If you have a child in your life, you’ve probably heard of Ms. Rachel: She has billions of views on YouTube, where her videos and songs focus on preschool skills.
But did you know Milwaukee has its own early literacy icon? Her name is Señora Betty.
Aprende with Señora Betty is a bilingual early literacy program. Betty Suárez created the program for kids to learn Spanish through storytelling, singing, dancing, crafts and more! As part of her program, Suárez posts weekly educational videos to her YouTube page and hosts weekly community events.
Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez spoke with Suárez about her program and how learning a new language can bring families together.
This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Xcaret Nuñez: You started Aprende with Señora Betty in January 2025. What inspired you to start this program around that time in your life?
Betty Suárez: As a Nicaraguan immigrant in this country, language and my culture are so important to me. So I want to make sure that it's also carried on with my kids. I only speak Spanish to my little ones because my husband doesn't speak Spanish. He only speaks English to the little ones, so I had to make sure I speak Spanish to them. And we would go to all the story time events at libraries and at museums, and my five-year-old was like, “How come we can't sing La Vaca Lola?” which is a very common song for little ones in Latin America. He was also like, “How come we can’t read stories in Spanish?” And I'm the kind of person where if there’s a problem or a gap, I try to fill it in, and that's what I did. Because for me it's so important for my little ones to hear Spanish outside the home, and not just from me, right? And I want to make it fun, and for them to feel proud and comfortable speaking Spanish wherever they go and be part of their culture. So I came up with this program in 2025 — it started small, and it has grown. There are a lot of families in similar situations that want to expose a little one to Spanish. And the program is not only bilingual, but it's also bicultural. I put that little sazón, that rhythm that identifies us Latinos, because we dance to merengue and salsa, and we use instruments so little kids can use their gross motor skills as well.
You post a new video every week and often have weekly reading events in the community. Can you describe the different topics you cover and how you teach them?
Yeah, so people say I'm everywhere — I'm at the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, coffee shops, boutique stores. I just want to make sure I spread my language joy everywhere. How topics are decided, it all depends on the month; In October, I try to do the Día de los Muertos theme wherever I am. Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations coming up from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 are going to be dedicated to that. It all depends on the month. Right now in August, I'm doing back-to-school, de regreso a clase, to get the little ones ready and comfortable with going back to school. So I try to make sure that the topics in the books are gonna be meaningful for the little ones and their families — like learning how to make friends, sharing and being kind.
Can you talk about how you teach children Spanish, because you're not just reading a book; you're very interactive.
Yeah, so when I was an undergrad, I always wanted to be an actress. So this is my opportunity, I guess, to do it in a different, fun way for little ones. I use different voices to capture little ones' attention — you have to be engaging. I also ask them to say words back to me in Spanish when I'm reading. When I say a word in Spanish, I point my finger at my mouth so they can see how it's being pronounced. Then I put my hand by my ear so they know that I'm waiting for them to say the word back to me. When it comes to singing and dancing, we use instruments. I tell them ahead of time the different words we’re learning from the song, and I use different gestures so they can connect the word with the sign. For example, we sing head, shoulders, knees, and toes in Spanish. Especially for the little ones who don’t speak Spanish at home, or even for those who might live in a bilingual home, they can connect what a word means.
Your content is a way for children and their families to learn Spanish for the first time. But how can it also help children and families stay connected to their Hispanic or Latino culture?
Yes, this was very important for me too. As a Hispanic/Latina mom, I want my kids to feel proud of their Latino/Hispanic culture. I make sure that I read books that are published by Latino writers and illustrators, and also books that have characters that look like them. Because for me, growing up, I didn't have a lot of that. I want to make sure that my little ones and all the little ones that come to my story time see themselves. Representation is huge — If they see themselves in a book, they're like, “That could be me; I can write a book!” So for me, that is so huge, not only to read those stories that represent us, but to have events too. I really try to make sure that we embrace our Latino culture for everyone to learn more about it. And for those who are of a Hispanic/Latino background, I want them to feel proud to show their roots, their culture, their language, their dances, their music in public places, because it's one thing to do it at home, but it's a whole different feeling when the little ones do it in public places. They feel accepted and welcome — especially in the times that we're living in. I want to make every family and every kiddo that comes to my story time feel welcome, feel loved, feel accepted, and they can speak whatever language they wish because it is a welcoming place.
Families can visit Aprende with Señora Betty and join bilingual story time at the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum every Friday at 10 a.m. You can also visit Aprende with Señora Betty at First Stage’s production of Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve! On Saturday, Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m.
