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Counting Practice
Repetition makes number words stick in both languages without feeling like work.
Songs & Rhymes
Five Little Monkeys / Cinco monitos
Eileen Christelow· Published 2014
A high-energy rhyme that sneaks in counting and repeated phrases kids memorize fast.
A lively bilingual adaptation of a familiar favorite that keeps counting playful and accessible.
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Why It's On Our Shelf
This book is pure chaos, and kids love it. The pattern is so predictable that my child starts chiming in on the repeated lines almost immediately. I like doing one read in English and the next in Spanish, because the numbers and the joke land either way. It’s one of those books that gets requested again and again, which is exactly what you want for language practice.
Why It Works
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Catchy Refrain
Predictable lines encourage kids to participate and repeat phrases out loud.
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High Engagement
Humor keeps attention strong, even through lots of repeated language.
Songs & Rhymes
Little Chickies / Los Pollitos
Susie Jaramillo
A beloved Spanish nursery rhyme that works beautifully for rhythm, sounds, and repetition.
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Songs & Rhymes
Wheels on the Bus / Las ruedas del autobús
Susie Jaramillo
This book is part of the Canticos series. It's a bilingual sing-along that builds action vocabulary with predictable, repeatable patterns. The bus photos remind me of the chicken buses I encountered during my travels in Guatemala.
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Songs & Rhymes
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes / Cabeza, hombros, rodillas y pies
Traditional
A bilingual movement song that's basically guaranteed to get repeated (and repeated).
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