Cartillas

Cartillas is the plural of cartilla, a term used in Spanish to denote a small booklet or card that records information, instructions, or authorization. The word derives from cartilla, a diminutive of carta, and it has been used in Spain and many Latin American countries to describe various compact printed documents with a practical or official function.

In education, cartilla can refer to a reading primer or a workbook used in teaching early literacy, as well as a cartilla de calificaciones or grade record that tracks a student’s progress. In some regions, the phrase cartilla escolar denotes a compact instructional booklet used in classrooms of earlier decades.

In public administration and everyday life, cartillas have historically included the cartilla de racionamiento or ration book used to regulate access to food and goods, as well as employment or military records such as the cartilla militar or service booklet. In health systems, the cartilla de vacunación serves as a vaccination record showing vaccines administered and dates.

With digital record-keeping, physical cartillas are less common in many contexts, but vaccination booklets and certain administrative cartillas remain in use in some countries. The term is also encountered in historical texts describing education, civil registration, or social services in Spain and Latin America.