International Mother Language Day is celebrated worldwide each February 21. This year’s theme is “multilingual education – a necessity to transform education in a multilingual world.”
Let’s look at its history and ways you can celebrate at home and school!
{Guest Post by Language Lizard}
Have you ever walked through a park and thought, “Wow! This reminds me of a book I read when I was a kid!” but you can’t be sure which one? With a StoryWalk®, you don’t have to rely on nostalgia because the book joins you on your stroll. You can even expose yourself to a new language with a Multilingual StoryWalk®. [Read more…]
{Guest post from Language Lizard}
Every summer, parents, and teachers find themselves worrying about the dreaded “summer learning slide,” when kids potentially lose some progress they made during the school year. This year, there are even more concerns stemming from lengthy pandemic-related school closures across the country.
A long break from language learning exposure can erode some of a student’s hard-earned achievement gains. For parents and teachers looking for a fun way for kids to continue their language learning over the summer, Language Lizard has 3 fun, interactive language sets: A new Spanish learning set, an English early learning literacy pack, and an English phonics set.
Each set uses a PENpal Audio Recorder Pen that lets kids tap images and hear the target language spoken. They will love exploring the charts and cards, independently or with an adult, while developing their sound discrimination skills. Kids and adults can make their own custom recordings, too!
Interactive Spanish Learning Set
With these interactive learning charts, kids can tap images to hear words in Spanish. Each chart features its own theme and lets kids practice their knowledge with fun learning games.
This set can be used as a stand-alone resource, or in combination with other teaching materials. Children can play the games independently, in small groups, or with a whole class. This set is ideal for learners 7 to 12 years old.
The Spanish set includes 31 large (11.69 x 16.54 inches) sound-enabled, interactive charts. The charts begin with simple words and build up in skill level. All of the recorded Spanish is spoken by native speakers.
| Early Learning Literacy Pack
The Touch, Listen & Learn pack is a unique chart set that helps kids learn critical English words and themes by adding a sound element. The set is an ideal resource for early learners (ages 3-6), new arrivals, or special needs students. It’s easy to use, so children can work independently with the set, just by tapping pictures with the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen.
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| This set features 11 large, interactive charts that reinforce listening, speaking and reading skills. Kids can explore the following themes: Home, Fruit & Vegetables, Animals, Transportation, In the Classroom, Colors, Numbers, Shapes, Parts of the Body, Clothes, and Family.
The interactive audio games challenge children to identify and recall specific words and provide immediate reinforcement. There are also opportunities for self-correction – a vital skill for language learning. |
Talking Phonics Set
The award-winning Talking Phonics Set comes with beautifully illustrated charts, games, and books, all designed to support educators and parents of children who are developing early phonics skills.
Children can explore the charts and cards with the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen, independently or with an adult while developing their sound discrimination skills. You can also use the included PENpal labels to make your own recordings!
The Talking Phonics Set includes:
This set complements existing phonics resources and teaching methods. The packs are designed to support early learners (ages 3-6), new arrivals, or special needs students.
PENpal Audio Recorder Pen
The sets featured here require the use of a PENpal Audio Recorder Pen. If you do not already own one, you can add a PENpal (with over 100 recordable stickers) to your purchase of these sets at a discounted price.
With the PENpal, children can listen to content in many languages by simply touching the pen to interactive books, charts, labels, and other learning resources. Custom narrative, music, or sound effects can be recorded with the Recordable Labels.
Check out Language Lizard’s videos and other support resources to learn more about the PENpal Audio Recorder Pen, and all of their PENpal products and literacy value sets.
These interactive language sets are a great way to keep the learning going over the long summer break. What are your favorite ways to encourage learning and reading over the summer? Comment below and share your ideas!
MCBD has been blessed with an amazing connection and relationship with Language Lizard for several years. We are also honored they continue to be a reoccurring Medallion Level Sponsor for our Multicultural Children’s Book Day celebrations. This company always presents a high level of professionalism while providing much need products in a huge variety of languages. We are lucky to be able to continue to work with them and share their wisdom. Enjoy.
“Bilingual is in my blood,” shared Anneke Forzani, company president and founder of Language Lizard; a woman-owned business that offers award-winning bilingual children’s products in over 50 languages. “My passion for bilingualism started when I was a child and that thread runs through all parts of my life. My parents immigrated from Belgium so the European lifestyle was part of my childhood. My father was also a college professor so I have fond memories of him inviting students who couldn’t go home for the holidays to our house. Our Thanksgiving table was often surrounded by a variety of languages and cultures.”
Forzani went on to share that this love of language stayed with her well into adulthood and was instrumental in the creation of her company, Language Lizard. The mission of the company is comprised of Two Pillars:
Pillar #1: To facilitate the celebration of diversity and multicultural education with bilingual (dual-language) children’s books, audio resources, multicultural posters, and culturally responsive teaching support. Language Lizard is also committed to supporting the academic and social development of English language learners while promoting the maintenance of home or heritage languages.
Pillar #2: To continually give back to the community.
“Language Lizard is pleased to support any companies that are interested in providing a unique charitable giving program to the communities in which they work, or to educational programs that they support,” Forzani noted. “We also participate in the Pledge 1% Program. It’s a global initiative that strives to change the world by inspiring early-stage corporate philanthropy. Pledge 1% is an easy way to leverage a portion of our future success to support nonprofits in our community. It’s a small commitment today that can make a huge impact tomorrow.”
The company supports dual language learners and promotes multicultural education and the maintenance of heritage languages by offering many products in hard-to-find languages like Hmong, Somali, Farsi, and many more.
 Inspire kids to learn languages and understand diverse cultures
with our creative, award-winning multilingual products! BOOKS: All of their books are dual-language (bilingual) and include English as well as the language you select. Each page (or facing page) contains both languages. Please click on any language below to find the products available in that language. |
“The need to establish an awareness of and respect for other cultures in the next generation is clear,” Forzani shared. “We are living in a global community. In the US, over 20% of the population is either foreign-born or has a foreign-born parent. The Census Bureau estimates that by the end of the 21st century, minorities will represent more than half of the total population. In addition, with the expansion of the Internet and inexpensive international communications, the world is becoming increasingly interdependent.”
With a constant eye on providing the tools and resources for adults as well as kids, Forzani and her team pooled their knowledge and expertise to create their wildly popular book Building Bridges with Bilingual Books and Multicultural Resources. Published in 2019, this robust book is a practical manual of lesson plans, literacy games, and fun activities from around the world to celebrate diversity in the classroom and at home. This resource gives educators the tools to build culturally responsive classrooms that embrace multiculturalism.
Building Bridges with Bilingual Books and Multicultural Resources
“Our children must be comfortable working and playing with people of other backgrounds and ethnicities in order to succeed. As teachers and parents, we have a responsibility as well as a terrific opportunity to develop young people who are tolerant of other cultures and comfortable working in a diverse environment. We also have the ability to help children maintain existing home language skills and encourage parental involvement in education while at the same time promoting literacy and a love of reading. Language Lizard aims to give you the tools to do so.”
Their BLOG is filled with articles that support the education of dual-language children and promote literacy.
Parents, teachers, and librarians can also download free multicultural lesson plans that teach all students to appreciate and understand the diversity in our communities.
Language Lizard is a longtime sponsor of Multicultural Children’s Book Day and a current 2020 Platinum Sponsor.
The Company is located in Basking Ridge, NJ, and can be reached at 1-888-LLIZARD (888-554-9273) or info@LanguageLizard.com . For address information and to contact Language Lizard using their online form, click here.
Their products have been well-reviewed by critics, families, and teachers. Click here to read reviews and awards on specific products. Click here to read Testimonials by Language Lizard’s customers.
Language Lizard is excited to announce an epic giveaway to promote reading to celebrate 15 YEARS of supporting language learners!
Language Lizard giveaway
Win packages of bilingual books in over 50 languages! Extra winners selected during the pandemic. All entrants receive a free diversity lesson plan.
Enter for a chance to win throughout the year by doing 2 easy steps:
(1) Fill out and submit the giveaway form and (2) Sign up for our newsletter.
Sign up at www.LanguageLizard.com/
