Interactive New DVDs Teaches Bilingual Skills Through Songs

Sing and Learn Spanish, Sing and Learn More Spanish and Sing and Learn English Warble Onto DVD March 23, 2010 from Master Communications

Music and songs have often played an important role in the educational development of young children. And with the growing importance and relevance of knowing a second language, particularly Spanish, in today’s multicultural society, it’s never been a more crucial time to learn. It’s also never been easier thanks to Sing and Learn Spanish, Sing and Learn More Spanish and Sing and Learn English, available on DVD March 23, 2010 from Master Communications.

Sing and Learn is an engaging and effective tool, whether teaching a second language – in this case, Spanish – or preserving it as a native language at home. Developed by Agnes Chavez, a language expert, teacher and producer of Spanish DVDs, the DVDs have been proven to teach Spanish to children the fun and easy way. Children are constantly exposed to multicultural rhythms from around the world and Sing and Learn capitalizes on that, bringing Salsa, Cumbia and Ranchera music to life in these videos while showing youngsters engaged in fun, everyday activities.

In Sing and Learn Spanish, children learn about Los Animales (Animals); Del Jardín (From the Garden); Mi Casa (My House); ¿Qué Hacen? (What Do They Do?); ¿Qué Tiene tu Cuerpo? (What Does Your Body Have?); ¿Qué Buscas? (What Are You Looking For?); ¿Adónde Vas? (Where Are You Going?); and ¿Cuál Es? (Which is it?).

In Sing and Learn More Spanish, lessons include Recuerdan (Remember); ¿Cómo es tu Familia? (What is Your Family Like?); ¿Para qué ir a la Escuela? (Why Do We Go to School?); ¿Te Gusta la Naturaleza? (Do You Like Nature?); ¿Cómo Anda la Gente? (How Do People Get Around?); ¿Qué Quieres Ser? (What Do You Want to Be?); ¿ Quieres ir a la Ciudad? (Do You Want to Go to the City?); and Aprendimos (We Learned).

In Sing and Learn English, chapters include Animals, From the Garden, My House, What Do They Do? What Does Your Body Have?, What Are You Looking For?, Where Are You Going? Which is it? Toe-tapping music accompanies each segment and exposes little ears to different kinds of musical styles. Young learners can use Sing and Learn English to brush up on early reading skills.

Sing and Learn titles are appropriate for children ages three and older and have running times of approximately 27 minutes each. SRP is $19.99 for each title in the series. For more information or to order DVDs, call 1-800-765-5885 or visit www.master-comm.com.

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Joy Berry Books

I recently received a few books to review from Perseus Distribution. The books developed by Joy Berry, an educator, parenting expert, and child-development specialist, are designed to address childhood issues at each specific age and grade level.

Her collection of books cover topics such as Feeling Disappointed, Getting Hurt, and Being Away from Your Parents for ages 3 to 6 in the Let’s Talk About series to dealing with Divorce or Disasters for ages 6 to 12 in the Good Answers to Tough Questions series.

In her website you will find books by series, challenge, subject, age. The ones that impressed most of my friends are her Teach Me About books, which help parents cover challenges we may face with potty training, meal time, and even bedtime.

The books I reviewed included topics discussing Being Greedy, Whining, Being Rude, Being Messy among others. All books came with a CD which included a read-along with Joy track with voices for the characters in the books.

My kids really enjoy them and they are a wonderful way to introduce conversation and discussion over whatever challenges we may be facing with our children.

Books can be purchased directly through the Joy Berry website store. This is also where you can find the new books coming out for Spring 2010.

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Awesome Apps!

New iPhone applications that make life a little easier & a lot more fun!

Scholastic:

Scholastic has released new iPhone applications for kids I think you would love!  Parents are always looking for games that are perfect for travel to keep kids entertained and learning all the way to their destinations.

• CLIFFORD’S BE BIG With Words: A great word game for kids who love Clifford and love to learn! The app encourages early readers to build their skills in spelling, phonics and vocabulary as they spell words and are rewarded with pictures to show the words’ meanings.

• I SPY Riddle Race: Combines the classic I SPY search-and-find play with the appeal of board games and timed challenges. Inspired by the best-selling Scholastic franchise, I SPY Riddle Race includes 60 interactive puzzles and is ideal for kids who love I SPY or casual gamers who love hidden object games.

• I SPY Spooky Mansion: Takes players on a hidden object adventure through a scary and mysterious mansion where the only escape is to collect keys by solving classic I SPYriddles and puzzles.
  

• GOOSEBUMPS PhotoShock: Inspired by the hugely popular Scholastic publishing phenomenon, the application allows users to edit their photos into ghastly Goosebumpsfrights. Goosebumps PhotoShock, intended for ages 8 and up, includes over 90 horrifyingly fun and creepy icons, objects and frames to customize photos.

• THE 39 CLUES Madrigal Maze: Solve a mystery that spans the world and history! Based on the best-selling multimedia program by Scholastic, The 39 Clues Madrigal Mazeapp takes players on a training mission to solve a series of 39 mazes and become a member of a top secret organization in the hunt for The 39 Clues. Players who accept the challenge and succeed will unlock exclusive access to a secret Madrigal Encryption Key on www.the39clues.com.

• WORDGIRL Word Hunt: Behind every good hero is a good word! Based on the Emmy award-winning television series from Scholastic, the WordGirl Word Hunt app takes budding superheroes on an action-packed adventure to help WordGirl save the city from villains by using vocabulary words.  Players will save the day while learning over 100 word definitions in 40 rounds of crime-fighting gameplay.
  

iKidNY:

iKidNY was created by a new mom, Lara Paul, to make navigating the city with kids easier. Recently, Good Day New York and Fox 5 News did a great segment on iKidNY calling it the “Best iPhone Apps for Kids“.

iKidNY is the must have app for savvy NYC moms on the move, and diligent urban daddies too.  A true favorite of locals and NYC visitors alike, this essential tool will change your life in the city as you know it.   Imagine being able to find the closest parks, playgrounds, changing tables, indoor playspaces, museums, libraries, subway stations with elevators, kid-friendly restaurants, and more, all with the touch of a button.   We don’t stop being efficient New Yorkers just because we have little ones!

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Have Fun. Do Good. Be Rewarded. This is the motto of the soon to be launched Bobby Boo World, by Boo Publishing LLC. This new program integrates children’s education with the promotion and inspiration for model behavior, creativity, curiosity and a sense of empowerment in our children. And we hear a few school districts are using it as a learning tool.

The fun series starts by reading the adventures of Bobby Boo and friends. The first book in the series, Bobby Boo’s Big Babysitter Surprise, introduces your child to Bobby, his big imagination, and all those who help bring the stories to life. Your child can then continue to follow the adventure, after the book, on the Bobby Boo website.

Readers receive a virtual pass to Bobby Boo World. There they will be able to participate in The Owl Howls which inspire children to read and write, by asking them to write a poem about the Bobby Boo characters as well as introduce those whom they consider real-life heroes in their communities. They can then submit their writing to enter the First National Owl Howl Competition, a national creative writing contest for elementary school children! Also on the website they are introduced to Boo’s Heroes and can play games, all of which reinforce the message of model behavior and philanthropy. With your permission and help, the children will have an opportunity to play the games and receive rewards afterwards.

All of these elements work to bring together schools, charities, and corporate partnerships while exposing your child to a new form of interactive education and an understanding of community and self-involvement.

We hear that Bobby Boo World will launch in December, but you can purchase the first in the series of books already on Amazon here.

And while they already have a video at you can take a look at the Bobby Boo World site here and sign-up to be a Bobby Boo World Citizen starting in December.

I’m excited to have my kids try this out, it looks like something they will really enjoy!

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The Fight Against Cyber-Bullying

Demanding Safety at School and Starting Conversations at Home

In just a couple of weeks many of our children will be returning to school.  And new year, and for many parents and children, new concerns.  In the past, kids used to be concerned with getting picked-on by bullies in the playground during recess or in the hallways in between classes. But child and adolescent mental health legal expert Carolyn Reinach Wolf sees a disturbing trend in teen violence going from face-to-face confrontations to aggressive attacks via the Internet.

And if schools do not address how to protect students from cyber-bullying and parents do not demand that safeguards are put in place to keep their children out of harm’s way, the consequences will be deadly and the schools may be liable.

For many parents this is definitely something we are unfamiliar and unprepared to deal with and something many think “can’t happen to them”. But, we must not for forget the rash of suicides as a direct result of cyber-bullying.

Fifteen-year old Iain Steele of Western Springs, Illinois hanged himself with a belt after being assaulted by schoolmates in cyberspace, where students posted a video on Facebook making fun of his taste for heavy metal music. Thirteen-year-old Ryan Patrick Halligan of Essex Junction, Vermont hanged himself after he was repeatedly sent instant messages from middle school classmates accusing him of being gay. Thirteen-year-old Megan Meier of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri killed herself after she was taunted through social-networking website Myspace.

In fact, a recent study reveals 45 percent of pre-teens said they have been cyber-bullied at school, and 30 percent of teens say they’ve had the same experience.  According to Ms. Wolf, founder of Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants, LLC, school policies are outdated and do not address how to monitor and prevent cyber-bullying attacks on social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace or YouTube.

“Schools have failed to keep up with the newest types of bullying,” said Ms. Wolf, the mother of three. “And as a parent and lawyer, I would hold the schools accountable for anything that happens under its roof.”  According to Ms. Wolf, schools have a myriad of tools at their disposal to combat cyber-bullying, but most are not using them: Monitoring computers – Schools have every right to monitor computers being used on their premises and look for keywords that may indicate a cyber-attack and bullying.

· Social Network Sites – Facebook and Myspace should be blocked on school computers. This is the most common area for cyber-bullying.

· Text Messaging – Phones should be turned off during class and texting should be banned by schools. A nuisance to the student? Yes. But we forget they are at school to learn.

· Anti-violence student committee – Similar to New York City’s “If you see something, say something” campaign, students should have an outlet to anonymously report cases of bullying to classmates and administrators without fear of repercussion.

· “Behavioral Intervention Teams” – A multi-disciplined group of administrators, mental health experts, risk management and legal counsel should meet regularly to properly address “red flag” or “at risk” students and act toward preventing specific bullying incidents rather than waiting to go into “reactive” mode.

“Unfortunately, most schools are asleep at the wheel and are not taking proactive steps to prevent an attack,” Ms. Wolf said. “They prefer to say, ‘It won’t happen to us.’ We live in the Digital Age, and schools would be naïve to think that.”  According to Ms. Wolf, before dropping your kids off on the first day of school, parents should talk to administrators about what they are doing to prevent online violence.

“Parents should hold schools accountable for preventing cyber-bullying,” Ms. Wolf says, “On the first day of school, parents should arrange meetings with administrators to discuss what mechanisms they have in place to monitor online activity and how they would address a potential cyber-bullying incident.”

As a parent of a pre-teen myself, I asked Ms. Wolf what advice she could offer us in opening up the conversation with our children at home, here is what she had to say:

1) No parent wants to be the overbearing parent. What advice can you offer parents trying to teach their kids responsibility and accountability, while at the same time trying to protect them from cyber-bullying? Values and consistency are extremely important in this area; speak to other parents and get their “tips” for what works for them; use common sense, this is usually the correct answer, it is also too often overlooked in this era of information availability and I believe overload; trust your gut instincts and experience.

2)As you know, most kids deeply involved in social networks are teenagers, who also happen to be, for most parents, the most difficult to converse with, about anything, let alone rules of safety and such. Do you have any tips as a professional in your field, who is also a parent, on how best parents can approach this subject without being tuned out? Start young, keep lines of communication open, keep talking to them, even if unpleasant/difficult subjects; show respect and say “I love you”…words to get through and more than you think or get feedback from these conversations;  be realistic about who your kids are and address “red flags” as soon as possible, timing is everything; utilize experts when needed and admit you are not expert in everything, no one is or can be, even the experts; as my mother-in-law who is no longer with us, but who was very wise and a teacher by training used to say “repetition is the mother of learning” and it’s true; pick your battles…life and safety, no discussion, no compromise, others, prioritize and back off when able; keep information or interference overload to a minimum, the kids are on information/communication overload from the technology already.

Carolyn Reinach Wolf, Esq. is Senior Partner at Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einiger, LLP – with the only mental health law practice in New York. She is also founder of Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants, LLC – a consulting firm that addresses mental health and security legal issues on school campuses.

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The Second Language Dilemma

Teaching My Kids Spanish

Even though the United States is made up of a melting pot of cultures, with many of its residents having arrived from foreign countries, with the ability to speak foreign languages, this skill is often lost and not successfully passed on to the younger generations. Some immigrant groups are very proud of their heritage and many families work extremely hard to retain not only a lot of the cultural traditions, but also the language. For me this has been a difficult task as Spanish is not my first language.  I speak, read, and write fluently, but I also had the advantage of studying abroad for many years and basically forced into an environment at the age of 9 where all everyone spoke was Spanish.  However, my parents also exposed me to other languages such as French and Italian which were easier to grasp after I mastered the Spanish. It saddens me that the American public school system doesn’t value the importance of mastering more than one language.  It is my belief that being exposed to other languages, not only better prepares our children to succeed in our global environment, but also enables them the opportunity to learn about other cultures and those things different from what they are exposed to on a daily basis.  Another Mom who sees the value of teaching and exposing her children to a foreign language is PJ Kaiser (Doublelattemama), and she wrote a post about how she approaches this with the challenge of being a primarily English-only speaking family. One of my biggest challenges when looking for materials and resources to teach my kids Spanish specifically, is that a lot of the information out there is for ELL students  and teachers, not so much for students of the Spanish language and because I can’t afford to send my children to a foreing language school, I rely on other resources to help me pass on what I know. Not having a teaching degree of any kind, the resources mentioned here for this purpose are the best for me and my skills and knowledge on how to expose my kids to household. The Library: I have often relied on the library for DVDs, books, and music in Spanish, to at least try out on my kids before I purchase them. I tend to select items that my children already enjoy in English, such as cartoons or stories they already are into. I have found it helpful to start with books on colors, letters, numbers.  Because my children are younger, often times picture books also work well. It does help that I speak the language because I don’t need to rely on bilingual books as much, but if you’re starting out not familiar with the language yourself, than bilingual tapes or DVDs are best.  I have enjoyed the pace of Baby Einsteins, the interactive games of Leap Frog, and Sara Jerez’s all Spanish series on Amazon. Scholastic Book Store, Soho I love the educational resources available at the Scholastic Bookstore in Soho.  Like I said, not being a teacher myself, the material available for teachers is also helpful for parents, and they also have a great selection of Spanish language children’s book as well.  Kumon Books: I was recently exposed to the wonderful educational materials provided through the Kumon.com website.  This site, mainly for educators looking for teaching materials for their class, has been a great resource for me as well.  I love their colorful books, and my boys find them entertaining as well because the learning is done through games and fun activities. I’ve got the books in both English and Spanish to help in the bilingual education. iTunes I was surprised to find available Podcasts that teach both parents and children, not only in Spanish, other languages as well.  My favorites are “We Are Little Amigos” by Maribel Suarez.  The podcast compliments the blog, often supporting the material found online. I was also recently able to download (for free) and iPhone application titled “Word Power Lite-Spanish” (this application also comes in (Hebrew, Japanese, French, Hindi, Chinese, and Italian, among many others).  I like to go through the words with my son during a long train ride.  It not only exposes him to the written word in English, but then in Spanish as well.   Online Parent Resources: I often like to refer to websites when I have questions about approach or how technique.  Some of my favorites are: Spanish for Kids: This site isn’t always updated as frequently as I would like, but it has provided me with some great advice and resources. Speak Spanish Everyday: Though some of the material seems more geared to adults, I have found some ideas for games, or “topics of the day” that I can use with my little ones. Colorín Colorado: targeting mainly ELL students and teachers, it still manages to have a few good resources, tips, and advice for teaching and supporting the Spanish language at home and in everyday life. Bottom line is, don’t let the limitations of your own knowledge of foreign languages inhibit you from exposing your children, or family to them.  The awareness and sensitivity gained from learning a new language, and in turn about a new culture now only enriches them as an individual, but also sets them up to better succeed as a professional adult, no matter what career path they chose in life.