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Teach a Foreign Language in 10 Minutes a Day!

Reading Time: 3 minutes

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I have heard it said time and time again, “I don’t have time to teach a foreign language”.  I said it myself! But, the truth of the matter is teaching a foreign language doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, you can teach a foreign language in 10 minutes a day!

How to Teach a Foreign Language in 10 Minutes a Day

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Step 1:

Pop in one of our Foreign Languages for Kids DVDs.  These DVDs are super simple and include the immersion approach. This means that the whole series is in Spanish. There is NO English involved. Watch 5 minutes of the video. As you are watching the video with the kids make a note of the words you recognize and what they mean.

Spanish Language Learning DVD Series for Kids

 

Step 2:

Grab your copy of our Foreign Languages for Kids stickers and let the kids put stickers on items they learned in the video today.

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Step 3: 

As you go throughout your day use the Spanish terms you learned in day to day conversation. Encourage your kids to as well.

Step 4:

Repeat each day of the week!

A few tips to consider!

  • I recommend watching the same clip at least twice before moving on to another. The more you and your children watch the videos they more you will remember what the words mean.
  • On Fridays (or another day that suits you) watch all the clips you have learned so far in one sitting. Yes, this will be more than 10 minutes, but you can do that one day a week, right?
  • Our DVD’s can be watched during breakfast, before quiet time, after dinner or any time of the day. You really only need 10 minutes a day to start teaching a foreign language to your kids!
  • If you want more, consider enrolling in our online membership course. This course not only allows you to access our DVD’s but also includes games, quizzes, flashcards and more!

How does our program teach a foreign language in only 10 minutes a day? 

  • The Video Series incorporates a teaching style that creator Kit Strauss developed over a decade with her own children. It combines immersion with visuals – adding a good dose of humor and fun.
  •  Painful memorization is not useful or fun. Our program does not require rote memorization. When learning is fun it is easier for students to retain what they learned.
  • Immersion is KEY to learning a foreign language. In order for a student to learn a foreign language, they must have to use it in a meaningful, real-world way. Our videos are spoken ALL in Spanish. They children in the videos are going throughout their daily activities. This IS a real world approach. They are using words OUR kid’s will and do use on a daily basis. This is more relatable to children than the more common teaching methods like rote vocabulary memorization.
  • With Foreign Languages for Kids, your family will be learning Spanish TOGETHER. That means those words you picked up on in that five-minute video clip will be known by each child in the family and YOU. So, when your child comes up to you and says “grande” you will know what they are talking about. When your child asks a sibling for a libro he will know what he means because they are learning the words together.

Because of this, our program requires little time each day. Can you spend more time learning Spanish with our program? Of course! We have teachers guides that include daily lesson plans, additional activities, and much more, and we’d love for you to use those resources!

But, starting out, if you don’t want to make that commitment we understand. You and your family can STILL learn Spanish in as little as 10 minutes a day. So, what are you waiting for? Order Foreign Languages for Kids today!

Misty Bailey is a work at home homeschool mom.  She loves helping new homeschoolers and has a Homeschool 101 eBook for those getting started. She shares everyday tips and encouragement for the homeschool mom on her blog Joy in the Journey.

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Celebrating Christmas Around the World

Reading Time: 4 minutes

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*Read through to the end for a Christmas cash giveaway!*

Christmas is upon us and with it comes some of our favorite Christmas traditions. Santa Claus, Christmas trees, evergreen wreaths, mistletoe and more. But, have you ever wondered how others around the world celebrate Christmas? I have! And was surprised  at what I learned about celebrating Christmas around the world.Celebrating-Christmas-3

 

Celebrating Christmas in Mexico

Want to celebrate Christmas in Mexico? You’ll be surprised to learn that in Mexico Christmas is not just a single day, Instead, it is a whole season of Christmas-related celebrations which stretches from December 16th through February 2nd. In Mexico, gifts are exchanged on January 6th (In celebration of the gifts the three kings gave to Jesus in the manger). However, gift giving in Mexico is not as important as time spent with family and religious celebrations.

Christmas carols in Mexico are known as villancicos and is also a common tradition. Some of the more famous ones like Noche de Paz (Silent Night) and Feliz Navidad are also known here in America.

Celebrating Christmas in Spain

Celebrating Christmas in Spain involves going to Midnight Mass or ‘La Misa Del Gallo’ (The Mass of the Rooster). The celebration got its name because a rooster is supposedly crowed the night that Jesus was born.

Most families eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve before the service. What’s on the menu? Typically it is seafood like shellfish and mollusks, or lobster and small edible crabs.

Another festival similar to our Christmas is Epiphany and is celebrated on January 6th. This is in celebration of when the Kings or Wise men brought gifts to baby Jesus. Children have some presents on Christmas Day, but most are opened during Epiphany.

Celebrating Christmas in Germany

A big part of celebrating Christmas  in Germany is Advent. Several different types of Advent calendars are used in German homes, there are the traditional ones made of cards and there are more untraditional (at least for the US) ones. One such advent calendar consists of a wreath of Fir tree branches with 24 decorated boxes or bags hanging from it. Each box or bag has a little present in it.

Christmas trees are also an important part of Christmas celebrations in Germany. Traditionally the Christmas tree is brought into the home on Christmas eve and decorated in secret by the mother of the family.  In Germany families typically exchange presents with their families on Christmas eve.

 

Celebrating Christmas in France

In most areas of France, Christmas celebrations start with St Nicholas day on the 6th of December. On this day children get sweets and little gifts. On Christmas eve children polish their shoes and put them in front of the chimney hoping that  ‘Père Noël’ (Father Christmas) will fill the shoes with gifts.  On December 25th families get together for a feast and exchange gifts.

Celebrating Christmas in Italy 

Celebrating Christmas in Italy involves a ‘presepe’, or nativity being put up in churches, town squares and often in family homes as an important part of Christmas decorations.  In Italy, ‘Babbo Natale’, or Father Christmas, hands out presents on Christmas day to children. Families typically exchange gifts on the day of Epiphany, January 6th. Merry Christmas is  ‘Buon Natale’ in Italy.

Celebrating Christmas in Australia

Celebrating Christmas in Australia may mean a trip to the beach! Because Australia is in the southern hemisphere it is summertime during Christmas season. This means many families enjoy Christmas picnics and caroling organized by churches on the beach.

Celebrating Christmas in Iceland

Celebrating Christmas in Iceland involves children putting their shoes on the windowsill in hopes that ‘Juletide Lads’, the Santa Claus, will it with goodies and gifts. Celebrations start on Christmas eve with families getting together to enjoy good foods and midnight mass.

Many countries celebrate Christmas similar to the way we do in the U.S.  some involve similar characters, traditions, and songs, and some are quite different. The common theme I noticed while studying Christmas around the world is family. No matter what food is served, how you say Merry Christmas, or when the exchange of presents takes place family is present.

So, hug those you love close this holiday season and know that no matter where others are celebrating Christmas they will most likely be doing the same thing.

It’s hard to believe that the Christmas season is here once again!

And with it comes the season of giving! It is such a blessing to give to others and I, along with 25 other bloggers, can’t wait to bless one of you with $500 Paypal cash with the Christmas Blessings Giveaway!

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Whether you decide to use this money for fulfilling your kids’ Christmas lists, paying off a bill, or just saving for a rainy day, we hope to lessen the financial burden and/or brighten the day of one of our readers with $500 Paypal cash to use for whatever their family needs.You can earn a lot of entries in the Rafflecopter form below.I know it can seem tedious and time-consuming to go through all the entries, but isn’t a chance at $500 worth it?

I think it is! Plus, if all of these generous bloggers didn’t participate, we wouldn’t have been able to have such a big prize! So I hope you will take the time to go through each entry.Who knows, maybe you will find some new blogs to follow.

The giveaway will run from Thursday, December 1st through Saturday, December 10th (ends at 11:59pm EST).

The winner will be notified by email shortly after the giveaway ends and will have 48 hours to respond to claim the prize or another winner will be drawn.