Bilingual Fun

Welcome Baby Javier!

2010-12-03T12:12:00.000-08:00

Multicultural Doll Collection Offers the Gift of Tradition and Heritage

As a mom raising bilingual children and an educator of many Bilingual Fun students, I am enamored by Baby Abuelita Products! My daughter received Baby Andrea a few years ago and it was an immediate favorite. She loved to sing along with the familiar Spanish songs and lullabies. My little students who are learning Spanish have always been thrilled when Baby Andrea makes a classroom appearance. My children were so excited to meet Baby Javier and hear his classis nursery rhymes come to life! I am proud that Baby Abuelita was founded by 2 moms Carol Fenster and Hilda Argilagos Jimenez, who shared a goal to leverage traditions Spanish-language childhood songs to ensure that Hispanic heritage is preserved, passing it along to the next generation.

Gifts that touch the cultural and traditional heartstrings of families will score big this holiday season and Baby Abuelita Productions is there to meet consumer needs. In its 5th year, the Miami based company is rolling out Javier, the first toddler boy doll in the series of products that focuses on classic Spanish nursery rhymes and favorite lullabies of Hispanic Heritage.

Affordably priced at $24.99, each doll comes in packaging designed to look like a rocking chair and sings a different group of songs, such as “Arroz Con Leche” (Rice Pudding), “Duermete Mi Niña” (Sleep, Baby, Sleep) and “Campanitas” (Little Bells) in a voice reflective of the doll’s character at the press of its hand. This adorable dolls are perfect for teaching Spanish to children and preserving heritage!

Be sure to check out the other characters:
Abuelita Rosa
Abuelito Pancho
Baby Andrea
Baby Tita

If you know a child that is learning Spanish or already bilingual, this is a fantastic gift that they will love to play with and learn from at the same time!

Adventures in Teaching our Kids Spanish

2010-10-20T10:22:00.001-07:00

The journey and adventure in raising bilingual children takes many turns as they grow and develop. When my children were babies and toddlers, we spoke Spanish with them all of the time and their bilingual development happened naturally and easily. They responded and interacted in both English and Spanish with ease, as their little lives were immersed with both languages. Today, with my children being elementary age, their bilingual development has changed and focuses more on age appropriate learning skills that they are currently learning in school. My son is learning to count by 2's, 5's, and 10's in his kindergarten class. Likewise we focus on these same math skills in Spanish with him. My daugther is a proficient reader in English and we have been working on her proficiency in Spanish as well. Her bilingual brain allows her to easily hear the sound of Spanish and understand how to pronounce words. We focus on the vowel sound differences when reading in Spanish and she can immediately know when she is pronouncing something incorrectly. As a bilingual educator, I know the importance of being a proficient reader in your first language before introducing the second. We waited until I felt my daughter was secure in her English reading skills before introducing Spanish literacy. We often read bilingual books that are written in English with a smattering of Spanish words thrown in the text. This enables my daughter to differentiate the sounds and pronunciation. It is fun to find new ways to teach Spanish to my children. Here is a brief clip reading the beautifully written and illustrated Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla.

Foreign Language Friends

2010-09-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Foreign Language Friends is a web-based language learning process created just for children. Filled with rich multimedia content, this approach will help your children learn a new language almost effortlessly!

This fun, interactive site teaches languages to children through full immersion with a variety of activities, theme based learning, and encourages family participation. As a parent of bilingual children and an educator, I am always very interested in worthwhile, interactive resources that children can use to develop their language skills. Foreign Langauge Friends hits the mark!

My own son enjoyed navigating the site and playing the fun games. It was a great reinforcement of vocabulary and communication that he hasn’t used frequently and a perfect way to peak his interest. One of our Bilingual Fun families tried it out as well and had this to say: “I have been looking for something that would get my son interested in learning Spanish and I think I found it with this website. We worked with the website together in the beginning after 8-10 minutes he took over the mouse and was doing it on his own at his own pass. He really was enjoying it and following right along he said a few times on his own "this is really fun", "ok how about we do this every day at 10:00", and the words I have been waiting for "can we sign up for this?”

Here is what my kids and I really like about Foreign Language Friends:

• the introduction to all the vocabulary words first before beginning games or exercises
• the comparison review ( great reinforcement)
• the length of each section, just the right length of time before kids lose interest
• great graphics that hold attention
• relevant, interesting subject matters
• familiar games like matching game, hangman layout, spelling games, etc
• easy to navigate website
• upbeat, fun music and songs
• opportunities to hear the language and practice speaking, repeating

Visit www.foreignlanguagefriends.com to learn more about the program and how to sign up! Take advantage of the 7 Day Free Trial to try it out yourself!

Fun with Piñatas!

2010-09-19T04:28:00.001-07:00

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15- October 15. The culture and language can be taught and celebrated in a variety of ways. One fun children’s activity is to make an authentic piñata. As an integrated activity, you can play the Pinata Concentration game to teach children Spanish. Also be sure to read the beautiful children's book El Piñatero/ The Piñata Maker by George Acona.

Piñatas are found at almost every Mexican celebration. Traditionally they were in the shape of a six-pointed star and were filled with fruit, candy, and small toys. Today you can find them in all shapes, including animals, flowers, and popular characters. At fiestas, the piñata are hung in the air and children are blindfolded and take turns swinging at the pinatas. Kids often sing “ dale, dale, dale no pierdas el tino, mira la pinata que hay en el camino. No quiero oro ni quiero plata, lo que yo quiero es romper la piñata.” Eventually, the piñata is hit hard enough and it breaks releasing the candy and toys that it contained.
Making an authentic piñata is a fun, interactive lesson you can do either at home or in a school setting. Bilingual Fun incorporates this cultural activity in our summer camps, as it takes a few days for each layer to dry. The kids love participating in the creation of the piñata and of course the culminating fiesta is worth all of the hard work.
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups flour
• 1 balloon
• Newspaper cut into long strips
• Colored tissue papaer
• String
1. Blow up a large balloon and tie the end
2. Mix the flour and water together until it makes a smooth paste
3. Cut the newspaper into long 1 inch thick strips and dip into the flour/water mixture
4. Carefully place the strips on the balloon until it is covered, leaving a hole at the top
5. Set aside and let the balloon dry
6. Place another layer of newspaper dipped in the mixture over the balloon and let dry
7. Repeat with one or two more layers, making sure you leave the hole at the top
8. When dry, pop the balloon with scissors point and remove the balloon
9. Cut small pieces of colored tissue
10. Scrunch the papers into little pieces and glue all over the piñata.
11. If desired, hang colored crepe paper from the sides and bottom
12. Punch 2 small holes in the top near the opening and string a large piece of string through the two holes
13. Fill your pinata (through the hole you left at the top) with candy, toys, or any other fun surprises.
14. Get ready for your FIESTA!

One Of My Favorite Language Websites!

2010-08-11T04:53:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been a visitor to Multlingual Living yet, race over there now! It is a multitude of resources, tips, expert advice, ideas, and inspiration about raising a multilingual family. The creators of Multilingual Living offer a smart, useful, and inspiring site that just keeps you wanting to learn more. If you are a parent, teacher or bilingual learner yourself, you will most definitely want to sign up for their newsletter. As a teacher and parent myself, I am always looking for ideas, resources, activities and fresh new strategies to keep my children and students bilingual development growing and stimulated!

One of the exciting things that they are doing this summer at Multilingual Living is an impressive language challenge! Children and parents alike have committed to learning Spanish in 101 days. The activities, methods, ideas, and committment have been impressive and so much fun to follow. Maybe you can grab some ideas from their challenge. Check it out!

We Have A Winner!

2010-08-11T04:48:00.000-07:00

..... and the winner is..... la ganadora es....

BETH T!!!!

THank you all for your insight and feedback regarding using music to stimulate your child's bilingual development!

If you haven't checked out www.whistlefritz.com yet, be sure to visit them. Fantastic products and great music!

Teach Spanish with Music!

2010-07-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

I strongly believe music is an extremely important element in the language acquisition of young children. As a mom and educator, I teach Spanish to children through movement, hands on activities, interactive games, and of course music! I love to add new music to my repertoire of songs and CDs that are teachable, easy to sing, and that will engage young children.

I was thrilled when our friends at Whistlefritz announced the release of their second CD, Cha, Cha, Cha! We are big fans of their first CD and the award winning singer Jorge Anaya. This newest release is definitely a colorful collection of songs that helps children learn Spanish. Not only does it have songs rich with everyday vocabulary, but it is a lively mix of Latin rhythms, including bachata, merengue, cumbia, reggae, and more!

Some of our favorites are Cha Cha Cha to Los Números and the samba to Los Vocales. In my many years of teaching, I have found some very great songs that teach basic Spanish ( number 1- 10, colors, etc), but it is sometimes difficult to find more advanced structures such as counting through the hundreds, communicating about travel, clothing, or other vocabulary themes. Whistlefritz hits the mark here with a great mix of easy to sing along songs that really are a super tool for teaching Spanish to kids!

My own kids and I have been having dance party in the living room as we have been listening to Cha, Cha, Cha! If you like to move, groove, and reinforce Spanish with your kids, I think you will certainly enjoy this new CD.

We would love to extend you the chance to win the great product!

One lucky winner will receive Whistlfritz’s CD Cha, Cha, Cha!

To enter and a chance to win:
1. Please leave a comment telling us what your favorite Spanish song is with your children.

2. For an additional entry, please “ LIKE” us on Facebook. Gracias!

Contest will end August 10, 2010.

Fun, Easy Spanish Song

2010-07-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here is another easy song that kids can sing to practice Spanish numbers. This is a traditional song which is sung to the tune of Ten Little Indians. Children easily learn and practice Spanish with this fun song.

Let's Count in Spanish

2010-07-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Here is an easy, fun song for learning the Spanish numbers. It is a great practice for counting 1-20, than a bit more challenging for counting 20-1. Sing it faster each time for fluency practice!

Imagination and Language Learning

2010-06-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Teaching Spanish to children is something I am passionate about and this summer, I am looking forward to fun, interactive ways to keep the language alive. Through our Bilingual Fun Summer camps and with my own young children, we will be using lots of imagination and interactive games to keep their language development fresh.

Summertime is a great time to spark the interest of your bilingual child by trying new activities, getting outside, having some hands on fun, and taking field trips to realistic settings. Fun, easy activities that focus on teaching children Spanish allow kids to hear and to produce the language in a natural environment.

My children love to use their imagination, so I am going to tap into that this summer with these fun Spanish speaking activities. As I tell my students and children, not only is it important to speak multiple languages, it is FUN to be bilingual!

Animal Rescuers:
With the momentum that Diego has created, you and your children can become animal rescuers too! Make a list of 10 animals that you are going to look for outside, at the park, in your backyard, or anywhere at all. Have children illustrate the list so they have a visual. Be sure to pack your backpack with necessary items: flashlight, notebook, pencil, water bottle, rope, band aids. Paint the picture with the children that you are going to use your imagination and find the animals that need help. The adventure begins! Reinforce your animal words and phrases, so that the kids can repeat and produce the language too. When you find the pretend animal, ask kids what kind of help do you think they need?.... stuck in a tree, has a cut on it’s paw, needs water, is stuck in a dark cave, etc, etc. For example, my son is trying to rescue el jaguar that is stuck in the tree pictured above. Check off the animals as you find them. Keep reminding kids to use their imagination. Kids will love the anticipation of looking for the next animal and creating the scenario. This is easily adapted to any language, but here are some key phrases for teaching Spanish to kids with this activity:
La mochila- backpack
El aqua- water
La linterna- flashlight
El papel- paper
El lápiz- pencil
Los animales- animals
¿Dónde está?…..- where is? ….
Busca- look for
Aqui está- here it is
Vámonos!- let’s go
Ayuda- help

Bug Hunt:

This is another great outdoor activity that incorporates lots of vocabulary and stimulates the language production. I am a big fan of the The Dollar Tree, especially for easy activities like this. Get a large bag of plastic bugs and some brown paper bags. Have children decorate bags any way they chose (a perfect opportunity for color, object reinforcement!). Scatter bugs around your backyard or park. Then let the kids search for and gather as many as they can. When you get together at the end of the hunt to share your bugs, this is the chance to be very imaginative. Tell kids to count and sort bugs by color, shape or size. Then ask kids to be silly and name their bugs and give them ages. This allows the children to practice communicative activities with question/answer and descriptive phrases. Here are some easy words/phrases to reinforce:
Busca- look for
Los insectos- insects
¿Dónde está …?- where is…?
¿Cuántos tienes?- how many do you have?
Yo tengo….- I have…
¿Cómo se llama el insecto- what is the bug’s name
¿Cuántos años tiene el insecto?- how old is the bug
¿De qué colores son los insectos?- what colors are the bugs?
¿Cúal es tu favorito? – which is your favorite?

I am going on a picnic:
There are many variations of this game and you can plug in whatever vocabulary theme you want to practice and imagine. Place plastic or real food items on a table or in the center of a circle. Be creative and set out a picnic blanket, or sit outside under a tree or at a picnic table to make the activity authentic. Introduce and practice the vocabulary that you will be talking about. Start the game by saying: I am going on a picnic and I am going to bring an apple, or I am going to the beach and I am going to bring a towel, etc etc. The child has to chose the item from the center of the circle and hold it. When it is their turn, each child has to repeat all of the items chosen and then add another for themselves. Ex: I am going on a picnic and I am bringing an apple, a sandwich, lemonade, and a cookie. Etc etc. You don’t need a large group for this game, you can even play it with 2 people! This is a fun way to work on fluency and comprehension, as children have to repetitively produces the phrases each turn. Spanish food vocabulary here.
Reinforcement words and phrases:
Yo voy al picnic- I am going to the picnic
Yo traigo- I am bringing
La manzana- apple
La naranja- orange
El sandwich- sandwich
El agua- water
La limonada- lemonade
Las galletas- cookies
Las servilletas- napkins
Las uvas- grapes
El queso- cheese
La sandia- watermelon

CINCO DE MAYO CRAFTS FOR KIDS

2010-05-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

It's cinco de mayo and the American marketing is encouraging everyone to have a margarita today and celebrate. :)

I have many students and parents asking what exactly is cinco de mayo? No, it is not Mexican's Independance ( Sept 16), rather it is the victory of the
Battle of Puebla. Nonetheless, any chance we can celebrate this wonderful culture and give our kids another chance to learn Spanish, I think is a great reason to celebrate!

If you are like me with little ones at home, there will be no margaritas here, however some fun cinco de mayo crafts can always be a festive activity and can add bilingual fun to your day!

Here are some fun easy crafts to enjoy with your children or students.

Mini Sombrero

God's Eye

Beaded Chili Peppers

Tacos y Tostadas

Being Bilingual

2010-04-18T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is such a beautiful poem about the gift of being bilingual. It is on the wall in my daughter's room.

Yo x 2

por Jane Medina

Leo por dos
Escribo por dos
Pienso y sueño
y lloro por dos

Yo río por dos
Yo grito por dos
Canto, pregunto,
Intento por dos

Hago mucho más
que hacen todo ellos
Porque yo hablo por dos,
Lo doble que aquellos

Me x 2

I read times two
I write times two
I think, I dream
I cry times two.

I laugh times two
I shout times two
I sing, I ask,
I try times two

I do twice as much
As most people do,
'Cause most speak one,
But I speak two!

Unique Mom Invented Products featuring Bilingual Fun

2010-03-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

I had a great time on FOX News showcasing some fabulous Mom invented products! Bilingual Fun was honored to be featured!

How To Make Language Learning Come Alive

2010-02-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

I love teaching Spanish to children and making the language come alive is an important part of their development. Through my experiences as an educator and a mom, I have found one of the most successful keys to language teaching and learning is to keep things relevant to the child’s life.

Play based immersion allows the parent to weave the language into everyday activities and tasks, thus enabling the child to make easy connections. For example, when my children were very little, we sang all of the time, did finger plays, and played with their baby toys in the target language. Now that they are ages 5 and 7, their interests have changed. My husband and I focus on keeping their language development alive with activities that are interesting and relevant to them. We play lots of board games, guessing games, Pictionary, and charades in Spanish. My daughter loves her American Girl dolls and accessories; therefore we often have fashion shows and make believe parties with her dolls where she has to describe them, their outfits, where they are going, etc. My son is a Superhero fanatic. We use lots of action words when we play with his ‘guys’. We have so many of them and their outfits are so colorful, that we easily practice color and number reinforcement with them. All the while we are playing, my children are hearing the language, as we ask questions, make up stories, etc. Their comprehension and fluency is enhanced through these simple activities that are fun and important to them.

Here are some fun, easy ideas that you can do at home to help your child learn Spanish:

*Write their English spelling words in Spanish and put them in sentences.

• Watch movies in Spanish.

• Listen to Spanish language music while in the car.

• Play online games together that allow the children to hear and read Spanish.

• Play I Spy while waiting at a restaurant, doctor’s office, etc.

• Read together in Spanish. Ask comprehension questions after the story.

• Play Caliente/Frio by hiding an item and have kids give you commands to find it.

• Look at family photos and talk about descriptions of relatives, what their names are, where they live.

• Read recipes or directions on the back of products.

• Cook a recipe and prepare a dish in Spanish. Have children help you find items in kitchen while giving commands in Spanish.

• Participate in imaginary play with your children. This is a great opportunity for vocabulary rich conversation practice. Play House, Doctor, Police, etc.

The ideas are endless, but as long as you keep things fun, simple, and relevant to your child's life, the language learning will come alive!

February is Discover Languages Month!

2010-02-02T03:45:00.000-08:00

The American Council of Teaching Foreign Languages has a fantastic campaign going on this month... Discover Languages! Visit the ACFL site for more information about the campaign and about learning languages.

There are SO many reasons to learn a language! Here are a few of our reasons we think it is important. Please feel free to tell us your reasons too!

1. To enhance your cognitive skills.
2. To enrich your life and learn about other cultures.
3. To give yourself a leading edge in the academic world.
4. To give yourself a leading edge in the professional world.
5. To improve your problem solving skills and mental flexibility.
6. To make travelling easier.
7. To communicate with neighbors and members of your community.
8. To have fun and to open your world to new ways of communication.

Why do you think it is important to learn other languages?

Bilingual Fun's Spanish for Children Program

2010-01-31T04:40:00.000-08:00

Bilingual Reader's Carnival!

2010-01-25T03:41:00.000-08:00

Check out Bilingual Reader's Carnival post filled with tips and links to articles focusing on raising bilingual children!

Easy Spanish Learning Activities for You and Your Kids!

2010-01-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

5 Tips for Teaching your Child Spanish at Home

We all know that young children need to learn in a realistic, fun, and interactive environment. Many parents from our Bilingual Fun™ language program ask me how they may continue their language development at home. Here are 5 basic tips on how to teach your child Spanish at home:

Teaching Spanish Through Movement

Active learning is a key factor of language learning success. Children love to interact and choosing activities that have physical movement often helps children retain the language. You can create fun, easy Spanish lessons for kids through dancing and movement. I suggest doing the ever popular ‘freeze dance’. You can change the rules as you go along. Play music and when it stops, kids have to ‘freeze’. Give various commands as to what they have to do…. Count 1-20, count backwards, salta- jump, marcha- march, aplaude- clap, etc. Another way to incorporate movement is to make up hand and arm motions for opposites. Make large gestures for arriba/abajo, largo/corto, etc. Keep the children moving and you will see how quickly they pick up the new Spanish words.

Teaching Your Child Through Music

Teaching kids Spanish through music is very important. Fluency, pronunciation, and comprehension are reinforced by singing. You can pick thematic songs that correspond with words you are learning. There is lots of great children’s Spanish music to choose from. We recommend
Ms. Lily’s Spanish Sing Alongs which are full of bilingual songs covering tons of different vocabulary. Also, using familiar tunes to teach new phrases is a fun, easy way to teach Spanish. I have many original songs that I have made up and are favorites of my children. We use the tune of Frere Jacques, Skip to My Lou, Farmer in the Dell, and many more to create easy to sing along songs in Spanish. We incorporate colors, numbers, animals, family, etc. Children are able to quickly learn the songs because they have prior knowledge of the tune.

Make Their Learning Realistic

Whenever I can give children something tangible to hold during a song or activity really makes their learning realistic. For example, we sing a song called " La Fruta- Fruit". Every child has a plastic piece of fruit in their hands, and as the vocabulary is named in the song, they hold it up. Choose toys and objects that are favorites of your children. Incorporate them in your easy Spanish lessons. If they love cars, sort them by color and number. Or when playing with dolls or stuffed animals, give them all names and ask ‘ cómo se llama?”. If you have blocks, make towers and count in Spanish. Each time your child is playing, try to make their Spanish lesson relevant and realistic to their lives.

Teaching Through Reading

Reading and listening to books on tape are fantastic ways to enhance comprehension skills. If you are comfortable reading aloud in Spanish, take time each night to do story time in Spanish. You children will pick up new words and phrases. Be sure to reinforce by asking questions at the end to ensure their comprehension. A great resource for quality Spanish books for children is the Latin Baby Book Club. They send monthly suggestions and reviews of fabulous multicultural Latin inspired Spanish and bilingual books. If you are not comfortable reading aloud, but still want your children to be exposed to literature in Spanish, seek out some books on tape at your local library. Most libraries will have a nice selection and this is a favorite activity with my own children.

Keeping Learning Fun

When teaching young children anything, whether it is language or math skills, keeping things fun is important to help foster their interest. Play based learning is a great way to making learning Spanish easy for kids. Singing, dancing, movement, reading, etc should all be done in fun, natural environment. Incorporate outside play in your Spanish lessons for kids. Practice kicking the soccer ball and counting the goals in Spanish. Jump rope and count in Spanish. Play hopscotch in Spanish. Draw with chalk on the driveway and reinforce colors and common vocabulary by playing Pictionary. Blow bubbles and reinforce ‘arriba/abajo’. Play versions of “ Mother May I” and incorporate the numbers and ‘rapido/lento’. These are easy ways to incorporate fun as you are teaching kids Spanish.

Even with limited language skills, there are many ways that families can continue their child's development and exposure to the language. We recommend to use materials that incorporate music, movement, and fun activities, such as the Spanish for Children DVD series. Children are able to remain engaged and sing, chant, and repeat along with the children in the DVDs. Active learning while keeping things relevant to their lives, is a key factor of language learning success!

Teach Your Children Spanish Through Reading Together

2009-12-16T04:01:00.000-08:00

Literacy is an important aspect of your child’s development! By adding bilingual
titles to your home library is an excellent way to enrich your child’s development
with Spanish. Teaching your children Spanish through reading is a fun, easy way
to keep the language learning alive. Here are a few tips and resources for
teaching Spanish through reading together:

1.If your own Spanish is limited, choose titles that have small amounts of
text, so that you are able to read and reinforce the story without trying to
read too much. Board books by Rebecca Emberly are a great choice.
2. Whether you are a native speaker or learning alongside your child, audio
books offer a great option for reading together. Check out Lorito Books
and their great list of bilingual audio books. You and your children will love
listening to the stories aloud!
3. Barron Books have a great collection of bilingual titles, including cute
pictures, and easy to follow along story lines. Kids are able to easily make
connections with the text and illustrations.
4. If you haven’t bookmarked Latin Baby Book Club, now is your chance! They
have a wonderful list of Spanish and bilingual titles that they review and
recommend. I have found so many fabulous books to add to my collection
from this helpful site.
5. If you like to do computer activities with your children, visit Cody’s Cuentos
and enjoy the online audio stories together. You and your children will be
able to follow along with text and practice comprehension and fluency.
6. Take a trip to your local library together and visit the juvenile international section. You will probably be surprised to find lots of bilingual titles. Our library also has a great collection of audio books, big colorful picture dictionaries, and picture books in various languages. Check out some of that interest your child and enjoy reading together!

Buena Suerte!

And The Winner Is....

2009-12-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Beth Ineson!

Felicitaciones!

Thanks so much for your comments and input. I hope that you will visit Lorito Books and consider them for your bilingual library, they are fantastic!

Teach Kids Spanish with Audio Books! Giveaway!

2009-12-06T18:16:00.000-08:00

I am huge fan of any kind of literacy learning that will enrich my children's bilingual development. Lorito Books is one of our absolute favorites! Their audio books are beautifully written, illustrated, and narrated. The audio portion really keeps children engaged and interested. It is a fantastic tool for comprehension and fluency reinforcement. Audio books are a powerful tool for teaching Spanish to children!

Lorito Books offer high quality, word-for-word audiobook readalongs for young readers and second language learners. They are dedicated to building literacy and second language skills with the use of audiobooks as learning tools. The culturally relevant titles and bright, appealing illustrations engage children and bring the stories to life!

Check out their new releases here!

Giveaway! You have the chance to win this fabulous audio book El Desierto es Mi Madre. Simply visit Lorito Books , return here and make a comment indicating which title interests you most, or what you have learned about their company. One lucky winner will be chosen Dec. 13. This is a perfect holiday gift.

Comment now for your chance to win this gorgeous book by Pat Mora.

Teach Children Spanish with Holiday Words

2009-12-03T12:19:00.000-08:00

As parents and educators trying to incorporate bilingual learning in our children's lives, it is always fun to find fresh ideas for keeping the learning alive. It is fun to take time from the busy holidays to teach kids Spanish using thematic words and phrases. My kids and I made a list of a few Spanish holiday vocabulary words and how we could actively use them. Feel free to share any ideas you may have that might fit with this vocabulary list. Gracias!

diciembre- each day talk about la fecha. Count days on the calendar and say the date ( hoy es el 3 de diciembre).

la tarjeta de Navidad- make a creative Christmas card and send it to a loved one or teacher.

el abrazo- hug your familia each day!

la lista- make a list of things that need to get done, or all the ways you were good this year. Keep lista on the fridge to stay focused.

las luces de Navidad- talk a walk through your neighborhood and look at Christmas lights. Name the colors in Spanish.

los villancicos- Sing or listen to your favorite Christmas carols.

los adornos- help decorate the tree and house with Christmas decorations. Make creative ornaments for the tree.

las galletas- make some Christmas cookies for a neighbor and say "Feliz Navidad".

el regalo- decorate butcher paper and wrap gifts together.

La flor de nochebuena- play I Spy everytime you go to the mall or public places and see how many poinsettas you can count each time.

For more info about Mexican Christmas traditions and lesson ideas, click here.

Learn Spanish Live!

2009-12-02T03:43:00.000-08:00

Typically I am focusing on early language development, but I wanted to share a great resource for adults. This is a super option for parents trying to teach children Spanish at home. If you are proficient and just need a conversational buddy, or if you are learning alongside your child, SpeakShop is a fun, educational option! Speakshop is an online tutoring service that connects you to live Spanish speaking tutors in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Simply hook up via webcam and you will have access to live, conversational, native speaking Spanish professionals. This is a fantastic resource that allows you to learn Spanish live through audio and video. If you are looking for reinforcement for your own Spanish profeciency so that you can effectively continue to enhance your child's bilingual development, check out SpeakShop.com. You can try it out with a FREE TRIAL now.

Teach your Children Spanish with El Baile del Sombrero!

2009-11-08T13:26:00.001-08:00

Looking for another great tool to teach your child Spanish? Check out
El Baile del Sombrero! Created by dynamnic husband/wife duo Charles and Fati Mister, they have created a fun, upbeat CD for children. As parents themselves raising their own children in a bilingual household, they know well the advantages of using interactive music as a beneficial teaching tool. El Baile del Sombrero is filled with fun lyrics, easy to sing along songs, great rhythms, and useful vocabulary. We popped it in our car and my two kids immediately starting bopping around in their seats. We listen to only Spanish language music while in the car and this CD has been a fantastic addition to our collection. You can learn more about Charles and Fati here , and maybe even catch one of their popular live concerts!

Teach Kids Spanish this Halloween!

2009-10-25T17:31:00.001-07:00

Halloween is just around the corner and you have probably done many crafts, maybe some costume parties, and snuck into the chocolates, but have you had some bilingual Halloween fun?

I like to teach thematic vocabulary using actions and sounds ( in a somewhat TPR manner). By making the learning interactive, the language comes alive for kids.

This Halloween, teach your children Spanish by reinforcing vocabulary with visuals that you see everyday ( decorations at home, in stores, on tv, in books, etc). Here are some fun, easy suggestions for teaching kids Spanish.

Halloween vocabulary:

el fantasma/ ghost- make a spooky ghost noise

la bruja/ witch- cackle like a witch

la calabaza/pumpkin- hold your arms in a circle as if you are holding a big pumpkin.

el dulce/candy- rub your tummy and say 'yum'

el gato negro/ black cat- say meow!

el murcielago/bat- flap your arms like you are flying

La araña/ spider- do the 'itsy bitsy spider' movement w/ your fingers.

Teach these actions to your kids. Reinforce daily and when you see the items. First start by saying the word in Spanish and kids do the actions. After a few days of reinforcement, switch roles. You do action and kids say the word. Remember production is a developmental stage that comes later and you need to be patient with your children's absorbtion of the vocabulary. These are fun activities because you can be creative, silly, and interactive!

Encourage your kids to teach others their new Halloween words!

Hispanic Heritage Month Trivia

2009-09-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

You may already be teaching your children Spanish and raising bilingual learners. Now, test your knowledge on Hispanic Heritage Trivia!

Take a quiz on Latin Entertainers

How is your knowledge of geography of Hispanic America?

Play concentration for fun vocabulary practice.

More fun trivia facts:

What event do Mexicans and Mexican-Americans celebrate on Sept. 16?
September 16 is Mexican Independence Day.

What are sikus, quenas, wankaras and charangos?
Andean musical instruments.

What three U.S. states are home to most Hispanic-owned businesses? California, Texas and Florida.

Who is the city of Galveston, Texas named after?
Marshall Bernardo de Galvez

What historic event is celebrated on May 5th (or Cinco de mayo)?
On May 5, 1862, Mexican forces defeated the invading soldiers of France at the Battle Of Puebla.

What is one of the accepted roots of the word Mariachi?
It is a variation of the French word mariage, meaning wedding or marriage; or that it comes from the name of the wood used to make the platform on which the performers danced to the music of the village musicians.

Would you like to make a pinata at home? Try this!

GoGo Lingo

2009-09-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of GoGo Lingo? It is a fun, innovative new site that offers kids' games that teach over 200 words and phrases in Spanish. I especially like the customized progress reports for your individual children. I am very particular about what my children play online and I was very impressed with the safe, ad free environment. The activities were fun, interactive, and age appropriate for both my 4 year old and 7 year old. The audio component is excellent in that it enables children to hear and encourages repetition of the language. I am always an advocate for activities that stimulate the natural learning of a child, and Gogo Lingo is a superb resource! Not only are the games educational and worthwhile, the resources, parent forum, and printable flashcards are a great asset to families and educators focused on bilingual development. Another great resource for teaching children Spanish! Check it out as they have limited time offer now that you can sign up for free. www.goglingo.com

Bilingual Fun Spanish Camp

2009-08-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

What a great summer we have had at The Bilingual Fun Company. In addition to our regular summer class sessions, we hosted 2 weeks of Spanish Camp! Exhausting, but awesome! Parents dropped their children off daily for 3 hours of immersion activies, songs, games, daily thematic lessons, performances, crafts, and more. One of the highlights was making a piñata from scratch, using un globo. This was an excellent hands on and cultural activity for the children to participate in. On Camp Out Day, we went on a bug hunt " la busqueda de los insectos'. Kids searched outside for strategically hidden plastic bugs. We sorted by mariposas, abejas, gusanos, etc. On our Sports and Dance Day, kids played béisbol, fútbol , bastquetbol, danced to Pájaritos a Volar, the Number Conga, and learned merengue dance steps. It all ended with a culuminating Fiesta with parents joining to see what the kids had learned, breaking the piñata. The kids enjoyed face painting from Lily Picadilly the bilingual payasa! Kids spoke only to her in Spanish, practicing " yo quiero un tigre por favor.... or whatever they wanted. Our Spanish Camp offered us the opportunity to see how quickly and easily young children pick up the language and how rapidly it was absorbed in a play based, natural environment. Just another reinforcement that we love what we are doing and we will continue the path we on our with early language instuction.

Do you know of any good language programs or camps in your area? I would love to hear about your experience.

Bilingual Readers

2009-07-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

I love finding out about new resources and sites to enhance my family's and students' bilingual literacy. I learned about this site from Latin Baby Book Club ( another fantastic bilingual literary resource) and it looks great!

Bilingual Readers is a brand new publishing company providing bilingual resources for families and communities. The resources, links, and articles are full of great information that will help to teach your children Spanish. Check out the Kids links for some great ideas and sites that support early language education.

2009-06-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

Visit Spanglishbaby this week for some great product giveaways that will add some spice to your bilingual life!

Global Wonder's New CD

2009-06-03T03:39:00.000-07:00

My famiy and I had the pleasure of listening to the new Global Wonders Around the World Music CD. We loved it! It is full of vibrant songs that take you on a cross cultural listening journey. The Irish and Cuban tunes were some of our favorites. It has consistently been the most requested CD when we hop in our car everyday! Global Wonders has created another top notch product, along with their dynamic DVD series, for exposing children to different cultures. Created by a mom of 2 young children, Global Wonders is a fabulous teaching tool! For more information, check out Global Wonders.

CINCO DE MAYO

2009-05-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

CINCO DE MAYO

You may have seen the marketing hype about CINCO DE MAYO, but do you really know what it is celebrating? Many Americans think it is Mexican's Independance Day, but that is actually September 16. CINCO DE MAYO is the commemoration of the 1862 defeat of the French troops at the Battle of Puebla. Take this fun quiz and test your trivia knowledge of Mexican songs.

Vocabulary reinforcement for CINCO DE MAYO:

Colors of the Mexican flag- rojo, blanco,verde
Flag- la bandera
Battle- la batalla
Music- la música
Party- fiesta
Celebration- la celebración
Hat- el sombrero
Food- la comida

CINCO DE MAYO Activities for Kids

Coloring Pages

Mexican Culture Word Search

Mexican Craft & Activities

Bilingual Books/ Libros bilingues

2009-05-01T04:57:00.000-07:00

Reading is so important in the development of young children. Those of us raising bilingual children should always be expanding our library of Spanish language and bilingual books. Reading is an excellent way to teach Spanish to your children. Books offer a fun, easy way to learn Spanish together. I love getting the fantastic recommendations from Monica at
Latin Baby Book Club. If you haven't signed up, do it today! You and your children will love the books that she highlights.

One of my favorite authors, Pat Mora has a new blog as well, Bookjoy!. She an award winning poet and author of books for children, young adults and adults. Check out her new title Book Fiesta.

Allowing children to hear the language in rich text and illustrations is such a gift and benefit for their bilingual development. Celebrate today with your children and grab a libro! A Leer!

Learning Spanish Here and There, Learning Spanish Everywhere!

2009-04-26T14:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip and luckily returned without the swine flu drama that is sweeping the world. I pride myself on being the 'hand sanitizer queen', so my family was fairly safe while we had our Latin American getaway. My husband and I enjoyed a restful vacation, and my children spent precious time with Abuelita and practiced their Spanish. It was a pleasure to see our kids having practical experience using their skills and being immersed in the Spanish speaking culture.

One of our favorite experiences was a day trip we took in which we were the only American family on board El Barco Pirata! My daughter quickly made friends with the Mexican children and spent the day playing and interacting with her new Spanish speaking friends. This was a fabulous experience for her in that the learning was in a natural environment and she saw how her bilingual skills came in handy. Our shy son met a shy little mexicana, and they played silently together in the sand. Although there was little communication, our son too enjoyed his new playmate.

We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel, however my husband and I continually seek cultural events and opportunities to expose our children to Spanish here at home. We just spent the day at a beautiful celebration of El Día de Los Niños at the local library, listening to Cuban jazz and watching Ballet Folklórico. We love finding great opportunities to continue to teach our children Spanish and expose them to their Hispanic culture. Whether it be abroad with Mexican children, or in our own kitchen chatting about what we are preparing for dinner, my husband and I are intentional about giving our kids the chance to enhance their language development and learn more Spanish.

Travel & Spanish Fun for Kids!

2009-04-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our annual family trip to Mexico, my children and I have been talking about what we will do, who we will see, and where Mexico is located. In trying to raise children that have a global awareness, my husband and I always have a globe or map handy to point out different countries, the languages they speak, and any fact we happen to know about that country. Our daughter is mesmorized by maps and loves to see the route that our plane will travel when we go on vacation with Abuelita. We have been pulling out old pictures from albums to help my younger son familiarize himself with the place we are going and the things we will do. Although our trip to Mexico is most definitely a vacation and a rest for us, we love to intergrate ourselves with the culture, hang out with local families, play with local children, frequent neighborhood restaurants, and connect with the community. With all of the Spanish practice we do at home and all of the 'horas de espanol', traveling to Mexico helps my children make a connection to their heritage and communicate with children their own age, and have fun learning more Spanish! I am also looking forward to a few evenings of babysitting from Abuelita! :)

I have found this site, Travel for Kids: Mexico to be a great asset for tips and recommendation for traveling with children.

A great book that we like that highlights many of the traditional Mexican customes and tourist spots is Off We Go to Mexico! By Laurie Krebs, Christopher Corr

A Week's Worth of Great Blogs!

2009-03-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

Starting on Monday 3/30, Spanglish Baby will be hosting a week of Mom blogs focusing on learning Spanish and embracing the culture. Bookmark the site for some great reading!

Bilingual Fun is now at Borders!

2009-03-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

The Bilingual Fun Spanish for Children DVD series is now available at Borders Bookstores in various regions across the country. Bilingual Fun hosts free community events for children at various stores, and we are honored that our own product proudly has a spot on the shelves at Borders. The Spanish for Children DVD series introduces the language to young children through music, movement, visual and oral repetition, and fun activities. Many different phrases and vocabulary are introduced, helping children learn Spanish through fun, easy songs and activities.

It was a family project, as my husband Mark and I worked with a production company, our own children, as well as nieces, and cousins were featured in the films. We are proud to have created a worthwhile teaching tool that teaches kids Spanish and promotes bilingual development. Stay tuned for Volume 3! Check out your local Borders in the children's foreign language section..... maybe you will see our familiar guitarra smiling back at you! You can also purchase the DVD series here.

Games to Teach Spanish

2009-03-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

Guess Who! Quien es?

This traditional game that has been around for years, is a fantastic game for language reinforcment and easy Spanish practice. The objective is to guess who the ' mystery person' is by asking the opponent questions. You must use adjective and descriptive words to deduct and guess who your opponent has. My kids love this game and we always play several rounds in Spanish. It is a great activity to teach Spanish. My daughter who is a bit more fluent than my son, asks questions such as " tiene pelo rubio, o lleva lentes". My son who has excellent comprehension can easily answer si o no to her descriptive questions. I give my son hints and he is able to ask his own questions, such as ' gorra' o 'es hombre'. Any game that we can adapt for Spanish learning is a worthwhile activity for our family. Our kids love to play games, and Guess Who is a super game for communication reinforcement. Try it out with your kids!

Bilingual Fun Demo Video

2009-03-03T12:56:00.001-08:00

Teach Me Spanish Please!

2009-02-19T11:23:00.001-08:00

My own children often take for granted that they have bilingual parents that are alway insisting they continue to learn and practice their Spanish. Although we get some resistance at times, my husband and I remain consistent. Our next trip to Mexico with Abuelita is only a few months away and our children know the rules. No English while in Mexico! So, I am trying to find ways for my kids to enhance their language proficiency. They have the opportunity to speak with us, family, and friends, but sometimes they want something more exciting.

I went to the elementary school today to have lunch with my first grader. A month ago, I taught a Spanish lesson to the first grade and we had a blast. Walking through the lunch room today, you would have thought I was a local celebrity ( kind of fun!). I got a barrage of Holas and rojo and abre and arriba and just about every other word they could remember from my 20 minute stint with them last month. It was so cute. I had two little girls come up to me and ask very sweetly to teach them Spanish. They asked if maybe I could come everyday at lunch and teach them new words. Their was so much interest from these kids and it was so rewarding to see how much they retained.

What a bummer it is that our local public school have gotton rid of language education in the elementary schools. It makes me sad, but I am glad that our Bilingual Fun program services this population.

Of course when my daughter's little friends showed such an interest in learning Spanish, she immediately piped up and gave her two cents. Sometimes it sparks the interest a bit when your lunch mates are begging your mom to 'teach me Spanish please'. My daughter told the kids that her mom can't come to lunch everyday, so she will teach them Spanish. Yippeee! A teacher in the making! This will be another great reinforcement for my daughter's own language development.

El Dia de los Enamorados

2009-02-10T03:33:00.000-08:00

Te quiero mucho

In honor of el Dia de San Valentín, I would like to share words, phrases, and activities you can learn with your children and express your love! A great way to reinforce Spanish with your children is to keep the learning natural and relevant. If you plan on making Valentines or decorations this year, incorporate some bilingual fun!

Expressions of love:

te quiero mucho- I love you very much
te amo- I love you
mi amor- my love
el corazón- heart
eres mio- you are mine
eres especial- you are special
el beso- kiss
bésame- kiss me

Bilingual Valentine Activities:

*Cut out little corazones in different color construction paper. Reinforce color vocabulary in Spanish.

*Make a list of family members of whom you want to send Valentines. Make homemade cards and reinforce family vocabulary in Spanish. Write 'querida prima' or 'querido abuelo'.

*Count candy hearts. Sort by color and count in Spanish. Older kids can do adding/subtracting problems using the dulces. Reinforce number vocabulary by asking ' ¿cuántos hay?'.

From the mouths of babes

2009-01-18T18:00:00.001-08:00

I love to hear the funny musings and mispronuciations from my sweet 4 year old. As a bilingual child, he had a longer silent period and but when he did speak, he was proficient in both languages. I am happy to say that all is developing as it should be and we were never concerned about delays or confusion in regards to his language skills. He is still our "tremendo", wearing SuperHero costumes daily and harassing our sweet puppy. But my husband and I are constantly amused by some of the funny things that come out of his mouth! Here are some of our bilingual favorites:

* When talking about his excitment, he told me " i have have cerditos in my tummy". He knew that his sister has butterflies in her tummy and he has cerditos. Sounds logical. :)

*We conduct our family meals in Spanish, so he frequently tell us ' listo para helado'. One of the incentives we give for conversing in Spanish is dessert, so he starts the conversation by telling us he is ready for ice cream.

*The letter 'F'still alludes my son both in English and Spanish. When using his best manners, he tell us ' por savor' in place of 'por favor'. It is hard to understand, but we know he is trying to be polite.

* After a recent visit with Abuelita, he picked up on her favorite expression of " Ay Chihuahua". My son adds his own twist to the expression by frequently saying " Ay Chihuahua Captain Underpants'. Apparently this is to show extreme surprise. :)

*A big fan of Tom and Jerry, my son was thrilled to hear the phrase " toro, toro, ven aqui'. He uses this phrase for just about anyone. Recently when my brother in law was over, my son wanted to show him a new toy, so he summoned his tio by calling ' toro, toro, ven aqui".

Teaching Spanish to our children is a joy and at times a challenge. We are dedicated to keeping the language alive for them and offering them opportunities to foster their bilingual skills. Although my 4 year old son is ' contra la corriente", he keeps us smiling and laughing, as we know he is absorbing and retaining his bilingual skills.

Feel free to share some funny quotes! i love hearing what our sweet kids have to say!

Tex Mex Version of "Twas the Night..."

2008-12-19T19:31:00.001-08:00

My kids always get a kick out of reading this funny verion of Twas the Night Before Christmas! Enjoy!

Tex Mex Version of Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring -- ¡Caramba! ¡Qué pasa!
Los niños were tucked away in their camas,
Some in long underwear, some in pijamas,
While hanging the stockings with mucho cuidado
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado
To bring all children, both buenos and malos,
A nice batch of dulces and other regalos.
Outside in the yard there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet like a fightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think that it era?
Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero.
Jim and Nita Lee (Dec. 1972)

Another Great Bilingual Product!

2008-12-06T18:10:00.001-08:00

Introducing..... Lorito Books! I have really enjoyed using these beautifully written and illustrated bilingual audiobooks with my children. My kids love listening to audio stories and these magical books bring the Spanish language alive. The illustrations are gorgeous and the stories are Latin inspired and showcase the culture we love. The books are bilingual, so parents with limited experience with the language can easily use these fantastic books as teaching tools. We will be incorporating the audio books in our Bilingual Fun language classes as well. Teaching Spanish to children through audio books will enhance their listening comprehension, fluency, and pronunciation. Audio books are a superb tool for listening comprehension and identifying words and images, which enhances a young child's language development. I am always on the lookout for worthwhile and superb teaching tools that I may use as I teach Spanish to children. Lorito Books have hit the mark! I would like to share some great information from Pam at Lorito Books. Don't miss out on the great special they are offering!

What is Lorito Books?
Lorito Books is a publisher dedicated to producing audio materials that help children learn a second language as well as improve their reading abilities. �Our books are used by English as a second language and Spanish as a second language learners. We publish titles that are written and illustrated in Spanish or Spanish/English by Latin American or U.S. Latino authors. We look for titles that are culturally relevant and promote positive values. We DO NOT produce translations of general market books such as Goodnight Moon. Our mission is to promoting the Latin voice in North America because we feel that it is often under-represented or misunderstood. We use the audio format because it is a powerful learning tool and can bring books to life.

How did you get interested in bilingual learning?
I started studying Spanish when I was in 7th grade. It was my Jr. High rebellion because at that time, in my home state of Michigan, everyone was studying French. I studied Spanish through High School and college and have spoken it all of my adult life. I have found it to be extremely useful here in the West in social situations, travel and work.

When my youngest daughter was 10 years old we started traveling annually to Chihuahua, Mexico to work with an orphanage. We went with other families at our church and I observed the children trying really hard to connect with the kids at the orphanage. They often resorted to the universal language of hand signals, which was surprisingly effective but it struck me how motivated and receptive kids areat that age to learn a second language.

My professional experience with audiobooks was as a Sales Manager for an audiobooks distributor based in Colorado. We sold to public, school and military libraries all over the U.S. We often had requests from librarians for Spanish language books yet there was very little material available. �Librarians try to provide materials that serve all segments of their community and in many parts of the U.S. the Spanish speaking population is over 40%. Community outreach to the Spanish speaking community is especially important because libraries are a valuable resource for immigrants assimilating into U.S. culture. The challenge is that they usually don't have a frame of reference because the concept of a Public Library providing free access to materials is unique.

Do you have any specials that you are offering?
Our books are available on loritobooks.com. We are offering special holiday pricing of $15 for the paperback sets and $20 for the hardback sets. Shipping is free on orders over $30. To get the Bilingual Fun discount, call 800-420-6936. We will bill customers through our PayPal account, which takes all major credit cards.

We also have limited stock of our Spanish titles, which are very sweet values-oriented stories and are perfect for more advanced Spanish listeners/readers. Audio clips for all of the books can be found on our website.

*Pam just returned from La Feria Internacional de Libros in Guadalajara, Mexico. This is some of the information that she presented which supports the use of audio books as beneficial teaching tools:

"The title was not intended to diminish the importance of reading. On the contrary, we recognize that reading is more important that ever in our complex world.�Without a doubt, children who have success with reading are more likely to have success in life.

Reading experts all agree that reading aloud is the most important way to establish strong reading skills. By listening to a book children hear a story can come to life. They are exposed to languages, dialect and sounds.� It also exposes children to reading fluency: they hear what it sounds like to read without difficulty.

In spite of the importance of reading aloud, the reality is that it just isn't possible for parents or teachers to do it as often as necessary. Like my family when my children were young, parents have many other responsibilities. In the classroom, teachers are often overwhelmed with large classes and limited staff.

Audiobooks are a solution to these issues. Not only are they are a read-aloud substitute for parents and teachers, I believe they can enhance the read-aloud experience.

Children are able to listen and comprehend at least three years above their grade level in reading. Audiobooks can help students with reading disabilities by giving them access to information they are able to understand but are unable to read. This is very important in keeping children at grade level."

A Cultural Kaleidoscope for our Children

2008-11-26T04:22:00.000-08:00

As a mom of bilingual children and an educator to many, I am passionate about inspiring children to live a multicultural life. The gift of being bilingual is one of the greatest gifts that you can give to your children, as they grow up in our ever changing global society. Through my Bilingual Fun language classes and with my own young children, I teach Spanish as a second language through music, movement, and fun activities. By teaching to the multiple intelligences of children, they are learning in a very natural way, which facilitates the language development of their pliable young brains.

Some of creative ways I teach language is through movement.
*TPR ( Total Physical Response) techniques which encourage children to act out verbs and vocabulary in the target language.
*Dance Party: this is a favorite of mine and my children. We play upbeat Spanish music and make up dances using vocabulary words. For instance we 'Brinca arriba, da una vuelta, tres pasos adelante, etc ( jump up, turn around, 3 steps to the front, etc). We also use a variety of action verbs to move to the music. I have kids give the commands and we have to follow. Such as 'marcha- march, baila- dance, salta- jump, gatea- crawl, corre- fun, aplaude- clap, brinca en un pie- hop on one foot.
*Teaching feelings: we use many hand movements and facial expressions to reinforce feelings. The children are able to easily respond when I ask them ' Como estas- how are you?", by using a hand motion/facial expression with the appropriate Spanish answer. By reinforcing the target language with movement and actions helps young children to make connections and retain the words.

Another creative method I use is to incorporate music in all aspects of learning.
* Fluency, pronunciation, and comprehension is reinforced by singing. I always pick thematic songs that correspond with the lessons we are learning. For instance, during a food unit we sing " Soy una Pizza" by Charlotte Diamond, and "Chocolate" by Jose Luis Orozco. Or during an animal unit, we sing " Vengan a Ver Mi Granja" by Jose Luis Orozco, or " El Zoologico" by Junior Jukebox.
* Using familiar tunes to teach new phrases has been very successful. I have many original songs that I have made up and are favorites of my children. We use the tune of Frere Jacques, Skip to My Lou, Farmer in the Dell, and many more to create easy to sing along songs in Spanish. Children are able to quickly learn the songs because they have prior knowledge of the tune.
*Songs with objects. Whenever I can give children something tangible to hold during a song really makes their learning realistic. Children are able to identify with an object in a hands on environment while they are singing. For example, we sing a song called " La Fruta- Fruit". Every child has a plastic piece of fruit in their hands, and as the vocabulary is named in the song, they hold it up. Or when we sing the ' Soy Una Pizza" song, each child has their own little felt pizza with ingredients. Kids make the pizza as they listen to the words in the song. By have children actively involved in a song and lesson, makes the learning more relevant and easier to absorb.

The bilingual development and learning of my own children has certainly given them an awareness of the multicultural world that we live in. Having traveled numerous times to Mexico, my children have gained an understanding of this culture and the similarities and differences that we have. Because they have been exposed to multiple languages at a young age, my children are very inquisitive when they hear people speaking other languages. My daughter loves her globe and will ask me where is China, or India or Germany after we have met native speakers or have heard the language. As parents, my husband and I try to expose them to as much diverse literature as possible, reading them stories from different countries. One of their favorites is a book about how to say Hello in 32 different languages. We always refer back to the globe to find the different countries. We also have a wide variety of friends that have many different backgrounds. Giving them this opportunity to experience differences and learn about cultures and families is very important to us. We want our children to have a global awareness from a young age, and we are dedicated to fostering that throughout their lives.

I was SO excited to find Global Wonders, which offers a fantastic cross cultural experience for young children. What a tremendous resource!

If you want to learn more about parents that are dedicated to giving their children a "Cultural Kaleidoscope", please visit Twittermoms!

Ms. Lily's Spanish Sing Along Winner!

2008-11-21T16:04:00.000-08:00

And the winner is..... y la ganadora es......

Diane from Foreign Language Fun! Felicidades!

We put all of the names in hat and it was chosen by las manos of my 4 year old. :)

Thanks for your interest!

Stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways of fantastic bilingual products.

Announcement: Giveaway extended to Nov. 20!

2008-11-17T03:40:00.000-08:00

Hola amigos!
We extended our giveaway on our e- newsletter until November 20! Feel free to blog about it or post it, for an additional chance to win Ms. Lily's Spanish Sing Along. We will choose a lucky winner in just a few days. Thanks so much for your interest!

Easy Tips to Teach Your Kids Spanish and FREE Giveaway!

2008-11-07T04:05:00.001-08:00

We all know that young children need to learn in a realistic, fun, and interactive environment. Many parents from our Bilingual Fun language program ask me how they may continue their language development at home.

Even with limited language skills, there are many ways that families can continue their child's development and exposure to the language. We recommend Bilingual Fun Spanish for Children DVD series which introduces the language through music, movement, and fun activities. Children are able to remain engaged and sing, chant, and repeat along with the children in the DVDs. Active learning while keeping things relevant to their lives, is a key factor of language learning success. Reading, playing, and listening to music are fantastic ways to allow children to continue to hear the language and enhance their comprehension skills.

Music is an intergral part of the Bilingual Fun approach to teaching Spanish to children. Children and parents alike respond to catchy music, rhythmic beats as their pronunciation and fluency are enhanced. We use a wide variety of music to teach Spanish to children, and recently we have discovered a fabulous artist named Lilia Mareski. She shares my passion for teaching children Spanish, as well as her dedication to raising her own young children in a bilingual household. She has created a superb teaching tool with her CDs titled "Ms. Lily's Spanish Sing Alongs". They are full of bilingual songs in Spanish/English that teach so many different vocabulary topics ( colors, numbers, family, actions, telling time, weather, and much much more). I have been so pleased hear the fantastic feedback from my own students who have listened to her music and love the fun, sing along songs! You can purchase them from our Fun Shop as well.

Read more about Lilia and her story. Please leave a comment and we will choose one winner by November 15, 2009. The lucky winner will receive a MS. LILY'S SPANISH SING ALONG CD FREE!!! Don't miss your chance to give your child a fantastic, educational gift! Share your thoughts on teaching Spanish to children. Gracias!

Interview with Lilia Mareski from Ms. Lily's Spanish Sing Alongs:

1. Why did you choose to teach Spanish to young children?

My father is from Cuba and my mother is from Mexico, so I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to be exposed to Spanish in the home while living in the USA. I felt that it was my responsibility to teach my children Spanish and to continue the language and culture, but realized that it would be more challenging for me than it was for my parents because my husband does not speak Spanish and is not a Latino.

I created Ms. Lily's Spanish Sing-Along I and II to involve my four children in the process of learning Spanish as their second language and to also help other Spanish teachers and parents (Spanish speaking and non-Spanish speaking) to teach Spanish.

2. How do you incorporate your family in the language learning process? I incorporated my family in the language learning process by having them help me create our wonderful bilingual teaching resources, Ms. Lily's Spanish Sing-Along I and II. I also develop their learning process by having them inrolled in my Spanish program, Ms. Lily's Spanish. The Birmingham School District has a Spanish program already implemented which starts in second grade, but my classes start children as early as 3 years of age. Lastly, I further develop their learning process by playing music by Latin artists and listening to movies in Spanish in addition to doing may other activities.

3. What is your background and experience? I was born in Mexico City but only lived there for the first three months of my life. I grew up in Texas City, Texas and received my degree in Education with a specialty in Bilingual Education from Stephen F. Austin in Texas.

4. Do you have any tips or suggestions for parents who want to raise their children in a bilingual household? My suggestion is to encourage parents to continue the process of exposing their children to Spanish. Any amount of exposure is an investment, but the biggest battle is to encourage the children to speak back. It is challenging to speak Spanish in my house because I am so Americanized and because the television and friends all speak in English, but I make it my priority to expose them to Spanish daily. It is not enough for them to understand Spanish; it is critical to have them speak Spanish. If they cannot recall what to say, tell them what they should say and have them repeat it. Then, I will take it a step further and after they repeat what I said, they have to say it once more without my help.

Suggestions from Ms. Lily on how to teach Spanish to your kids:

Read a book in Spanish
Read them a book in Spanish
Write their English spelling words in Spanish and to put those words in sentences
Watch movies in Spanish while traveling in the car.
Have one of my children read a story while in the car while the others listen.
Repeat everything I say in Spanish
Challenge them to say in Spanish what they just said in English.
Have challenging games at breakfast, lunch, or dinner or even in the car to recall vocabulary words from theamatic units we had studies in the past or to translate my English sentence correctly. Giving points points to the teams always makes it fun and more challenging.
Make a weekly assignment that is consistent every week. On example might be to use a Spanish/English dictionary and look up 10-20 words you do not know how to say in Spanish. Write those words in sentences in the days that follow.
Video any readings, songs, or have them recite their weekly homework to bring a sense of pride to their hard work.
Read recipes or directions on the back of products.
Cook a recipe and prepare a recipe in Spanish

Spooky Spanish Fun

2008-10-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

We hosted a Spooky Spanish Story time this morning at Borders. We had a great turnout with tons of parents and children having some bilingual fun with us! The instructors wore los sombreros de bruja and we told TPR ( total physical response) stories highlighting Spanish vocabulary. In addition,the children and parents sang a song about 10 Fantasmas ( ghosts), listened to the story of Dora and her search for a Halloween costume, and sang various songs about numbers.

Some of the Halloween words that we practiced were:
la bruja- witch
el fantasma- ghost
el gato negro- black cat
los dulces- candy
el chocolate- chocolate
la calabaza- pumpkin

As Hispanic Heritage month is coming to a close, we shared with our participants some of the many reasons to learn Spanish and celebrate the Hispanic culture in this country. With more than 28 million Spanish speakers in the US today, learning Spanish will certainly expand your child's world and prepare them for the global society. As we all know, young children easily have the ability to absorb and retain languages, thus the reason Bilingual Fun is so dedicated to providing early language instruction and promoting an awareness of the benefits of being bilingual.The Bilingual Fun instructors and their own bilingual children enjoyed hosting the community event and look forward to the next one we have planned!

Bilingual Fun in the Community

2008-09-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

Bilingual Fun had a fantastic experience at a local International Festival! More than 20 different countries were represented with booths filled with cultural items, food, performances, and of course music and dancing. Our Spanish for children program represented Latin America as well as did an interactive performance on stage.

The Bilingual Fun instructors, along with their own bilingual children led the crowd in response chants, colors songs, freeze dancing, and Merengue dance lessons! A great time was had by everyone! At the Bilingual Fun booth, we shared with the community artesania, books, posters, Spanish for children DVDs and books, and music that represented Latin America. This was an excellent time to be sharing the culture as the country is also recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month right now.

The community members were very interested in our language program and our curriculum that teaches parent/child Spanish classes. The Bilingual Fun team enjoyed promoting our passion for language education as well as our love for the Spanish speaking culture!

Hispanic Heritage Month

2008-09-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15- October 15

Our Bilingual Fun language program which focuses on teaching Spanish to children, celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with cultural activities in our Spanish classes. Our students have a great time as we celebrate with fiestas, musica, comida, and more!

Test your trivia knowledge with us!

Did you know?

1.Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September 18.

2. 45.5 million is the estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2007, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority.

3. 132.8 million is the projected Hispanic population of the United States on July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30% of the nation’s population by that date.

4.Many adopted Spanish words are food terms, such as tamale, taco, salsa, cilantro, guacamole, enchilada, oregano, and burrito. They are usually used in their original Spanish forms. Others, such as tuna, which comes from the Spanish atún, are variations of the original.

5.The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore what is now the United States, and the first to found a permanent settlement here (St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565). From Alaska's Madre de Dios Island to Mexico, Maine, the United States is dotted with Spanish place names. Others include: Las Cruces ( New Mexico)- the crosses, Boca Raton( FL)- mouth of the mouse, Los Angeles ( CA)- the angels, and Nevada- snow covered.

6. El cinco de mayo is commonly misinterpreted as Mexican Independance, but it is actually the victory of a battle in Puebla.

7.The first female Hispanic astronaut was Ellen Ochoa, whose first of four shuttle missions was in 1991.

8.Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner was Oscar Hijuelos, 1990, for his novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.

9.Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee: Carlos Santana, 1998.

10. Geraldo Rivera was Broadcaster of the Year in 1971.

Test your cultural Spanish knowledge. Try this quiz.

Looking for more activities to do with your family or children? Try these Hispanic Heritage Resources.

Putting the FUN in Bilingual Fun

2008-08-23T15:49:00.001-07:00

By nature, I just love to have fun. As a child I was always dancing around and loved being goofy and creative. I really enjoy playing with my own children and it is proven that playtime enriched with stimulating and educational themes is very beneficial for children.

While living in Mexico, I worked with young children in a Casa Hogar. My Spanish was decent, but certainly needed stimulating and opportunities to practice. By playing and having fun with the children, the interaction was natural and I learned so much Spanish! Using music and playing games was a large part of my own language learning experience, and I am intentional about incorporating these aspects in the our Bilingual Fun language program. My students and my own children love to sing, dance, and play hands on activities in the target language. One of my favorite activities to do with my students is to sing our ¿Cómo estás? song. We make a big deal out of using the gestures with our 'manos' and the expressions with our 'caras'. It is so funny to see the kids mimic my expressions!

Movement is an excellent way to not only stimulate young children, but by teaching to the multiple intelligences, the children are picking up the language through various methods. Our final goodbye song includes shaking our maracas ' arriba y abajo'. Parents often tell me that they children now say arriba or abajo now when they go up or down stairs.

Whether it is games, singing, creative crafts, hands on activities, or just dancing,I strive to put fun in our bilingual fun learning each day.

Feel free to share your thoughts or tips on how to keep the fun in the language learning experience.

Joys and Challenges of Raising Bilingual Children

2008-08-08T04:23:00.000-07:00

As an educator and business owner, I am always motivated and so impressed by my young student's enthusiasm for learning. Whether it is a 2 year old in my Bilingual Toddlers class, or a 9 year old in my Bilingual Big Kids class, their ability to absorb the language never ceases to amaze me. Of course my customers and students are willing participants in the language learning process because they have expressed an interest and desire to learn Spanish. I love working with these amazing learners!

Now for my role as the bilingual mom.... some days I just want to say ( in the words of my 3 year old) " Ay Chihuahua!". My husband and I have made the decision to raise our children in a bilingual household and Spanish/English has been a part of my children's lives since they were born. We are fortunate to travel to Spanish speaking countries and to have family that we can communicate with and practice. Additionally we have certain times of the day that we have ' Spanish only', which encourages our children to communicate and to keep their language skills alive. Of course with young children, things must always be focused on fun and relevancy in their lives.

My daughter embraces the language and her ability to understand and communicate. She is always a willing participant in our conversations and she enjoys communicating other Spanish speakers. My son ( el tremendo) continues to challenge us. We understand learning styles are different, so we have found the best way for my 3 year old to communicate in Spanish is if we are playing Super Heroes. I have made up some fantastic stories about Martian Manhunter, Wonder Women and Aqua Man in recent weeks! His currrent favorite game is to hide Spanish language bean bags all over the house and put a Super Hero figure underneath. We have to search for the color and then guess who is hiding ( all in the Spanish). Muy divertido!

Both in my classes and with my own chldren, I look forward to finding creative and stimulating ways to encourage the language learning.

I think a trip to Mexico is on the horizon for us......

This Week Only...

2008-07-26T04:44:00.000-07:00

We are offering FREE shipping this week, as well as a beautiful set of hand painted Mexican maracas with each order from The Fun Shop! Here are variety of ways you can incorporate Spanish learning fun with your maracas:

1. Shake and count in Spanish. 1-20. By 10's. By 5's. By 2's. Backwards from 20-1.

2. Play Simon Dice/ Simon Says. Touch different body parts w/ maracas. Use the command " toca.... la nariz", etc.

3. Create rhythmic beats. Shake maracas and count as you create different beats. Have chldren imitate you, then they teach you a new beat. Ex; uno, dos, uno, dos, uno, dos, tres, cuatro, uno, dos, uno, dos.....

4. Practice opposites. arriba/abajo, delante/detras, izquierda/ derecha, lado al lado, rapido/lento, abre/cierra

5. Dance Party Fiesta. Play upbeat Spanish music. Kids have to make up dances using the maracas. Encourage them to incorporate the opposite actions that you have practiced.

There are many different ways to incorporate bilingual fun in your child's day!

Ay Caramba!

2008-07-17T04:30:00.000-07:00

Our Bilingual Fun classes are always great fun and we love to see our students so engaged and having fun while learning!

Yesterday, however, was a bit chaotic for the Bilingual Fun program. We currently teach parent/child Spanish classes in 3 different locations. We have one main classroom, that we use as our 'base' and then we travel to the other communities. At one of our travel destinations, we were instructed to hold class outside due to scheduling conflict with the room we normally use. Being the flexible and creative instructors that we are, we thought 'no hay problema'.

Except of course it was 92 degrees yesterday. Si hay problema! Luckily we met under a shady area, so we didn't melt like queso. As we are singing, dancing, and playing the hands on activities planned for the day, the lawn service arrived! Yes, they decided to start their services regardless of the group of preschoolers, parents, and dancing Spanish teacher under the trees. Ay caramba! In order to keep the children engaged and learning, we always use creative techniques, such as movement and games. This was a great opportunity to swap the original plans and incorporate some activies such as :

*The Freeze Dance: kids danced to music, when music stopped I shouted a body part and they had to touch their nose, etc.
*Caliente/Frio: we hid a small toy and I child was chosen to close eyes. They tried to find it by the class shouting commands caliente/frio ( hot/ cold).
*Las Maracas: so many uses for our trusty maracas. We counted backwards from 20-1 while shaking our instruments louder than the lawn mowers.

Then, on to a different location that evening for another round of parent/child classes. Guess what? The road was under construction at each major crossroad surrounding the building we meet at! Si, tenemos otro problema! Ay caramba! We had to creatively cut through neighborhoods to arrive at our location. I had many stressed out, hot and bothered parents arrive with their little ones in tow that evening. Many spent much more time in the car than planned and arrived late. Ay caramba! It all turned out good. We extended our classes to compensate for everyone's late arrival. I cranked up the air condition for the parents and quickly began engaging their children in a game of Dress Rosita ( our stuffed bear that we use for clothing review). We put silly clothing combinations on Rosita such as : los lentes del sol, la gorra del invierno, los pantalones cortos, la bufanda, y las sandalias. The kids got a kick out of telling me " esta bien or esta mal la ropa". The parents were able to relax a bit as well. We even gave some fun directions in espanol to the parents on their way so that they could take the secret short cut home.

Although we said Ay Caramba more than once yesterday, we had fun as usual interacting with our students and families. Everyone left our classes with new songs running through their heads, expressions and words to practice for the week, and
'tarea' to focus on for the next class.

Today is a new day.... no more construction and lawn services for Bilingual Fun, I hope.

Bilingual Fun at LibertyFest!

2008-06-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

We just had an exciting weekend as participants in the International section of our community's Liberty Fest. We were invited to join various other multicultural groups as we shared cultural information about Latin America, as well as our Bilingual Fun language program and educational products. It was a great day full of sunshine and excitement. We met so many people and enjoyed sharing information about early language instruction, as well as interacting with the children as they played Bean Bags Color Toss in Spanish, made Ojos de Dios ( Mexican handicraft), colored pictures of various Latin American culture topics for a coloring contest, and had merengue dance lessons!

My husband, children and I love to participate with our company in the community, and having a tent at the International Fest was a fabulous opportunity! The global society that we live in is so diverse, and we love the opportunity to share our cultural experiences, as well as learn about others. We were situated next to the live stage performances and we enjoyed Chinese and Indian dances, as well as a Native American storyteller and a popular Irish band. Next year we look forward to moving our Latin dance lessons to the main stage so that it can be more interactive with a larger group of participants. Participating in the festival gave our family the chance to highlight our company that we have worked so hard on for the past 4 years. We also spoke to many families that have bilingual children or would like to start their children's bilingual development. We were able to give firsthand advice and input about our own family's experiences and how our children learn.

We have a fun filled summer ahead for Bilingual Fun! We will be doing various free events in throughout the local communities, as well as starting a new program, and of course always seeking fun, interactive bilingual activities that we can implement with our own family and share with others. Feel free to comment on any cultural events you have or will be attending this summer!

Spanish lessons at home

2008-04-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Are you trying to incorporate Spanish learning into your child's everyday life? Would you like some new ideas to keep the language learning alive? As parents who are trying to raise their children in a bilingual household, my husband and I love to hear what other families are doing to make language connections with their children and to enrich their development. Please feel free to share any idea ( big or little) that you use with your child. The first 10 people to respond will receive a Hola/Adios t-shirt ( available in youth and adult sizes, red or purple). Gracias!

* Play Memory: This is a great activity for vocabulary development and reinforcement. When have a couple of different sets that have different thematic pictures, so it is a great way for our children to practice various grammatical structures. We always ask ' dónde está....? or qué es?, as we look for the specific picture.

*Cooking: my kids love to help in the kitchen when we are preparing meals. We are sure to tell kids " es la hora de español" or ' ni una palabra de ingles", as we begin our cooking adventure. I tell my kids to find certain items in the pantry and refridgerator in Spanish. It is a great identification practice. My 6 year old is able to help pour and measure, so all commands are given to her in Spanish as helps with the recipe. When cooking in Spanish, we are intentional to keep the conversation going, incorporating questions such as: ' te gusta...?, quieres probar...?, cuál es tu favorito?, etc.

* Mirror Mirror on the wall: My children love looking at themselves in the mirror! We often play ' make that face'. We give our kids the Spanish word for a specific emotion, and they have to make that face. Then they give us the commands for enojado, triste, feliz, etc. When kids can see themselves as they hear or say the word, it helps to make a language connection.

By reinforcing the language through activities that are relevant to children's lives, we are giving our children a great head start in their development and acquisition. Tell us what you do at home!

Taking Control of My Life with Bilingual Fun

2008-03-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

My family and I really try to live up to the title of our business. We are bilingual and we love to have fun. But I do have to say, the life with young children and running a business definitely takes a toll on our ' fun' factor. I have learned a few things about being a stay at home mom/work at home mom/entreprenuer. It is hard work!!! I have also learned that sometimes while in these roles, you don't often have spontaneous, exciting, opportunities. Well, luck fell in my lap last week in the form of Good Morning America's Take Control of your Life Tour!

GMA made a stop in our hometown and Tory Johnson did her usual motivating segment about finding and sustaining work in today's society. I met inspiring women and had the opportunity to share my story with many interested parents. I got up way before dawn, drove throuth the dark city and joined an exciting group of people for a live TV segment. It was a huge pick me up from my day to day grind. Additionally I had the fantastic opportunity to be interviewed so that I could share my passion about The Bilingual Fun Company and why I think it is so important to expose young children to languages. Here is the video clip if you want to take a peek. Click here.

So, now that my 3 minutes of TV interview is over, I am back to having fun with my bilingual children and students. I am such an advocate for teaching our society's children to speak multiple languages, and I am so excited and motivated when I get parent feedback about their interest and drive as well. Even if it is for a very short time, exposure and repetition help tremendously for the young learner.

Bilingual Fun and Charades

2008-02-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a good round of Charades? I remember as a child, this was often a favorite wintertime game for the family. We would gather in front of the fire and act out silly things. My 5 year old received a kids version of Charades for Christmas this year. As always, we are looking for ways to make our children's bilingual development fun and natural. So after one round of English, we made a new rule: Spanish only.

Both my 3 yr old and 5 yr old had a blast! Using actions to reinforce language is a common technique I use in my language program. Otherwise referred to as TPR ( total physical response), you teach actions and movements that are associated with words or phrases in Spanish. When children are actively participating in the language learning, vocabulary is often absorbed more easily. My daughter picked out the cards, which had pictures only on them and acted them out. I guessed in Spanish, and this was an excellent reinforcement for her comprehsion. Then we switched and I acted out the words, and she had to make the guesses. Again, producing the words in the target language is more difficult, but she was able to do it with ease. Then my 3 yr old was able to act some out as well. We guessed in Spanish and he was able to tell us if we were right or wrong, showing his grasp of the language comphrension.

Charades for children is a perfect way to keep the language learning fun and relevant to their lives. The words we acted out were things that are common in their little worlds, such as truck, ball, dancing, ice cream, jumping rope, etc. Even if your child doesn't not have fluency in the language, they should be able to recognize and produce simple words and phrases with this game. It is good practice for the parents too!
This is going to be our new evening activity when we need some action and bilingual fun!

Spanish Fun for February

2008-02-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

As I clean glitter glue, small tin hearts,and many, many sequins off my kitchen table this week, I thought about how we incorporated some bilingual fun Spanish into our Valentines. My 2 young children don't have too many expectations for Valentine's day, but the marketing and colors we see in the stores certainly lead them to believe it has a lot to do with candy and the color red! The class set of Valentines that we are taking to both my daughter's kindergarten and my son's preschool have all been decorated and sealed. Now we are in the midst of making handmade cards for various family members.

My children's abuelita speaks Spanish, so it is customary for them to make her cards in Spanish. However this year, as we made our other Valentine crafts, we did all commands and conversation in Spanish. Common words that we used are : cortar el papel, las tijeras, los corazones, las tarjetas, escribir palabras, dibujar con marcadores, chocolate, te quiero mucho, etc. Earlier this week, we counted and sorted candy hearts by color and number in Spanish. Since chocolate is a favorite of my children and also one of their favorite Spanish songs, we sang "Chocolate" as we mixed the batter for our heart cupcakes. Lastly, my daughter and I took turn drawing ' corazones' on a piece of construction paper. Then we counted together and we had 76 corazones!

Any practice you can do at home to reinforce your child's language development is beneficial to their learning. Although my children are constantly exposed to Spanish, often times we need to take the time to make things fun!

Valentines are fun way introduce some Spanish Fun in your February! Here are some additional ideas/links to do with your children.
Crafts/Cards in Spanish.
Hear words of Love in Spanish:

If you live where there is snow ( like we do), building a snowman can be a fabulous reinforcing activity. Body parts, descriptions, and clothing offer the perfect opportunity for practicing Spanish while you freeze outside en la nieve! We made one this week on a snow day. Every day when we pull into our driveway, I ask " como esta el muñeco de nieve?' Usually they answer ' esta contento or esta bien". Fortunately for us, but unfortunate for the snowman, it started to warm up today. So, today my daughter told me ' esta muy triste y esta mal".

Any other ideas? I am always looking for additional ways to keep the language alive for my own kids in fun, creative ways.

Spanish Story Time

2008-01-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

By Bilingual Dad ( husband of Maestra Jen)

"Make sure you take him to the restroom”, my wife reminded me as she walked out the door to enjoy a few, very much needed hours free of her mom/teacher job. I was confident I had it under control and I was sure he would let me know when he needs to go. It is a never ending process of chaos and drama, as we are both diligent and frustrated with the potty training process of our precocious, stubborn, 3 year old son! We were busy playing and having a great time ( of course, I had forgotton to take him to the restroom). Well, my wife was right as usual. Here I was running to the bathroom with toddler in tow scrambling to reach the toilet in time! All the while, my son is squirming, whining and just being a generally uncooperative.

Suddenly I found myself in one of those teachable moments, as I think to myself, “Would this be a good time to practice Spanish story time”? Well fortunately, we had a copy of Como aprenden los colores los dinosaurios, which is a pretty cool story about dinosaurs. I immediately got my son’s attention and he actually listened intently to the entire book. He even asked me to read it again. Of course the second reading included a few questions en español to reinforce the vocabulary and story line. We even had enough time to read another favorite libro en español, Tortillitas para Mamá.

We are making huge strides in potty training my son to the delight of my wife who spends most of her day with him, while simultaneously running a business. However, this is not the purpose of this blog. So, aside from providing a couple of potty training tricks, the real moral of the story is capitalizing on the many opportunities we have throughout the day to reinforce and practice Spanish. It is easy to forget but extremely important as repetition and frequent (almost constant) exposure is extremely important in raising bilingual children. We have many other times that we have Spanish story time with our children (besides during potty training); such as bedtime, on road trips, plane trips, afternoon quiet time and when my daughter pretends she is the Spanish teacher. We like to make learning fun and relevant to their lives. As parents raising our kids in a bilingual household, we try to take advantage of every teachable moment regardless of the setting!

Bilingual Fun: Idea Exchange

2008-01-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

Bilingual Fun: Idea Exchange

Idea Exchange

2007-12-27T12:58:00.000-08:00

Learning languages is more exciting and effective for children when games and interactive activities are incorporated. As a teacher, I have always been of the mindset that sharing and exhanging teaching tips makes things fresh and exciting. When I come up with a new lesson or game that is effective, I can't wait to tell others about it!

In the language program that I run, I create and implement all of the lessons and activities for the students ranging in age from 18 months to adults. They cover a multitude of topics and themes, and I am always creating and searching for other fun ways to teach the language. Here are some of my favorite activities that work well in class and at home with my own children:

1. Colored Mats/Dancing: I use the mats from the CandyLand DVD game and play upbeat music. When the music stops, we all run to a colored mat. I ask " Qué color?". The kids all shout the color in Spanish. We do variations of dancing, marching, jumping, spinning, running, crawling,etc.

2. Duck, Duck, Goose: I choose 2 vocabulary words pertaining to our current theme. ( ex: perro/gato). The kids play the game using the Spanish vocabulary rather than the original. This is a great way to get the kids active and actually say the words aloud.

3. Latin Pop Music: this works best with tweens-adults. I choose a popular song from a popular artist ( some of my faves are Juanes, Ricky Martin, Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Elvis Crespo, etc). I make copies of the song and we listen and sing it each day. We talk about relevent grammar and vocabulary. At the end of the week, I white out specific words in the song and test the students by having them fill in the blanks. Not only is this an excellent reinforcement of pronunciation, fluency, and listening comprehension, it is a great way to infuse some culture into the lesson.

4. The Cup Game: take 5 or 6 plain white plastic cups. Depending on the vocabulary you want to reinforce, attach either a picture or word to each cup ( animals, numbers, colors, etc). Turn all cups face down and hide a small object under one. Kids then have to guess where the object is. I always make a big deal of having all of the students ask the question " Dónde está el carro?". Then each child takes turns and has to guess by using the correct Spanish word on each cup. I use variations of this game for all ages and levels.

These are just a few fun ideas that have been popular with the children and teens that I work with. We would love to hear your input and experiences! Do you have any games or ideas that work well with your children at home?

Bilingual Fun Parent Quiz

2007-11-07T03:23:00.000-08:00

Whether you are a bilingual parent already, or you are learning alongside your child, take our quiz to test your knowledge.

Expressions:

1. How would you respond to ¿Cómo estas?
a. gracias b. estoy bien c. estas bien

2.If you were hungry, what expression would you use?
a. tengo frio b. tengo sed c. tengo hambre

3. Another way of expressing 'adios' is:
a. nos vemos b. de nada c. buenos dias

Grammar:

4. Mis amigos __________ altos.
a. es b. somos c. son

5. Te gusta el chocolate? Si,____________
a. me gusta b. me gustas c. me gustan

6. Ayer, nosotros _________ a la escuela.
a. vamos b. fui c. fuimos

Culture

7. What is the capital of Spain?
a. Barcelona b. Madrid c. Valencia

8. Vicente Fox is the former president of which country?
a. Mexico b. Peru c. Argentina

9. What does 5 de Mayo commemorate?
a. Mexican Independence b. Spanish Independence c. Victory at the battle of Puebla.

10. In Spanish grammar, is it correct to capitalize the names of the week?
a. si b. no

Answers/ Las Respuestas
1.b 2. c 3. a 4. c 5.a 6.c 7.a 8.a 9.c 10.b

How did you do? If you are an advanced speaker, was that too easy for you? Let us know if you have questions about anything regarding learning Spanish. Would you like additional practices or do you have comments about how you and your child are learning? We would love to hear from you!

Bilingual Babies

2007-10-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have been in awe and wonderment as my own children have developed so naturally with both English and Spanish. When they were very little, my husband and I spoke almost exclusively Spanish with them. As they have gotten older we have instituted certain routines and rituals into our daily lives. We have meals in Spanish, bath time in Spanish, and bedtime stories in Spanish. That is not to say that throughout the day we don't communicate in Spanish, which we do often. We have just decided to make particular times of the day Spanish only, and we encourage our children to communicate and develop their vocabulary. When we travel to Mexico or visit our relatives, my children are able to communicate effectively and effortlessly. It is amazing to watch their development, as they just absorb and retain the language. As parents however, we need to make an conscientious effort to keep the language alive, so that the children do not fall into the rut of answering in English. As a teacher, I have seen so many children that fully understand a second language, but are not able to communicate because it was never enforced that they answer in the target language. Being bilingual is such an incredible gift, and although it may take some family effort and participation, encouraging your children to speak and practice will pay off in the long run!

Raising bilingual children often comes with some triumphs and blunders. My children's personalities are very different and their learning styles were very different. My daughter merely absorbed the Spanish language and was speaking and understanding both languages well before she was 2. She also had the unique insight to know who spoke English and who spoke Spanish. She was very precise in who she addressed and in what language. My daughter also could easily switch from one language to another with an understanding of the difference between English and Spanish. My son, whom we affectionately refer to as ' el tremendo' was and is a different story. Most of his first words were in Spanish and he understood commands and discipline very well in Spanish. I was not surprised at 16 months, his babysitter asked for 'cheat sheet" of Spanish phrases that she could post on her fridge. I was so excited that she wanted to communicate with him and thought perhaps she wanted the basic ( colors, numbers, greetings, food). But no, she was interested in how to say " get down, no climbing, no throwing, be careful, etc". Apparently since we had not been disciplining him in English and he just didn't respond to her! My son also spoke to whomever he wished in Spanish, seemingly having no clue if they were Spanish speakers or not. I often had confused looks from the nursery workers in the church as I dropped him off and heard him shouting ' pelota!". Just as the language develops, everything begins to fall into place. Now at age three, he clearly understands the difference between Spanish and English and will respond appropriately when asked in each language. He still does respond better to discipline when spoken to in Spanish, but maybe that is because he is 'el tremendo'.

Why did you decide to expose your child to a second language? Are you having success? Are you having problems? Do you have any funny stories to share? Do you have any questions about bilingual development? I would love to hear stories, suggestions, feedback about your experiences.

Bilingual Storytime

2007-10-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things I do with my company Bilingual Fun, is to host free bilingual story times. We host these events in various places throughout the community; coffee shops, libraries, play centers, and bookstores. Like most parents, I love to find fun, educational activities to do with my children. Therefore, we offer an opportunity to expose your children to the Spanish language, with interactive and communicative activities. We really enjoy having new families join our story times, so that we may share our passion for teaching Spanish to children. Music, stories, puppets, dancing, and more always accompany our story time events, so that the language comes alive for the children. We offer a free bilingual story time at least once a month, and many communities offer similar programs. Check your local newspapers, libraries and community education for opportunities and events. Likewise, if you want to continue your child's exposure to the Spanish language, I have found a great interactive story time online, called StoryPlace: The Children's Digital Library. Literacy in all forms is an effective and essential part of a child's bilingual development. Allowing children to actively participate is also a beneficial way to keep their language development growing. Our most recent story time was hosted during the Grand Opening Festivities of a brand new Borders Store in Canton, MI. Kids and parents alike had a fabulous time, as we read numerous books, sang songs, and danced together!

Fiesta!

2007-09-27T17:27:00.001-07:00

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage month, Bilingual Fun hosted a Family Fiesta where guests enjoyed an afternoon of culture and fun. Families enjoyed group Spanish lessons, sampling of authenitic Mexican food, live cooking demos, and professional Latin dance presentations. We ended the afternoon with a dance party, with everyone dancing merengue and salsa! A lively atmosphere, with upbeat music, delicious burritos, quesadillas, and salsa and families learning Spanish together allowed community members to learn more about our country's Spanish speaking population. As a bilingual educator, teaching Spanish to children, I was proud that our event was able to showcase our unique program and to raise an awareness of early language instruction. With close to 200 hundred people attending our Fiesta, we were happy to benefit the Vistas Nuevas Head Start program, which serves the primarily Spanish speaking populuation of SW Detroit. Check out our fabulous participants! Mariachi Mexico Restaurant http://www.mariachimexican.com/, Dancers Amy and Ray http://www.themotorcitymilongueros.com/, Chef Brian Ramirez http://www.dininginpcs.com/, Matrix Human Services http://www.matrixhumanservices.com/.

My Favorite Bilingual Musician

2007-08-26T04:15:00.000-07:00

As a mom raising bilingual children and an educator teaching Spanish to children, I have a person that I look up to. His name is Jose Luis Orozco. Mr. Orozco is a very successful bilingual educator, author, and musician. He has created wonderful resources for reinforcing the Spanish language for young children. My own children have all of his songs memorized and I incorporate his educational materials in my language classes. In the world of early language instruction, Mr. Orozco is a true champion. He performs and travels all over the country, bringing his gift for singing and teaching to schools, libraries, and communities everywhere.

My family and I had the fabulous opportunity of meeting and visiting with Mr. Orozco recently. Charismatic and sweet are just a few words I would used to describe him, as he serenaded our children with their favorite songs, and we visited with him about his life and work. What a joy for my kids to actually see their favorite music come to life right before their eyes!

It was such a great experience for us to meet him and to see him peform. I highly recommend his music and books for early language instruction. You will not be disappointed! You can learn more about his wondeful CD's at http://www.joseluisorozco.com/. Also check out his site for his performance schedule. I hope you have the chance to meet him and see him perform as well!

¿Cómo se dice?

2007-08-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

The curious minds of children are a wonderful thing! If you have experienced the stages of " why, or what's that", you understand the questions can be relentless, but so important for the development and understanding of children. It is similar process as a child is learning a new language. As they begin to understand that words have other meanings, their curiosity grows.... and grows... and grows. In our language classes we introduce a wide variety of thematic lessons, exposing children to many new words and phrases. Parents frequently tell me that at home or at the store, their children ask " how do you say this in Spanish"?

Traditional Spanish/English dictionaries are valuable resources, but in today's society of technology and immediate information, I have 2 great sites that I recommend for parents of curious minded children. www.wordreference.com is a quick Spanish/English dictionary that can help you when kids try to stump you with vocabulary questions. An interactive site called www.spanicity.com is a great site for hearing and practicing the pronunciation. Simply find the vocabulary theme you are looking for, click on the word, and hear the pronunciation. Encourage kids to repeat along with the audio.

So next time your little one attacks you with a round of "¿Cómo se dice en español?" you will be armed with some great resources to satisfy curious minds!

Dora, Diego, Handy Manny....

2007-07-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

"Come on vámonos, everybody let's go" or "ayúdame" are common phrases that may be running through your mind at random times. Of course you must have a toddler or preschool age child that has jumped on the bilingual bandwagon of these popular shows. As a language instructor for young children, I often say that these shows are some of our greatest marketing. We have parents call us all of the time and tell us that they are interested in signing up their children for Spanish classes because they love Diego, or that they can count to 10 in Spanish, but want to learn more. These unique and creative children's shows have hit the nail on the head with the language exposure element. The creators know how to incorporate the cultural aspect, but also to highlight words or phrases in Spanish. Kids easily pick up these Spanish words and can integrate them into their daily lives. I think it would even better if they used more of the Spanish language in their programs. But overall I think it is a wonderful introduction for young children. It peaks their interest, and helps them to understand that the world is bigger than just the community that they live in. So although the jingles may be annoying to the parent that hears them 3-4 times a day, you have to admit, they are catchy and the kids are learning something!

Raising Bilingual Children and Having Fun

2007-07-07T10:07:00.000-07:00

As a mom and educator, I am always looking for fun, creative ways to enhance my children's bilingual development. I was busy planning the summer curriculum for our parent/child classes, when I fell upon a treasure. Due to the state's educational budget cuts, many important programs have been cut in various districts. I got in touch with a teacher who had her language department eliminated due to budget cuts and was selling and getting rid of ALL of her materials, lessons, supplies, etc. I was so disappointed for her that the early language program had fallen victim to our state's ecomony woes/budget cuts. Although it is unfortunate for that particular district to have lost a language program, it was certainly fortunate for me that she allowed me to take ownership of her materials.

I am so passionate about the advantages and benefits of early language instruction, thus the reason I started my company ( http://www.bilingualfun.com/). The treasure that I have been given this summer has given me a wealth of new ideas, games, toys, lessons, music, books, and supplies that I am actively using in our classes and with my own children. As a public school teacher for many years, I took for granted the ability to purchase new materials, and receive new information and supplies. As a private business owner, I do not have a budget and all materials/supplies comes out of our own pocket. It is so important to keep things fresh and exciting for children, and the games and lessons we will be doing this summer will be just that.

This week my own children and I had a parade of countries as we played one of my new songs and marched with the Latin American flags in our hands. We also have been playing various forms of Bingo, thanks to the new games I received. We have also been singing and dancing to some new CDs, and making picture dictionaries using thematic words/situations.

Raising bilingual children is not always easy, as we strive to maintain consistency with their language exposure. Anything new and fun stimulates their interest and gives us more opportunties to play and learn in Spanish. Although my own children have a strong foundation of the Spanish language, we continually need to stimulate them to stay motivated and interested in learning more. No matter what the language level or the age of the learner, having fun always makes acquiring a new language a positive experience.