This is going to catch like wildfire!

Yesterday I had the great fortune of meeting with Dr. Seretha Curry, the director of HeadStart for the Urban League. She and her Assistant Director were very enthusiastic about our school model and scheduled information presentations at all of their parent meetings for the month of November. As we talked more about SLLIS Dr. Curry said “You’re not going to have enough spaces for the demand!” What joy! She is the first person that I’ve met in the past two years who was so immediately convinced that parents in all demographics would flock to our schools. Ms. Denise asked if she could put her three year old on the intent to enroll list now. The more we talked about our parent engagement model Dr. Curry said “I love it!” and noted that because her families are customed to a high level of parent involvement and voice in their HeadStart experience, they would be particularly excited to be founding families whose voices were respected and solicited by the school.
“This is going to catch like wildfire.” – Seretha Curry, Ed.D

Thanks Dr. Curry!

Bringing Language into Your Home (Part II) and Contest

Here is just a brief list with links of some of the favorite French things that have become staples in our home for learning French.

Many of these items were sourced through the internet, some brought back while on vacation and others were great finds at local bookstores.
Music
We are huge music fans in our home. Putumayo offers a wonderful series of “Playground” CDs, which are designed for the younger set but are thoroughly entertaining for adults as well. One of my favorite things about the French Playground CD is that the songs are from French speaking countries around the world.

Recently I also discovered this quaint little website that is a great resource for learning together with your child. Mama Lisa has collected a number of nursery rhymes and songs together and provided audio clips, lyrics and sheet music to assist you and your child in learning and singing with ease.
http://www.mamalisa.com/world/france.html

A classic record has been redistributed on CD. This album was a staple in many households with French speaking children in the 70s and the clear tones and lyrics make this an excellent sing along.
http://www.amazon.com/French-Children-Lucienne-Vernay-Quatres/dp/B00005CEP5/ref=pd_sim_m_7

Books
There are such a wide variety of publishers out there offering French books that are easily accessed through the web.
Usborne Books is one of our favorite publishers. They offer a wide selection of books including a French Songbook (see above music notes) that links to a website that has the music for the songs online. They also have an incredible selection of first word dictionaries, flipbooks that introduce French language and English vocabulary together and many other storybooks and learning aids. The online learning support offered by this company is truly amazing and the texture and feel of the books are inviting. http://www.usborne.com/catalogue/browse.asp?css=1&subject=l&subcat=LF

Flashcards
Flashcards can be an effective tool to use for learning. There are many styles available but eeBOO (www.eeboo.com) has some of the best that are out there in my opinion. With detailed images on beautifully colored cards, one side offers the image with the word in French, a phrase beneath containing the word, and a header at the top for what category it belongs to (i.e.: colors, animals, transportation). The flip side offers the exact same information only in English. The best part about these flash cards is they include a card that offers suggestions on how to effectively use the cards in addition to a card that offers phonetic translations for each of the words and phrases for any of the cards. There are hours of activities and games that can be created with this set.
Dictionary
Having a good dictionary is essential. When you r child is young, it is the perfect resource for you to ensure that your pronunciation is right or to find the correct translation for a word and as your child gets older, they in turn can use this resource for themselves.
Movies
You may already have some of these resources at home. Check your DVDs to see if they have the option of being played in French. Some do and it is very easy to setup to play in French from the main menu. For older children, you can also set up the subtitles so that they become aware of the written words in French as well.

Here are just a few resources to get you started to help your child learn French at home. If you have a resource or something that you do to keep your child learning and excited about language, we would love to hear about it. Please add a comment and share your favorite learning tip or resource. Don’t forget to include your email address.
We will draw randomly from all comments on 10/15/ 2008 and the lucky winner will receive a set of eeBoo French Flashcards.

Dana Fontaine

French School Project Group

Bringing Language into Your Home (Part I)

Guest Blogger: Dana Fontaine, French School Project Group member

For many parents who do not speak a second language, the mere prospect of assisting your child to learn a second language can be a daunting one. It is difficult to decide where to begin or what steps to take in order to make the journey a successful one for both you and your child.
The good news is that children’s brains are capable of learning and becoming proficient with any language. Science has shown that children make every sound needed to speak any language by the time they are two years old. Their young minds seem to have a natural fascination with language that is remarkable.
Pay close attention to your child when they are in public and hear a person speaking a foreign language, their gaze will often shift towards those speaking. Their ears working hard to hear every detail while their brains are working hard to process this unfamiliar information. There are many simple actions that you can engage in that will encourage your child to learn another language. Below are some examples that you can practice to bring more language in to your home.

Exposure is the basis of learning another language. This can take on many forms. Music, books, movies, and radio are just some of the mediums available to expose your child to a new language Regardless of what form you choose, the key is having some constant form of exposure ensures that the child’s ear and mind will become acclimatized to the sounds the new language creates and will engage a natural curiosity.
Engagement is also a very important part of learning. Children of all ages are far more receptive to learning if the adults that surround them engage with them through the learning process. Perhaps it is learning a song or nursery rhyme with your toddler, or watching a film with your teen. By sitting with them and becoming engaged in the learning process, you model the importance of the task and the idea that learning is fun. One added benefit is that you will learn along with your child, which will allow you both to share the pride of achieving a goal together.
Repetition is also a key component to learning a new language. Whether it be practicing vocabulary or mastering conjugations, repetition is inevitable. With small children the learning of nursery rhymes makes the repetition of new vocabulary fun and offers them a sense of independence as they master the skill. For older children, the process may be more daunting but can be made interesting with the employment of small games or challenges. (One learning tool is to have the child roll a die and whatever number comes up, is the number of times they need to repeat a pronunciation or copy the spelling of a word.)

In the next installment, we will provide examples of some tools you can bring into your home to make the learning process enjoyable for you and your child.