Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

When I first began considering a foreign language I tried one of those “well known” Spanish courses for Kids. You know the ones everyone has heard of. I had the girls on the computer speaking along with the “instructor”. They honestly learned very little. And they definitely didn’t have conversations with each other in Spanish.

So, we ditched it. And then I heard about Foreign Languages for Kids. I loved that the whole family could use it and couldn’t wait to try it out with the girls. So, imagine my surprise when it was my YOUNGEST who started speaking Spanish on a daily basis. He wasn’t even the one I WANTED to learn Spanish!

Then, I learned that experts believe learning a Foreign Language at a young age is actually the way to go. There are many reasons why early is better! Let’s take a look.

 

Young kids enjoy learning! 

Children enjoy learning. They don’t consider it “school” or “work” they jump into most activities with a zeal for life. They don’t know that learning a foreign language is improving their cognitive ability. They don’t care if an activity is helping their motor skills. They LOVE to learn.

Think about it, would you put on funny songs or use hand puppets with a high school foreign language class? NO! But, young children? Of course! This is because at that age learning is still fun. And when something is fun it is amazing how much quicker one learns.

They don’t worry about getting it wrong!

I can see this difference big time in my three children. They are 10, 5 and 12.  My younger two will speak the new Spanish words they learned all day long. They say them to their friends, their dad, and the people at the store. My oldest…. not so much. She will if she KNOWS the word is correct. But, the new words she learned in the day’s lesson? Not so much.

Young children are undaunted with the idea of making mistakes. They want to see the response they will get from others when they use their new words and vocabulary. This is exciting and empowering for them. Older kids worry more about what their peers think and don’t want to risk saying a word the wrong way. This keeps their daily practice at a minimum. Younger children will practice all day long!

 

It will improve their academic abilities!

Studying a foreign language “strongly reinforces the core subject areas of reading, English language literacy, social studies, and math,” and helps students “consistently outperform control groups on standardized tests, often significantly,” according to a 2007 University of Maine publication. Academic performances across the board can be improved simply by learning a foreign language.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

Have you ever came to a word while reading a book you’re totally engrossed in, but have the slightest idea the meaning of the word?  If you haven’t, I have and so have my children.  When this happens we often use context clues to help us figure out the meaning of the word or we grab a dictionary to help us if using the context isn’t working too well.  Reading without understanding is not wise because it can easily make for misunderstanding the author’s intention of the text.   It also can cause the reader to become frustrated due to the difficulty of the language.  These are just a few reasons why vocabulary matters.

Wikipedia.org defines vocabulary as the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person.  As a person develops so should their vocabulary.  In order to help a child to develop an extensive vocabulary, it is important to expose them to different words through more than one medium.

 

Three Ways to Develop Vocabulary

1. Exposure can happen through verbal communication.  Do you often use the same words over and over again?  If so, consider incorporating synonyms for the words you use most often when communicating with your child.  For instance, instead of asking your child to show you how to use his new toy, you could ask him to demonstrate its use to you. This allows him to hear a new word in the midst of a familiar environment.  
2. Introduce new vocabulary through literature.  I have learned quite a few new words through text.  One of my favorite words that I learned from reading was chasm.  I am sure I heard the word before, and I am also sure I allowed it slide right past me because I didn’t know the meaning.  When I read the word, I was able to stop in the moment and define it.  Now I know the meaning of chasm, and I always recognize it when someone uses it in conversation or a television show.  When your child finds new words in literature, you can encourage her to create her own vocabulary dictionary.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, cardstock and printer will do.  This will encourage her to stop and define the words she doesn’t know in the text, and hopefully the next time she reads the word it’ll be part of her vocabulary.
3. Foreign language can boost vocabulary.  Learning a foreign language can be difficult if you have limited vocabulary in your native language, but learning a foreign language can also help you expand your vocabulary because learning it will force your child to be a diligent listener and student. Immersion programs such as Foreign Languages for Kids help build listening comprehension and vocabulary. If your child has a limited English vocabulary, but learns new words in Spanish he would soon know those new words in both English and Spanish therefore increasing his vocabulary.  Not only will his vocabulary increase in those two languages, but he will also have a broader range of root words which often comes in handy when learning more difficult words.  

 

Vocabulary is cited as one of the most common reasons for high achievements on standardized tests.  It is also a skill that is constantly developing throughout life.  No wonder vocabulary matters.  

How are you developing your child’s vocabulary today?

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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.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

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

 

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.

 

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.

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.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

*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 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!

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.

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Spanish is a beautiful language, and here in the States it is becoming increasingly important for us to have at least a grasp of the language. Teaching it in your homeschool can seem daunting (especially if you don’t know it), but Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn and you can make it fun. I minored in Spanish in college because I fell in love with it, so my boys have been hearing and speaking Spanglish for most of their lives. But it is important to me that they have a background in true Spanish before they set forth in the world. Here are some ways that we make Spanish fun!

We include Spanish in our homeschool in some way every year.

It’s a little easier for me, because I studied it for years. I don’t really need to purchase a program for them to learn from. But sometimes I do anyway. Why? It’s better for all of us to get a new perspective on how to learn a language. One of the best tools I’ve used is the Spanish for Dummies discs. If you have no background whatsoever, these discs are a good place to start. They’re divided into easy lessons. I like them because the boys get to hear correct pronunciations of the words. I’m good, but I’m not that good. I can’t quite lose the American accent. These days we use them for review, but they were a big help to the boys when they were getting the basics down.

No matter what language program you use, there are tons of ways to add a little fun to your Spanish lessons. I found a website called MisCositas that has free teaching materials and (even better) thematic units to help you teach Spanish. When we did the ‘El Bosque Tropical (tropical rainforest)’ unit one year, we turned the whole classroom into a rainforest with paper trees and animals. As we learned new words we added them to our decorations. I think the boys learned more from that unit that anything else ever. Hands-on lessons are so much better than rote memorization and worksheets, don’t you think?

We include lots of other fun stuff, too.

Games are a big part of our Spanish lessons.

Here are just a few we like to play:

• Spanish bingo
• Spanish Scrabble
• Spanish-English Word Match (it’s like Concentration, but you have to match the Spanish word to the English word.)
• Spanish hangman

The great thing about those games is that they’re all pretty easy to put together yourself for various lessons. For example, we have a Types of Food Bingo, a Weather Bingo, and an Articles of Clothing Bingo. I made the cards up myself in Word and printed them on card stock. Laminate those little buggers and you have years worth of play to first teach, then to remind, your littles of words they may have forgotten over time. I made up the Word Match cards, too, with similar categories. That game is amazing for helping them think of the Spanish meaning automatically. And even though my boys are supercool teenagers now, they still love to play it.

There are three types of books I recommend for learning the Spanish language.

 

The first should be obvious–a Spanish-English dictionary. Our copy of The Oxford New Spanish Dictionary is well-thumbed and should probably be replaced. We rarely get through an entire lesson without pulling it out.

The second might surprise you, especially if you’re just starting out, but a Spanish reader is imperative. We started out with Easy Spanish Reader by William T. Tardy, and I was so pleased by how quickly it helped my boys pick up the language. The short essays are entirely in Spanish, as are the questions at the end. (This is where the dictionary came in handy.) We started reading from it on the very first day, the boys writing out translations as we read. I was surprised that they were able to answer the questions within a few days and it took a very short time for them to be able to read most of an essay without referring to the dictionary. Within a couple weeks, they no longer had to write the translations down because they could retain what they were reading and answer the questions. It. was. amazing.

The third type of book is any ol’ picture book that is in Spanish but has the English translation. Being able to read the text in Spanish then check the translation in English is a huge help. I would even venture to recommend a book of Pablo Neruda’s poetry. One, he’s a genius, and two, there are scads of books out there that have the poems in Spanish on one page and in English on the next. Seriously, we use Pablo all the time. Thanks, Pablo.

Spanish is easy to learn because each letter only has one sound and, unlike English, each word has one meaning. There are a few exceptions to those hard rules, but they are truly few. So don’t make it hard on yourself. Make it fun, and your littles will learn Spanish easily.

KT Brison is a former children’s librarian and educator who gave all that up for the most important job in her life—homeschooling her boys.Though she loves the outdoors and rambling around her farm, she can usually be found with her nose in a book. Any book. As long as it has words. You can find her blogging at Lit Mama Homeschool or like her on Facebook for daily updates.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Learning a foreign language, or at least studying one for 2-3 years, has been a staple requirement for admission to most colleges, well, almost forever! But even beyond that, there are good reasons to teach language in your homeschool, and it really isn’t as hard to do as you might think. Are you unsure about how to get started teaching foreign languages in your homeschool?  Or maybe even what language to teach?

 

Why teach a foreign language?

Language studies are so much more than sitting down with a textbook and memorizing verb conjugations. Creative language studies can help us become open to other cultures and other ways of thinking or doing things.  They can include history and literature studies…trying new foods…styles…geography…sports…whatever and wherever your students’ interests lie may often direct and influence the direction you take!  But don’t downplay the discipline that’s involved in learning a foreign language.  The concentration and focus required to learn those conjugations can be applied to other areas of their lives and studies, as well.

How do I go about teaching a foreign language in our homeschool?

Well, there are certainly pros and cons to language teaching at home – one of the greatest challenges is that most of us don’t even speak another language (I’m speaking to Americans, here; many Europeans speak at least 1 other language besides their ‘mother tongue’).  So, we ask, how can we teach them?  Thankfully, there are many curricula available for language learning at home.

Here are some considerations before you open your checkbook or sign into PayPal…

1) Is your child college-bound?  If you already have an inkling of where your student is headed for college, check with their admissions office and see how many years of study are required in high-school.  If your child is NOT college-bound, you still might want to consider language study, but it might be utilizing a less-formal method.

2) Has your child already shown an interest or ability in a foreign language?  Students who are interested get engaged quickly!  Work with them to find the way they best learn and don’t waste a second to get started…  If they have not shown any interest, you might want to consider teaching Latin.  Latin is not spoken anymore, so there is no ‘stress’ to learning correct pronunciation.  And, there are many advantages to learning Latin. Among them:

• Latin provides an excellent grounding for education
• Latin helps with English grammar
• Latin helps maximize your student’s SAT scores
• Latin develops a more-generalized accuracy
• Latin is the language of the sciences and medicine
• As Western Literature is “saturated” with Latin, understanding Latin leads to a greater understanding of Literature

source: http://bit.ly/WaX28X and http://bit.ly/WaW9gH

3) Finding your curriculum. Talk to other homeschoolers or those you know from your support group to see what they have used and might recommend, and why.  Google some of the names you hear about, see if they offer sample lessons or have product reviews available, just be aware that all the reviews you read on their sites will be positive.  Get to a curriculum fair and talk to the representatives there about their products.

4) Give it some time. Language learning may be difficult, and you might need to “tweak” your approach or even try a different curriculum.  But don’t rush into it – give it a few months before you decide to throw out the baby with the bathwater.  Learning a foreign language takes time, and it can take a lifetime to become fluent.  Sometimes the best you can ask for is that your child completes the requirements to get into college.  But with a good attitude (yours AND theirs), learning a foreign language can add a richness and depth to both your child’s studies and his life…

 

Pat Fenner has been homeschooling her brood of 5 for almost 20 years. With a passion for encouraging moms in their parenting and homeschooling efforts, she shares experience-inspired wisdom with her friend Candy over at PatAndCandy.com. Sign up at their site for free printables and other “members only” materials to help you be the best you can be for your family!  Stay connected with them over at Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, too!

Reading Time: 2 minutes

We are so excited to share with you all the launch of our new blog! FL4K is an up and coming Spanish immersion program that is different from all those other ones out there.

Here’s how!

 

We are MEANT for Kids!

Many of those other Spanish immersion programs out there are not meant for kids. They were created for adults, and are now packaged and sold to the homeschool community. FL4K is different.

FL4K was created to give parents a fun and easy way for their children to learn Spanish.

Kit Strauss founded the Spanish immersion program for kids when she was unable to find quality foreign language products and programs for her three sons. Our video series incorporates a teaching style that Kit developed over a decade with her own children. It combines immersion with visuals – adding a good dose of humor and fun.

Our game Dice Off™ was developed out of Kit’s early experiences with her own children. She would make up games her children enjoyed. She also studied world language teachers and classes to find the most positive ways for kids to learn. Our program was clearly designed FOR kids!

Immersion is Best!

When your child is learning to say his first words, how does he do that? Does he watch a video? Repeat into a microphone after hearing a word? No. He picks up on his first words by being involved in day to day life. He hears the words, he sees the words, he FEELS the words. This is called immersion.

And this is EXACTLY how FL4K teaches Spanish. Our videos walk you through a family’s day-to-day life. Through our videos, your kids will HEAR and SEE the words being used. Our characters are real life people who speak the words with feeling.  They interact with their siblings, pets, and in their community. The whole program is in Spanish just like a child who is learning their native language hears it spoken in their day to day lives.

With FL4K, your children will not be learning mute phrases like, “The man drank” or “The woman eats”. Your child will be learning REAL phrases that are spoken in REAL life on a daily basis.

This is immersion. Very few programs make learning Spanish meaninful and practical. But, FL4K DOES!

The Whole Family Can Learn Together! 

One of the best parts about FL4K is that even though it is designed for kids, the whole family can learn together. The videos are geared towards preschool through sixth grade, but if you watch them with your children you and your teens will learn too. With an immersion approach, it is nearly impossible to NOT pick up on the Spanish language. This means the whole family can use our Spanish immersion program together! Not one by one on the computer or with mom going from child to child using a workbook. One program. One lesson. Together. That is how FL4K works!

We are FUN!

FL4K is a fun program. It is not another task to mark off of your to-do list. We offer hands-on games, learning activities, colorful workbooks with hands-on teaching ideas, and much more.  Painful memorization is not useful or fun.

Bottom line: Your kids will not complain about learning Spanish! They may even BEG to do it!

Don’t believe me?  Read some of our many testimonials from happy customers! Check out these reviews and hear from others who have used the program.

Then, come back and give us a try! We promise you will NOT be disappointed!