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Educational Foreign Language Spanish Language

Five Reasons to Teach your Children Spanish

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Did you know that Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese? Over 400 million people throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, and Africa speak the Spanish language. In the United States, Spanish is the most widely spoken language with over 37 million speakers. There are many advantages to learning Spanish, including expanding your curiosity about the cultures, increased educational and career opportunities, and another perspective on how others see the world. Here are five reasons to teach children Spanish:

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT SKILLS: Learning a language like Spanish is a significant step in anyone’s life. It offers the opportunity for children to gain exposure to the language and enhance their capacity to pronounce unfamiliar words and sounds. Children also demonstrate heightened creativity and better problem solving and thinking skills.

EXPANDS CULTURAL HORIZONS: Knowing Spanish will help your child understand and appreciate Hispanic culture, such as Spanish films, music, and literature.

PROVIDES A FOUNDATION FOR OTHER LANGUAGES: Children who learn to speak Spanish can better grasp the ability to learn other languages with Latin roots.

LONG-TERM BENEFITS: In our increasingly globalized society, children who grow up with Spanish as a second language will acquire long-term benefits. Increased opportunities for employment and travel are two such benefits. Being bilingual can broaden career options and make it easier to be eligible for a variety of jobs. International travel can also expand children’s perspectives and allow for deeper connections and understanding while traveling.

IT’S FUN! Your child can learn Spanish and feel a sense of achievement from taking on a new language. Kids will have so much with Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids®: SPANISH, that they won’t even realize they’re learning!

As parents, we only want the best for our children. That is why Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids aims to provide an innovative teaching approach and a variety of materials to aid in the study of foreign languages.

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Educational Foreign Language

3 Tips to Support Your Child’s Foreign Language Learning

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Learning a foreign language brings a plethora of benefits for parents and their children. Not only does research show the increase in overall school performance, but children gain additional skills that aid in their personal and professional development. As parents, we strive to enrich our children’s lives by signing them up for activities such as soccer, dance, and music lessons. Supporting your child in learning a foreign language can be difficult, especially if you don’t speak the language yourself. Nonetheless, there are techniques that can aid in your child’s overall learning process. Here are the top three tips parents can use to support their children’s foreign language learning activities.

  1. Plan ahead: Parents should have a plan in place to get children engaged in foreign language learning. Parents can do this by setting up weekly goals, making time to practice with children, and building further exposure to the foreign language. Once the plan is in place, parents must stay consistent with their study plan. As parents will see, learning a language requires tenacity, steady progress, and organizational skills to keep the children on track.
  2. Practice makes perfect: Learning a foreign language is like playing an instrument or a sport. The more children make time to practice, the better they will do. Parents can contribute to their children’s overall understanding by reinforcing concepts at home. This can be done by speaking to them in the language they are studying, using picture books, and labeling household items in the language being studied. As long as your child is practicing for even as little as 5 minutes a day, they will improve their chances of developing fluency.
  3. Have reasonable expectations: Language learning takes time. No one ever said that it would be easy. To aim for a favorable learning outcome, it is important to create a positive learning environment at home by encouraging your kids to practice the language, to allow for mistakes, and to exercise patience when faced with the challenges of learning a new language at a young age.

As parents, we only want the best for our children. That is why Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids aims to provide an innovative teaching approach and a variety of materials to aid in the study of foreign languages.

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Educational Foreign Language

Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language

Reading Time: < 1 minute

In an increasingly interconnected world, learning a second language can be both an exciting and challenging endeavor for children. Not only does a foreign language allow children to embrace other cultures and deepen their understanding, but it also offers them a glimpse into how the world works. Children who speak a second language can communicate with diverse communities, expand their educational and social opportunities, and prepare for overall success in their adult lives.

Children reap significant advantages when learning a foreign language at an early age. Research studies demonstrate the benefits of cognitive strengths such as creativity when children begin to learn foreign languages at a young age. Additionally, children develop listening, observation and problem-solving skills which improves performance on standardized tests. On a personal note, children who become bilingual tend to have more self-confidence and tolerance than their peers who are considered monolingual.

Encouraging children to learn a language will benefit them both personally and professionally. In addition, bilingual children feel comfortable growing up in an increasingly globalized society. Our purpose with this blog is to keep parents and educators excited and informed about the prospects of foreign language learning and its impact on children. As we continue to move forward with interactive language learning tools, we will use this blog to provide tips, explore the latest research findings, and provide tips on how parents can support their children with foreign language learning.

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Educational

How to Celebrate Cinco De Mayo with Kids

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and if you’re like me, you may not know much about this celebration.  I plan on fixing that with breaking down what Cinco de Mayo is, why you should celebrate it with your kids, and even some fun activities and more to get you started.

When is Cinco de Mayo?

Despite what you may think, Cinco de Mayon is not the same day as Mexican Independence Day. That day is celebrated on September 15th. Cinco day Mayo falls on the 5th of May.

What is Cinco de Mayo? 

Cinco de Mayo is not an actual American Holiday but it is celebrated, more here than in Mexico. In Mexico, the larger celebration is their Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo is a day set aside to celebrate the courage of the Mexican people during the battle La Batalla de Pueblo on May 5, 1862. On this day Mexican soldiers defeated the Mexican traitors and French Army at Puebla Mexico.

This victory did not win the war but became a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. Today, the celebration of Cinco de Mayo has become highly commercialized. It is known as a time for fun and dance. It is also a celebration of Mexican culture, food, music, and beverage.

The holiday is most celebrated in California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. Why?

  •  Texas was annexed to the United States in 1845, which led to the Mexican-American war.
  • The other three states were annexed from Mexico in 1848 following the US victory in that war.
  • Despite the war, all of these states continue to have close ties to the people and culture of Mexico.

The town of Puebla, the site of the battle, has the most extravagant and colorful celebration in Mexico OR the United States. They celebrate with large festivities as well as with a reenactment of the battle.


Why Should I Celebrate it With My Kids? 

So, why should you celebrate Cinco de Mayo with your kids? Here are a few things to consider:

  • It is a great way to educate them on the heritage of Mexican Americans.
  • You can study important icons, events, and people from the time period.
  • You can introduce your children to Mexican food, dance, and music.
  • It shows them that you value other cultures.

So, how will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo this year? If you need some ideas and suggestions check out the resources below.

Resources for Celebrating Cinco de Mayo

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Art Educational

7 Multi Cultural Crafts for Kids

Reading Time: 3 minutes

As our children grow it is important to teach them about the world around them. Our children need to learn to appreciate different peoples and places.   We have heard from many parents who struggle with this. They are not sure where to begin when it comes to teaching their children multicultural lessons. We believe there’s no better way to introduce cultural traditions than hands-on activities and crafts. Here are a few great multicultural crafts for kids.

Birds of New Zealand

As the weather warms we will begin to see more and more birds enter our backyard feeders. This is a great time to learn about birds from other countries. This site has a huge collection of different hands-on crafts all about the birds of New Zealand.

Rainstick Instrument

Rainsticks are a fun and loud way to celebrate other cultures. The history of rain sticks is believed to have come from Chile. They were created with long, hollow cactus tubes and dried in the sun. Small pebbles were placed inside and the sound was like falling rain. This is believed to be used in ceremonies to bring in rain.

Japanese Cherry Tree

In much of Japan, cherry trees (Called sakua in Japan) come into bloom in April. This is also when a new school year starts for Japanese children, and businesses start their new year. Many people think of the cherry blossom as a sign of new beginnings. This is a fun craft for kids old and young, and even comes with book recommendations to continue learning!

Australian Aboriginal Boomerang

Learn about Australian art and aborigines with this multicultural activity. This craft requires simple household items and is a great activity to do as the weather warms. The kids can go outside and play with their new multicultural craft.

Kool-Aid Tie Dye 

This Kool-Aid tie-dye activity may remind you of the 60’s, BUT, the history of tie dye dates back to Pre-Columbian times and Peru. The time from is believed to be around 500-800 A.D. send you

The best part of this activity is that it can be easily made with simple household items. The finished tie-dye shirts will be vibrant and full of wonderful colors and designs. It’s a kid-friendly activity that never gets old!

Chinese New Year Fan

These Chinese Cherry Blossom Fans are a bright and simple craft that is perfect for the Chinese New Year OR a spring craft as we all celebrate the warmer weather. All you need is paper and paint!

Aztec SunDial 

Not only does the sun give us warmth and help plants grow, it can also be used to tell time! With this craft, your children will make a  sundial that really works! The history of the sundial comes from the Aztecs. They were brilliant people that taught us much of what we know about the Earth and the world around us. Your child will love learning more about the sun, life with the Aztecs and creating a working sundial.

Which multicultural craft for kids will you be making first?

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5 Tips for Spring Cleaning (AND LEARNING) With Kids!

Reading Time: 7 minutes

It’s SPRING! This is a great time of year to put the windows up in your home and get the fresh air flowing. It’s also the time of year when many of us begin to think about cleaning out the dust and grime that has built up over the winter, and purging the clutter that has piled up inside our homes.

However,  those of us with young kids at home all day may have a hard time with this. When mine were little, every time I’d get a bucket out to start cleaning someone would come alongside me and either dump or track dirt in on top of it making a nice muddy mess.

Oh, the joys of children!

Through the years I have found a few things that have made spring cleaning with kids a lot easier. This can also be a great time to learn about the world around us and get some major items marked off of moms to do list.

Get the Kids Involved 

Many hands make light work … so how do you get the kids to pitch in when it’s time to spring-clean the house?  Start with assigning age appropriate tasks. Young children can organize toys, dust items, pick up laundry, etc. With younger kids be sure to assign tasks that can be done in a short time period. Think 10-15 minutes. Working as a team involves kids in the cleaning process, helps them learn cleaning skills, and most important, models both the attitude and the job standard you’re trying to teach.

Older children should be able to do larger tasks. Like scrubbing the bathroom, wiping down walls, mopping, and even some light yard work. Ecnourage each family member to work as a team. Divy up chores by room, let them take turns picking which tasks they want to do. Give them a choice, but let them know that EVERYONE is working together.By having yoru kids working with you, ou won’t have to woryy about what they are getting into while you are spring cleaning.

Label Items Around the House 

For the younger kids, having visual aids is a HUGE way to ensure success. For example, if you have bins where toys like blocks, balls, and dolls go, add a picture for each item to the bin. This helps your child know where the item goes, and lets you know the task will be completed correctly.

For older kids, include words around the house in another language. If you are learning Spanish, add stickers or labels to these household items. You can also use pictures and labels like those in this post to label a chore chart of what all you want your children to do.

Another option for older children is to allow them to choose which rooms they want to clean by offering them in Spanish. This is a great way to teach older kids vocabulary words in another language! It’s also a great way to eliminate fighting over which room they are going to clean 😉

el salón the living room
el (cuarto de) baño the bathroom
la cocina the kitchen
el comedor the dining room
el garaje, la cochera the garage

Make it Fun

Regardless of your age, no one really LIKES to clean, but adding some fun to the day makes it a lot more enjoyable. Here are som eideas for making spring cleaning with kids fun for the whole family!

Play Music! 

Playing upbeat music or an exciting audiobook keeps the body moving, and spirits high. Let each child pick a tune they want to listen to, and for the older children let them play their own music or audio book in the room they are working on.

Young children love to dance, and one fun activity to do while cleaning with your kids is playing “wax museum”. Keep the music going, but occasionally sneak and turn it off. At this time everyone has to FREEZE where they are like a wax statue. This is sure to be a giggle fest as the kids test their balance, coordination and reflexes.

Find a “Busy” Chore for Each Child

Look around the house, and find a chore that takes itme, but that even a child can do. I call these busy chores. Here are a few examples.

  • Shaking theToaster- Kids will LOVE doing this, and most of the time it doesn’t get done because we just don’t like the mess. Unplug the toaster and lay paper grocery bags or an old cloth over the kitchen counter. Then let your child turn that toaster upside down and do a shake and shimmy dance to get all the crumbs out.  Offer your child a wood spoon or chopstick to remove stuck pieces. This is a great time to teach them to NEVER stick metal utensils inside the toaster.
  • Alphabetize the Spices- If you have a young child who knows their ABC’s have them sort through your spices.Tell them they can “read” the labels, smell the spices, and even taste them if they choose. Show them which ones you use regularly for baking. In th ened your spices will be more organized, and yoru child will have had some great reading and sorting pracitice.
  • Go “skating” for dust bunnies- Have hardwood floors?  Have your children wear old pairs of socks and “skate” around the house collecting dust bunnies with their feet. See who can accumulate the largest dust bunny, then hae them collect the dust bunnies in a trash bag along the way.

Discuss Spring Cleaning in Other Countries

Everything we do can be a learning experience. As you are spring cleaning with your kids you are teaching them homemaking skills, life skills, home economics, it is LEARNING. We can also deepen the learning experience by discussing the history of spring cleaning and what that may look like in other countries.

In most countries, spring cleaning has come to mean the process of deep cleaning a house or room. But where did the idea of Spring cleaning come from? No one really knows. However, most countries participate in it in some shape or form.

 

Shaking the House in Iran

Irans spring cleaning coincides with their New Year which is March 21 (the vernal equinox and first day of the solar cycle). This is a time of refreshing, and rejuvenating. Which is why many Iranians also participate in the tradition of khooneh takouni – ‘shaking the house’ – a custom that lives up to its name.Khooneh takouni is a vigorous spring cleaning ritual. During this time, Iranians buy new clothes to wear and clean every corner of the home. This includes rugs, curtains, bedding, floors, ceilings, and even household ornaments. No item in the home is missed and every family member participates.

Cleansing the home at Passover

Another spring cleaning ritual that you can teach your children is the ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleaning the home before the springtime memorial feast of Passover. Passover is among the most important festivals in the Jewish year. It is a time when Jewish people remember how the children of Israel escaped from slavery imposed by the Pharoah when Moses led them out of Egypt over 3000 years ago.  The festival is called Passover because before the final plague began, God told Moses his people should mark their doorposts with lamb’s blood. God would then know which houses to ‘pass over’ and spare them from the plague.

Once Pharaoh allowed the Jews to leave Egypt, they had to leaven such a hurry that their bread did not have time to rise. To this day, during Passover, Jewish people eat unleavened bread called Matzah in remembrance of the rapid escape from Egypt. There are strict prohibitions against eating or drinking anything which may have been leavened or fermented with yeast.  In fact, Jews must clean their homes of even the smallest remnants of chametz (leavened food) for the length of the holiday. They do this by “spring cleaning” the home. The cleaning is followed by a traditional hunt for chametz crumbs by candlelight (called be diktat chametz) on the evening before Passover.

Sweeping away bad luck in China

The Chinese believe spring cleaning should be done in preparation for the New Year. The belief is that doing this will bring them good fortune in the year to come.   At the end of the year, Chinese homes are cleaned from top to bottom. By sweeping floors, and cleaning their homes they are removing any bad luck and misfortune that may have gathered there during the year. They feel sweeping it away is one way to ensure it doesn’t linger ready to continue into the next year. Once the homes are clean and the floors swept, the Chinese welcome and preserve good fortune by refraining from sweeping for many days after the start of the new year. They believe this prevents them from sweeping away any good fortune that came into the house at the turn of the year.

 

Offer Incentives 

One sure fire way to get the kids moving is by letting them know at the end of the Spring cleaning they will be rewarded. This could be a family treat or an individual treat for each child. Here are some things to consider:

  • Pizza night!
  • A trip to the movies
  • Family movie night at home with a special sweet treat
  • Monetary reward for older kids
  • A later bedtime one day throughout the week
  • A new book or video game
  • A reward of their choice

The key is to find something that will motivate them to complete the task with a good attitude and in a timely fashion. We all like to reward ourselves at the end of a hard day right? Our kids are no different.

Spring cleaning is a great time to clean our homes and learn with our children. And even the most tedious tasks can be made into a fun experience with a little bit of creativity. Now, get to work spring cleaning and learning with your kids!

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Easter Traditions From Around the World

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Spring is upon us, and with it comes thoughts of Easter. I’m not sure what you think of when Easter comes to mind, but for me, it’s church , the resurrection, tulips, family gathering, warm weather, and baby animals.  We have numerous family traditions that go along with Easter.   But, have you ever wondered how others around the world celebrate Easter? I have! And was surprised at what I learned about Easter traditions from around the world.

Easter Traditions in Spain

Easter in Spain is considered one of the most important festivals. Spaniards consider it a time of celebration and merriment.  The celebrations start with ‘Domingo de Ramos’, or Palm Sunday, and finish with ‘Lunes de Pascua’, or Easter Monday.

One of the biggest Easter celebrations takes place in Seville. The celebration includes 52 different religious brotherhoods marching through the city. Thousands watch the daily procession of marching bands, decorated candlelit floats and illustrations of the Easter story.

Easter Traditions in Brazil

Easter in Brazil comes during the autumn season due to its geographical location.  Overall the Easter traditions in Brazil are held with much splendor and celebration. Many small towns hold mini versions of Carnival on their Easter Saturday, called ‘Sábado de Aleluia, to celebrate the end of Lent.

Easter Traditions in France 

France celebrates Easter with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. In French, Easter is known as P�ques and is one of the major festivals in the country. One tradition takes places in the town of Haux, where each year a giant omelet is made with 4,500 eggs that feed 1,000 people. The meal is served in the town’s main square.  The reasoning behind the tradition comes from a story about Napolean. Rumor has it that when Napolean and his army traveled through south France, they stopped in the town and ate omelets. He liked the omelets so much that he ordered the townspeople to gather eggs and make him and his army ANOTHER giant omelet the next day.

Easter Traditions in Bermuda 

In Bermuda, Easter is celebrated mostly on Good Friday. The locals celebrate by flying home-made kites, eating codfish cakes and hot cross buns. This Easter tradition is said to have begun when a local teacher from the British Army had a difficult time explaining Christ’s ascension to heaven to his Sunday School class. To help with the lesson he made a kite, shaped like a cross, to illustrate the ascension. Traditionally the Bermuda kites are made with colorful tissue paper, wood, metal, string, and long tails.

 

Easter Traditions in Germany

In Germany, Easter is known by the name of Ostern. The Easter holiday in Germany lasts about three weeks for children. Employers typically give their employees Good Friday, Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday off from work. In America, and other countries, Easter eggs are hidden and children hunt for them. However, in Germany, Easter eggs are displayed on trees and prominently in streets. In fact, some of the trees may hae thousands of multi color eggs hanging on them.

Many countries celebrate Easter 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 Easter around the world is the tradition. No matter what country we are looking at, the Easter holiday is deeply rooted in tradition. A celebration of the past, but remembered today.

What traditions are you leaving behind for your family this Easter holiday? What traditions are you incorporating into your family celebrations?

PS: Have you grabbed your FREE Spring Printable Pack? It’s a great way to add a foreign language to your spring activities!

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Which Foreign Language Should I Teach My Kids?

Reading Time: 3 minutes

When my daughter first told me she wanted to learn a foreign language, I didn’t know where to start. Which language should I teach? Which program should I use? How could I even teach her when I didn’t speak a foreign language?

Now, those questions are too much to answer in one blog post, but chances are you have asked yourself these questions as well. Today, we are going to take a look into determining which foreign language you should teach your kids.

Which language are they interested in? 

I think this is one of the most important questions to ask. I have friends who have adopted internationally. For their children, they were most interested in the language their sibling was native to. This made the most sense and was the most practical place to start.

When my daughter was a preschooler she was fascinated with French because of the book series Fancy Nancy. This was a natural place for us to start when she expressed an interest in foreign language.

Has your child expressed an interest in a certain language? If so, tap into that interest NOW. The easiest way for a child to learn is when they are learning something they are passionate about and interested in. This is true for anything they are learning, including a foreign language.

Which Foreign Language Should I Teach?

Which language do you think they would be most likely to use on a regular basis?

Which foreign language will your child hear regularly? Depending on where you live, you may have a large population of residents who speak a foreign language. This means your child will hear that language often. If so, start there.

I have friends who plan on taking their children on mission trips when they are teenagers. For those families, it is natural for them to teach their children the language they will use in the future. Consider future mission trips or overseas vacations when determining which foreign language you want to teach your children.

We live in an area where the majority of residents speak English only. I think in my whole life, I have had heard another language at our grocery store half a dozen times. All of those instances were college or foreign exchange students. So, for us, there really isn’t a foreign language our children will hear on a regular basis. Because of this, we decided to go with one of the most common foreign languages, Spanish. It is rising in popularity and there are 52 million people in the United States who speak it. The United States has recently been cited as the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. With those statistics, I figured at some point, my children will hear Spanish on a regular basis.

Which language is the easiest to learn? 

A recent study has found that the easiest foreign languages for English speakers to learn are:

Spanish

Spanish is one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn because it only differs from English in word formation and pronunciation. It uses most of the same letters as the English alphabet and grammatically has fewer irregularities than other latin based languages.

Portuguese

Portuguese is a close cousin of Spanish and is spoken both in Portugal and in Brazil. The intonation of Portuguese is very similar to the English language, making mastering many of the words easier than other foreign languages.

French

French is widely used both in France, here, and in many other countries in the world. It is known as a beautiful language that shares an alphabet with many English words.

So, hopefully, this will help you determine which foreign language will work for your family. Once you decide, be sure to us know in the comments which foreign language will you be teaching!


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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10 Foreign Language Apps for Kids

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.

Spanish Language Learning AppsMontessori 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.

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Are You Making Time for Electives?

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?


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