Spanish English Alphabet Chart

- Year groups
- Early years, Years 1–2
- File type
- Preparation
- Print ready
- Subject
- Strategies, English
- Topic
- Translanguaging, Multilingual
- Resource types
- Charts, Teacher Tools
- Preparation
- Print ready
From the author
About this resource
What is translanguaging? And how can it help your students learn their letter sounds? Translanguaging is when a multilingual person’s full linguistic repertoire is used and honored, instead of trying to keep narrowly focused on a single language.
Translanguaging is a pedagogical process where more than one language within a classroom lesson is utilized to build understanding. Translanguaging describes the way bilinguals use their linguistic resources to make sense of and interact with the world around them through language. Using translanguaging strategies in your classroom is an equitable way to support your emerging bilingual students.
This resources validates the learning your native Spanish speakers and their families bring to the learning environment. Rather than the traditional charts/charts-by-subject/ela-charts/pre-reading-charts/abc-chart">ABC chart where "A is for apple" this chart uses cognates for letters A-Z so students can use what they know about letters sounds in Spanish to build understanding of the letters sounds in English. An ideal tool to share with parents and students who are native Spanish speakers. Without needing to speak English, they will be able to practice and master all 26 letter sounds of the English alphabet!
This document is 2 pages. The front page is the charts/charts-by-subject/ela-charts/pre-reading-charts/abc-chart">ABC chart with pictures. The back page is the correlating word in English and Spanish. Great for use in the classroom, at home, or shared with families so students can use the resource at home in their native language. Appropriate for any grade level where students could benefit from learning or review of letter sounds.
In the classroom
Teaching tips & learning objectives
Learning objectives
Produce the primary sound of each English letter by anchoring it to a familiar Spanish word
Connect English words to their Spanish counterparts, including close cognates such as elefante/elephant and robot/robot
Use the chart as a reference when decoding or writing English words
Teaching tips
Post the chart during phonics and writing time so multilingual learners can self-serve letter sounds instead of waiting for support
Read a pair aloud together — say the Spanish word first, isolate its first sound, then attach it to the English letter — following the bilingual direction printed on the chart
Slip a copy into student folders or send one home; the instructions appear in Spanish as well, so families can practice the same routine
Point out the cognate pairs (cámara/camera, insecto/insect, unicornio/unicorn) to build vocabulary confidence alongside letter sounds
Skills covered
Letter-sound correspondence — each of the 26 entries ties an English letter's sound to the first sound of a Spanish anchor word.
Cross-language transfer — students use Spanish phonology (barco, limón, pingüino) as the bridge into English letter sounds, the translanguaging strategy the chart is built on.
Bilingual vocabulary — every letter presents a matched English-Spanish word pair, many of them cognates.
Good to know
Questions teachers ask about this resource
How does the chart use Spanish to teach English letter sounds?
The first sound of every Spanish word on the chart makes the corresponding letter's sound in English — so a student who says 'barco' already has the /b/ sound for the letter B. The chart states this rule in both English and Spanish right at the top.
Are the words the same in both languages?
Many are close cognates — cámara/camera, elefante/elephant, insecto/insect, robot, yoga, zigzag — while others differ (barco/boat, nido/nest, sol/sun), which is exactly what lets the Spanish first sound carry over to the English letter.
No reviews yet
Downloaded this resource? Tell other teachers how it went.
Resource details
Concepts & topics
Core concepts
Letter-sound correspondence
Translanguaging
Bilingual vocabulary
Alphabet
Explore more
Categories this resource belongs to
Explore related searches
More to explore















