Hi Friends!
As you may know, I love languages. I love learning new languages, I love speaking new languages, and I especially love to teach my friends new languages. I get all of my language books from the library and I also use Mango Languages, which is a super-fun language learning database that is FREE with your library card. You should check it out. They have so many fun languages that you can learn.
Today, I’m going to teach you my two favorite languages – Spanish and Sign Language, and we are going to talk about Insects…Eeeeew!! I don’t like very many bugs but, there are some that are so pretty. Can you think of a bug that you like? Great! Let’s go…
Insects
There are so many different types of insects all over the world. Some can be creepy and crawly while others are pretty and loveable. What kinds of insects can you think of that scare you? How about an insect that you would love to have crawl across your hand? Are you ready to learn how to say insects in Spanish and Sign Language? Great!
los insectos
Sounds like loss in-sec-toes
In Sign Language, we make a fist with our dominant hand and we will leave our thumb sticking out. We will put our out-stuck thumb on the tip of our nose as we raise our pointer finger and our middle finger. To make this sign, which actually translates to “bug,” we will wiggle our pointer and middle fingers in an open and closed position like they are antenna wiggling on our nose.
Here I am making the sign for you:
Ladybug
Aren’t ladybugs the neatest? With all their spots and their bright red (and sometimes orange) bodies. They are so neat! Is the ladybug one of your favorites, too? Ladybug in Spanish is:
la mariquita
Sounds like la mary-kay-ta
In sign language, we have to make additional signs for ladybug because it’s two words – lady and bug. You already know the sign for bug (do you remember without looking up?). Now, the sign for lady, we hold our hands open so that all five of our fingers are outstretched. We put the thumb of our outstretched hand on our chin then we move it to the center of our chest. That is the sign for lady. Then, we move right into the sign for bug.
Here are some pictures of me doing the whole sign for ladybug:
Butterfly
Butterflies are so pretty, aren’t they? Are they one of your favorites, too? I love butterflies because they are all so different, just like we are all different. Some have bold, pretty colors. Others have fun, vibrant patterns. Butterflies are so awesome. Butterfly is Spanish is very similar to ladybug:
la mariposa
Sounds like la mary-pose-a
In Sign Language, we are going to open both of our hands wide so that all of our fingers are splayed out in front of us. With our palms facing our chest, we will cross our thumbs and wave our hands back and forth. Do your hands look like a butterfly?
Do they look like this:
You are doing so great! Are you ready for one more?
The last insect that I want to teach you is the bee. I love bees because they make honey and they help our flowers to grow. I also think that they are really pretty. I don’t want to hold one or even have one buzzing around my head, that may be a little scary. But, to look at them and to observe them is really cool. What do you think about bees?
Bee
In Spanish, bee looks like this:
la abeja
Sounds like la a-bey-ha
Fantastic! In sign language, we are going to open our hand and pinch our pointer finger and our thumb together. We are going to pretend that we have a bee stinger pinched between our fingers and then we are going to put that stinger right next to our mouth. Ouch! Don’t get stung! If that were really to happen, what do you think you would do? Would you then swat the bee stinger away from your mouth? I bet you would and that is the next step in our sign. We are going to make a swatting motion right next to our mouth. So, putting it all together – stinger on the side of our mouth and swatting it away.
Did your sign look like mine:
Amazing!
Congratulations! You’ve learned four words in two different languages. Wow! Next month we’ll explore more words with Ms. Faith’s Favorites but, until then, you can check out all the fun Spanish and Sign Language resources on these great library databases:
- Spanish Learning for Kids on Hoopla
- Sign Language Learning for Kids on Hoopla
- Spanish Learning for Kids on Overdrive
- Spanish Learning for Kids on Kanopy Kids
- Spanish Learning for Kids from the Library
- Sign Language for Kids from the Library
Also, if you want to join Ms. Faith live every month with her Ms. Faith’s Favorites library program, you can register here for May, and here for June. We also have tons of other great library programs that you can check out here.
