Bilingual Programs Chapter
Mira Como Crece tu Jardín / Watch Your Garden Grow
A Preschool and School-Age Program
Books to Share and Display
- Un árbol es hermoso by Janice May Udri.
- El flamboyán amarillo by Georgina Lázaro.
- Misterio en el nardín by Lawrence Schimel.
- My Nana’s Remedies / Los remedios de mi nana by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford.
- Nunca jamás comeré tomates by Lauren Child.
- ¡Que ocupado estoy! by Diana Hendry.
Refreshments
Fill a basket with a mix of tropical fruits, such as prickly pears (tunas), mangoes, papayas, bananas, kiwi, starfruit, and pineapples (piñas). Serve bite-size samples to allow the children to try some new treats.
Fingerplays
El espantapájaros (The Scarecrow)
(By Consuelo Forray)
Espantapájaros, espantapájaros, sacude las manos, (Shake your hands)
Espantapájaros, espantapájaros, camina de costado, (Walk to the side)
Espantapájaros, espantapájaros, balancea un pie, (Swing one foot)
Espantapájaros, espantapájaros, date una vuelta, (Turn around)
Espantapájaros, espantapájaros, da un brinco, (Jump)
Espantapájaros, espantapájaros, cuenta hasta diez. (Count to ten in Spanish)
Rhymes and Poetry
Jitomates risueños
(From Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems by Francisco X. Alarcón. Copyright 1997 by Francisco X. Alarcón. Used with permission of the publisher, Children’s Book Press, San Francisco, CA.)
en el jardín
plantamos
jitomates
los vegetales
más felices
de todos
alegres
se redondean
de sabor
risueños
se ponen
colorados
convirtiendo
sus arbustos
alambrados
en árboles
de Navidad
en primavera
Laughing Tomatoes
in our backyard
we plant
tomatoes
the happiest
of all
vegetables
with joy
they grow round
with flavor
laughing
they change
to red
turning
their wire-framed
bushes
into
Christmas trees
in spring
“Somos arboles” by Francisco X. Alarcón in From the Bellybutton of the Moon and Other Summer Poems / Del ombligo de la luna y otros poemas de verano.
“Un son para niños Antillanos” by Nicolas Guillén in Por el mar de las Antillas anda un barco de papel.
“Huellas de jardín” and “Lagartos” by Lori Marie Carlson in Sol a sol.
Songs
Apples and Bananas
This traditional song has been translated into Spanish as “Plátanos y Manzanas” on Lírica Infantil Vol. #11: Esta es Mi Tierra / This Land is My Land by José-Luis Orozco. Sing it in English and Spanish.
Naranja dulce
The words and instructions for this song about sweet oranges are on the Juegos y canciones para los niños Web site at www.hevanet.com/dshivers/juegos/dulce.html. The music and lyrics are also on De Colores and Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children by Jose-Luis Orozco.
Audio Recordings
“Esta es mi tierra” on Lírica infantil volumen 11: Esta es mi tierra / This Land is my Land by José-Luis Orozco.
Flannel Boards
Tell “El cabrito en la hortaliza de los chiles,” translated by Adela Artola Allen, in Multicultural Folktales: Stories to Tell Young Children by Judy Sierra and Robert Kaminski. Patterns to present the flannelboard story and instructions are provided on page 41. A reader’s theater version of this story, adapted by Rose Treviño, is in the 2004 Texas Reading Club Manual, Color Your World…Read! at www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/trc/2004/manual/ internal_chapters/bilingual_colorwithanimals.htm.
Read the book Soy una semilla by Jean Marzollo about the plant cycle. Use the seed and plant patterns provided to create a flannelboard for this simple story.
Crafts
Clay Pots
Materials
- Small unglazed clay pots, or white hot drink paper cups
- Potting soil
- Seeds
- Acrylic paints
- Paintbrushes
- Newspaper or disposable tablecloth
- Water
Directions
Cover work surface with newspaper or a disposable tablecloth. Give each child a clay pot and paintbrush. Small clay pots can be purchased at most garden supply stores. Set out paint in small containers and let children decorate the pots. Allow the pots to dry thoroughly before continuing. Help the children fill their pots or cups about three-quarters full with potting soil. Add a few seeds and cover with more soil. Water lightly. Tell the children to put their pots in a sunny place and check each day to see if the soil needs water. Plants should sprout in 7-14 days, depending on the type of seeds used.
Note: You may substitute white, hot drink paper cups and markers if cost or availability are issues.
Games and Activities
Play the game Toro-toronjil. The words and instructions for this game about a frog and a bull in the garden are on the Juegos y canciones para los niños Web site at www.hevanet.com/dshivers/juegos/ and on the Texas State Library Web site at www.tsl.texas.gov/ld/projects/ninos/songsrhymes.html#torojil.
Video
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog. Available in Spanish and English. (7 minutes)
