6 Fun Ways to Work on Spanish Verbs with Habla Verbos
For bilingual children, conjugating verbs in Spanish can be especially tricky. Each pronoun changes the verb ending (for example, yo canto, tú cantas), and that morphological shift takes time and practice to master.
That’s why we created Habla Verbos, a hands-on tool designed to make verb conjugation visual, interactive, and fun. Below are six simple ways to use the set during speech therapy or home practice.
1. Start Simple: Third Person First
When introducing verb conjugation, I like to start with third person singular (ella camina) and then move to third person plural (ellos caminan). These forms are easiest for most children to understand because they describe what others are doing, not what they themselves are doing.
Once those are established, I introduce the singular forms (yo, tú). These can be more challenging—especially for children with autism—since yo and tú require a shift in perspective.
2. Integrate Verbs into Play
Play makes grammar come alive. Gather real objects like cups, pencils, and bubbles to represent actions. For younger children, choose whole-body verbs like caminar or correr.
You can focus on one verb ending type (such as -AR) or mix all three (-AR, -ER, -IR) depending on your child’s level and goals.
3. Add Gestures and Visuals
With Habla Verbos, use gestures as visual anchors. For example, act out baila with a dance motion or comí with a pretend eating gesture.
I also pair each verb tense with a consistent hand signal:
For present tense, I point my index finger downward to show that it’s happening now.
For past tense, I wave my palm past my shoulder to show that it already happened.
These gestures give children a visual and motor cue to support understanding of time concepts while reinforcing verb morphology.
4. Build Functional Phrases
Attach small objects or pictures to the end of the verb mat to practice Subject + Verb + Object combinations (for example, yo comí pizza, ella limpia la mesa).
This helps children move beyond single-word utterances to complete, meaningful sentences they can use in everyday conversation.
5. Personalize with Family Photos or Magazine Cutouts
Extend your practice with real-life connections. Use verb cards from Habla Verbos, or collect family photos showing different people performing the same actions. Children love seeing familiar faces in their materials—it makes language practice more relevant and motivating.
6. Use Stories and Daily Routines
Incorporate verbs into short stories or daily recaps. You might retell a story while pulling out the corresponding verb cards or talk about what you did today using past tense forms (yo comí, yo canté, yo escribí).
For extra engagement, switch roles—let your child be the therapist! Have them choose the verbs and organize them on the Habla Verbos mat while you act them out. This playful role reversal builds comprehension and confidence.
Final Thoughts
Spanish verb conjugation doesn’t have to be a drill—it can be active, playful, and meaningful. With Habla Verbos, you can make learning verbs an engaging experience that connects language to real life.