In this post: Teach your child to read with these leveled Spanish books for kids and first phonics readers.
Do you want to support your child’s Spanish literacy skills and help them become confident and independent readers? Leveled books and first readers are fantastic tools for building a child’s confidence and love for reading.
Keep reading as we share the best Spanish readers for kids, so they can start building confidence and fluency one book at a time.
Table of Contents
What are Spanish Leveled Readers?
Leveled readers can support a child in learning to read in Spanish and develop their literacy skills. Each book is designed to match a specific reading level and the level of difficulty slowly increases with each level.
Most importantly, they can help boost your child’s confidence and are designed to help your child make logical progress in phonics and print awareness.
What do Spanish reading levels mean?
Reading levels can vary depending on which set of readers you choose. For example, they might use a letter system (levels A–D) or number system (levels 1–5).
The earliest levels are beginner-friendly, with very short sentences and lots of illustrations. The levels gradually progress in complexity and vocabulary use as your child moves on to reading independently.
How do I choose the right Spanish reader for my child?
When choosing a Spanish leveled reader for your child, consider some of the following:
- Reading Level vs. Age: Choose age-appropriate readers, but it’s important that it is the right reading level for your child. They should be able to understand most of the vocabulary used so they aren’t discouraged.
- Interests: Finding Spanish readers that your child is interested in is highly motivating. Whether it’s history, fairytales, science, or puppies, there are plenty of choices available!
- Bilingual vs. Spanish: While there are great Spanish-only readers, bilingual readers can provide extra support in early literacy for non-native speakers.
Related Post: Best Bilingual Books for Kids
When Should Kids Start Reading in Spanish?
The preschool and kindergarten years are described as the critical window of opportunity for establishing literacy skills. This does not mean they are expected to read by then though!
Most children start learning to read basic sentences and cvc words (dog, cat) or CVCV words in Spanish (like vaca or gato) in kindergarten, but this depends on many factors. Every child is unique and some are already able to read entering kindergarten, while others have not even mastered letter recognition yet.
We must never force a child to read before they are ready. However, we can set the stage so they will want to learn to read and delight in engaging with books and stories.
How can we do this? Here are just a couple of steps you can take:
- Ages 0–2: Begin the process of developing early literacy skills by reading aloud often to your child and talking to them.
- Ages 3–5: Gently introduce the alphabet and develop letter sounds through fun and interactive play.
As a Spanish curriculum creator and the founder of Llamitas Spanish®, I’ve worked with hundreds of families helping children learn to read in Spanish at home. While it might not seem like much, these simple steps are an easy but effective way to begin building early Spanish literacy skills.
Related Post: How to Teach your Child the Spanish Alphabet
Best Beginner Spanish Readers for Kids
The following Spanish readers are fantastic options for beginner readers who are just starting to work on sight words, high frequency words, and short 2–3 word sentences.
Each level gradually increases in difficulty.
Mis Primeros Calcetines
This collection of 24 original Spanish titles was first published in Spain. It is also available in cursive~ great for Montessori families!
Llamitas Spanish® Bilingual Leveled Readers
At Llamitas Spanish® we build biliteracy skills throughout our levels from preschool through elementary grades.
Included in our Level 1 curriculum are 24 beautifully illustrated First Spanish Readers. In Levels 2 and 3 we provide another set of readers that build on the language taught in the first set.
These bilingual leveled readers are perfect for beginners—building on the phonics and vocabulary learned throughout our thematic Spanish lessons in Level 1.
Not confident with pronunciation? Don’t worry—you can listen to the native speaker audio narrations that are included. Here’s a sample of the first story, “El barquito,” from our Ocean unit.
Related post: How to Raise a Biliterate Kid
Leveled Books in Spanish
Early readers will love these series of Spanish leveled books, which range from beginners to more advanced reading—including some early chapter books!
Penguin Young Readers en Español
Some of Penguin’s leveled reader series for kids are available in Spanish. These are translations of English language books and include both fiction and non-fiction.
Levels 1 and 2 are great for beginners, with short sentences and cute stories. Levels 3 and up are more suitable for older children and independent readers, with a lot more text on each page.
Leyendo a Pasos
These leveled books are the Spanish language version of the popular Margaret Wise Brown guided reading series Step into Reading. Although not authentically Hispanic, these titles are affordable and cleverly sequenced.
There are 5 total series (or ‘pasos’) from Level 1: Preschool–K that focus on simple sentences, through Level 5 for 2nd–4th grade that are beginner chapter books.
Rafi y Rosi
This adorable Spanish leveled series is about Rafi and his younger sister, Rosi, in Puerto Rico. Follow along as they discover the beauty of their country and all it has to offer. A fantastic series of adventure-filled short stories for early readers!
Bizcocho (Mi primer libro ¡Yo sé leer!)
Biscuit in Spanish! These are more suitable for readers on their way to independent reading Spanish, as opposed to beginner books. They are less repetitive and have less high frequency words than other leveled readers.
The stories are still super engaging and perfect for classroom or reading aloud at home.
National Geographic Readers in Spanish
A beautiful non-fiction series in Spanish by National Geographic Kids. These leveled readers are for slightly older readers but the big illustrations will captivate younger children too.
From animals to volcanoes, rocks to weather, there are so many fun topics to enjoy in these short Spanish readers.
Primeros Lectores
This is a really authentic and original Spanish series by Bambú written in Spain. There are plenty to choose from and are written by Spanish native speakers.
These are not at beginner level! They work great as first chapter books or newly independent readers.
Related Post: How to Read in Spanish ~ 5 Tips for Beginners
At Llamitas Spanish, we give you everything you need to start teaching your child Spanish with structured, open-and-go lessons. Check out our curriculum shop so you can start building biliteracy today!
Founder of the Llamitas Spanish® Curriculum and former Spanish teacher. Corrie holds two Master Degrees in Spanish and Education. She lives in San Diego, California with her husband and two bilingual children.