08.22.07

Hola Amigos!
All mommies and daddies, aunties and uncles, and grandparents are truly our children's first and most influential teachers. I am sure that the consensus is that
this is by far the most rewarding job. As the lazy, hazy days of summer begin to dwindle, tough to admit, but so do our "bags of tricks" to help keep children entertained and prepared for September school days. Well…I can offer one piece of advice: explore the option of teaching your loved one a new skill: how to speak Spanish! You still have plenty of time to get your child ready for a unique show and tell activity for Nursery School, Kindergarten, or Elementary School before September, just in time for National Hispanic Heritage Month  Won't your children's future teachers be proud!

As we all know, I am an elementary school teacher, and as I was searching for new multi- cultural materials to use in the classroom, I was intrigued by the website,
Kids Love Spanish. This website offers a variety of educational DVDs to help teach children basic words, alphabet and numbers, colors and shapes, and animals, all in Spanish! Sometimes it is hard to know what you are really getting when you order DVDs on- line, but I knew I could put my trust into producers, Krisse and Julie Brock, both of whom studied Spanish. Krisse has also received two Masters in Education, and she has worked as a Bilingual Teacher and Vice- Principal.  Who better to teach your children Spanish?

The two sisters' enthusiasm is catchy and so are the songs! Even though I was originally shopping for first or second grade classrooms, I was pleasantly surprised as I thought of a few children, under the age of five, who would also reap the benefits. Each Spanish word is presented in a multi- sensory approach that just begs for child involvement!  "Hola" and "Agua" are some meaningful words that are presented in both Spanish and English, given visual and auditory supports, and are also paired with a kinesthetic hand movement. There are plenty of examples and repetitions for each word introduced, along with time for children to interact with adults, repeat words, and practice sentence formulation. This new vocabulary can be incorporated into all types of fun, hands- on activities, such as hearing, discriminating, and practicing phonemes, comparing how Spanish words are similar or different to English words…the list goes on and on! It is great to know that this video series can be used for children of all ages to help build skills necessary to the acquisition of language.

Research supports evidence that learning a foreign language in conjunction with another language at an early age increases problem solving abilities, reading skills, leads to well developed cognitive skills, among other positives. From birth to the age of ten, children's brains are geared to language development.  Why not make it fun for them by watching the entire series of videos produced by The Brock Sisters? Visit their website to shop the store, catch a preview, or to read other reviews featured in Parenting Magazine. So, take a break from teaching, moms!  Sit back, relax, and enjoy watching your child "love to learn Spanish!"