Learn to write the letter A! ¡Letra A!

SUPPLIES NEEDED

• printed activity sheets
• pencil and
• eraser

WHAT TO PRACTICE

Let’s write the letter A! Follow the arrow with your pencil. Then practice writing the letter yourself.

Included in this lesson:

Letter A tracing sheet

NOTE TO GROWN UPS

This is a great introductory lesson to teach letters to preschool and kindergarten children.

Download Activity Sheet:

Download PDF](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/60f5a89e108c2683c870592d/6142e8a1806200177f5137f8_CT-LetterA.pdf)

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Ask a Bilingual Expert

Sophia Espinoza is a career educator and curriculum designer with seven years of experience teaching in private and independent schools across the country. She is an expert in 21st-century education, including technologically-powered personalization, multilingual and multicultural curriculums, and social-emotional learning.

Sophia began teaching in Chicago Public Schools through Chicago Teaching Fellows, learning to support both English Language Learners and students with neurodiverse needs. Among her proudest accomplishments is launching the AltSchool Spanish Immersion Program, with the mission of creating bilingual global citizens who are socially conscious and environmentally aware. Sophia holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and M.A.Ed. from Dominican University.

Benefits of Bilingualism (FAQs):

Any advice on managing two Spanish dialects in the household? Does this cause confusion for kids?

Now that our world is more interconnected than ever, there are plenty of families where each parent could be from a different country in Latin America, with distinctive dialects, vocabulary, slang, and culture. And that’s totally ok for kids to be exposed to. Their perspectives are broadened and they learn to communicate cross-culturally, it’s a thing to be celebrated. Sometimes kids may switch vocabulary when talking to different parents, which is absolutely fine. They’re not confused, if anything this shows their flexibility. They could have as many as five words for one item, three in Spanish two in English, giving them a stronger sense of language in general.

What do you recommend if I’m not completely fluent and my child’s school doesn’t have an immersion class?

I always encourage as much Spanish exposure as possible. Don’t worry about immersion classes availability or not being completely fluent as a parent. Use the Spanish you know, even if you may need to speak Spanglish, I sometimes only know a word in Spanish or vice versa, which is totally okay.

Do you recommend teaching different subjects in different languages? For example, the solar system in English and the days of the week in Spanish? Or is it better for kids to try to learn in both languages all the time?

Parents who live in an English-speaking country need to remember that children are always going to learn English; Their world is in English, their peers speak English, even if they’re doing dual immersion programs, they are still going to school in English. However, though it can feel a little counterintuitive, it’s important to give kids as much education as possible in the home in Spanish. They will inevitably learn English, and it will be even better if they learn their native language first.

We speak Spanish and English in our home but my child almost always answers or talks back in English. How can I go about encouraging her to respond and speak more in Spanish?

Many kids may be in a classroom where they hear English all day and as often happens, they may begin responding in English. The biggest advice I can give is to ask your child in a very low-pressure way to try again in Spanish.

Should I set aside time or create activities for each language or is it okay to mix them both together?

It’s very important to provide authentic opportunities for children to speak both languages. Authentic learning opportunities allow kids to organically find the things they really love in another language, whether through reading, entertainment, music, or movement. This may mean letting your kid re-read the same books they love over and over again or listening to their favorite bilingual song on repeat.

Any advice for households where one parent speaks Spanish and the other English? Can this be confusing for children?

It’s fine if there are two, or even three languages spoken in the household. Parents should freely speak their native language around their kids. It’s not confusing; in fact, you’re actually providing kids with a foundation in each language.