Simple Stories in English

Send us a text The island nation of Cuba is full of amazing animals. One of the most fascinating is the tiny bee hummingbird, also called the zunzuncito. I was inspired by this little hummingbird and, with some motivation from my students, I wrote a short novel called “Zunzuncito’s Adventure”. For this third season of Simple Stories in English, I will be sharing a chapter from the novel each week. This story is told in the the present tense. Repeated words and phrases include bird, hum...

Send us a text I love to travel and today I am sharing one of my favorite travel stories. When I went to Ecuador twelve years ago, I had the opportunity to snorkel twice with blowfish, sea turtles and sea lions. The first day was amazing, but the second was a little scary . Today’s story is mostly in the first-person plural (pronoun “we”) and the past tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: boat, snorkel, tortoise/turtle, shark, and sea lion. No matter where you are in your langu...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. I believe that mental health matters. I usually feel like I have a good grasp of my own mental health, but there are days I want to ignore the world and all my responsibilities in it. I have many activities that help boost my mental health and today I would like to share a few. This story is in the first person and mostly the present tense. Important vocabulary in the st...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. I teach Spanish, but I am not a native Spanish speaker. Learning Spanish was not easy for me. I struggled a lot. But I am very grateful to be bilingual. Today I would like to share my language journey and why I chose to learn Spanish. This story is in the first person and the past tense. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way....

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. I love the theater. I love acting and singing and being in front of an audience. I haven’t been on a stage in years, but I have wonderful memories from my time in the theater and I use my experience now to tell stories. Continuing with this season of personal stories, this episode explores my short-lived life on stage. This story is in the first person and the past tense...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. I have very fond memories of my childhood. I spent a lot of time outside with my friends and family, no matter the time of year. As a child I played, I ran, I rode bikes, I read, and I just had fun. Continuing with this season of personal stories, this episode explores the question: “what is my family like?”. This story is in the first person and the present tense. Impor...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. I love my family. I have two wonderful sons that I adore. I also have many brothers and sisters who are very important to me, along with my own mom and dad. My extended family also has a special place in my heart. Continuing with this season of personal stories, this episode explores the question: “what is my family like?”. This story is in the first person and the prese...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. In today’s episode, I explain where I go. I go to some places frequently, like work and the store. Other places I go to when I have time. I hope you enjoy my answer to the question “Where do I go?”. This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: school, shopping, church, countries, and home. No matter where you are in...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. I love where I live. I have a beautiful house in a small town in western Colorado. I have lived in 3 houses in this town over the last 19 years and in this episode I will describe those houses. This story is in the first person and the present and past tenses. Important vocabulary in the story includes: house, neighbors, windows, dining room, basement, garage, and yard.&...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. Today’s story is all about food. Breakfast food, snacks, dessert. Get ready to hear about what I eat. I hope you don’t get too hungry as you enjoy my answer to the question “What Do I Eat?” This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: fruit, chocolate, breakfast, sweet, and I make. No matter where you are in your la...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. I am lucky that I get to do many things that I enjoy and I have everything that I need right now. However, there are still some things that I want, someday. This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: things, activities, time, work, and want. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you o...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. Many of my activities are related to daily necessities or work, but I do a lot of other things. I create, I explore, I exercise, and I listen to and make music. What do you do? This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: create, make, imagine, explore, photos, and exercise. No matter where you are in your language ...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. Many of my activities are related to daily necessities or work, but I do a lot of other things. I create, I explore, I exercise, and I listen to and make music. What do you do? This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: create, make, imagine, explore, photos, and exercise. No matter where you are in your language ...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. We all have different likes and dislikes. Continuing with this season of personal stories, this episode explores the question: “What Do I Like?” This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: I like and I love. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a transcri...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. This second episode presents multiple descriptive adjectives that both do and don’t describe my physical characteristics and personal qualities to answer the question: “what am I like?” So you can better talk about what you are like. This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: fun, smart, strong, patient, hardworki...

Send us a text Welcome to season 2 of Simple Stories in English! In this season, I will be telling you more about myself. In this first episode you will learn. In today’s episode I am going to answer the question: Who am I? This story is in the first person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: I’m, live, teacher, sing and mom. 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://s...

Send us a text Jack is a little cat. He thought today would be like any other day exploring with his family, but instead he woke up to discover that is home became a construction site! Will he be able to make his way through the heavy equipment and find his family? This simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words beam, dirt, edge, crane, dump truck, and looks for. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can find a trans...

Send us a text Julio loves winter because winter means skiing. He makes sure to wear all the right clothing: hat, scarf, gloves, and - most importantly - his helmet. When his helmet falls off the ski lift, he thinks he will be fine if he just goes slow. Unfortunately, though, accidents happen. This simple story is told mostly in the present tense, but introduces the past tense in a retell. Important vocabulary includes ski lift, helmet, head, wounds, stitches, and cut. No matter where you a...

Send us a text Arthur the monster lives alone in the mountains. He is tired of being alone in his cave and decides to go to the city to make some animal friends. Some animals look down on him because of his size, looks, and smell, but one animal steals his heart. This story is in the third person and the past tense with some present tense dialogue. Important vocabulary in the story includes: stank (smelt bad), hurt, monkey, and pig. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories ...

Send us a text Isabel wishes she were home for Christmas instead of all alone in a big city. She knows that other people in her apartment building are also alone, so when the electricity goes out, she decides to spread light and joy through candles and song. This story is in the third person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: feels, neighbors, candles, box, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Nativity, and carols. No matter where you are in your language journey, stori...

Send us a text Tom Turkey is a lazy turkey. He lives in the woods and just wants to eat all day. The other woodland animals are worried about Tom. They know hunting season is coming and Tom needs to learn how to avoid humans. Each animal gives Tom advice on how to stay safe. But, will Tom listen? This story is in the third person and the present tense. Important vocabulary in the story includes: turkey, advice, avoid, ignore, and legs. No matter where you are in your language journey, stori...

Send us a text 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 whe...

Send us a text 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 journe...

Send us a text 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://smalltownspanis...

Send us a text 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 wo...

Send us a text 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 home This 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...

Send us a text 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 wh...

Send us a text Today’s story was originally written by Scott Wyatt Why 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...

Send us a text 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. Yo...

Send us a text 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. ...

Send us a text 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-storie...

Send us a text 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:/...

Send us a text 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...

Send us a text 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/

Send us a text 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 i...

Send us a text 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 https://smalltownspanishteacher.com/2023/12/30/simple-stories-in-eng...

Send us a text 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 f...

Send us a text 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 ...

Send us a text 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 journ...

Send us a text 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 yo...

Send us a text 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”....

Send us a text 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...

Send us a text 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”,...

Send us a text 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 lan...

Send us a text 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 h...

Send us a text Most people know the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, but what if the bear is the intruder? Barry is a curious bear. He just wants to know what life is like inside of a house. Barry looks through the windows and sees and touches a lot of different things. What will this curious bear find? This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “wants”, “observes”, “walks”, “perfect”, and “touched”. No matter where you are in your language journe...

Send us a text Birthdays are a special time, especially for young kids. Ruthie wakes up on her birthday wanting something special to eat for breakfast: cake! Her parents think that she should eat what they do, but Ruthie is determined to have her cake and eat it too. Can she convince her sweet grandmother to make her cake for breakfast? This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “birthday”, “breakfast”, “cake”, “can’t”, “can” and “should”. No matter where...

Send us a text When a child is sick, they should stay home. However, some kids pretend to be sick to get out of schoolwork. Jessica has a test. She pretends to be sick so she doesn’t have to take the test. She fakes a cough and cold so she can stay at home on her phone. What a great actress! This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “doesn’t”, “acts”, “cough”, and “school”. No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your w...

Send us a text The world is full of musical styles and instruments. Some people like to sing, others like to play, and even more just like to listen. Music can bring people together. Ed and Felix like to make music and want to form a band. Ed sings, Felix and others play instruments and other people just listen to the music. This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “likes”, “play”, “music”, and “sings". No matter where you are in your language journey, ...

Send us a text Every party has potential for fun and for disaster. Ed the elephant wants to create a perfect birthday party for his friend Felix. He invites guests, decorates the house, and prepares food - including lots and lots of cheese. He even buys a piñata! It will sure be a party to remember This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “party”, “presents”, “cake”, “cheese”, and “looks at". No matter where you are in your language journey, stories wil...

Send us a text Friends can be similar and also very different. Some friends say exactly what they are thinking while others have tact. In today’s story, Felix says something that is not very nice, but causes a lifestyle change for Ed. This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “is”, “nice”, “mean”, “skinny”, “fat” and “watches". 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 h...

Send us a text It can be hard to wander through life alone, especially on Valentine’s Day. Ed the elephant is searching for the perfect girlfriend. He wants someone who is nice, fun, and patient. However, as Ed discovers, those traits can sometimes be hard to find. This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “is”, “nice”, “mean”, “say”, “ask” and “write". No matter where you are in your language journey, stories will help you on your way. You can fin...

Send us a text Friends can be similar and also very different. Some friends say exactly what they are thinking while others have tact. In today’s story, Felix says something that is not very nice, but causes a lifestyle change for Ed. This short, simple story is told in the present tense and focuses on the words “is”, “nice”, “mean”, “skinny”, “fat” and “watches". 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 h...