Latriz has a very important job. She is a receptionist in a clinic. The people who come to the clinic talk to her before they talk to the nurse or doctor. The people who call the clinic talk to her for guidance. Latriz needs to help them stay calm and get the help they need. Latriz’s job is very important.This story includes a lot of dialogue and is told in the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: appointment, card, fever, help, and I ask. No matter where you are in your...

Silvia loves sweets a bit too much. Her love of sugar catches up with her in the form of a toothache. Now she must visit the dentist. First, the hygienist takes x-rays and cleans up her teeth. Then the dentist comes in for a visit. One thing is for sure, Sylvia needs to take better care of her teeth!This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “candy”, “teeth”, “gums”, “plaque”, “tartar” and “cavity”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will he...

Luis just wants to dance the night away, but a car accident lands him in the emergency room with his date. Now, instead of salsa, he must deal with x-rays, stitches and a cast. What fun!This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “crash”, “hurts/pains”, “neck”, “leg”, “arm”, “cast" and “neck brace”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/...

Paloma is a near perfect child. She just has one problem that threatens to take over her life - Paloma is a worrier. She worries about EVERYTHING from school to shopping to what she wears. Paloma reaches out to her mom, who realizes that she needs more help than she can give. So, Paloma meets with a therapist. At first she is worried, but after time she begins to develop confidence and her worrying subsides.This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “worried”, “wo...

The Mesoamerican Reef system is the second largest in the world. Located in the Caribbean Sea, the most beautiful section of this reef is accessible through the island of Roatán in Honduras. Here you can see the plant and animal life that call this tropical paradise homeThis simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words island, fish, coral reef, film, and scuba dive. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transc...

Brandon and Julia love dinosaurs. They have a bunch of plastic toy dinosaurs that they play with together. There is only one problem. Julia’s Tyrannosaurus Rex is always eating Brandon’s dinosaurs. Brandon and Julia both know a lot about dinosaurs. Will Brandon be able to find one that Julia’s T-Rex can’t eat?This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “grabs”, “eats”, “growls”, “carnivore” (meat eater), and “herbivore” (plant eater). No matter where you are in you...

Today’s story was originally written by Scott WyattWhy is the raven black? 7-year-old Agapita has created a series of drawings to explain the dark feathers of this intelligent bird who just wanted to get a glimpse of his creator.This simple story is told in the past tense and focuses on the words “crow”, “drawing”, “creator”, “world”, and the verbs “see/saw”, “made”, and “would be”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript ...

Hannah is a curious girl. When a butterfly lands in her back yard, she wants to learn all about it. After visiting the library, she learns that these butterflies are special and that they fly all the way to Mexico from Canada. What else will she learn about the monarch butterfly?This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “wants”, “book”, “wings”, and “insect”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a trans...

Dayana the alpaca is surprised to learn that her wooly coat is going to be sheared. She loves her wool, so she runs away. While she is away, she meets a graceful vicuña, an overgrown sheep, and a sheared llama. Dayana learns that it might not be so bad to have her coat cut after all.This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “cut”, “want”, “doesn’t”, and “wool”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a tra...

Jayden, Charley and Theo love fishing with their mom. One Saturday they grab their fishing poles and head to the lake. Find out what they catch in today’s story, “Let’s Go Fishing.”This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “want”, “pull”, “bait”, and “excited”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/05/21/simple-stories-in-english-lets-...

It is the end of the school year for Imani and many others. She shouts “See you later!” to those she meets in the hallway. But what about her friends and others who won’t be back in the fall? Will she have to say goodbye?This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “says”, “responds”, “likes”, “goes”, and “goodbye”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at https://smalltownspanisht...

Victoria is feeling nervous and scared about leaving her small town and going to university in a big city. Her friend Piper doesn’t seem scared at all. Victoria learns that some of Piper’s confidence comes from her success in a martial arts class. Victoria decides to give it a try and she learns that small girls like her can be fierce opponents. This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “confidence”, “punch”, “kick”, “roll”, and “grab”. No matter where you are...

Ronaldo comes from a family obsessed with football (or soccer), so it is no surprise that he wants to be a famous football star like his “tocayo”, or namesake, Cristiano Ronaldo. But Ronaldo only wants to play front and center, hogging the ball and making all the goals. He needs to learn the importance of each position to truly become a great player. Transcript: https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2024/03/05/simple-stories-in-english-the-great-ronaldo/

Today’s story connects to episode 9. Perhaps you will remember “Miguel’s Little Lie”. Miguel wanted to go to a rock concert with his friend Wes, but, due to his lying, ended up going to a classical music concert with his mom and sister. Little did he know how much that concert would change his life. He thought rock music was the only sound worth listening to, but after hearing violins, flutes, trumpets, and tubas, he has a new appreciation for instruments. This simple story is told in the...

Luisa loves winter. She likes the cold because it means snow and ice. She skates on the ice and plays in the snow. There is only one problem: it hasn’t snowed yet! This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “snow”, “ice”, “cold”, “snowflake”, and “frost”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcript of the story at...

Life with a toddler can be fun and difficult. That is why routines are so important. When Lily doesn’t take her nap, the rest of the day is rough for her dad, Stephen. Perhaps a nighttime routine with soothing songs will be exactly what they both need to sleep. This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “sleep”, “throws”, “sings”, “reads”, and “doesn’t”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a...

Some students feel that they just don’t know anything, so why even try? Perhaps they just need a little bit of motivation and confidence. Daniel is not the smartest student, but he finds inspiration through a magic notebook. Through his magic notebook, he finds a recipe for success. I hope you enjoy “The Magic Notebook.” This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “doesn’t”, “needs”, “listens”, “study”, and “solve”. No matter where you are in your language...

Mothers often need to have patience as children learn and grow. Nadia is mother to Luisa and Perla. Luisa loves her family and she loves to help. But sometimes her help causes problems for her mother. All is well, though, with Luisa hugs her mom and tells her, “I love you, mom.” This simple story is told in the past tense and focuses on the words “listened”, “ran”, “wanted”, “said”, “responded”, “surprised”, “pretty”, and “love”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories...

We all get bored. Georgie has a room full of things, but he still gets bored. When he tells people he is bored, they just send him away to do something else. Will he just stay bored forever? Or will he find something to entertain the day away? Listen in to find out in “I’m Bored!” This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “thinks”, “grabs”, “takes”, and “What’s wrong?”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can...

Who doesn’t enjoy a day at the beach? Ramona certainly does. She goes to the beach every day and watches the tourists as they take pictures, play in the waves, and play in the sand. Ramona is not a tourist. She is a capuchin monkey. She is also a famous thief. Listen in to find out how Ramona steals from beachgoers in “Ramona on the beach”. This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “monkey”, “take/takes”, “tourist”, “steal”, “thief”, and “beach”. No matter...

Paula enjoys living in the mountains with her dog Bobo and her one hundred and fifty cows. But sometimes her cows wander off and need help getting out of some sticky situations. Paula counts her cows and when they are missing, she looks for them. Paula will do anything to help her cows if they get stuck. She will pull, cut and even sing to help them. Will she be able to help them all? This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “needs”, “is missing”, “look for”,...

Luis enjoys his life as a rancher. He likes taking care of animals. Being on a ranch requires boots. Luis has a special friend that he wants to spend time with on the ranch, but she does not have boots, so Luis decides to get her some. Luis goes all over town, including the shoe store, the bank and the gas station as he tries to buy the perfect boots. Will he be able to get what he wants? This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “needs”, “asks”, “goes”, “has”,...

When things get lost, the logical solution is to look for them. Sometimes we are so busy looking that we don’t see what is right under our noses. Lourdes is busy. She tries to make time for her son’s problems, but sometimes her own problems get in the way, such as when she needs some ginger for her cake. This story is told in the present tense and has multiple repetitions of “Did you look?” and “I looked” as well as places around the house. No matter where you are in your language journey,...

Miguel just wants to go to a concert, but his mom says no, even when he begs. So, Miguel and his friend come up with a plan that involves just a little lie. Miguel typically tells the truth, so lying is not easy for him. Will he be able to maintain the lie? Or will he cave under pressure? This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “lie”, “says”, “sees”, “music”, and “concert”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your...