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Prevent Summer Slide! Fun Interactive Sets Encourage Language Learning

July 14, 2020 by Valarie Budayr

{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. 

Interactive Spanish Learning Set

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

Language Lizard 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.

The Touch, Listen & Learn pack

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

Language Lizard 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!

Language Lizard talking phonics set

The Talking Phonics Set includes:

  • 8 Talking Charts
  • 6 Game boards
  • 36 Flash Cards
  • 2 Talking Books
  • 1 Set of Recordable Labels
  • Frog Puppet
  • 16 page Guide Booklet

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

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!


***Support the diverse children’s literacy initiative Multicultural Children’s Book Day! Our 8th celebration will take place on January 29, 2021. Creators can donate books that will be reviewed and shared on social media. We also have sponsorships at a variety of price points.***

**If you have questions about Multicultural Children’s Book Day, how to get involved, or how to get free books for your school or classroom, email Kristi at Admin (at) MulticulturalChildrensBookDay (dot) com **

Filed Under: Guest Posts, Language, Multicultural Booklist, Teacher Tools Tagged With: dual-language children's books, early learning, Foreign Language in Elementary School, language learning over the summer, Language Lizard, Language Lizard Early Learning Literacy Pack, PENpal Audio Recorder Pen

Why learning a Foreign Language in Elementary School is Important

February 19, 2019 by Valarie Budayr

Guest post by Judy Martialay

Learning a Foreign Language in Elementary School is Important and Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) is a wonderful boost for all kids. As I mentioned in my past article on MCBD, the world that we need to prepare our children for is filled with multiple languages. Regardless of their career choices or where they may live, it is more probable than ever that they will be communicating and working with people from diverse language and cultural backgrounds.

FLES programs

Foreign Language in Elementary Schools

Why begin to learn a language early? We can learn a language at any age, but starting very young has big advantages:

1.Children have more time to learn a language. It takes many years to be truly fluent in a language. Think of how long it took your child to speak English effortlessly, practicing day in and day out.

2.Children are wired to learn languages. They have the ability to repeat any sound in a foreign language and to speak with almost native pronunciation. This means that they will not only be understood but also they will be able to hear and understand better. This ability disappears at around the age of puberty, 12 years old., just when most of our

students are beginning to study a language.

Foreign Language in Elementary School | What are FLES classes like?

I recently interviewed Mr.D,  the teacher of Mandarin Chinese in our local elementary school. All the children in our district begin Mandarin in kindergarten. They can change to Spanish in grade 3 and to other languages in middle school. The Mandarin class is described here, but classes in Spanish or any other language are similar at this level.

Children address Mr. D using the Mandarin word for “teacher”, Laoshi.  The students learn with a variety of activities, games, and songs. They greet each other and ask how they are. They learn to talk about the weather, school, countries, food, and many other topics. The day I interviewed the teacher, the children were learning the body parts in Mandarin, and they played “Pin the tail on the Dragon.”

Mandarin language

The teacher reads stories to the children. He brings comic books into the older classes and encourages them to recognize characters.

Throughout the year, kindergarten children work on a book project,“All About Me”, where they write their autobiographies. Older children work on projects using technologies with IPAD and Chrome, where they can compose stories.

The children learn the pronunciation of Mandarin, including the tones, by repetition. Repetition is good when learning a foreign language!

In kindergarten, Mr. D.introduces the Chinese characters with a book called The Pet Dragon by Christoph Nieman. Children practice the strokes needed to form the characters and gain familiarity with apps.

Mandarin books for kids

At this age, children accept this new language without question. With Mandarin (and Spanish or French, etc) they are learning to think in a different way. This ability to express ideas in a different way promotes flexibility in the brain; this ability has major cognitive benefits. They are also learning to accept cultural differences.

Children are encouraged to use their Mandarin outside of class. One girl has befriended a waiter in the local Chinese restaurant and brought him a weather wheel that she made in class. Some children’s parents speak Mandarin or have colleagues who speak the language with the children.

Boys do as well as girls in FLES classes. At this age, they have not yet absorbed attitudes that are prevalent about how it isn’t macho to speak a foreign language.

Students of all abilities can succeed because there is ample time and repetition for practice to master the language.

What can parents do to encourage their children?

In our mostly monolingual country, your support as a parent can make a big difference. Point out the benefits of knowing another language. Find a relative or friend who speaks the language and is willing to have conversations with your child in the language.

You can encourage your budding bilingual children by finding opportunities for the kids to practice, with free apps, Duo Lingo,  programs on Youtube,  and movies about culture. Take the children to a restaurant where food from that country is served. Make visits to local cultural events.

What can you do if your district doesn’t offer FLES classes?

In the U.S., only about 25% of elementary schools, public or private, offer any form of FLES program. If your school district doesn’t have FLES classes, what can you do?

The benefits are so important, you don’t want your child to lose this opportunity. Go to the school principal and/or superintendent and ask that they begin these programs. If possible, go with like-minded parents; there is strength in numbers.

Meantime, find a program that you can use at home with your child, like ¡Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish or Bonjour! Let’s Learn French. These books are designed for parents to use with their children, 6-10, whether or not they know the language. The audio program is free and downloadable on the website http://www.polyglotkidz.com, along with lots of resources. The books are easy and fun to use for the whole family. There may be private classes available in your area, summer camps, and lots of resources online.

Every child should have the opportunity to begin to learn a second language early and to continue learning that language until he or she is proficient.

For free downloadable infosheets about the benefits of learning a language other than English, please visit http://polyglotkidz.com/benefits_of_knowing_another_language/

Please make sure that your child has the early language advantage enjoyed by their peers around the world. Request a FLES program for your school. Find alternatives for your child if necessary, and learn or review the language yourself. Enjoy!

About the Author

Judy Martialay

Judy has taught languages on Long Island and is an active member of the Public Advocacy Committee of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers. She lives on Long Island with her husband. Has two daughters and a granddaughter. Her missions are have let every child have the opportunity to learn a world language at an early age, and she wants parents, everyone to have fun with a language and appreciate the beauty of the cultures of our world. Judy is the author of ¡HOLA! Let’s Learn Spanish  and her newest book, Bonjour! Let’s Learn French will be published in October

“Language study promotes tolerance for diversity.”
Visit: http://www.polyglotkidz.com
¡HOLA! Let’s Learn Spanish

 

NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner Winter 2017

Judy Martialay
Honorable Mention Educational Purple Dragonfly Book Award 2017
Available on Amazon.com
softcover printed:
http://amzn.to/29Hu1hn
Kindle:
http://amzn.to/2ey4yhV
B&N:
http://bit.ly/2eNNi6o
Like me on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJudyMartialay/
follow me on Twitter
Judy Martialay@judyruth10
Lead with languages

 

Filed Under: Author Visits, Language Tagged With: Foreign Language in Elementary School, Mandarin books for kids, Mandarin language

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