can ask each other additional questions about the images, or point out things that they notice or like. In addition, the back of the book includes a few ideas for easy activities that parents can do with their children that reinforces color recognition.
This book is available in a bilingual format (shown above), as well as Spanish-only.
Spanish or English Book of Numbers
123 Animales or 123 Animals is another sweet counting book that helps children learn numbers 1 though 20. Again, they are colorful and simple with two opportunities for children to count: on one page, count the shapes under the text box, and on the other page count the animals.
This book is available in two formats: English-only and Spanish-only.
Spanish Alphabet Book
And finally, the book ABC Animales, is a fun way to learn the alphabet. Each letter is associated with a type of animal and includes text with a brief description of the animal and some interesting facts about it. Again, great pictures and a section at the back for additional activities. This particular abecedario is only available in Spanish.
If you have a bilingual elementary student who is learning many of these concepts or needs some materials to reinforce their learning, consider adding this series from NicaGal to your child's lessons.