10 Websites Offering Short Stories in Spanish for Beginners
Did you know that you can learn a second language through short stories in Spanish!
If you’re a beginner student in learning Spanish, short stories in Spanish will help you scale in the language’s development.
Reading is one of the primary skills that you must develop when learning a new language.
Reading will strengthen your understanding of the language and its structure, and nurture the vocabulary that will help you become a fluent Spanish speaker.
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Benefits of Reading Short Stories in Spanish
The first great advantage of short stories in Spanish is that they are short! This will allow you to squeeze in one of them whenever you can and have time.
You can read them while on the bus, waiting for your classes to start, or even waiting for your food at a restaurant.
You will learn vocabulary and grammar in small doses that will help you strengthen your retention and manage the language like a professional.
Another significant benefit is that you can learn the language in its natural state due to the great variety of short stories in Spanish.
Short stories present a more expressive and creative language that allows you to see the words and expressions in different contexts.
You will know the idioms and how to use the language with expressions such as similes, metaphors, analogies, comparisons, etc.
Plus, your brain loves short stories!
When learning a new language, your brain is going through a lot of changes and absorbing a lot of information; this is why short stories play such an important role.
When we hear a story, our brain releases dopamine, making us feel more connected to the story and even the characters.
We recommend: 20 Free Spanish Books, Novels, and Stories in PDF and Printables
10 Websites Offering Short Stories in Spanish
Stories are invaluable when it comes to reinforcing language skills.
So, we have prepared a selection of 10 websites where you can find an innumerable amount of short Spanish stories.
1. Árbol ABC
This website has thousands of resources in Spanish for children who wish to reinforce their learning.
Within the material, you will find the free short stories section, where you can select from the different existing categories, such as classic stories, fables, legends, and even poetry.
One of the special features of this website is that they have adapted some traditional tales to make them appropriate for all ages.
It means that the adapted versions are free of violence and focus on teaching values.
You will also find the audio where the story is narrated in case you want to put it in the car while driving with your children.
The content is for beginner Spanish students from ages 3 to 10.
From this website we recommend the following short stories:
2. Bosque de fantasías
On this free reading platform, you will find new content different from the traditional tales we have known for many decades.
The original stories of El Bosque de las fantasias include a variety of short texts and poetry for children from 4 to 10 years old.
By the way, you can use this platform for free!
On this website, you will find short biographies of important historical people such as Anne Frank, Salvador Dalí, etc.
You will also find a collection of mythological stories for children from the Romans to the Greeks and Egyptians.
And the mythological texts are accompanied by short videos!
One of the unique features of the Bosque de fantasías educational portal is that each section has an explanation to understand better what a story, a fable, or a legend is.
Another feature we loved is that it has a very friendly design and is accompanied by beautiful illustrations to catch your kids’ attention.
The recommended short stories on this site are:
3. Había una vez
An excellent option to read Spanish children’s stories is the website Había una vez.
In this friendly and completely free platform for children from 3 to 10, you will find children’s short stories that will captivate your kids.
One of the features that we like the most about this site is that it includes the audio format in all its stories.
The site divides into three areas. The first is Audiocuentos, where you will only find stories in audio format.
This is perfect if you want to put it on while riding in the car, bathing your little ones, or during bedtime.
The second section is Aprendiendo a leer—Learning to Read, where you can practice reading while listening to the story with the audio.
And the third section is Charla en familia—Family Talk, where you will find informative and educational videos to help your children in the reading process.
If you want to refine your ear with the Argentine accent, this site is the one!
We recommend these short stories:
- – El gallo y la perla
- – Quiero ser aviadora
- – El nacimiento del sol y la luna (audio format)
4. Érase una Vez un Cuento
This website is one of the most complete we have found!
The selection of stories is small. However, it includes a lot of support material so that each reading is unique for your children.
Érase una vez un cuento is totally free and aimed at children ages 6 to 10. The platform is not very friendly for children, but it is for parents.
The particular feature of this website is that in most of the stories, you will find the video story version, where you can listen to the story and see a simple animation simultaneously.
In addition, each story includes worksheets to reinforce what they learned in the story. This is great for parents who are homeschooling their children.
You can find some of the stories in their bilingual versions, where your children can read them in Spanish with English translation.
And if you finish reading all the stories on the list, you can find more books in PDF format in the Libros section.
Pretty awesome, huh?
We recommend these short stories:
5. Cuentos infantiles
On this website, you will find more than 200 short children’s stories, from classic and traditional titles to modern and contemporary ones.
The website is free and made for kids ages 3-9.
The platform’s design is simple and easy for your children who already use a tablet and for parents who use a computer.
Beautiful drawings illustrate each story so your children can better understand what they are reading and feed their imagination.
In some of the stories, you will find the audiobook format at the end so that while your children read, they can listen to the pronunciation.
We recommend these short stories:
Read also: 6 Storybooks in Spanish Your Kids Will Love
6. Cuentos para dormir
This site has one of the largest collections of 5-min bedtime stories.
All the stories and material you find are completely free. The content is for kids ages 3 to 12 years.
It includes all kinds of stories you can imagine, and the site’s divided into thematic categories such as family, respect, love, princess, and pirate stories.
The feature we love about Cuentos para dormir is that all of its stories include a descriptive sheet of what you will find, such as the values your children will learn.
Also, at the end, there is a section to work on the story with your children. There are questions to analyze what they read and create a moment of discussion and sharing.
Recommended short stories:
- – El extraño profe que no quería a sus alumnos
- – Los últimos dinosaurios
- – El monstruo escondido en el armario
7. Mundo Primaria
Mundo Primaria is an excellent library of short stories in Spanish with various fables, legends, songs, short stories, and many more categories of readings.
This platform is free and includes material for children ages four and up.
The content includes different difficulty levels since you can find simple and classic short stories for a command of basic Spanish.
You will also find slightly longer stories for children with a more advanced Spanish language and level of concentration.
The feature that we love about this platform is that it explains each section and how to use it both in class and at home.
It also has other resources to complement reading at home, such as a compendium of words, a list of spelling rules in Spanish, and concepts according to each school subject.
This website is a must for your internet visits!
Recommended short reads:
8. Cuentos cortos
This one has an extensive catalog of stories in different categories and themes.
The page is entirely free, and there is material for children from 3 years of age onwards.
Apart from having the stories divided into categories, you can also find them by type of teaching.
If you want your children to learn a specific message or value, you can look for the stories under that topic, read them together, and generate a discussion around the topic.
Another of its essential characteristics is that it includes didactic and educational resources for parents and teachers to reinforce language learning.
And finally, Cuentos cortos has a YouTube channel with videos that illustrate some of the stories.
Recommended stories:
9. Pequeocio
This is one of the most popular sites for short stories in Spanish!
You can easily access its content organized by categories, as well as the rest of the web pages that we have presented to you.
You will find classic short stories, bedtime stories, Halloween, Christmas, and more.
In most stories, you will find illustrations or animated videos of the stories so that your children can enjoy reading and watching cool images!
This site offers many extra resources to help your child practice Spanish in other areas.
You will find songs for children, images to print and color, educational materials for other subjects, crafts, recipes to make at home, etc.
Recommended short readings from this website:
10. Chiquipedia
This is a website where you will find hundreds of materials for the education of your children in Spanish. From children’s songs to crafts, tongue twisters, and of course, short stories.
All the material you find is free and designed for children ages 3 and up.
Categories for easy access organize the children’s stories section. In Chiquipedia, you can read short stories with a moral takeaway or simply read a story for your children to sleep.
Using this website is easy as it presents each category with drawings that identify the theme you want to explore with your children.
Recommended short stories:
See also: 20 Best Intermediate Spanish Books for Adults (B1-B2)
Strategies for Reading Short Stories in Spanish
Learning to read in Spanish can be challenging for those in the beginning stage.
So, we want to help you with some tips and recommendations so you can take advantage of this moment of reading as much as possible.
Now that you have some of the best websites for reading short stories, it’s time to choose what kind of topics you want to read with your children or what genre catches their attention the most.
Reading about topics that they like the most will make the process of reading and learning more enjoyable.
Pay attention to the titles, subtitles, and images the book or story includes since these elements help interpret the text.
If you can, look for bilingual books that have the text in both Spanish and English since you will have the translation accessible in case you don’t understand a phrase.
Listen to the audiobook while you read the story, so you can listen and become familiar with Spanish accents, pronunciation, and natural intonation.
And lastly, have your children read aloud. It is one of the best ways for them to practice pronunciation and fluency as they will build muscle memory.
You must read: 10 Best Books to Learn Spanish on Your Own in 2022
Let’s Read Short Stories and Learn Spanish!
Reading opens our minds and allows our imagination to grow more and more!
In short stories, you will find a great ally for you and your children to learn new vocabulary and improve their reading skills.
They will also enjoy a different learning experience that will help them read in a new language and experience cultural immersion.
Nothing is more exciting than understanding what words in a foreign language mean based just on the context and narrative surrounding them.
Reading short stories will make your children learn and understand a language through fiction and keep them interested in the reading experience.
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