Month: February 2017

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Many of our children have been used to electronics for years. They love learning on tablets and other devices. This could be one of the easiest ways to teach our children a foreign language. Let’s explore some of the best foreign language apps for kids.

These apps have been rated easy to use, many feature native speakers so kids can hear the correct pronunciation of words, and they engage kids through interactive content.

Montessori Letter Sounds – Phonics in English, Spanish, French & Italian

Montessori Letter Sounds – Phonics in English, Spanish, French & Italian is a gentle way to introduce very young app users to prereading learning games. This app is well-designed and true to Montessori learning methods. It teaches prereading skills such as letter sounds and shapes in colorful and self-directed activities. It includes simple games, such as writing letters in a “sandbox” and matching letter sounds to photos on cards.

Dic-Dic

Dic-Dic offers lessons in English, Russian, Spanish, French, and Catalan. It is an education game designed for kids ages 3-8. The focus is learning to spell commonly used words in different languages. It offers three levels of games and helps children learn a foreign language while practicing their native tongue.

Kids Learn Mandarin

Designed to provide kids ages 2-8 with exposure to 240 Mandarin words. This app includes 12 fully interactive lessons that cover numbers, colors, animals, food, sports, transportation, and more.

Toddler Flashcards

This app includes fun photos and builds a toddler’s vocabulary with a variety of different words in 13 languages.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends – First Words

The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends – First Words app includes many different language options including  English, Spanish, French, simplified Chinese, and German. This allows the book app to be used with toddlers learning a first language or with any age learning new languages.

Stories by Gus on the Go

This app is a fun way for kids to pick up new Spanish vocabulary related to familiar stories. It uses sound instructional strategies and includes great interactive activities. Languages include, Greek, Croatian, Russian, and 17 other languages.

Mind Snacks

Mind Snacks not only teaches kids how to speak in an assortment of languages — including Italian, German, and Japanese — it also teaches them how to write in their new language.

Chinese Letter Academy

Chinese Letter Academy is a great way to introduce a young child to the process of writing Chinese characters.

My Smart Hands: Signing with Firesse & Friends: Everyday Signs

Even babies can learn sign language, that is why this app is one of the most popular on our list. It offers quick and easy flash cards that help young children learn common signs.

French Words for Kids 

Have a child wanting to learn French? This app has more than 240 word-image-audio combinations that make it simple to learn how to pronounce them properly. It also offers fun visual effects to keep kids entertained for hours.

Learning a second — or even a third — language has been shown to improve memory and aid in brain development. So, start teaching your child a foreign language NOW. Apps like the ones mentioned here are a great opportunity for early learning.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Math, check.  Reading, check.  Spelling, check.  And the list goes on until we get to the music, art, and foreign languages.  Usually, we drop the ball when it comes to teaching or incorporating lessons that aren’t a part of our natural skill set or if those mandatory lessons take more time than we anticipated.

Three Reasons You Should Make Time for Electives

Strengthen the core academic areas

Electives can be used to make weaker areas stronger.  Foreign language lessons can help a student who struggles with grammar or language arts skills become stronger in English by causing them to hone in and learn the rudimentary elements of the language which can be hard to do in our native language since we mostly speak without much thought to which part of speech our words are falling under.  We use electives such as creative writing to keep language skills up to par without the pressure of workbooks or full-fledge language arts curriculum.  Art can be used to introduce or teach geometrical concepts such as angles and symmetry.  Incorporating electives isn’t just about having fun, but they really can make those tough subjects easier.

Offer variety to the learning environment

Having a routine keeps the learning environment in check, but it can also create a predictable learning environment which for some can be boring.  Now, school doesn’t always have to be exciting but there should be space for learning activities which bring a gleam to the learner’s eye.  For us, art and new languages bring a spark to our learning environment.  I was guilty of allowing the routine to take over because it’s safe and predictable, but it didn’t always offer a challenge because they were in the habit of doing the next thing.  In order to break up the routine, we now have space in our day for learning new electives throughout the school year.  Art has a permanent space while languages are in rotation between ASL, French, Spanish, and Latin.  The variety also allows them the opportunity to choose which languages or new courses such as architecture really speak to them.

Challenge the teacher as much as the student

Do you shy away from art, music, or other elective courses because they aren’t natural to you?  Consider teaching them as an opportunity to challenge yourself.  Mostly anything you would like to teach has been taught by someone else before which means there are resources which can help you teach your child.  I am not fluent in any other language which means when I speak in Spanish or sign, I sound and look like a beginner.    I am okay with this because my purpose is to introduce my daughters to other skills and languages not to make them masters.  By simply making the introduction to them, I have afforded them the chance to decide if they would like to further their knowledge of the specific topic, and if they choose we can decide to ask or pay a more suited person for help. I have also given myself the chance to learn something new and give my brain some exercise.

Electives shouldn’t be on the backburner, but instead, they should be used to make your learning environment stronger and enriched.  They can help your learner work through the hard things without feeling intimidated.  They can open up doors that maybe your student didn’t know exist.  They can be just the catalyst you need to do more hands-on learning with your child.

What are your child’s favorite electives?  Do you keep them a priority?

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Latonya Moore blogs regularly at Joy in the Ordinary where she writes encouraging posts for home educators and anyone else who needs a boost.