Mi primer inglés – Page 2 – Mi primer Inglés

CAMPING ANYONE?

With warmer temperatures kids everywhere love being outdoors but now that we all need to stay at home what can we do?

You can set the mood for having a great camping adventure with a backyard tent or an indoor creative setting.

Begin by reading “We are going camping” or “Vamos de campamento”. This is a fun picture book with colorful illustrations about young animals going camping with their teachers.

Take advantage of the setting and the characters in the story to introduce children to new vocabulary about camping and animals and their babies.

After reading the story have your little one point out what they need to go camping for a day. Encourage children to engage in the fun interactive activities in English and in Spanish related to “We are going camping” or “Vamos de campamento.”

Talk about the things children can see at a camp and the things they can do at a camping site.

Arts and Crafts

Encourage children to go on a nature walk. Have them bring homemade or toy binoculars, magnifying glasses and a basket for collecting different size stones and leaves in different colors.

Stones with stickers

Children can:

Paint a picture on the stone

Decorate the stones with stickers

Draw on their stones with permanent markers

Decorate the stones with magazine cut-outs or fabric scraps

Leaf animal crafts

Show children pictures of leaf animal crafts to guide them. Have fun and foster their creativity.

Prepare Traditional S’mores for snack

Ingredients:

Graham crackers

Chocolate bars

Marshmallows of various sizes

Ask children to break a graham cracker in half. Put a square or two of chocolate on it and a marshmallow. Add a second graham cracker on top to make a sandwich. Place it in the microwave for about 20- 30 seconds until the marshmallow and chocolate start melting. You’ve made a delicious S’more! YUM!!!!!!!!

After snack

Open a tent and have children bring their sleeping bags. I f you don’t have a tent make a pretend one by using bed sheets and cushions as in the picture below.

Sit with your children in a circle, read the story again and sing some camping songs.

Do the Bear Watch skit and have fun!!!

This is a traditional song where the children repeat every line after the leader.

We’re going on a bear watch!

(Tap legs and sing)

We’ve got our binoculars!

(Make a circle in front of eyes with thumb and pointer fingers)

Open up the door, squeak!

(Pretend to open door)

Walk down the road

(Tap legs and continue singing)

Coming to a wheat field!

Can’t go under it.

(Make motions with your hands as going under)

Can’t go over it.

(Make motions with your hands as going over)

Have to go through it!

(Make arm motions like you’re going through the field and make swishing sounds.)

Swish, swish, swoosh, swoosh.

Got through the wheat field.

(Tap legs and continue singing)

We’re going on a bear watch!

We’ve got our binoculars!

Coming to a bridge.

Can’t go under it

Have to walk over it!

(Tap legs and make a clicking noise with tongue)

Click, click, click.

Got over the bridge.

(Tap legs and continue singing)

We’re going on a bear watch!

We’ve got our binoculars!

Coming to a river.

Can’t go under it.

Can’t fly over it.

Got to swim across it.

(Pretend to swim and make splashing sounds.)

Got across the river.

(Tap legs and continue singing)

We’re going on a bear watch!

We’ve got our binoculars!

Coming to a cave.

Can’t go under it.

Can’t go over it.

Got to go in it.

(Pretend you’re in a cave)

Tip toe , tip toe…

It’s dark in here.

I see two eyes!

And a big furry body…

RUN! IT’S A BEAR!

(Motion as to running back)

Back to the river!

(Swim and make splashing sounds quickly)

Run to the bridge!

Cross it!

(Tap legs fast and make a clicking noise with tongue)

Run through the wheat field!

(Swish, swoosh noise cutting through the wheat quickly)

Run down the road!

(Tap legs fast and sing)

Open up the door, quick!

(Pretend to open door)

Close it!

(Pretend to slam door with a big clap sound)

Whew…

(Sighing in relief wiping your forehead)

Phew! That was close!

For more information on the things you need to know if you are taking your children Camping this Summer check out this Post on Caribu’s site.

How Reading Aloud Helps Children in Becoming Bilingual

First Things First

How can you help your kids acquire an additional language through stories?

First of all, you must provide children with lots of picture books from the time they are born.

Set times during the day to read aloud to them. During the day time use puppets and props while reading.

If right before bed time, keep in mind that reading to them provides precious moments with wonderful chances to strengthen the special bond between you and your little ones.

How reading aloud helps children in becoming bilingual Post

Use reading as a magic tool to expose your child to the language you want them to acquire.

Make it fun and natural by going a little further and having simple but interesting conversations based on the themes of the books.

Reading Aloud: A Must

Reading-aloud provides a powerful means for helping children of all ages develop their language skills, extend their vocabularies and their understanding of the world around them.

If you want your children to be bilingual, reading-aloud is even more important. Reading aloud provides the perfect opportunity for them to expand their vocabularies, learn how to make the sounds of the target language, learn about speech patterns, and gain knowledge and respect for those who speak that language and their culture.

Tips

Following are some suggestions when reading aloud to little ones in another language:

Make reading to your child an enjoyable and fun activity.
Provide children with ample time for listening and for getting used to the new language. You may start with short stories in English and Spanish with lots of illustrations and easy vocabulary such as the stories in Languages4kidz Picture Books. For example in the book “Can you see what I see?“/”¿Puedes ver lo que yo veo?” introduce very young children to their 5 senses and how they can use them in their everyday life with simple, engaging text and colorful artwork.
Begin by reading the title of the book, the author and the illustrator clearly and with lots of enthusiasm.
As you begin to read the book, suggest things to look and listen for in the story. Some of our picture books are full of onomatopoeic sounds that are fun for children to make as they are read to, for example “Ready, set, go!”/ “¡Preparados, listos, ya!”
Use your voice in different ways and with the proper intonation. Add high or low pitch where it’s appropriate to maintain children’s attention. In our story “Beary makes new friends”/”Osi hace nuevos amigos”, there are 5 different characters. Young children will enjoy very much the intonation, pitch and pace you may use for each one and try to imitate you by repeating the lines of each character.
Stop frequently to: Encourage your child to point at the pictures and name them. Ask easy questions that children may answer with a “Yes” or a “No” or by pointing at pictures or using short phrases.
Conclude by waving bye-bye to the book and maybe adding a typical phrase at the end, such as, “Snip, snap, snout this tale is told out”/“Colorín colorado este cuento se ha acabado”.
Sing a song related to the story. Languages4kidz Picture Books on the Apple Books Store and Google Play feature a song at the end of each reading.

Keep in mind that children love being read the same books over and over again and that repetition is essential to learning an additional language.

Languages4kidz interactive Spanish Books

I sincerely hope this message finds you and your loved ones well and in good health.

The past few months haven’t been easy and I would say full of challenges for many around the world. We at Languages4kidz have been concentrating our efforts on working hard to convert our Collection of Picture Books in Spanish to digital format.

Our picture books in Spanish are NOW available through Apple Books and very soon on Google Play.

We want to contribute to children’s continued learning and have included in this digital format several features that make the books attractive for little ones:

With our interactive books children may:

Have the option to hear the read alouds or read by themselves

Enjoy auto-animations and interactivity as well as fun sound effects. Children can tap on several items on the screen that cause a character to move or a joyful sound to play.

Sing along a children’s song related to the theme of the picture book.

All these interactive features enhance language learning and tap into young children’s interests.

There are a lot of advantages to having our picture books on digital format:

Children can enjoy the flexibility of enjoying the books on their own or with their parents for as long as they want or wherever they are. Or as the case may be now, they’re basically stuck at home, so might as well make use of the time.

With the internet being practically everywhere, getting the books is an easy task. All the books are one click away. Children can practice and improve their Spanish skills and you can support their learning, join in talking to them in Spanish and sharing some quality time with them.

While holding a physical book and enjoying the reading as you turn the pages will never be the same, we believe that during these changing times e- learning will have a huge impact in our children’s education. Our interactive books as well as the interactive activities booklets we are developing right now will contribute to children’s overall learning and will provide our teachers with an excellent tool to guide their success in life.

More than ever before, take good care of yourself and your loved ones.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

The month of February is often known as the month of love. Love to our family, love to our friends, love to our planet and love to all the things we have and all the things we do.

Celebrating our love to our families and the strong and wonderful bonds we create and share with our precious little ones lays a lifelong foundation for growing and having success in life.

As your children grow there are many wonderful activities that help you stretch bonds with them.

For Valentine’s Day we have put together some activities you can do with your little ones to celebrate the love you both feel for each other.

A Sweet and Lovely Song

Skinnamarinky and in Spanish A la Bim Bam Bum is one of our favorite songs. It is a sweet song that can be performed for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Grandparents’ Day.

If you are singing the song to your baby you can follow the exercises as in the video that follows. For toddlers and older children you can stand in front of your children and teach them some gestures to go with the song. Following is the lyrics with the gestures they can do as they sing along.

Put your right elbow in your left hand and wiggle your fingers

SINNAMARINKY-DINKY-DINK

A LA BIM BAM BUM

A LA BIM BAM BUM BIM BIM

Switch arms and do the same on the opposite side

SINNAMARINKY -DOO

Point at yourself

Cross your arms over your heart

LOVE

QUIE-

Point at your partner

YOU

Move your arms above your head to form a circle, as if you were drawing a sun.

I LOVEYOU IN THE MORNING

TE QUIERO EN LA MAÑANAS

Move your circle in front of your chest.

AND IN THE AFTERNOON

TE QUIERO POR LAS TARDES

Place the circle in front of your legs as symbolizing the sun going down.

I LOVE YOU IN THE EVENING

TE QUIERO POR LA NOCHES

Open your arms and bring them down to your sides moving your hands side to side.

AND UNDERNEATH THE MOON

TE QUIERO MUCHO MÁS

https://youtu.be/5m11_ayqV9M

Reading books about love and friendships

Snuggling up with your child can create such a wonderful bonding experience!

Suggestions from our Languages4kidz Team for Valentine’s Day are these Bilingual Books:

Peek-a-Boo, I love you! – !Cucú, te quiero!

We are good friends – Somos buenos amigos

Beary makes new friends – Osi hace nuevos amigos

You shine! – !Brillaras!

My friends – Mis amigos

Adventures with my friend – Aventuras con mi amigo

Valentine’s Day Arts and Crafts

heart-shaped-valentines-day-animal-crafts

Children love arts and crafts. Why not make some animals with hearts in different sizes and colors? Here is a great idea from Crafty Morning that children will love.

A Valentine’s Day Sandwich

While searching the internet I found a great cooking activity that I would love to share with you!

Monti Kids video on how to create a heart-shaped sandwich is an incredible activity to foster following multiple steps and giving your children a sense of belonging as they create something to share with someone they love.

https://youtu.be/BhyrH69vF7A

Have a Lovely Valentine’s Day!!!

Thanksgiving is almost here!

Let’s start celebrating!

There is a magic flare that surrounds our homes and brings joy to many in different parts of the world. Everyone seems focused on family traditions and “fiestas”. In only a week many of us will celebrate “Thanksgiving Day.”

In the International Schools I used to work for, we celebrated Thanksgiving with a fabulous lunch with parents and children together at the table. We all held hands before the meal and each child had the opportunity to give thanks. For this special celebration I prepared a mini unit with Thanksgiving vocabulary, arts and crafts activities, reading and writing exercises and songs. The children made beautiful decorations and dressed up as Indians and pilgrims. Children loved to see their parents sharing with their friends parents and gathering all together at the table. They enjoyed the delicious food contributed by their parents! And they learned a little bit more about this beautiful tradition and the way it is celebrated.

It was a great opportunity to bring families together and be thankful for who we are and the precious things we have. Check out these Thanksgiving songs in English and Spanish that you can sing with your children. And if you want more visit our YouTube Channel.

Here are some activities that you may also use to engage your children.

Bilingual Books on the Caribu App

A very special App.

Una App muy especial.

@Caribu is an app that lets you virtually read books to your children or grandchildren no matter where you are. It is perfect for moms and dads that travel and are on the go and for grandparents like myself who live far away. Our Collection of Bilingual Books for little ones is available on the App under Languages4kidz . Go check them out and never again miss precious moments reading with your children while having a conversation and having fun together! https://caribu.com/

@Caribu es una aplicación que te permite virtualmente leer libros a tus niños o a tus nietos sin importar donde te encuentres. Es perfecta para mamás y papás que viajan o se encuentran fuera de casa y también para abuelos como yo que vivo lejos de mi nieto. Nuestra Colección de libros bilingües están disponibles en la App bajo la sección de Languages4kidz. Echales un vistazo y no te pierdas nunca mas de bellos momentos leyendo con tus nietos, conversando y riendo juntos! https://caribu.com/

También puedes conseguir nuestros libros para niños en nuestra Tienda.

You can also find our books for little ones at our online shop or at Amazon.

Things teachers can do to encourage reading stories in a second language

Studies have shown that repetition of familiar books help children form the connections necessary to learn. Children are natural copycats, who often delight themselves in repeating and mimicking sounds and words. They pick up language by first listening and absorbing and later copying what they hear and what they observe. Children love and learn from repetition, so there’s no need to be afraid of reading the same books over and over again. When you do so, repeat placing the same emphasis each time as you would with a familiar song. Numerous studies confirm that reading to young children not only boosts speech and language development, but overall intelligence as well. Consider each story as a new world for children to explore and learn about the world around them. Draw your class’ attention to the picture on the front cover. Ask questions as you read. Little by little children will be using the words, structures, and expressions found in this story with surprising frequency. Some children might not be able to respond yet, but using this strategy lays the groundwork for doing so later on. Begin to read the book with expression.

As you turn each page on the book allow some time for children to participate. Encourage them to speak about the pictures they see before you read the text. Encourage them to use their senses and experience the smells, sounds, and tastes that are presented in the book. Reinforce their language skills. Help them put into words what they want to express. Establish a useful communication between you and your class. When you finish reading the book, praise children for their active participation. Follow the suggestions presented previously for making the reading more interesting and for captivating children’s attention. Keep in mind that reading aloud to young children not only boosts speech and language development, but overall intelligence as well. When you finish reading put away the story book and fold the story blanket with the help of children in your group. Chant adiós to the book and the blanket. Following are a few of the things that have worked for me:

Read to children every day. Not only teachers but also parents.
Have a classroom library with books in English and establish a loan system so children can take the books and read at home.
Create linguistically rich environments.
Organize literary events that promote the purchase of books.
Make small fairs where the target language is the cornerstone and promote the culture, traditions and literature of the target language speaking countries.
Invite different personalities and authors of children’s books to participate in reading events in schools.

An inviting atmosphere for dual language learners

For many of our dual language learners the classroom is the focal point of their English/Spanish exposure. It is the base of where, when, why and how they speak English or Spanish. That’s why the physical appearance of the classroom in itself is so important.

We recommend teachers to try to give the impression to little ones that they are making a visit abroad each time they enter the classroom. Not only is their visit there a chance to listen to and speak the target language, it should also be an exciting cultural dip into a foreign setting and international atmosphere.

How can we do that?

We suggest using plenty of good visual materials to help create an environment which contributes to children feeling like they “have been somewhere else” and they look forward to coming back next time. A great experience!

Following are a few of our suggestions:

Use posters to not only decorate the rooms but also as teacher’s tools for warm-ups, teaching new concepts, reference and review.
Post songs, fingerplays and rhymes charts to follow when singing.
Use colors, numbers, calendar and shapes charts as great physical warm-up boosters; you can ask students to stand up and touch something in the room which is the same color that the teacher is pointing to on the color poster or you may complete a daily routine with your calendar chart.
ABC, Consonant and Vowel Charts teach alphabetizing, initial letter sounds, vocabulary expansion, and help teachers reinforce phonics.
A Body Chart may be a good follow-up after singing “Head & Shoulders.”
Opposites Posters are often children’s first exposure to adjectives;
Animal Posters (both farm and zoo) help young children learn the names and main characteristics of all their favorite animals.
Country flags, maps, typical costumes and souvenirs.
Lots of realia and manipulatives to help children understand and build up their vocabulary.
Bulletin board filled with pictures of children in the classroom with their teacher and peers carrying out different activities.

Pictures of little ones with their families from their trips abroad.
Rotate your displays every few months. In this way, children feel the atmosphere is fresh, and they also get to learn or review basic concepts on a constant basis. In addition, the parents, waiting for their children in the lobby, get to see English from any position in the language center. And for them seeing is believing.

We firmly believe good visual materials help create an inviting atmopshere which contributes to a great language experience.

Back to school is just around the corner!

A new school year will begin soon!

We are all about to say goodbye to our Summer vacations and then prepare for a great start!

So before we get there my suggestion for parents is to start their children on a routine in advance. This will ease the transition and help the whole family get a good start.

Following are some reflections that may help our dear teachers in general.

There are many ways of providing activities to reach your goals but one important thing to keep in mind is to make the activities fun and enjoyable!

For very young children the beginning of the school year is loaded with new experiences. Therefore, we need to help them settle into the daily routines and the classroom environment so they can feel comfortable and safe.

The whole environment needs to be simple, with a few number of manipulatives, materials, posters and learning centers. In this way children will be less distracted, may attend more easily and may have the opportunity to absorb the new experiences little by little. Again, keep it simple! You have a whole year to add new and/or different materials, posters, and decorations to your classroom according to the seasons and the thematic units planned.

You may want to provide children with simple and familiar activities, such as songs, short stories, self-directed activities, movement and arts and crafts activities.

Take the first days of school to introduce, model, practice and constantly reinforce procedures, rules and routines. Remember that repetition is a major factor in learning. Set the tone for your class and have a great start!

All kids should learn an additional language

All kids should learn an additional language.

In the last decade there has been an enormous increase and discussion about early learning. There are new findings that give a lot of information about the importance of starting early when it comes to helping children acquire an additional language.

Parents are now more aware of these latest findings and know that one or more languages besides their children’s mother tongue will provide them with a myriad of benefits and with access to better opportunities around the world. They know very well that learning another language besides their mother tongue has become a need in our society and they want their little ones to have access to it at ever younger ages.

We are all aware of the incredible learning potential of children, particularly during the first five years. As recent studies indicate, the best time for children to learn an additional language is during their first three to four years of life. It is during this period that children develop a natural ability to learn several languages at once. Scientists suggest that when it comes to ease of learning and proficiency in a foreign language, earlier is better.

Newborns are very receptive to the distinctive sounds of foreign languages. During the first six months of life, babies babble using 70 sounds that make up all the languages in the world. During this early period, two languages can be learned simultaneously as long as the child regularly interacts with speakers of both languages. From there on, children learn to talk using only the sounds and words they pick up from their surroundings and from their parents and caregivers and discard the ability to speak in languages they do not hear.

There is a “window of opportunity” for easily acquiring additional languages from the moment a child is born. When children learn a second language before the developmental window closes, it gives them the opportunity to naturally acquire native like pronunciation, it enhances their native language abilities, it increases their creativity, it enriches their mental development, it enhances their verbal and mathematical problem solving skills, and it provides a positive effect on their intellectual growth.

These skills contribute profoundly to a child’s self-esteem and his or her sense of values. They prepare the child for life in the multi-cultural, multi-lingual world of the 21st century.

Providing an early language exposure prepares children for success in their future. It enables them to form friendships worldwide. It opens their minds to more fully appreciate world literature and the arts. It opens doors to access greater career possibilities and enjoy much more traveling, but most important it simply gives them a different perspective and cross-cultural awareness.

Children are natural learners. By exposing them to languages other than their mother tongue early in life we are laying a foundation for helping them be successful citizens of the world and this is the best gift you can give them.

I invite you to take a look at the comprehensive resource put together by Mom Loves Best

https://momlovesbest.com/bilingual-children

It has very useful information and research proven statements written from a Mom’ s perspective and even though the resource has information we have previously read over and over again I like that it also touches on other issues that are important to parents and that we hardly read about, such as How to Decide upon a Language.

You may also want to check out the infographics with more ideas on why kids should learn a second language from Early Childhood Education Zone.

Welcome Back!

We hope everyone has had a wonderful start!!!

Now that we are all back in school is time to plan for other fun activities that can complement every child’s overall development.

Whether it is sports, dance, theater, arts and crafts, music, science, or having fun while learning an additional language gives kids opportunities to demonstrate competence and mastery, which are extremely important for their self-esteem and identity development. Activities in these areas help children express themselves in many ways, respect others, and establish relationships with other children that have their same passions and interests.

Here at LANGUAGE4KIDZ we are passionate about providing parents and teachers with resources that can help them give children the gift of an additional language early in life.

You can now purchase all our materials in Spanish and English through our website www.languages4kidz.com

Right now we have a Welcome Back Sale. You and your friends are invited to visit us and take advantage of this SALE.

As the year progresses we will to continue to add fun learning materials to our Online Store.

Languages4kidz & Caribu

A great reading app.

Did you hear!? We’re excited to be partnering up with @Caribu, an app that lets you virtually read books to your baby, perfect for moms and dads that travel and are on the go. Go check out our books! https://caribu.co/

Author: Mi primer inglés

CAMPING ANYONE?

How Reading Aloud Helps Children in Becoming Bilingual

First Things First

Reading Aloud: A Must

Tips

Languages4kidz interactive Spanish Books

Happy Valentine’s Day

Thanksgiving is almost here!

Bilingual Books on the Caribu App

Things teachers can do to encourage reading stories in a second language

An inviting atmosphere for dual language learners

Back to school is just around the corner!

All kids should learn an additional language

All kids should learn an additional language.

Welcome Back!

Languages4kidz & Caribu

Get kids ready for a FUN adventure in English!