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Category: Languages4kidz News

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You and your little one can learn English together 

Parents are the most important people in a child’s life. From the time they are born children learn most from their parents and/or caregivers, and it is in their company that they feel more comfortable.

 

It is the months from conception to the child’s third birthday that are pivotal to optimal brain development, and that’s before he/she even enters pre-K. 

 

I believe that the earlier we begin exposing children to a new language the better it is. 

 

The NEW Mi Primer Inglés for Babies and Mi Primer Inglés for Toddlers in digital format with audios for dialogues, songs, rhymes and fingerplays as well as read aloud of the picture books included may help you: 

 

  1. Expose your little one to the English language early in life; 
  2. Learn vocabulary and expressions in the English language that you can use from day 1. The vocabulary and expressions may be used in everyday activities and routines such as bathing time, eating time, play time, etc. 
  3. Engage with your child in the activities developed while practicing the language. 
  4. Immerse your little one in everyday activities that help develop the “whole child” to promote and foster his/her acquaintance of a new language. 
  5. Introduce your baby or your toddler to activities that stimulate them and help them develop. 
  6. Learn and sing to your child lullabies and typical children’s songs. 
  7. Learn and recite to them popular nursery rhymes. 
  8. Have fun with your child while acting out finger plays. 
  9. Read short, beautifully illustrated stories to them. 
  10. Provide sensory stimulation exercises to engage your child in the English language in a fun way. 

           

We believe that by using our digital materials with their babies, parents can learn the target language too, which ensures that the language will be practiced and reinforced every day at home; possibly even reaching other members of the family. 

 

 

 

 

 

Keep in mind that the first years of a child’s life are extremely important for their development. It is from the time they are born that the brain starts to build neural connections and when they begin to acquire language. Children will then learn to talk using only the sounds and words they pick up from their environment, most importantly from their parents and caregivers and if we expose them to two or more languages their brain will acquire the ability to recognize and speak in those languages later on.

 
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Having fun!!!

Learning is easier if it is fun and to make it fun we need to provide children with a playful environment. The more fun the environment, the more a child will want to stay with it. We know children learn in a variety of ways but we all recognize that play is an important vehicle in the process.

Children learn a second language in a natural way, through play, songs, rhymes, movement, exploration, creativity, games, story books and fun activities in an environment that is playful. When exposing children to a new language use the language at all times paired with games. Invite them to play grocery store, make a snack or pretend to be an astronaut. Let them learn by doing. Use props, pictures and sounds to reinforce the new language in a playful way.

Use music and rhythm. Music is one way to use the whole brain. The songs, nursery rhymes and finger plays they learn in their childhood will always be remembered. Encourage children to dance and move to different rhythms. Movement activities such as dancing, bouncing, and jumping keep children engaged, and help them broaden their understanding of the new language and its culture. Let them use all their senses to absorb the language. By expressing with new words how things feel after touching them. By tasting and eating foods and saying the food name in the new language. By smelling hidden objects in a bag, and guessing what is inside.

 

You can turn everything that is out there into a learning experience. Encourage children to use the new language while counting oranges; comparing leaves; classifying different animals, food, or anything that interests them. Let them pretend to be different characters. Encourage them to act out and role play to strengthen their imagination, expression and creativity.

 

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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.

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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:

 

 

  1. Make reading to your child an enjoyable and fun activity.
  2. 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.
  3. Begin by reading the title of the book, the author and the illustrator clearly and with lots of enthusiasm.
  4. 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!”
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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”.
  8. 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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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/

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Languages4kidz books on Caribu app

Languages4kidz books on Caribu app
Languages4kidz books are now on the Caribu app. Ever since we started this journey of creating books in English and Spanish, our mission was to provide a variety of materials to bilingual children around the world. The Caribu app is helping us fulfill our dream! Download the app and find our books in English and Spanish and have fun virtually reading a book to your child no matter how far away you are from each other. Get the app here: https://caribu.co/
Reading picture books

 

Desde que comenzamos esta hermosa aventura de crear libros en inglés y español, nuestra misión fue la de proporcionar una variedad de materiales de lectura a niños bilingües de todo el mundo. ¡La aplicación Caribu nos está ayudando a cumplir nuestro sueño! Descarga la aplicación y encuentra nuestros libros en inglés y español y diviértete leyéndole un libro a tu hijo/a, sin importar cuán lejos se encuentren el uno del otro. Consigue la app aquí: https://caribu.co/

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Interactive Books for kids – Languages4kidz – iTunes

Published on iTunes this week are the new interactive books for kids “Spring is here” in English and “¡La primavera esta aquí!” in Spanish.  These 2 books join our 4 other Ibooks from Languages4kidz Children’s Book Collection (“International Day”, “Día Internacional”, “You Shine!” ¡Brillarás!” ) Ibooks is the e-book application for iPads, iPhones and Macs. Our digital books include animations and sounds plus amazing fun activities that children can enjoy and interact with for when the story is over. Some of the features that the books include:

  • Read to Me – story with narration, enlivened with sound-effects, and movable characters
  • Read by Myself – auto-animations and interactivity
  • Fun activities – with a memory game, a drag and drop game, coloring in, a maze, a guess the word game and draw and color
  • Info for parents –a section for parents with info regarding our children’s book collection, the author and info on how to manage the book

All these interactive features enhance language learning and tap into young children’s interests. Children can tap on several items on the screen that cause a character to move or a joyful sound to play.

Spring is here!/ ¡La primavera esta aquí! is an original property developed for the iTunes Store using Tumult Hype, Bookry and Ibooks Author.  The expressive hand drawn illustrations and engaging text make this picture book an enjoyable and educational resource for young children. In this Picture Book, children enjoy reading about the main character  as he rejoices in the beauties of nature during Spring time and the so wonderful activities he carries out with his Mom and Dad.

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Languages4kidz Collection for bilingual and dual language learners

Languages4kidz Collection for bilingual and dual language learners has a variety of beautiful and engaging Picture Books for children in their early years.

Languages4kidz has created a series of leveled picture books for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, Emerging and Beginning Readers, available in both Spanish and English. The Collection offers meaningful stories with natural authentic vocabulary and sentence structures that support children’s languages and literacy development.

 

Features of the Books:

  • Based on different themes that are appealing and meaningful to young kids. Ex: babies’ daily routines, farm animals, dinosaurs, friendships, Spring, transportation, camping, staying healthy, etc.
  • Vocabulary is natural, easy, familiar and daily usable
  • High-frequency words
  • Simple sentence structures
  • Put emphasis on natural communication
  • Use playful and repetitive language that children enjoy imitating and copying
  • Not only fun and entertaining but also offer young children the opportunity to explore and learn something about the world around them
  • Help enhance interaction between parents and children
  • Have a special charm with original illustrations that have a keen way of developing concepts such as self-esteem, cooperation, friendship, respect and love among others with a very multi-cultural character base.
  • Can be paired with a variety of musical activities, songs, nursery rhymes, and finger plays

For more information about our Picture Books for bilingual and dual language learners you can visit our webpage Languages4kidz. All our products are available on Amazon.

Remember that reading to your child from the time they are born is one of the most extraordinary experiences for both of you and if you do it in an additional language you are preparing them for a successful life in this globalized world.

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Mother and Child Playgroups

Mother and Child Playgroups

Today I would like to propose to all mothers who would like to support their child’s bilingual development to build a support network.

I encourage you to invite others who are raising their children to speak your language to join you in creating a mother and child playgroup.

The mother and child playgroup may be for a one hour session where mothers and their children participate in a range of activities that strengthen their engagement, build their language skills and address child development issues in a child care space which is fully equipped with toys, books and resources.

During this session a playgroup leader (that may be any of the mothers in the group) models a range of interactive behaviors and activities that mothers can ‘take home’ and use with their children in the home environment.

Our materials can help you as a playgroup leader to facilitate mothers and children’s engagement through a theme that fosters and reinforces language development and vocabulary and play with their children through a story, a song and an activity.

You can certainly become the leader in a playgroup. Languages4kidz materials offer you the perfect tools for guiding the group into sessions with activities that can nurture language development (books, stories, riddles, games, etc.) and are fun for both mothers and children.