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Tuesday, July 17, 2018

Free Download: Getting to Know You Spanish Minilesson



We're more than halfway through the summer! Are your kids bored yet? If so, now is the perfect time to learn a new language or brush up on your Spanish. And to help you out, it's a good thing that we have this month's freebie from MM sponsor, Spanish for You!

Today's download is a 4-page mini-lesson to help Spanish learners learn phrases associated with getting to know others. The file comes with an introductory page with instructions on how to use the pages in the book as a minilesson. There are also two sheets of question cards - one in English and the other in Spanish. And finally, there's a worksheet to practice what you've learned. As always, there is also an audio file to help you learn the proper pronunciation.




Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Preschool App Review: Feed Me!



This is a sponsored post in collaboration with PencilBot. All thoughts and ideas expressed above are strictly my own.

Are you the parent of a preschooler looking for additional tools to help prepare your child for kindergarten? Maybe you are homeschooling exclusively in Spanish to raise a bilingual child. Or maybe you are looking for ESL resources to help introduce your little Spanish speaker to English. Either way, today's featured app is for you!




NameFeed Me! MX Spanish & US English

Subject(s): Preschool concepts
Brief Description: An comprehensive app for preschoolers that teaches children many of the basic skills needed for kindergarten prep.
Price: $2.99 - $3.99
Language: English or Spanish
Ages: 3 - 5 years
DeviceiOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 10

Feed Me! is a fun app for preschoolers from PencilBot Kids that helps them learn the majority of the concepts needed for kindergarten readiness. The app is actually available in 7 languages - English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Korean, Russian, and Japanese - but here I'm focusing on Spanish and English.

You may know by now that I am not a fan of giving small children mindless games on tablets. What I like about these apps is that they are a way to satisfy your child's cravings for technology (because they see their friends or older siblings consuming it) while ensuring that they are actually learning something. These apps are an easy supplemental tool to use with your preschool lessons. I would use them to reinforce concepts being taught in school. 

Feed Me! US English


The English has 34 subjects and covers 40+ concepts, and 44 animated trophies to motivate kids to learn. Here are the concepts that your child will find in the app:

1. Mathematical Concepts & More:

• Color and shape recognition 
• Counting and number identification
• Sorting and pattern recognition 
• Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd…) 
• Basic mathematical equations and concepts 
• Simple time concepts in digital and analog displays 
• Prepositions of location (in, out, under...) 
• Weight and size concepts 

2. Language Arts: 

• Letter sounds and identification 
• Letter sound locations within a word – beginning, middle, or end 
• Rhyming 
• Opposites 
• Segmenting letter sounds in words 
• Basic vocabulary words
• Simple reading and spelling 

3. Additional Language Concepts: 

• Feelings
• Animals & their homes
• Occupations
• Grouping & matching 
• Weather & seasons
• Body parts
• Opposites
• Healthy habits
• Safety
• Signs
• Life cycles
• Verbs
• Comparisons

Really, there is so much covered in this app, it's like your kid is going to a private preschool. Many of the concepts that are included, are often those taught in kindergarten. So I really love the comprehensive nature of this app. If you are a homeschooler, you can cover a lot of ground here. And if you are a preschool teacher, you can recommend this app to parents knowing that what you taught in class is probably covered in the app.

I also love the voices used in this English app. The children's voices make the activities especially engaging for kids, I think.


Feed Me! MX Spanish


The Spanish version is very similar to the English app, but doesn't quite cover as much. Also, the book spines (shown above) are in English, not Spanish.

Still, the app is comprehensive. It has 2 great apps in one (2 levels per app), 25 subjects covering 30+ concepts, and 31 animated trophies. Here's what it covers:

Mathematical Concepts & More:

Color and shape recognition 
Counting and number identification
Sorting and pattern recognition 
Ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd…) 
Basic mathematical equations and concepts 
Simple time concepts in digital and analog displays 
Prepositions of location (in, out, under...) 
Weight and size concepts 

Additional Language Concepts: 

Feelings
Animals & their homes
Occupations
Grouping & matching 
Weather & seasons
Body parts
Opposites
Healthy habits
Safety
Signs
Life cycles
Verbs
Comparisons


Take a look at the simplicity and precise focus of the activities:




If you'd like to try them out, there are some free versions available for iOS, but they come with in-app purchases, so make sure your settings are properly configured so your child doesn't buy anything without your permission.


Disclosure: I received this app for review purposes. All thoughts and ideas expressed above are strictly my own.