Script bank · Stage 2
Letter sounds — all of them.
The full letter-to-sound inventory, each with a key word you can point to. The golden rule never changes: teach the sound, not the letter name — “la m hace /mmm/,” never “this is eme.” The vowels and easy consonants come first; the handful of tricky letters (where one letter changes its sound by context) live in their own section, untangled.
Two parents, one script. The Spanish is the real thing. Under each line sits a pronunciation hint and an English gloss; the native co-teacher can hide them with one tap.
Map
The order to teach them
Don't go A-B-C. Lead with the letters that unlock real words fastest, and save the context-dependent ones for last.
First seven + the five vowels — these alone spell mamá, papá, sopa, mesa, luna…
- m/mmm/
- p/p/
- s/sss/
- l/l/
- t/t/
- n/n/
- d/d/
- a e i o uone sound each
Then the rest of the steady consonants
- f/f/
- b · v/b/ (same)
- ch/ch/
- ñ/ny/
- ll/y/
- j/h/ strong
- rrrolled r
Last — the context-changers — sound depends on the next vowel
- c/k/ or /θ/
- g/g/ or /h/
- qu/k/
- gu/g/
- z/θ/
- hsilent
- rsoft tap / trill
- x · y · k · wrare
Sonido
La letra hace… The letter makes…
Linking one written letter to its sound. Show a letter; say its sound with a key word. ↗ on the playbook
Las vocales — one steady sound, every time. The Spanish superpower.
La a hace /ah/ — árbollah ah AH-theh /ah/ — AR-bohla → /ah/, as in tree
La e hace /eh/ — elefantelah eh AH-theh /eh/ — eh-leh-FAHN-tehe → /eh/, as in elephant
La i hace /ee/ — iglúlah ee AH-theh /ee/ — ee-GLOOi → /ee/, as in igloo
La o hace /oh/ — osolah oh AH-theh /oh/ — OH-soho → /oh/, as in bear
La u hace /oo/ — uvalah oo AH-theh /oo/ — OO-vahu → /oo/, as in grape
Consonantes fáciles — one consistent sound, learn these first
La m hace /mmm/ — mamálah EH-meh AH-theh /mmm/ — mah-MAHm → /mmm/, mom
La p hace /p/ — papálah peh AH-theh /p/ — pah-PAHp → /p/, dad
La s hace /sss/ — sollah EH-seh AH-theh /sss/ — sohls → /sss/, sun
La l hace /l/ — lunalah EH-leh AH-theh /l/ — LOO-nahl → /l/, moon
La t hace /t/ — tazalah teh AH-theh /t/ — TAH-thaht → /t/, cup
La n hace /n/ — nidolah EH-neh AH-theh /n/ — NEE-dohn → /n/, nest
La d hace /d/ — dedolah deh AH-theh /d/ — DEH-dohd → /d/, finger
La f hace /f/ — focalah EH-feh AH-theh /f/ — FOH-kahf → /f/, seal
La b y la v hacen /b/ — bota, vacalah beh ee lah veh AH-then /b/b and v are the SAME sound, boot / cow
La ch hace /ch/ — chocolatelah cheh AH-theh /ch/ — choh-koh-LAH-tehch → /ch/, chocolate
Cuidado
The tricky letters las letras difíciles
A few letters change their sound depending on the vowel next to them, and one is silent. Teach these last, one rule at a time — and don't over-explain; reading lots of examples teaches the rule faster than the rule does.
c — two sounds
c before a, o, u is hard /k/; before e, i it softens to /θ/ — the “th” in think (Castilian / Barcelona).
ca · co · cu → /k/ — casa, copa, cunakah · koh · koo — KAH-sah, KOH-pah, KOO-nahhouse, cup, crib
ce · ci → /θ/ — cena, cinetheh · thee — THEH-nah, THEE-nehdinner, cinema
g — two sounds
g before a, o, u is hard /g/; before e, i it becomes a throaty /h/. To keep it hard before e/i, Spanish adds a silent u: gue, gui.
ga · go · gu → /g/ — gato, goma, gusanogah · goh · goo — GAH-toh, GOH-mah, goo-SAH-nohcat, eraser, worm
ge · gi → /h/ — gente, giganteheh · hee — HEN-teh, hee-GAHN-tehpeople, giant
gue · gui → /g/ — guerra, guitarrageh · gee — GEH-rrah, gee-TAH-rrahwar, guitar (u is silent)
qu — always /k/
qu only appears before e, i, and the u is always silent — it's just how /k/ is spelled there.
que · qui → /k/ — queso, quincekeh · kee — KEH-soh, KEEN-thehcheese, fifteen
h — silent, always
The h makes no sound at all. Read right past it.
hola, hueso, hormigaOH-lah, WEH-soh, or-MEE-gahhi, bone, ant — the h is invisible to the ear
The rest
La j hace /h/ fuerte — jamón, jirafalah HOH-tah AH-theh /h/ — hah-MOHN, hee-RAH-fahj → throaty /h/, ham / giraffe
La ll hace /y/ — llave, lluvialah EH-yeh AH-theh /y/ — YAH-veh, YOO-vee-ahll → /y/, key / rain
La ñ hace /ny/ — niño, añolah EH-nyeh AH-theh /ny/ — NEE-nyoh, AH-nyohñ → /ny/, child / year
La z hace /θ/ — zapato, zorrolah THEH-tah AH-theh /θ/ — thah-PAH-toh, THOH-rrohz → /θ/, the “th” in think, shoe / fox
La r entre vocales = toque suave — cara, peraKAH-rah, PEH-rahsingle r between vowels = a soft tap, face / pear
La r al inicio y la rr = vibrada — rana, perroRAH-nah, PEH-rrohr at the start, and rr, = a rolled trill, frog / dog
La y hace /y/ — yo, yemalah ee-gree-EH-gah AH-theh /y/ — yoh, YEH-mahy → /y/, I / yolk (alone, “y” = “and”)
Multisensorial
Traza y di Trace and say
Locking the sound in through touch and movement — sight, sound, and muscle together. Child traces a big letter while saying its sound the whole time. ↗ on the playbook
Maneras de trazar — same idea, different textures
- en harinaflour on a tray
- en lijasandpaper letter
- en la espaldafinger on their back
- en el airesky-writing, big arm
- con plastilinashape it in play-dough
- en el vidrioon a foggy window
Guiones — say the sound, not the name, the whole time you trace
“Traza la m y di /mmmmm/.”TRAH-thah lah EH-meh ee dee /mmmmm/Trace the m and say /mmmmm/.
“Ahora la s: /sssss/.”ah-OH-rah lah EH-seh: /sssss/Now the s: /sssss/.
“La a, redondita: /ahhh/.”lah ah, reh-don-DEE-tah: /ahhh/The a, nice and round: /ahhh/.
“¿Qué letra tracé en tu espalda?”keh LEH-trah trah-THEH en too es-PAHL-dah?Which letter did I trace on your back? (you draw, they guess)
Success looks like Tracing and saying the sound together is smooth — and your child recognizes the letter when it shows up in the wild.