Spanish-Language Literature for All Classrooms
WHY THIS COLLECTION?
Rising Voices: Inspiring Students en español offers both high-quality transadaptations of beloved English texts and authentic Spanish-language literature that celebrates a variety of communities. The collection helps build literacy skills, promotes well-being among students, and provides tools for meaningful and purposeful instruction.
We can change the scope of education across the country by committing to the following goals:
Student Well-Being Improve participation and build student confidence by immersing children in the unique language structures of Spanish, introducing Spanish academic vocabulary within context, offering children new ways to verbalize their thoughts, and encouraging cross-linguistic connections that lead to stronger literacy skills in English and Spanish. Teaching with Meaning and Purpose The instructional materials are 100% bilingual, meaning that teachers and school leaders with limited Spanish proficiency can rely on English instructions to guide students through books in Spanish and educators proficient in Spanish have the convenience of using the Spanish-language teaching supports. Stories for Everyone This collection will expose children to new perspectives and ways of thinking, with access to a variety of authentic Spanish-language literature and high-quality transadaptations of beloved English language books featuring strong human protagonists across a wide range of cultures and communities.
THE RISING VOICES FRAMEWORK The books and teaching materials in this collection are centered on themes for students to connect concepts that resonate with their lives, experiences, and interests:
Spanish
English
Alguien como yo / Personajes que inspiran
Someone Like Me / Memorable Characters
Familia, cultura y comunidad
Family, Culture, and Community
Héroes y ejemplos de vida
Heroes and Role Models
Fuertes y tenaces
Strong and Resilient
Mirando al future
Thinking Beyond Today
Anchor texts for each of the five themes are intended to be shared through an interactive, teacher-led read-aloud. Building on anchor text instruction, you and your students can read on in the collection, continuing to make connections and deepen exploration of each theme.
Each grade-level library includes: 50 books in Spanish (25 titles, including 5 anchor texts; 2 copies each) 1 Welcome letter/booklist 1 Bilingual Teacher’s Guide 5 Bilingual Teaching Cards (1 per anchor text) 2 Book bins Labeling stickers Library Components This expertly curated collection is comprised of books selected by a bilingual and bicultural team of educators who grew up speaking and studying in Spanish. Each title was assessed based on student appeal, quality of writing, and grade-level appropriateness.
Using the Bilingual Teaching Cards
Teaching Cards for each anchor text provide discussion questions and activities that bring the theme to the forefront, promoting discussions and deep thinking.
Suggested prompts support strategic responses to text, high-level thinking, and interaction as children turn and talk or discuss their ideas with the whole class. Prepares for reading by introducing essential vocabulary that adds context and empowers children. Provides a “hook” to engage children and build on background knowledge. A quick overview explains why this book is an anchor text and identifies teaching highlights like content area connections and writing prompts.
GRADE 2
Mi libro favorito en el mundo entero written by Malcolm Mitchell; illustrated by Michael Robertson AT A GLANCE
Inspiring Students en español
When Henley’s teacher assigns everyone to share their very favorite book, Henley becomes anxious. Reading is not easy for Henley. Big words and long sentences confuse him, topics he has seen don’t interest him, and he would rather be doing other things. Despite help from adults, he just cannot find a book he connects with. Wise words from his mother finally help Henley realize that the best story to share may be his own. Based on the author’s own literacy journey, this book celebrates that everyone can have a very favorite book, even if they have to write it themselves.
Genre/Text Type Realistic Fiction/Picture Book
Content Area Connections School, Problem-Solving
Write About Similes
INTRODUCE • Teach these essential vocabulary words before reading aloud the book to children. aburrido (bored) (p. 5) when you don’t have anything fun to do ansioso (anxious) (p. 22) feeling very excited or nervous for something to happen enmarañados (tangled) (p. 14) when something is mixed up and hard to pull apart • Display the front cover to children and read the title. Explain that the boy, Henley, does not always like or understand books, even though he is pictured hugging one. Explain that Henley is asked by his teacher to share his favorite book in the whole wide world. Ask: What will Henley do to find a book he really likes? Let’s read to find out! Note: Use sensitivity while discussing attitudes around reading. READ ALOUD If time permits, you may wish to read the book twice. First, read it all the way through and invite general reactions. Then read it again, pausing to discuss the questions below to prompt deeper comprehension. Encourage children to turn and talk with partners or share their thinking with the whole group. pp. 2–8 Henley says reading is not always easy for him. What else have you learned about him? What do you notice about what he says about books and reading so far?
Rising Voices Theme Fuertes y tenaces (Strong and Resilient)
Offers tips for building background knowledge, language support, and identifying cognates.
Teaching Tips Build Background People’s brains work in different ways, including how they learn to read. It takes Henley many tries to find a book he enjoys and can read well. Henley ends up using his storytelling talent to help him love reading. Everybody has strengths they can use to learn new things. Language Support Display page 14 and explain that the term “piel de gallina” describes strong emotions and literally means “goosebumps.” Then display page 20 and guide children to see how the simile “una voz cálida como un pan recién salido del horno” compares a comforting voice to warm, fresh bread. English Connection Help children identify look-alike words that have similar meanings in Spanish and English. Examples include: círculo/circle complicada/complicated
pp. 9–11
Henley has a strong reaction to the assignment. How does he describe how he feels? The illustration gives clues about how his classmates are feeling. How do they feel about this assignment? When Henley sees his friends enjoying books, he says he feels “more lost than ever.” What do you think he means? Mama’s voice is as “warm as rolls from an oven” (“ cálida como un pan recién salido del horno” ). How does the book’s description help you know how her words make Henley feel? Henley says that the book he wrote “shows me, me” and “shows you, me.” Why might Henley’s favorite book be a book that teaches Henley and his classmates something about himself? When Henley reads the book he wrote, his classmates cheer and he gets a gold star. Why might Henley be proud of himself?
pp. 12–15
Identifies Spanish-English cognates in the anchor text.
pp. 16–21
pp. 22–27
favorito/favorite gigante/gigantic librería/library
pp. 28–30
Author’s Note On the very first page of the book, the author includes a letter. He explains his connection to Henley’s story. What impresses you about what he shares? What do you admire about him or Henley?
Mi libro favorito en el mundo entero
Scaffolds children to revisit the text through discussion and writing about reading.
AFTER READING
AT A GLANCE When Henley’s teacher assigns everyone to share their very favorite book, Henley becomes anxious. Reading is not easy for Henley. Big words and long sentences confuse him, topics he has seen don’t interest him, and he would rather be doing other things. Despite help from adults, he just cannot find a book he connects with. Wise words from his mother finally help Henley realize that the best story to share may be his own. Based on the author’s own literacy journey, this book celebrates that everyone can have a very favorite book, even if they have to write it themselves.
Write About Similes Say: Similes are phrases that compare two things using the words like or as . In this book, Henley uses similes to help readers imagine what’s being described. Reread the sentence on page 11 starting with, “Cuando sonó el timbre de la escuela, fue como si ... ”. Point out the word como in the simile and ask children to imagine how the school bell sounded. Ask: Why do you think Henley chose to compare the school bell to a hundred horns? What might Henley be feeling?
Then reread page 14 and highlight the simile “ oraciones más largas que mis piernas .” Ask children to imagine what’s being described. Have them turn and talk to a partner about what’s being compared and what this tells them about Henley. Invite them to write about the simile by offering sentence frames: El símil está comparando ________ y ________. Creo que Henley usó este símil para mostrar ________.Children may also illustrate the simile to show their understanding. Practice Fluency: Phrasing Display pages 24 and 25 where Henley confidently presents his book to the class. Invite children to notice the long sentences and how commas can help a reader phrase or “scoop up” words to read fluently. Echo-read the pages as a class by reading one phrase or sentence at a time and then having children read it aloud, mirroring your phrasing and intonation. Guess Who Explain that Henley helped his classmates get to know him better by sharing his story. Invite children to play “Guess Who” to learn more about each other. Have children write their names and two facts about themselves on a piece of paper. The first fact can be well-known, such as “I have black hair.” The second can be something others might not know, such as “I am left-handed” or “I don’t like chocolate.” Collect and read the facts aloud. Call on three children to guess whose facts were read. If no one guesses correctly, celebrate the child who wrote the facts with a round of applause. Spotlight: Malcolm Mitchell Author Malcolm Mitchell believes in the power and magic of books. When he taught himself to read better, he said, “It electrified me. I was using more of my brain, and I started to learn a lot more about the world.” He says that he is prouder of his reading accomplishments than winning the Super Bowl.
Genre/Text Type Realistic Fiction/Picture Book Further connect with the text and its relevance to children’s Content Area Connections School, Problem-Solving lives. Options are provided for small-group book club discussion, enhancing well-being and building life skills through discussion and reflection, practicing fluency related to the book, enjoying a creative activity, and a spotlight feature to share more insight on the book’s author or illustrator.
Write About Similes
More to Explore Book Club Discussion Have children meet in
small groups to think about the text and discuss the questions below. Read aloud, display, or share copies of the questions with children. • Strong and Resilient Being strong and resilient means not giving up even when you face tough problems. Henley faces a tough problem when he is asked to share a favorite book and doesn’t have one. How did Henley turn the “worst assignment ever” into a positive experience? How is he strong and resilient throughout the story? Why is it important to be resilient when we face problems? Enhance Well-Being and Build Life Skills Say: Until Henley shares his book, he is misunderstood. People think he does not like to read, which isn’t true. His friends also do not notice he is worried about the assignment. When Henley finally tells his story, it not only helps him see himself in a book, but it also helps his classmates understand him better. What clues did Henley give that showed he was having trouble? What questions could Henley’s classmates have asked to find out how he was feeling? What are some things we can do or questions we can ask to understand our classmates better?
Promotes text-to-text connections with other books in the Rising Voices Library.
Connect to Other Texts Ask: How does Henley finally solve his problem? Then preview or review other texts in this or any other Rising Voices library that are also linked to the theme Strong and Resilient ( Fuertes y tenaces ). Invite children to explore one of these texts with a partner to discover how the characters in these books overcome challenges. Ask: How are the people in these books similar to Henley?
Rising Voices: Inspiring Students en español
Bilingual Teacher’s Guide The 100% bilingual Teacher’s Guide provides: • Strategies for integrating the texts into your classroom library • Suggestions for using bilingual Teaching Cards during read-aloud discussions • Instructional support for a flexible implementation across a variety of bilingual and dual-language models • Routines and tips for teaching cognates • Tools to facilitate whole-class read-aloud and literacy instruction that meet students where they are • Inspirational essay written by the mentor to educate and inspire • Materials to help educators implement robust literacy instruction, with support to broaden students’ understanding of the world around them • Tips to help educators share information with families to connect the classroom materials to learn at home
Inspiring Students en español
GUÍA DEL MAESTRO
GRADOS K–2
Flip Over for English
Meet the Mentor DR. MARIA ARMSTRONG
Maria Armstrong, Ed.D., comes from a family of mestizo (mixed Spanish and Indigenous Yaqui and Mescalero Apache) background that has been in the United States for more than nine generations. She is a retired superintendent and a former executive director for a national educators association in Washington, DC. Education was her second career, serving as a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, and principal, before advancing through various administrative positions as a director of multilingual learners, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, superintendent in California, and an educational consultant for the Puerto Rico Department of Education Hurricane Maria recovery efforts.
For more information, call us at (800) 387-1437 or visit scholastic.com/risingvoices.
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