Laura Lee

Spanish Cognates - Activities for the First Day of Spanish Class

Build confidence with cognates! Favorite Spanish-English cognate activities for making the first day of Spanish class FUN.

Spanish Cognates Activities Lessons for Back to School in Spanish Class

Teaching Spanish cognates is my favorite thing to do during the first days of Spanish class. Show students 100 easy words they already know with these no-prep Spanish resources to prepare your classroom and plan activities for the first week of Spanish!

The first day of Spanish class can be a source of anxiety for many novice learners. A quick lesson on cognates takes all the jitters away and shows students how much Spanish they already know. Students see right away that learning Spanish is easy and fun! Having these resources ready for day one of Spanish will save you time and make learning FUN!

Spanish Cognates Word Wall

Before school starts, post 100+ words with this cognate word wall on your bulletin board to spark curiosity as students come into your classroom on the first day. Cognates are instant comprehensible input! I love this resource because it makes the language visible. Students are immediately drawn to it. They feel empowered seeing words they can already read and understand.

Spanish Cognates Vocabulary Word Wall Bulletin Board Idea for Back to School Spanish Class

"Great way to introduce cognates & build confidence."

Students can create basic sentences in Spanish from Day 1 with this list of 117 easy cognates. Example: El animal es adorable. El elefante es enorme. El doctor es importante. It's also fun to come up with silly sentences! El mosquito es delicioso. There are so many possibilities.

Word walls are a fantastic way to build vocabulary and support learners! Fill your classroom bulletin boards with meaningful vocabulary that visually supports students. You'll LOVE having these instantly recognizable words posted on your walls; students will constantly refer to them.

Print your Spanish word wall on heavy paper or cardstock, then cut, and laminate. Mount on brightly colored paper to keep vocabulary organized. For example: attach nouns on red paper and adjectives on blue. Are you using word walls in your classroom?

Find my favorite white cardstock on Amazon.

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Cognate Word Search

Use the Spanish cognate word search as a warm-up or bell ringer on the few first days. Set a timer and have students look for as many cognates as they can find. There is a list of 100 cognates hidden in two puzzles! Seeing how many words are similar in both languages really builds student confidence.

Spanish Cognates Vocabulary Word Search Puzzle Worksheet for Back to School Spanish Class

"I love doing cognate stuff in class, and this was incredibly fun."

Need a fun way to introduce or review vocabulary? Students LOVE Spanish word searches! Fun and easy, low-stress activity. Students first define the word, then find it. Use these worksheets as a warm-up, in stations, as an after-the-test activity, for fast finishers, or for easy Spanish sub plans! Teachers say these activities have helped when “substitutes couldn't figure out the book lessons.”

Spanish Cognates Presentation

Use the Spanish Cognates PowerPoint presentation to explain what cognates are and introduce them to some basic cognates & false cognates! All the work is done for you. It includes several activities to identify cognates and create simple sentences. You don't even have to teach these words - students recognize them immediately! It's fun to watch their reactions when they learn the meanings of false cognates like "sopa" and "ropa."

(Click here to find this in a Google Slides format.)

Spanish Cognates Activities Unit for Back to School Beginner Spanish Class

"This is HANDS DOWN my favorite resource to use! Easy to comprehend and the students are so proud of themselves for what they are able to connect in both languages."

Bundle of Cognate Activities

Find the activities that have been used by tens of thousands of students and more in the Spanish Cognate Bundle and save up to 30%! Must-have resource for beginning Spanish or Spanish 1 teachers.