Flannel Friday Guest Post - Soy un vaquero / I'm a Cowboy

Hi everyone! A large chunk of what I spend my time doing these days is leading online classes that teach participants how to design and implement bilingual storytime programs. Each session is so much fun! Participants share with each other, and I am always amazed and re-energized by the enthusiasm and creativity of the groups. From time to time, I like to share something special that was shared within the class by inviting a participant to do a guest post here on the blog. This post comes from Kate Cruz, a Library Assistant at the Washoe County Library System. Thanks, Kate, for being so generous as to share your ideas and these amazing flannel designs!

From Kate Cruz:

I Am a Cowboy/Soy un Vaquero

Duke was my solution to a classic bilingual story time dilemma—How do I to get the audience to participate in an activity/song, regardless of the language they speak, while keeping the program fresh each week?

I had heard a song called Cowgirl Clothes by GoGo Lingo and used that as a starting point. It’s a cumulative song, but has a simple tune that is easy to remember. You can check it out here:

I decided not to keep it cumulative, making the song easier for the younger audience to keep up with. I also decided to make the cowgirl a cowboy—because I felt that the one less syllable per line made the song easier to sing…

"Soy una vaquera" = 6 syllables

"Soy un vaquero" = 5 syllables

…especially as the weeks went by and I was trying to fit more vocab into the song for different themes.  Trust me on this one.

The first felt piece I made was Duke. He is dressed plainly, a blank slate. Then I created the clothing/accessories to match the cowboy theme (a hat, a lasso, boots, a bandana, a guitar, and a horse). When choosing Duke’s accompanying items, make sure you can easily fit the English and Spanish translations into the lines. 2-3 syllables is best, 4 can be done—but it’s a mouthful.

I set up the board with Duke on one side, and the items on the other. When I introduce the activity, I explain (going back and forth in English and Spanish) that Duke is a little boy who loves to dress-up in different costumes. Then I ask the audience what they think Duke will be dressing as today based on the items on the board. “¡Sí—un vaquero! A cowboy!” Then we review the items in both English and Spanish before we begin our song. I explain that we will begin in English and then alternate between English and Spanish throughout. I also tell them that even if they don’t know the whole song, that they can help me by naming each item Duke is going to wear as we go along. But don’t worry—they will pick it up quickly! Here is how I sing it:

I am a cowboy and a cowboy needs a…. (point to felt piece and pause for answer from group) hat!

(place felt piece on Duke, repeat line without pause)

Pause for a moment here and remind the group that the next verse will be in Spanish.

Soy un vaquero y un vaquero necesita unas… (point to felt piece and pause for answer from group) ¡botas!

(place felt piece on boy, repeat line without pause)

Pause a moment and remind them, “Y ahora en Ingles/and now in English.”

I am a cowboy and a cowboy needs a…. (point to felt piece and pause for answer from group) lasso!

(place felt piece on boy’s hand, repeat line without pause)

Pause a moment and remind them, “and now in Spanish/y ahora en Español.”

Soy un vaquero y un vaquero necesita un… (point to felt piece and pause for answer from group) ¡pañuelo!

(place felt piece on boy, repeat line without pause)

Pause a moment and remind them, “Y ahora en Ingles/and now in English.”

I am a cowboy and a cowboy needs a…. (point to felt piece and pause for answer from group) guitar!

(place felt piece on boy’s hand, repeat line without pause)

Pause a moment and remind them, “and now in Spanish/y ahora en Español.”

Soy un vaquero y un vaquero necesita un… (point to felt piece and pause for answer from group) ¡caballo!

(place felt piece next to boy, repeat line without pause)

(Taking a break from the song, tell the group that Duke’s Mom is calling for him to come eat lunch—“It’s time to take off your costume!”)

(Repeat song—this time do the Spanish lines in English, and vice-versa. Take the felt pieces off the boy as you sing about each item)

I don’t always stick to a theme in my story time, but I try to pair at least one book to Duke’s costume so it makes an easy transition in the program. For Duke the cowboy, we stayed on the farm and smoothly transitioned to Clic, Clac, Muu: Vacas Escritoras/ Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type by Doreen Cronin. You could do this activity in a variety of ways. I once did the entire song in English and then in Spanish, and I’ve also thought about bringing in props/costume pieces instead of using the felt board. If you have a small group, you can ask the children to help you place the items onto Duke as you sing. Another idea is to nix Duke all together, and instead create a background, adding items to the scene throughout the song. For example, you could start with a simple gray castle… I am a castle and a castle needs a---MOAT! (gate, flags, etc.) This activity is so versatile, and you can make it your own.  Here are some other themes that I’ve done: I Am a Barber/Soy un Barbero I Am a Doctor/Soy un Doctor I Am a Pirate/Soy un Pirata I Am a Ranger/Soy un Guardabosque Wow! So creative and fun! Thanks again Kate for sharing these super cute flannels with us. If you give them a try in your bilingual storytime, let us know how it goes! What other ideas can you come up with for Duke?