Bilingual Stories from Latin America
Carrie Sue Ayvar
SPI believes it is important for young people to listen to stories and have access to books that reflect their background and unique life experiences as well as those of their friends and classmates. Porqué el Gallo Canta en la Mañana / Why the Rooster Crows in the Morning is a traditional tale known throughout Latin America.
Carrie Sue Ayvar is a master of her craft, seamlessly blending Spanish and English. She offers teachers, caregivers, and parents a unique and effective way to engage and support native Spanish-speaking English Language Learners. And her stories make it fun for English speakers to learn a little Spanish.
Why the Rooster Crows in the Morning is what is known as a “Pourquoi Tale” (Pourquoi is French for the word ‘why’) that explains how something came to be. In this story, Carrie Sue explains … well, of course! … porqué el gallo canta en la mañana ~ why roosters crow in the morning and in her tale La Mariposa, she explains why butterflies migrate. It’s all great fun!
SPI has developed a series of activities that correspond with the story. The activities and SPI-recommended teacher/parent read-alouds are designed to support young English Language Learners, build vocabulary, foster imagination and creative thinking skills, aid with visualization, and introduce students to the rhythms and structure of cumulative tales.