photo credit: Calsidyrose @ flickr.com
Q: So who are we talking about this time?
A: Anansi.
Q: Bless you!
A: No, Anansi! Kweku Anansi the Spider, God of Stories and Mischief.
Q: A spider? That sounds horrifying. And a spider God sounds even worse.
A: He’s not really so much a God of spiders, and his activities aren’t so very spidery. He is a spider, but in most Anansi tales he behaves very much like a man. In fact he is a trickster character, usually using his cunning............. CONTINUE READING
LANGUAGE & LITERACY BLOG
June 30, 2013
www.languagelizard.com
Book Review: My Daddy is a Giant
Written by Carl Norac
Illustrated by Ingrid Godon
Ages 1-5
Available in paperback and hard cover, depending on the language
Review by Maureen Pugh
The first thing I noticed about My Daddy is a Giant was its dimensions (8 ½ inches wide by 12 inches tall) and its sturdy cover and quality binding. The vertical format and large pages provide an ample backdrop for the illustrator to portray a little boy and his playful, larger-than-life father. The simple, yet boldly-drawn illustrations............. CONTINUE READING
June 18, 2013
Our last blog posting focused on how teachers can use bilingual books to create preschool links to the K-12 Common Core Standards, specifically in listening and reading (click on the link if you missed this piece).
In this article, we will focus on another key area in which bilingual books can help in the preschool to kindergarten transition: interpersonal skills.
Reading seems like such a solitary activity;............. CONTINUE READING
Do you have trouble keeping your children reading over the Summer? With all of the fun things to do for the little ones, sometimes we forget to keep them reading during the summer break to ease their transition back into school during the fall.
Luckily, we have a solution for you that might help…
How about some NEW books?
We’ve teamed up with Erin Howard – Mom Blogger and Editor............. CONTINUE READING
June 4, 2013
photo credit: woodleywonderworks @ flickr.com
A scary new building. Big kid chairs. A terrifying new teacher whose smile may or may not be genuine. Swarms of giant children rampaging around an unfamiliar playground. And my daddy’s just gone off and left me… The first day of kindergarten is tough!
…Now imagine how much tougher it is for dual language learners (DLLs), lost in an aural fog of language they don’t understand. Not to mention that they will now be expected to meet a whole............. CONTINUE READING
May 23, 2013
by Lizzie Davey
Because language learning is a creative process, it makes sense to incorporate the arts when teaching languages, especially to children, who are very visual. Using different art mediums, such as music, visual arts, and film connects the left brain (the creative side) to the right (the logical side). This can speed up learning because as new information is being collected, it is being “pattern matched” to what is already stored in the brain.
For example, a child may hear the word............. CONTINUE READING
May 14, 2013
photo credit: Tagada Victoria @ flickr.com
Q: Who? Baba Ganoush? Ali Baba? Yo Gabba Gabba?
A: No…Baba Yaga.
Q: Never heard of her.
A: Well, she’s a mysterious figure from a range of different Eastern European folk tales. In some, she’s very much the villain: an evil witch with iron teeth who will happily kidnap you and keep you prisoner if she gets the chance. In others, she’s…well, she’s still the same old iron-tooth crone, but she can be a source of wisdom, help, and advice.
Q:............. CONTINUE READING
May 3, 2013
photo credit: meadowsaffron at flickr.com
Every Head Start teacher has the privilege and responsibility to make his or her children feel valued and comfortable from day one in the classroom. Enrollment form information can help with this: knowing all you can about a student’s background will help you to help them get used to their new school. Sometimes, it’s not easy to be sure you are getting the most accurate information. Many families who speak a language other than English or have another............. CONTINUE READING
April 15, 2013
On a sunny day in London, when the streets are crowded with people enjoying the rare warmth, you can hear an abundance of different languages from the majority migrant groups in the city: families discussing the school day in Somali; teenagers gossiping in Turkish; imams greeting each other in Urdu. But passing by the shop fronts boasting posters in languages from Polish and Bengali, you won’t hear German or Cape Verdean creole – not unless you go to Andrea and Xaxa’s for............. CONTINUE READING
March 22, 2013
Reading world folktales and fables is not only a wonderful way to entertain and bond with children, it is also an effective way to educate them. The stories in classic folklore offer both social lessons as well as an opportunity to teach about cultures and languages. World Folktales and Fables week is celebrated the third week of each March, so be sure to enjoy a good folktale in your classroom or home!
Children love folktales and fables. With their simple characters and............. CONTINUE READING