Perro, Gato, Pájaro, Pez
Dog, Cat, Bird, Fish
📐 Standards alignment
ACTFL World-Readiness: Communication (interpersonal, interpretive, presentational) · Cultures (how animal sounds differ across languages) · Comparisons (Spanish vs. English)
Can-Do targets (NCSSFL-ACTFL, Novice Low):
- I can name four pets in Spanish.
- I can make animal sounds the Spanish way.
- I can say which animal I like.
Learning objectives
- Name four pets in Spanish
- Make each pet’s Spanish sound (guau, miau…)
- Say Me gusta + their favorite pet
Materials
Stuffed animals or pet photos. A real pet, if available, is the guest of honor.
Prior knowledge
Me gusta appears here informally — it gets its own spotlight in Grade 1.
Key vocabulary
el perro · el gato · el pájaro · el pez
Pet show and tell
Gather the household animals (real, stuffed, or photographed). Introduce each one dramatically. Today they all learn to “speak Spanish.”
Meet four new words
Tap each card to flip it and hear how it sounds. Look at the picture, say the Spanish word out loud, then check the back for the English meaning.
Say it three times
Go back through the cards above. For each word: the grown-up (or the 🔊 listen button) says it once, then your child repeats it three times, nice and loud. Silly voices are encouraged!
The sound match game
Teach the Spanish animal sounds: guau guau (dog), miau (cat), pío pío (bird), glu glu (fish, obviously). Then you make a sound; your child names the animal in Spanish. Then swap. Maximum volume is traditional.
Memory game: ¡Encuentra el par!
Find the matching pairs — each Spanish word has its picture hiding somewhere in the grid.
Find the matching pairs!
Escucha y elige — Listen and choose
Press each play button and choose what you heard.
1. Press play. What did you hear?
2. Press play. What did you hear?
3. Press play. What did you hear?
Animal charades
Act out an animal — walk, sound, and all. The guesser must name it in Spanish: ¡el pez! (Acting a fish is hilarious. Attempt it.) Winner picks the next animal.
One more flip-through
Scroll back up to the flashcards and let your child flip through them on their own, saying each word before checking the back. No help this time — just see what they remember!
Show what you know
1. “El perro” is a…
2. What does a Spanish cat say?
¡Muy bien!
Four pets — el perro, el gato, el pájaro, el pez — plus their Spanish voices. Your child now knows animals literally speak different languages, which is the best fact they will learn all week.
Take it home
My pet (real or dream)
Draw your pet — or the pet you wish you had — and label it in Spanish. Write its Spanish sound in a speech bubble: ¡guau guau!
Name: Date:
The sound survey
Ask two family members: what does a dog say? Then teach them the Spanish version. Draw their surprised faces when they learn dogs say guau.
Note for teachers & parents
Pacing: sounds before words works here — kids who can answer “what says miau?” have learned gato without noticing.
Watch for: the rolled rr in perro is advanced hardware — a single r is completely fine at this age. Model it, never demand it.