The Core Experience

Presented by Ashley Woods, Author and Founder of PrimerLibro

Bring the vibrant spirit of the Dominican Republic and the magic of Spanish literacy straight to your students, blending rhythm, storytelling, and phonetics. Whether in a grade-wide assembly or an intimate classroom setting, this author visit celebrates the Spanish language and Dominican culture during Hispanic Heritage Month through an interactive, movement-rich experience that engages every child.

This program serves as a special extension to your daily classroom learning, giving students a unique space to build their confidence, try new things, and discover just how exciting reading can be.

Culture of Dominican Republic

Students celebrate the languages in their own community, discover the many countries where Spanish is spoken, and connect with culture in the Dominican Republic through dance and a close-up look at real items from the island.

Purposeful, Expressive Movement

Kids learn best when their bodies are engaged. Throughout the book readings, students clap out syllables, stomp rhythms, and use expressive arm and hand motions from their spots to act out the characters and follow the story.

Dual Language

The entire session will be run in a combination of English and Spanish so kids have a truly immersive experience. We will tailor the depth of Spanish discussion based on your student population and needs.

Phonetic Awareness, Featuring Two Books

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Conejo! + Mona y Papá Hacen Pizza

During this session, students explore the phonetic structure of key vocabulary like Conejo, Oso, and Pájaro from the first book; then Salsa, Masa, and Tomate from the second.

About the Author

Ashley Woods

Mom to daughter Ivory

15+ years in strategy and marketing

African American & Dominican

I took a sabbatical from my job at Google and became intentional about what mattered most, helping my daughter to learn and grow. At the heart of that journey was language and a story that I needed to reclaim. My mother was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico. She was a first-generation American, her family originally from the Dominican Republic. When she moved from Miami to North Carolina for college in the 80s, less than 1% of the population there was Hispanic. She felt like she had to choose, so she assimilated. She left her Dominican identity behind to fit in. By the time I was born, Spanish was gone from our home. The culture just disappeared.

I see this happening to so many immigrant families today. In our current climate, people feel they have to leave their identity behind just to keep their families safe or to escape the past. And losing a culture many times starts with losing language.

So, before my daughter Ivory was born, I decided that this stops here. I was going to raise her with Spanish as her first language. But when I looked for books to help her actually learn to read, I couldn't find what we needed. This mission led me to a glaring opportunity in the market.

Many Spanish children's books for ages 3 to 6 are either passive bedtime stories, simple word-label books, or complex books in cursive script. In English, there is a clear path of support for kids ready to transition to independent reading, but that support is much less common in books originally written in Spanish. So I created them during my sabbatical and launched them to bring Spanish literacy and reclaim a culture for other families, just like mine.

Program Flow

The following is a sample schedule for a 1-hour session. We will work with your school to design the best schedule based on your available time and needs.

I. Anticipatory Set & Hook

Student Arrival

Upbeat Dominican music plays as students enter, instantly setting an energetic, celebratory tone. School representatives introduces Ashley.

Cultural Connection

Ashley calls out world languages, inviting kids to raise their hands to celebrate the languages in their community. After exploring where Spanish is spoken globally, she introduces the Dominican Republic bringing the culture to life by sharing treasures from the Dominican Republic like cultural and sensory items including traditional artifacts, instruments, and textiles from the Dominican Republic. Everyone stands up to learn a few simple, vibrant Dominican dance moves.

II. Interactive Reading

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Conejo!

The first book is projected big and bright. Learning targets are three core phonetic words: Conejo, Oso, and Pájaro. Every time these characters appear, students use full-arm and hand motions to physically act out the animals in sync with the syllables.

Mona y Papá Hacen Pizza

In this second story, students transition to words tied to making a pizza: Salsa, Masa, and Tomate. They engage in call-and-repeat and clapping & stomping along to the ingredient syllables.

III. Physical Application

The Word-Builder Syllable Challenge

Students apply their phonetic awareness through an interactive game.

Large assembly, Grades 1 - 2: Six student volunteers are called to the front to participate in a high-energy competition to build words out of oversized syllables while the room cheers them on.
Small classroom (< 25 students), Grades PreK - 2: The entire room breaks into an inclusive relay race so every child gets to actively run, cooperate, and build words together.

IV. Wrap-up

Guided Reflection

Students will do a final reflection of the words and syllables they learned throughout the session.

Flexible Formats for Your School

Large-Scale Assemblies

Perfect for bringing whole grade levels together. The energy is maximized through unified group movements, shared call-and-response, and a collective celebration of culture. Most movements are from a seated position or standing in place.

Intimate Classroom Visits with up to 25 Students

A close-up format where students can participate in the full-room syllable relay race. Each child gets direct attention to cater the lesson plan according to their skill levels.

Logistical Details

What Ashley Brings

Full music playlist, laptop, slide presentations, cultural items, supplies, and order forms so kids can take books home.

What the School Provides

A screen visible to the audience that can connect to a laptop. Speakers with microphone so students can hear the audio and music throughout the session.

Prep Meeting

Prior to the visit, we will arrange a call to finalize details like location, audience size, grade levels, student abilities, etc to tailor the lesson.

What Families Say

★★★★★

"A lovely gift for our nearly 5-year-old daughter who is learning to read English at school and Spanish with her dad. The sentences are simple yet entertaining (she loved how some rhymed!); and the section at the end where kids can play crosswords and other games makes the story last even longer 💗 Would highly recommend!"

— Elodie

★★★★★

"As an Early Intervention therapist, I love ¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Conejo! It's perfect for early literacy and language, supporting vocabulary expansion and phonological awareness. The interactive pages make it great for therapy and parents can use it at home to practice reading, asking questions, and building early language skills. I can do so much with just this one book!"

— Xiomara

Quick Questions

How much does an author visit cost?

Schools can choose from a 1-hour session, half day, or full day. Please reach out directly for costs.

Which language are the sessions hosted in?

A combination of English and Spanish.

What grade levels work best?

The sweet spot is Pre-K through 2nd grade. Activities are adapted so a Pre-K class gets a modified experience from a 2nd grade class, even in the same school.

Do you offer virtual sessions?

No, each visit is interactive with kids working together, so they are designed as in-person engagements.

How long is the session and how much space do you need?

The workshop runs approximately 1 hour, but is flexible to fit your schedule. A standard classroom, school gym, or assembly room works fine, depending on the number of students.

Do we need to prepare anything or buy supplies?

Schools provide a speaker, microphone, screen, and enthusiastic kids. Before the session, please share our book ordering form with the parents. Ashley will provide it as a PDF.

Can we order books for our teachers?

Yes! We can coordinate discounted book orders for classrooms.

Do you visit in summer or only during the school year?

Both! Summer is actually a great time to book summer camp guest speaker sessions, library summer reading programs, nonprofit literacy events, and community programs. Reach out early, summer spots fill up fast!

How far in advance should we book?

At least 4 weeks ahead is ideal, especially for back-to-school and Hispanic Heritage Month programming.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month