Resources for teaching with novels in Spanish Class
Reading is one of the most important skills that any language learner can acquire. However, teaching comprehensible Spanish books can be a challenge. You can see my journey learning and growing teaching with Spanish readers documented here on the blog since 2014. I have 80+ posts with the label novel, so my goal is to organize these posts together to show how to effectively teach comprehensible Spanish books to maximize student learning and engagement.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT BOOK IN SPANISH FOR YOUR CLASS
The first step in teaching comprehensible Spanish books is choosing the right book for your classroom. My number one suggestion is to start with a book in Spanish that is on the easier side.
When selecting a book, it’s important to consider the level of your students, their interests, and the topics you want them to learn about. But, above all, you want students to build confidence and feel successful reading in Spanish. This is why starting with an easier book is key.
It’s also a good idea to choose a book that has an interesting storyline so that your students will be motivated to read. Now, I like to pick Spanish novels that are centered on culture, so you can use them as a full novel unit. I also prefer Spanish novels with robust teacher guides to save time. You can see all of the novels I would teach as a part of my Mis Clases Locas Curriculum for Spanish 1-4.
Before you start…Resources for teaching with novels in Spanish Class
Teaching Whole-Class Novels
Other Ways to Teach with Novels
Ideas for specific Whole-Class Novels
Brandon Brown Quiere un Perro
Tumba
Peter va a Colombia
El Silbón de Venezuela
El Ekeko
Esperanza
Robo en la Noche
Fiesta Fatal
Felipe Alou
Bianca Nieves
Frida Kahlo
Problemas en Paraíso
La Llorona de Mazatlán
Vida y muerte en la Mara Salvatrucha
Vector
La Calaca Alegre
Cajas de Cartón novel
Cajas de Cartón – short story unit (Chapter 9)
Resources for teaching novels in general
Teaching a Novel 101 – my presentation
How to teach your 1st novel – blog post
Novel Basics Part 1 – Research & Find Funding
Novel Basics Part 2 – Organize & Plan for the novels
Literature Circles
Individual Novel Study
Classroom Library Tour
all posts labeled novels
all posts labeled reading
My Curriculum
all posts labeled libro lunes
