Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Colorín Colorado salutes the rich history of Hispanic culture with games, books, activities, and fun! Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, is a great way to celebrate a family legacy and expose students to world traditions.
Explore the following:
- Fun activities — Send an encouraging e-card to a student you know. Read great kids' books about Latino culture. Play word games in Spanish. Download a poster. Enjoy!
- Information — About Latino cultures and values, plus many resources to help your English language learners (ELLs) get ahead.
- Ready-to-use — From webcasts & podcasts to toolkits and sampler packs, these resources help PreK-12 educators.
- More resources — Find links to other organizations and resources to help you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Fun activities
New! Hispanic Heritage Puzzles
These fun puzzles will make great activities to complement your cultural celebrations this month!*
- Colorín Colorado: Latin American Countries Word Search (Grades 6 - 12)
- Colorín Colorado: Hispanic Heritage Crossword (Grades 9-12)
- Famous Latinos Crossword Puzzle (Reading is Fundamental, English version)
- Famous Latinos Crossword Puzzle (Reading is Fundamental, Spanish version)
Send an e-card!
Send a free e-card to a child, friend, or colleague to let them know you're thinking about them. This beautiful e-card was created for Colorín Colorado by David Diaz, the Caldecott Medal winning illustrator of Stormy Night and other favorites. To learn about the meaning of the endearing saying that's on the card, click here.
Share a great kid's book
Find books about Hispanic cultures that you and your children are sure to enjoy. Some books on our recommended lists are bilingual. Others are in either English or Spanish. We've included a variety of topics and authors from Latin America and the United States.
Five fun sheets
Print out these activity sheets, available in English and Spanish, to encourage kids to have fun with words and letters! Simply click on the PDF files below to download, read, or print the activity sheets.*
Download a poster
Download this illustrative poster* from the American Federation of Teachers. It depicts the many contributions of Hispanic Americans, and includes suggested classroom activities (PreK-12) for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
Download a flyer
Download this flyer* about Colorín Colorado's Hispanic Heritage Month resources (428 KB PDF). Feel free to reproduce and share!
Information
- Information about Latino cultures and values — learn about your students' backgrounds.
- Strategies for assessing and placing ELLs.
- Best instructional practices for teaching vocabulary, reading, and content areas.
- The Colorín Colorado T.ELL.E-GRAM, an e-newsletter especially for educators.
- El Boletín informativo Colorín Colorado, our Spanish-language newsletter for parents.
- Recommended children's books — most are bilingual!
- And many more resources and ideas to use in the classroom!
Ready-to-use
- Bilingual Reading Tip Sheets for Middle/High School Teachers offering information on what to do first, vocabulary instruction, and age-appropriate reading strategies.
- Colorín Colorado — AFT Toolkit for Teachers: Reaching Out to Hispanic Parents of ELLs Use the workshop ideas, handouts, and bilingual video components to involve parents in the classroom.
- ELL Starter Kit for Educators with assessment and reading checklists, plus progress forms and more.
- Professional development webcasts on teaching ELLs, available for free, anytime.
- Author interviews and other engaging videos about English language learners, including clips from Reading Rockets' Lauching Young Readers: Becoming Bilingual.
- Spanish-language Hispanic Heritage resources from Colorín Colorado for all ages including articles, activity sheets, book lists, games and more!
More resources and links
This updated list of links features a wide variety of Hispanic Heritage Month resources for all ages!
Background Information
- A History of Hispanic Heritage
(American Federation of Teachers) - An Introduction to Hispanic Heritage Month, Including Famous Firsts by Hispanic Americans (Fact Monster)
- Latin American Flags (in Spanish)
- Latin American National Anthems (in Spanish)
- Hispanic Heritage Sites of Interest on the National Registry of Historic Places (National Park Service)
- Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC) (University of Texas at Austin)
- Census Report: U.S. Hispanic Population
(U.S. Census Bureau, 2007)
Biographies and Books
- Biographies of Important Hispanic Figures (Thomson Gale)
- Notable Hispanic Women (About.com)
- Famous Hispanic Inventors (About.com)
- Book List: Inspiring Stories for Hispanic Heritage Month (Reading is Fundamental)
- IGUANA Children's Spanish-Language Magazine
- Multicultural resources for young readers (PaperTigers)
Classroom Activities and Lesson Plans
Grades K-5
- Online Activities and Games to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage (Scholastic)
- Guide for English Language Learners
(Postcards from Buster Lesson Guide) - Hispanic Heritage Month Lesson Plans, Quizzes, and Activities by Subject (TeacherVision)
- Latino American/Chicano Studies for Grades K-2
(PBS Teachers) - Latino American/Chicano Studies for Grades 3-5
(PBS Teachers) - My Family Traditions: A Class Book and Potluck Lunch (ReadWriteThink.org)
Grades 6-12
- Investigating Names to Explore Personal History with A House on Mango Street (ReadWriteThink.org)
- Hispanic Heritage and Civil Rights (Teaching Tolerance)
- World History Lesson Plans for Teaching About Latin America (Edsitement.org)
- Arts-Integrated Lesson Plans for Hispanic Heritage Month (The Kennedy Center's ArtsEdge)
- Latino American/Chicano Studies for High School
(PBS Teachers) - Hispanic Heritage Activity Sheets from Chicago Public Library (Education World)
Multimedia Resources
- Multimedia Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month
(History Channel) - Hispanic Heritage Resources for Teachers
(Smithsonian Education) - Xpeditions Locator Booth — Mapping South America (National Geographic)
- Latinos in America (Independent Lens)
- Escuela (School) Debate (Point of View))
- Al otro lado (To the Other Side) (Point of View)
- Zoot Suit Riots (American Experience)
- Spanish and Chicano English (Do you speak American?)
- Culture in Art Lesson Plans (The Life and Times of Frida Kahlo, PBS)
- Author Isabel Allende (NOW)
* To view this file, you'll need a copy of Acrobat Reader. Most computers already have it installed. If yours does not, you can download it now.
I love your site. I am an ESOL teacher and can't wait to share this site with other educators.
~ Brenda G.
