Lawless - The everything kids learning Spanish book: fun exercises to help you learn español

THE
EVERYTHING
KIDS'
LEARNING
SPANISH
BOOK

Fun exercises to help you learn espaol

Laura K. Lawless

Adams Media
Avon, Massachusetts

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my beautiful new nephew Remi Justin.
I just know youre going to grow up and love language like I do!

Copyright 2006, F+W Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher; exceptions are made for brief excerpts used in published reviews and photocopies made for classroom use.

An Everything Series Book.
Everything and everything.com are registered trademarks of F+W Publications, Inc.

Published by Adams Media, an F+W Publications Company
57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 02322. U.S.A.
www.adamsmedia.com

ISBN 10: 1-59337-716-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-59337-716-8
Printed in the United States of America.

J I H G F E D C B A

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations

Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. When those designations appear in this book and Adams Media was aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with initial capital letters.

Cover illustrations by Dana Regan.
Interior illustrations by Kurt Dolber.
Puzzles by Beth L. Blair.

This book is available at quantity discounts for bulk purchases.
For information, please call 1-800-289-0963.

See the entire Everything series at www.everything.com.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my best friend Lencho for helping me with my Spanish and making it fun at the same time. Im also grateful to my many Spanish teachers who helped me fall in love with Spanish along the way. Some Spanish classes are dull, but I was very lucky most of the time. Last but definitely not least, I wish to thank the Spanish speakers Ive met all over the world, particularly in Mexico, Costa Rica, and Spain (the only three Spanish-speaking countries Ive been to so far). Your beautiful language is a perfect expression of your beautiful countries, and I appreciate your willingness to speak it with meand your patience. Muchsimas gracias!

INTRODUCTION

L earning Spanish is fun, and you know why? Because it opens up whole new worlds to you. Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world hundreds of millions of people in dozens of countries speak it. You know Spanish is spoken in Spain, but did you know that its also spoken in most of Central and South America, from Mexico to Chile? In fact, there are only a few countries in Latin America where Spanish isnt spoken, like Brazil and Belize. There are also millions of Spanish speakers in the United States and in other countries all over the world. So by learning Spanish, youll be able to talk to all of these people and learn about the similarities and differences between their countries and cultures and your own.

Plus, if you can convince someone like your mom, dad, brother, sister, or best friend to learn Spanish with you, youll be able to study and practice together. Its a lot more fun learning Spanish when you have someone to speak it with regularly. You can help each other understand the tricky parts and remember what youve learned. Then youll also have a secret language that only the two of you understand!

Speaking Spanish is useful, too. If you want to travel to other countries, it makes sense to speak the local language. If you visit Argentina or Costa Rica, for example, it will be easier (and more fun!) to eat at restaurants, go shopping, and visit places like zoos and museums when you speak Spanish. Plus, when you go to high school, you have to study a foreign language. If you start learning Spanish now, youll be ahead of your classmates. Besides that, there are lots of jobs that need Spanish speakers. If you want to be a doctor, a teacher, or a lawyer when you grow up, knowing Spanish will let you talk to many more people than if you just know English. In fact, speaking Spanish will probably make it easier for you to get the job in the first place. And if find out that you like Spanish so much that you want to learn another language, like French or Italian, knowing Spanish will make learning that new language even easier.

The Everything KIDS Learning Spanish Book will help you start learning Spanish and have fun at the same time. This is a complete introduction to Spanish written especially for kids just like you. Every chapter includes lessons, fun activities, puzzles, and games to help you learn, practice, and have a good time, too. Youll be able to talk about what you love and what you dislike, what youre studying at school, and what you want to do when you grow up. Youll also learn how to count, describe your family and friends, talk about clothes and food, and lots more. And when youve finished the whole book and are ready for more, there is a list of books and Web sites in the back to help you figure out where to go next. (Theres also a glossary to help you remember how to say something in Spanish.)

Speaking Spanish is the first step to getting to know more about different countries, cultures, and people. Its fun to learn and speak, and its useful too. So lets get started and have fun!

CHAPTER 1
The Basics
Los fundamentos

AlphabetAlfabeto

The Spanish alphabet is similar to the English alphabet, except with one extra letter. Plus, the letters are pronounced differently in Spanish. Here is the Spanish alphabet, including how to say each letter, called pronunciation, spelled out for you.