Encantos - Stories with purpose inspired by culture

Learn About Colombia: Nature

‍ Welcome to Colombia, Tiny Travelers!

Splash some color across the Amazon rainforest! Colombia is a super colorful and exciting country full of animals. In this picture, find each of these animals found in the Parque Nacional Natural Amacayaco in the Amazon and color them according to their names:

Supplies needed: printed activity sheets; crayons or colored pencils.

Download Activity Sheet:

Download PDF

TAGS

Ask a Bilingual Expert

Raising a bilingual child? On this page, our very own Director of Learning Design and Efficacy, Sophia Espinoza, addresses some of the most common questions, concerns, and curiosities around the benefits of bilingualism. Get the scoop below!

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.

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. Try to find ways to fill the gaps in your language knowledge, through apps, books, and music. The Canticos Bilingual Preschool App is a great resource.

Do you recommend teaching different subjects in different languages?

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. However, it’s important to give kids as much education as possible in the home in Spanish. If you want to teach something like the solar system to kids, you should teach it in Spanish to introduce new vocabulary that they wouldn’t get the chance to learn in English.

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. The biggest advice I can give is to ask your child in a very low-pressure way to try again in Spanish. Try to avoid demanding responses, instead frame your request positively.

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 find the things they really love in another language, whether through reading, entertainment, music, or movement.

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; what’s most important is that parents freely speak their native language around their kids. It’s not confusing, in fact, you’re providing kids with a foundation in each language.