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Every Kid Deserves the Chance to Learn and Grow

Pair these FREE educator-developed printable activities with your favorite Encantos videos, books, and songs to help your child develop critical reading, writing, math, and social emotional learning skills. Plus, check out our Tips for Grown-ups to help reinforce the teachable moments in each lesson.

Oct 20, 2022 -

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Learning with Little Sunny Sunshine/Sol Solecito

The fifth book in our Canticos Classics series, Little Sunny Sunshine/Sol Solecito is inspired by a classic Latino song and will help you and your chickies welcome the day on the brightest, most positive note.

The fifth book in our Canticos Classics series, Little Sunny Sunshine/Sol Solecito is inspired by a classic Latino song and will help you and your chickies welcome the day on the brightest, most positive note.

And best of all, you and your little ones can enjoy Canticos books over and over again! There’s always something new to explore in this vibrant read, whether it’s discussing plans for the day or simply describing the objects that accompany the days of the week.  

Below, check out some fun ways you can incorporate Little Sunny Sunshine into your little one’s day, and maximize their learning opportunities:

Talk

Wake up and chat about the day to come! In Little Sunny Sunshine, the sun is up and we must seize the day, which makes it a great morning conversation starter! Try asking: What day is it? What will you do today? Make sure every day begins with a big smile and a little learning!

Sing

Sing along and make it super fun!

Head to our Youtube channel to watch our bilingual sing-along video and read the lyrics — there’s endless hours of fun available to your and your chickies through our collection of videos.

Our Little Sunny Sunshine video shows our adorable cast of characters waking up to a beautiful sun and  playing outdoors. Kiki gets busy building a sandcastle and Ricky gleefully navigates the ocean in his red boat.

Dance

While you’re watching the video, it’s fun to make up simple dance moves to coordinate with the action on screen. When the sun is out, try spreading your arms wide to welcome it, and when Ricky is navigating the ocean waters, you can mimic the motion of the waves with your arms. There’s tons of fun moves you and your little one can make up together, and dancing is a great, healthy way to move our bodies joyfully.

Read

Don’t hesitate to read Little Sunny Sunshine both day and night!

If you read in the morning, it’s easy to discuss your plans for the upcoming but at night you can  go over all the activities that took place earlier in the day. Talk about what you accomplished, the friends your little one saw, and how great it will feel to get some rest after all that fun.

Board book tip: Pick one language to read the story through to the end, and lift the flaps to see what each chickie is up to on any given day. Start again in the second language!

Write

Sunday — or any day! —  is a great day to have your little one write out a specific activity that they remember from each day of the week. Perhaps on Monday you guys went for a swim, and Tuesday they ate a big sandwich, or Wednesday you guys played with your pet. There’s always a good memory to revisit and write about!

Got ideas for fun activities to suggest? Don’t hesitate! With this new book, there’s so much fun to be had in so many ways — we can’t wait to hear what you do!

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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?

What do you recommend if I’m not completely fluent and my child’s school doesn’t have an immersion class?

Do you recommend teaching different subjects in different languages? For example, the solar system in English and the days of the week in Spanish? Or is it better for kids to try to learn in both languages all the time?

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?

Should I set aside time or create activities for each language or is it okay to mix them both together?

Any advice for households where one parent speaks Spanish and the other English? Can this be confusing for children?

How can my child learn language through play?

What are the social and cultural benefits of bilingualism?

What are some of the cognitive benefits of bilingualism?

What are some strategies for raising bilingual children?

What are some common misconceptions about raising bilingual children?

What are some of the cognitive benefits of bilingualism?