Resources
Are you looking for additional tools to help you or your child practice Spanish at home? Check out the links below for some recommendations on helpful websites with thematic vocabulary lists, pronunciation help, and other educational activties.
TOOLS FOR NEW STUDENTS (and old students who want to brush up!)
Welcome! We are happy to have you joining our Spanish classes at Runkle! For those of you who are new to Spanish, we understand that it can seem daunting at first, but we are confident that if you try your best, you will have no trouble at all! Even students who have been studying Spanish for years can forget things, so we'll be reviewing important content from past years as we go. We also do our best to show what we mean with visuals, gestures, and movements, so as long as you are willing to put in your best effort, you will be following along with the other students in no time! If you are interested in practicing Spanish at home as well, here are some resources to help you:
GAMES:
Quizlet Pages: These pages include pictures and audio of the Spanish pronunciation. Click a folder to select a topic on each page, then click on each word to hear the pronunciation. You can also choose options to play games and quiz yourself using the navigation menu at the top of the page.
BBC Spanish: Vocabulary lists with audio for various topics, plus games to practice:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primarylanguages/spanish/
Rockalingua: Login with username: Runkle (capital "R") and password: student (all lowercase). Lots of different vocabulary games, as well as songs and videos to practice a range of vocabulary topics.
rockalingua.com
You can also take a look at the Musica y Videos page for fun songs and videos to help you practice vocabulary, or use the Picture Dictionaries listed below!
Welcome! We are happy to have you joining our Spanish classes at Runkle! For those of you who are new to Spanish, we understand that it can seem daunting at first, but we are confident that if you try your best, you will have no trouble at all! Even students who have been studying Spanish for years can forget things, so we'll be reviewing important content from past years as we go. We also do our best to show what we mean with visuals, gestures, and movements, so as long as you are willing to put in your best effort, you will be following along with the other students in no time! If you are interested in practicing Spanish at home as well, here are some resources to help you:
GAMES:
Quizlet Pages: These pages include pictures and audio of the Spanish pronunciation. Click a folder to select a topic on each page, then click on each word to hear the pronunciation. You can also choose options to play games and quiz yourself using the navigation menu at the top of the page.
- For Incoming 4th Graders (reviews content from 3rd grade): https://quizlet.com/ewl_brookline/folders/3rd-grade-vocabulary
- For incoming 5th Graders (reviews content from 4th grade):
https://quizlet.com/ewl_brookline/folders/4th-grade-vocabulary
- For incoming 6th Graders (reviews content from 5th grade):
https://quizlet.com/ewl_brookline/folders/5th-grade-vocabulary
BBC Spanish: Vocabulary lists with audio for various topics, plus games to practice:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primarylanguages/spanish/
Rockalingua: Login with username: Runkle (capital "R") and password: student (all lowercase). Lots of different vocabulary games, as well as songs and videos to practice a range of vocabulary topics.
rockalingua.com
You can also take a look at the Musica y Videos page for fun songs and videos to help you practice vocabulary, or use the Picture Dictionaries listed below!
Picture Dictionaries with audio
1. SpanishDaddy offers a picture dictionary with audio for many different beginner topics. Browse the categories at the main page, or click the links below for specific topics that align with our curriculum. Please note that the vocabulary lists may differ somewhat from material presented in class, but these are still useful resources for students who would like to practice pronunciation and vocabulary at home.
2. LanguageGuide also has a thematic picture dictionary available online. Nearly all of the topics listed align with our K-5 curriculum, though the exact vocabulary words may vary from those used in class. Scroll through the list and click on the topic you would like to practice, then hover your cursor over each image or word to hear it pronounced (you do not need to click). English translations are not always provided, but pictures are clear and easy to see. To see the full topic list, click here.
3. SpanishTown also has illustrated vocabulary lists for many basic topics. Click on Vocabulary words to hear the pronunciation in Spanish. Some topics also include short cartoon videos with simple conversations.
- Alphabet
- Colors (scroll to bottom of page for list with audio)
- Months of the year
- Body Parts
- Numbers
- Clothing
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Other food items
- Animals
- Sports
- Professions/Community Members
- Modes of Transport
- Nature and Geographical Features
2. LanguageGuide also has a thematic picture dictionary available online. Nearly all of the topics listed align with our K-5 curriculum, though the exact vocabulary words may vary from those used in class. Scroll through the list and click on the topic you would like to practice, then hover your cursor over each image or word to hear it pronounced (you do not need to click). English translations are not always provided, but pictures are clear and easy to see. To see the full topic list, click here.
3. SpanishTown also has illustrated vocabulary lists for many basic topics. Click on Vocabulary words to hear the pronunciation in Spanish. Some topics also include short cartoon videos with simple conversations.
Additional websites
3. 123TeachMe offers a variety of songs, videos, games, and other activities for advanced and beginner students. The "Fun Vocabulary for Kids" section includes video "flashcards" for different vocabulary themes. Most topics also include a "quiz", matching game, and sample sentences to help students learn vocabulary and test their knowledge. Native speakers and more advanced students can also practice their vocabulary and listening comprehension skils with a variety of other activities found here.
4. ClasedeELE.es is a great site for heritage speakers to build literacy skills. The site offers a variety of short stories with questions for the student to answer after reading, as well as vocabulary and grammar related activities for the advanced speaker.
Seven ideas to practice spanish at home
1. Practice vocabulary with a game online:
7. Try to talk in español or espanglés with your friends or family. Try to have a short conversation all in Spanish each day, or just add as many Spanish words as you can into a conversation in English (or any other language you speak at home!).
Most of all, have fun and keep an open mind to learning!
- Rockalingua username: Runkle (capital "R"), password: student (all lowercase).
- Gimkit: Final review La Ropa La comida La comunidad
- Quizlet: La Ropa La comida El tiempo Ropa-descriptions
- Spanish Games Website: Choose the categories that we have learned about in Spanish class.
After choosing your category (in “Start” tab), make sure you choose to do the “FULL TUTORIAL” before playing the games. Suggested Categories: Animals,Body, Colors, Family, Food, Numbers, School, People
- Señor Wooly playlist
- Netflix or Disney Plus: There are 500+ million people who speak Spanish in the world, so most movies and lots of popular shows get translated into Spanish. Netflix and Disney Plus (and probably other platforms) have options to change the audio language or add subtitles in a different language. Try changing to Spanish for part of a movie or show! See how much you can understand! I recommend trying this with something you have already seen, it will make more sense that way.
- Profe's Playlist: Review some of the songs and videos from class in 3rd and 4th grade with my playlist. Find all your fav's like "Norte Sur Este Oeste" and "Soy una Pizza" and lots more!
- La Asombrosa excursión de Zamba: There are tons of episodes and clips from this educational cartoon from Argentina. You can practice Español AND learn about something else at the same time!
- Exploradores de la Historia: Funny animated mini-documentaries (about 15-20 minutes each) about different ancient cultures around the world (including some from Latin America like the Inca and the Aztecs, and also other cultures like ancient India, ancient China, and the Roman empire). You can watch a trailer for free, but episodes cost $1 each, or $7 for the whole set, or $2.50 to rent the set for one day.
- Putumayo albums from around the world (youtube playlist): You can find even more on their website: www.putumayo.com/music
- Profes Playlist of Música Tranqui (Chill Music)
- Most music streaming apps like Spotify or Google Play Music have lots of options in Spanish, usually listed in the "Latin" category. Here are some genres to search for: salsa, bachata, pop, tropical, vallenato, tango. Try some different ones out to find one you like!
- Borrow an e-book or audio book in Spanish from your local library
- Try an online read-aloud with EpicBooks
- Scholastic en español (Youtube Playlist): Find lots of familiar favorites read in Spanish!
- StoryBooks Canada - African tales available in many different languages, including Spanish
- Unite for Literacy - simple books with audio on each page
- Reading A-Z - simple leveled books (no audio)
- Try a mindfulness activity with Aula de Elena from Spain (YouTube Playlist)
- Do some yoga with Smile and Learn Español or with Profe's playlist
- Bailar! Profe's playlist of Zumba and Just Dance videos
7. Try to talk in español or espanglés with your friends or family. Try to have a short conversation all in Spanish each day, or just add as many Spanish words as you can into a conversation in English (or any other language you speak at home!).
Most of all, have fun and keep an open mind to learning!