Reading in Spanish.... some thoughts and three lists of books

I taught Spanish for 24 years.  Prior to teaching it, I studied it.  I am still a student of Spanish.  There's no way I will ever know it all (nor all of my native language either). 

A great way to increase vocabulary in any language is to read.  I put together a list of recommended books to help beginning and intermediate readers grow in their Spanish reading skills. 

Whether the reader is you, your child, or someone else you know, I hope the tips and the book list have something for you.

Some of the books are extremely basic and have limited vocabulary (which is how we start our children reading in their native language typically). Other books have more vocabulary and will venture into more advance grammar.

Reading in a second language is similar to reading in a first language. Here are some helpful hints/tips:

• Use pictures, titles, and captions to help you get an idea of what is going on.
• Don't spend too much time trying to get the meaning of every word; read for overall understanding.
• Guess the meaning of unknown words by context. You can also figure out words that are cognates. Cognates are words that are exact or similar in the different languages. Example: la familia = 'family'.
• Don't look up words unless it is absolutely necessary.

Check your local library to see if they have Spanish or bilingual books. You may find others that I haven't listed on my list. Read, read, read! Reading will help your vocabulary and your overall grasp of the language. Check to see if you have any beginner reader books on tape or CD in your area as well. That way you can read along in the book and listen at the same time.

Happy Reading!

Spanish Books for the Beginning Reader, part I

Spanish Books for the Beginning Reader, part II

Spanish Books for Intermediate Readers


~Debra