Make Thanksgiving Learning Fun with the El Día de Acción de Gracias Spanish Emergent Reader | Bilingual Classroom Resources
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Make Thanksgiving Learning Fun with the El Día de Acción de Gracias Spanish Emergent Reader

Close-up of pages from the Día de Acción de Gracias reader showing the phrase “Yo como…” with illustrations of Thanksgiving foods.

Thanksgiving, or El Día de Acción de Gracias, is a perfect opportunity to explore cultural traditions in a bilingual classroom while building key reading skills. If you're looking for a creative, engaging way to teach Spanish high-frequency words and reinforce reading fluency with younger learners, this Thanksgiving Spanish Emergent Reader is just the tool you need!

Let’s dive into the benefits of using this Spanish emergent reader and explore some ways to incorporate it into your holiday lesson plans.


lack and white cover of the Día de Acción de Gracias emergent reader, showing a family gathered around a table enjoying a Thanksgiving meal, with the title “Día de Acción de Gracias” in bold letters.


Why Use a Spanish Emergent Reader for Thanksgiving?

Emergent readers are specifically designed for beginning readers, focusing on simple sentence structure, repetitive phrases, and high-frequency words. This Día de Acción de Gracias Spanish Emergent Reader uses the phrase “Yo como…” on each page, introducing vocabulary related to traditional Thanksgiving foods while supporting language acquisition and reading confidence.

With each page featuring a new food item and simple illustrations, students can connect with the text through context clues and visuals. Here’s how it can benefit your students:

  • Repetition Builds Fluency: Repeated phrases like “Yo como…” make the text predictable and easy to follow, allowing students to anticipate what comes next and build reading confidence.
  • Vocabulary Expansion: Key Thanksgiving foods are introduced, helping students connect Spanish vocabulary to familiar holiday themes.
  • Cultural Relevance: This reader brings the Thanksgiving holiday into your classroom, giving students the chance to learn about the foods commonly enjoyed in this special celebration.

What’s Inside the Día de Acción de Gracias Spanish Emergent Reader

This emergent reader is designed to be easy to print and use in any classroom setting. Here’s what’s included:

  • Repetitive Sentence Structure: Each page starts with “Yo como…” followed by the name of a Thanksgiving food item, promoting fluency and reinforcing structure.
  • Black and White Format: The reader is black and white for easy printing and cost savings, allowing students to color in the images, which also helps with engagement and personalization.
  • Two Books Per Page: With two readers per sheet, you can print, cut, and distribute them easily for individual student use.
  • Larger Fonts for Beginning Readers: The text is in a large, clear font, making it accessible for young readers to follow along.


Pages from the Día de Acción de Gracias reader showcasing illustrations of traditional Thanksgiving foods with the phrase “Yo como…”

Pages from El Día de Acción de Gracias reader illustrating favorite Thanksgiving foods with “Yo como…

Classroom Ideas for Using the Thanksgiving Spanish Emergent Reader

Here are a few fun ways to incorporate the Día de Acción de Gracias Spanish Emergent Reader into your classroom activities:

1. Small Group Reading Activity

Organize students into small groups for reading time. Begin by introducing the phrase "Yo como…" and demonstrate how they’ll use this phrase as they explore the food words in the reader. This can spark conversations about their own Thanksgiving meals or foods they enjoy at home. As students read together, they build confidence by practicing out loud in a supportive setting.

2. Thanksgiving Food Discussion and Art Activity

After reading, engage students in a discussion about the foods featured in the book. Ask questions like, “¿Cuál es tu comida favorita del Día de Acción de Gracias?” (What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?) or “¿Has probado estos alimentos?” (Have you tried these foods?). This is also a great time for an art activity, where students can draw their favorite Thanksgiving food and label it in Spanish.

3. Partner Reading with Coloring

Have students pair up with a buddy (maybe even a “kinder buddy” if your school does cross-grade partnerships) and read the book together. Afterward, they can color in the pages, which adds a personal touch to their books and helps reinforce the vocabulary through visual association.

4. Take-Home Reading Practice

Once students feel confident, let them take the emergent reader home for extra practice. This will allow them to share what they’ve learned with family members, practice reading at home, and further reinforce the Thanksgiving food vocabulary.


Why Teachers Love This Thanksgiving Emergent Reader

  • Trusted by Over 350 Teachers Nationwide! Teachers have found this Thanksgiving-themed emergent reader to be a valuable addition to their classrooms. Here’s why it stands out:
  • Engaging and Relevant: This resource brings the Thanksgiving holiday into the classroom, making learning both festive and culturally relevant for young readers.
  • Simple & Cost-Effective: With an easy black-and-white format, it’s affordable and perfect for printing multiple copies. Teachers love that they can provide one for each student without breaking the budget.
  • Boosts Reading Confidence: The repeating “Yo como…” structure supports young learners as they build fluency and confidence with familiar, predictable language.
  • Versatile for All Activities: Whether for group reading, pair activities, or independent practice, this reader fits smoothly into various classroom activities, helping students connect with their learning in a meaningful way.


Ready to Celebrate Thanksgiving in Your Spanish Classroom?

If you’re looking to make El Día de Acción de Gracias extra special in your bilingual or dual language classroom, this Thanksgiving Spanish Emergent Reader is the perfect addition. Not only will it help build your students' reading skills, but it will also immerse them in the holiday spirit, giving them the chance to celebrate Thanksgiving in a fun, educational way!

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