These printable Spanish lacing cards are a hit with students, especially the ones who do best with hands-on activities. The cards are basically matching or fill-in-the-blank exercises, but kids do them by lacing string or yarn to join the two columns. If they lace the cards correctly, the yarn on the back of the card matches the lines. These are not preschool lacing cards.
One of the cards focuses on colors and animals. The order of the columns might seem backward, but the group I made it for was more familiar with colors than animals.
I wanted to give them the color first and have them match it to the animal. I also wanted to give them the text and have them look for the image that matched. For example, they match ______ es verde to the green frog and the words la rana. Then they can read the whole sentence La rana es verde.
All of the sentences on the second card use this structure: Para dormir uso una cama. Kids associate the infinitive in the first part of the sentence with the related object: dormir – cama.
Links to Printable Spanish Lacing Cards for Beginning Readers
Animals and Colors (Ex. El pato es amarillo.)
Actions and Objects (Ex. Para escribir, uso un lápiz.)
How to Make and Use the Printable Spanish Lacing Cards
– Print the page on card stock.
– Fold the page in half vertically. Make sure the corners and edges match up.
– Make the card narrower by cutting about a half inch off the left edges. This makes it easier to punch the holes and you use less yarn. You can tape the left edges closed at the top and bottom of the card if you like.
– Wherever there is X, use a hole punch to make a hole. You can check the back of the card and match the hole to the blue line.
– On the back of the card, tape one end of a long piece of string where it says Pega la cuerda aquí.
– Wrap the other end of the yarn with tape to make it easier to thread or use a plastic needle if you have one. I use packing tape because it is the right width and sturdy.
– Thread the yarn from the back of the card to the front through the first (top) hole on the left.
– Find the correct answer and thread the yarn from the front of the card to the back through the hole beside the answer.
– Thread the yarn from the back of the card to the front through the second hole on the left.
– Continue matching the two columns. Be sure to avoid tangling the yarn on the back. When you have finished, turn the card over. The yarn will lie along the blue lines if the answers are correct.
Of course, kids can also just draw lines to match the two columns. The lines will not match the lines on the card, so you will probably want to cut off the right side of the page.
You may also be interested in this post: Spanish Poems for Children – Three resources with Poetry and Activities