By: Vanessa Sandoval
September always feels like a fresh start. Summer begins to wind down, routines return, and families settle back into the rhythm of school, activities, and of course, Storytime!
For me, September is also the perfect time to talk about one of the most important things we can encourage in our children: READING.
There is something special about returning to Storytime after summer break, seeing familiar faces, welcoming new families, singing favorite songs, discovering new books, and creating moments that help children develop a lifelong love of reading.
Reading doesn’t have to begin with sitting quietly and turning pages. It can begin with a song, a movement activity, a silly rhyme, a felt board, or a conversation with a caregiver. It can happen in English, Spanish, or both. Most importantly, it can happen in ways that make children feel excited, included, and connected.
With that in mind, I wanted to share how I kicked off my first Spanish Storytime after summer break with “Cuéntame Cuentos with READ.”
¡Hola, Storytime!
Every Spanish Storytime begins with our Welcome Song. Starting with the same song each week gives children a familiar routine and signals that it is time to gather, participate, and have fun.
We sing:
“Hola, hola, hola
¿Y cómo estás?
Muy bien, muy bien,
¡Y espero que tú también!”
This is the tune I use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaiexEwMp7g&list=RDiaiexEwMp7g&start_radio=1
I love beginning this way because we are immediately using language, music, repetition, and social interaction. Children get to practice simple Spanish phrases while greeting one another and becoming comfortable participating in Spanish. And there is nothing quite like seeing them confidently singing along after hearing the song week after week!
Gusanito, Gusanito: A Fun Bookworm Felt Board
Next, we brought out one of my favorite felt-board activities: our Bookworm!
The original idea was inspired by our branch’s Children’s Librarian, Andrea Cleland, who created the flannel for us. You can find more Storytime ideas on her Yogibrarian blog, and Itsy Bitsy Mom provides the original rhyme.
Image from Itsy Bitsy Mom
I adapted the rhyme into Spanish:
“Gusanito, gusanito, ¿juegas a esconder?”
→ Wiggle your index finger like a worm.
“¿Estás detrás del libro (color)?”
→ Shrug and lift your hands.
“¡Vamos a ver!”
→ Make binoculars with your hands and look around.
As we play, we practice Spanish vocabulary, colors, counting, hand motions, fine-motor skills, turn-taking, prediction, and observation. We even add a “1, 2, 3” countdown before revealing which color book our bookworm is hiding in. It is a simple activity, but it gets children excited about books before we even open one!
Let’s get Moving!
Before settling down for our story, we take a movement break. I alternate between:
“Mi Cuerpo Hace Música”
“El Baile de las Manos.”
Movement breaks give young children a chance to move, dance, clap, and participate physically before settling in to listen.
Sometimes the best way to get ready for a story is to move first!
If You’re Ready For A Story…
Once we have moved our bodies, we use a familiar transition song to let everyone know that it is time for our story.
To the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” we sing:
“Si estás listo para un cuento,
Aplaude las manos…”
Transition songs create a predictable routine and help children recognize that it is time for our book.
Our Storytime Books
For this Storytime, I chose two books from the category of READ in Las Campanitas de Plata:
- Te Haré Tu Propio Librero (Activity Sheet)
- Book Fiesta (Activity Sheet)
Both books gave us another opportunity to celebrate books and reading. I especially love pairing books with an activity families can take home. Storytime doesn’t have to end when the program is over; a simple activity sheet can encourage families to continue talking, drawing, counting, looking at books, or creating something together at home.
Pat-a-Cake… Pupusa Edition!
One of the activities I was especially excited to try was our pupusa bean-bag activity.
I wanted to give this familiar activity a cultural twist that connected with our Spanish Storytime community.
So instead of pretending our bean bags were cakes, we turned them into pupusas!
You could give every child one bean bag and have them follow you:
“Pupusita, pupusita”
→ Hold the bean bag between your hands.
“Hazme una pupusita”
→ Roll it gently between your hands.
“Pat, pat, pat”
→ Pat the bean bag three times.
“Haz una bolita”
→ Make a ball shape with your hands.
“Aplástala así”
→ Flatten the bean bag.
“Ponle quesito”
→ Pretend to sprinkle cheese on top.
“Y ciérrala aquí”
→ Fold your hands over the bean bag.
“Redondita quedará”
→ Make a circle with your hands.
“¡Lista para cocinar!”
→ Hold it up proudly and pretend to put it on a comal
For the “stuffing” verse you pretend to put different fillings inside: queso, frijoles, chicharrón… ask the kids, “¿Qué le ponemos?” and let them shout out the answer.
This is one of my favorite parts of planning Spanish Storytime: taking something familiar and asking, “How can I make this meaningful for the families in my community?”
When we bring familiar cultural foods, traditions, music, and experiences into Storytime, children aren’t just learning vocabulary. They are seeing pieces of their own lives represented in the library.
And, of course, we couldn’t have a pupusa activity without a pupusa song! You can enjoy this fun Pupusa Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W30BN4SNCGI
Ending with Bubbles and Affirmations
After all of our singing, moving, reading, and playing, we wind down with bubbles and affirmations.
We use the affirmations from Volar para Contar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PKfLMKIgCU
I also created a Canva handout for parents and caregivers to take home and continue practicing the affirmations with their children.
Ending this way gives children positive messages they can carry with them beyond Storytime.
READ Beyond Storytime
As we wrap up September and reflect on READ, I am reminded that building a love for reading doesn’t happen through books alone.
It happens through connection.
When a child sees a familiar librarian smiling at them.
When they sing a song they’ve heard before.
When they wiggle a worm behind a colorful book.
When they dance, clap, count, listen, and shout out an answer.
When they hear a story in the language spoken at home.
It happens when a familiar cultural experience, like enjoying a pupusa, is welcomed into the library.
And when a caregiver takes something from Storytime home and continues it with their child.
READ can be a practice. READ can be a routine. READ can be a celebration.
As Storytimes begin again after summer, I hope we remember that our goal isn’t simply to get children to read more books. It is to help children discover that books, stories, language, and libraries are places where they belong.
Let’s get ready to READ, sing, move, play, laugh, and tell some cuentos!
¡Cuéntame un Cuento!
