Free Download: Bilingual Earth Day Puzzle Cards

Time for another free download! With Earth Day taking place tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to create these bilingual puzzle cards with ways to celebrate Día de la Tierra. The 12 cards feature different ways to be kind to the Earth...in English and Spanish.

Just print, cut, shuffle, and have your nenes piece them back together. This activity it good for language learners and preschoolers.

Click here to download your file

Happy Earth Day!

PBS KIDS Toys now at Whole Foods {GIVEAWAY}

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with PBS KIDS. All thoughts and opinions espressed below are my own.

Did you know that you can now find PBS KIDS toys at your local Whole Foods Market? These earth-friendly toys have been designed to inspire curiosity and help you raise happy, healthy kids. The line is geared for young children ages 6 months to 3 years old and includes

• race cars made from recycled milk bottles 
• colorful, wooden vehicles assembled by hand from local wood in Vermont 
• shape sorters (recently named a National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) silver award winner) 
• stackers that inspire a love for fruits and veggies 
• super soft plush animals made with phthalate- and PVC-free materials 
• organic t-shirts and infant onesies with vintage designs

I love that all of the products are made with safe, non-toxic materials and inks, and all the packaging is made from recycled materials. Many of the toys are produced in the USA from sustainable materials, responsibly harvested from local communities. So the partnership with Whole Foods makes sense, no?

And the best part is knowing that if you purchase one of these toys this holiday season, 100% of PBS KIDS’ net proceeds will benefit the media brand’s mission of empowering children through knowledge, critical thinking and imagination. And Whole Foods Market will donate 1% of the total sales, up to $25,000, to Whole Kids Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving children’s nutrition and wellness.

THE GIVEAWAY

PBS KIDS and Whole Foods Market have donated a set of Scoot wooden toys (great stocking stuffers!) and a plush animal for one MommyMaestra reader!

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I am a PBS KID Ambassador and received sample products for the purpose of this review and giveaway. All thoughts and opinions espressed below are my own.

Lil' Libros: First Books for Children {GIVEAWAY}

I'm especially excited to introduce you to a wonderful new book series created specifically for Latino children. Lil' Libros is a new independent publishing company focused on bilingual, first-concept books for children 4 and under.

Their first round of board books for lil' fingers are vibrant, fun, and infused with culture.

Counting With Frida, Contando con Frida introduces children to the numbers 1 to 10 through the Mexican artist's world. For example, there is una casa azul/one blue house; dos pinceles/two paint brushes; tres flores/three flowers, and so on.

In Zapata, your children will learn about silver coins, blue uniforms, green pastures, etc.

Lotería First Words, Primeras palabras uses the traditional card game to build their vocabulary of first words such as el gallo, la luna, and la flor.

All of these books come with simple images to engage babies and toddlers, and each one also features text in both English and Spanish. The illustrations are warm and colorful, and make sitting down with your child to read a pleasure.

I love the concept of these first books and consider them a must-have for any Latino family library.

These 6x6 eco-friendly board books are currently scheduled to be shipped on December 16th, but you can pre-order your copies for $10 each via the Lil' Libros website.

You can follow Lil' Libros on Facebook and Instagram, too.

The Giveaway

Lil' Libros has generously offered one set of these three books to one MommyMaestra reader! Wouldn't they make a wonderful Christmas or Reyes gift?

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Preschool is Crucial for Every Child's Education

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. While I was offered compensation for this post, I am donating the payment to Mi Escuelita Preschool. All thoughts and opinions espressed below are my own. #TheStoryOfEmma #CollectiveBias

Today is Giving Tuesday. A day after the biggest shopping weekend of the year in which people can stop and think about helping others. Parents, do you take the time to model generosity with your children? Compassion? Do you teach your children that they can make the lives of others better through their actions? It can be by donating money, volunteering your time, sharing information, or simply listening. It comes as no surprise, I'm sure, that my focus is on preschool and early education.

And so I want to share with you a program that has become dear to my heart. One that deserves support for the value and importance it plays in the lives of so many Latino children. I'm so happy to be part of #TheStoryOfEmma campaign by #CollectiveBias.

This year I've chosen to donate to Mi Escuelita Preschool in Dallas, TX. They serve "working poor" families living at or below the poverty line. A non-profit, Mi Escuelita provides these families with quality preschool programs, helping their children to learn English so that they can transition directly into English-speaking kindergarten classrooms without the struggle of a language barrier. They also prepare these children for kindergarten by teaching basic skills such as pre-literacy, pre-math, and social skills that help them excel in school.

Every 2 minutes, a Hispanic student drops out of school. I wonder, exactly how many of these children attended a good preschool? How many started kindergarten already behind or struggled to learn the language? Last year in DISD, 51% (that's over half!) of the children entering kindergarten were categorized as Limited English Proficient (LEP).

In the Dallas Independent School District, the graduation rate for Hispanic students is 67%. But LEP students only have a graduation rate of 44%; most are Hispanic.

This is why schools like Mi Escuelita are so important. I wish there was one in every town in the country. They actually save our country so much money because they alleviate the need for expensive bilingual education and reduce the need for remedial English instruction.

I am Emma

I was born in Dallas. My first language was Spanish. And because education has always been (and always will be!) something extremely important to my mother, she made sure that I attended a Montessori school for preschool and kindergarten. I went on to attend private schools on scholarships, because luckily, I learned English well enough to enter and excel in these English-language schools. I didn't start behind and then struggle to catch up as so many do. And those schools provided me with so many opportunities that I might not otherwise have had. From ballet to piano lessons to French, I was lucky to have access to these classes which broadened my view of the world.

My mother was a single-mom from the time I was 2 years old. She worked long hours and I spent most of my time with my 'Buelita and Nanita and (Grand)Daddy. My mom and I lived in our own home for a while, but eventually moved in with my great-grandmother (my 'Buelita) who owned her own home.

I spent a lot of time with my extended family in the area. Outside of school, I was immersed in the Latino community. I know what it means to work yourself to the bone for not much money. I've seen families who struggled to put food on the table. Families with children that were loved very much, but parents didn't always have the time, tools, or the money to help their children succeed.

Preschool is sometimes a luxury that many Latino parents cannot afford. And for those who work one, two, maybe three jobs or more, there isn't always time to teach their children at home to prepare them for school. 

And that's why I want to share with you the Story of Emma. It is part of Mi Escuelita's annual fundraiser. You can watch the video below to know her story. The video is not a true story. But it might be. In fact, it could be the story for thousands of children across this country. If you have a moment, won't you watch? Because you might know an Emma. Or her parents. Or her brother. Or....

The Story of Emma from Mi Escuelita.

Join us!

Please join us for #TheStoryOfEmma #LATISM Twitter Party on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 9:00pm. @LATISM and @ColectivaLatina will be joining forces to support of the Mi Escuelita campaign and create awareness about #TheStoryOfEmma. 5 prizes of $50 gift card + $50 donation to Mi Escuelita in winner's name will be awarded during the twitter party. RSVP link: http://cbi.as/qe2ds.

You can help...  

What is your story? Do you have an Emma in your family? Maybe you are an Emma?

Share your story and Emma's because every share, tweet, or retweet that utilizes the hashtag #TheStoryOfEmma will generate a donation of $1.00, up to $10,000 in donations!

Here's a sample tweet you can send out to help Mi Escuelita:

RT to donate $1! I'm investing in #Latino children: Let's make success stories like #TheStoryOfEmma a reality http://bit.ly/storyofemma

Brainzy for Early Elementary {GIVEAWAY}

I would bet that as involved parents and educators, many of you already know about Education.com. The site features supplemental games, worksheets, coloring pages, and more. But did you know that they recently launched Brainzy? It's an online learning program for early elementary children (kids in Pre-K through 1st grade) that boosts their math a literacy skills.

I received access to the site for the purposes of this review. What I found was a fun and engaging site for both parents and children. First off, I love the fact that parents can track the progress of their child(ren) with an easy to read dashboard. Once you get on the site, you just add children then set them up and let them learn. 

Adding a child is easy. I recommend doing it with your child so that they can choose from a list of characters to be their screen buddy.  

Once logged in, your child is presented with this home page that allows him or her (or you!) to choose the subject - Reading or Math - and the grade level/complexity. 

From there your child will find a whole bunch of interactive games that develop more than 30 critical math and literacy skills. The games are super fun and engaging and SHORT! They're perfect for short attention spans and little learners. I thought the games were colorful, simple, and educational. For example, in one game that teaches value placement, your child is given and number and is then required to select the correct number of chocolate pieces (in bars of tens and ones) and place them in the oven. When they get it right, the oven closes and bakes different types of desserts. :) Other games include snapping pictures of the pictures that begin with specific sounds (shown below), or feeding the fat cat more cat food by correctly entering the beginning sound you hear.

We also loved the music/songs, which were upbeat and amusing.

This new site is a delightful treasure for parents and children. I would recommend allowing your early elementary child to play these games three times a week to boost the skills they are learning in school.

The Giveaway

Brainzy has MOST graciously offered to give 10 (TEN!) MommyMaestra readers a FREE 1-year subscription!

To enter, all you have to do is use the Rafflecopter below.

Good luck!

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Enter to Win Monthly Prizes from Fisher-Price® for Your Baby!

This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Fisher-Price® and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

A few months ago, I shared with you a new fantastic campaign by Fisher-Price® for mamis with babies who are about to turn 1 year old (or have recently done so). I love their new Mis Primeras Mañanitas campaign not just because it was designed to specifically help Latino families celebrate their child's first birthday, but also because they are giving away products that promote the development of your child's fine motor skills and more. Some of my favorites include:

• Baby's First Blocks - develops hand-to-eye coordination, building skills, spacial reasoning/depth perception
• the Little People ® Lil' Movers™ School Bus - develops hand-to-eye coordination, and social concept recognition through imaginative play
• and the Brilliant Basics™ Corn Popper® - promotes balance, steadies beginning walkers

The Mis Primeras Mañanitas Sweepstakes is awarding monthly prizes and party ideas to Latino parents. When you enter the sweeps, you become eligible to win 12 Fisher-Price® toys for your baby.

 

But you could also win a Mis Primeras Mañanitas birthday party prize pack with invitations, favors, decorations, and a customized piñata and birthday cake! You will throw the best first birthday party in your town! 

And to help you out, Fisher-Price® has created the most fantastic website to help you plan your nene's first birthday party. You'll find super clever ideas and step-by-step instructions for decorating and recipes, too - all in Spanish! Take a look at some of the images below. You can find easy directions for all of them on the site.

Aren't these fun? I could decide which cake I like best, so I put both of them in here. :)

So don't wait! Enter the Mis Primeras Mañanitas sweepstakes here. 

And feliz cumpleaños to your bebé!

Teaching Art to Preschool and Early Elementary Age Children

The following is a guest post by art educator Sharon Jeffus, the founder of Visual Manna. 

Teaching Art to Preschool and Early Elementary Age Children

by Sharon Jeffus

Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Art is very important for the preschool child. When I think of art for preschool and early elementary, I think of fun and adventure. I also remember that this age has a short attention span, and you don't want to bore them or they will turn you off. So lessons need to be varied with lots of action. Simplicity is the key to success in toddler and preschool art. As children get older, you can expect a longer attention span. It is also very important that preschool children learn to appreciate and verbalize about master art, which can enhance their reading skills. I love to hear parents say how amazed they were when they went to the art museum and their first grader could recognize master art.

Let me introduce this article by telling a story. I remember reading an article about a mom taking credit for her daughter's award winning and amazing success as an art teacher with challenged children. The mother told the story of her proud ownership of a large book about Leonardo da Vinci that held a special place on her living room coffee table. Her three-year-old daughter took an orange crayon and colored on the pages. The mom tells the story that she was devastated and gave the child the book for her toy box. The mom went on to say that surprisingly, it became her daughter's favorite book. She would ask her mother to look at the pictures and read it to her. The mother, very tongue in cheek, claimed that she was responsible for her daughter’s great success because she had given her child her first art book. That being said, showing great master art to little ones is an excellent thing to do. There are several things that art does for your preschooler. Here are the most important things to remember when teaching your preschooler art:

1. Practicing fine muscle control and strengthening eye-hand motor coordination is important in each art lesson. Learning how to control paint, crayons, scissors, and other art tools, helps children gain the skills necessary for later writing activities. 
2. Developing perceptual abilities is very important; help children to notice and verbalize about what they see. While looking at master artwork children can become aware of the elements and principles of art such as line, shape, texture, and color. They also can talk about what is happening in the picture.
3. Making decisions and solving problems is a primary benefit of a good art lesson. Ask them what color should I use? How big should I make the person? Do I want to make a border? 
4. Becoming acquainted with the art of the past in master art, children become involved in learning something of their origins and themselves; it is a beginning history lesson.
5. Experiencing success is a wonderful benefit of each art lesson. Because art leaves the end open to the creator, all children experience a measure of success. Just as in the idea that no three architects come up with the same idea for a certain building, originality and creativity allow children to succeed. There is no one right answer. This is why art activities are appropriate for children with special needs. Regardless of the physical or mental need of the child, there is some art media and activity through which he or she can experience success. Sincere encouragement by the teacher is important. Even if you only remark on how lovely it is the way they used the color green, that is wonderful! I always tell the story of how Edison failed over 1000 times before inventing the lightbulb. Failure in art leads to a new way to succeed. 
6. At a young age, you can teach all of the core subjects in art lessons. 

• Math is taught as children learn basic shapes and lines. Even as you break a candy bar in two pieces, math can be taught. Breaking apart simple sculpture is also math. Telling time and counting money are both math.
• Science is observing God's wonderful creations. Looking at and doing simple animal pictures is science. Colors change when mixed. Textures feel and look different.
• Reading and language can be taught as children verbalize about their work and the master art at which they observe. Writing began as pictures so children learn letters as they do art. I always teach saying let's make a “Y” tree, or we can make a lighthouse that is an “11” that wobbles in. See sample S lesson. 
• Nursery rhymes are considered children's literature. Combining stories and art is always a good idea. In the sample lesson about the swan, you could read a simple story of “The Ugly Duckling” as an introduction to the art lesson. 

Looking at master art with children needs to be a simple observation time with question and answer followed by a simple art project. In the picture of the children on the beach by master artist Mary Cassatt, you can talk about the painting by asking the children what they see, how many children are in the picture, what they are doing, what color is the ribbon on the hat, and how many boats they see. You can also talk about foreground and background.

After reading “The Ugly Duckling,” do the simple lesson below about the swan. You may need to make the S shape or guide their hand as they make it. Most toddlers and younger children begin by only making a straight line. It may be difficult for some little ones, but it will be a fun exercise and they will have some success. After the lesson, look at Audubon's swan below. Here are some questions to stimulate discussion about the picture of the swan:

"406 Trumpeter Swan" by John James Audubon - University of Pittsburgh. 

You can explain that this is a swan. A swan is a bird that can fly. A swan can also swim. How many swans are in the picture? How many flowers do you see? What color are the flowers? Do you see the swan's legs? What color are they? How many can you see? Would you like to be in the water with the swan?

You can get several colors of blue paper and tear the paper into long strips together. The child can paste them on for the water. This is a fine motor skill activity. Getting the child to verbalize during the lessons is always a good idea. You can work on word syntax and pronunciation in a fun and unassuming way.

Another lesson example would be:

Show your children this picture by George Caleb Bingham.

"George Caleb Bingham 001" by George Caleb Bingham - The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. 

George Caleb Bingham was an artist who did pictures about life on the river. How many men do you see in the picture? Do you think the animal is a cat or a fox? Do you see something floating in the water? What do you think it is? What color shirt is the man in the center wearing? Do you think these men are going to try to catch a fish? Do you like the picture? Do you like the hat the man is wearing?

There is a poem and song about rowing a boat. Read the poem below. If you know the tune you can sing it. It is a very well known nursery rhyme.

Row, row, row your boat,
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

In this lesson we will talk about vertical (a line standing straight and tall) and horizontal (a line that looks like it is sleeping) lines. We can also talk about basic shapes. Just as in our swan picture, lines that come out from the center are radial lines. Radial lines can come out from the sun and they can come out from the center of a wheel. We are going to draw a riverboat. You can use torn blue paper for the water. I suggest using oil pastels or crayons for the drawing.

In my opinion, cardstock paper is the best for younger children. A heavier pound paper will have less chance of tearing. I have saved a picture that my son did at the age of three of a bear. It only vaguely resembles a bear, but that is part of the treasure of the picture. I remember his pride in drawing it all by himself. Children become better artists with encouragement. I don't ever recommend coloring books with younger children because I feel as though it hampers creativity and originality.

I will never forget walking into my doctor's office and seeing an exhibit of brightly colored art. I immediately thought “abstract.” I was delighted to find out it was the art of his three-year-old daughter. Art is very important to the education of the whole child.

I now have my first book of these lessons for younger children in alphabetical order that incorporate the ideas in this article. Each lesson has a master artist that the children can look at, and a simple activity focused around a letter of the alphabet. You can email me at visualmanna@gmail.com for more information!!! 

If you're looking for more art resources, check out these on MommyMaestra:

• Art for Kids Hub - free online drawing videos for kids of all ages
• Aula Creativa 5 - an art workbook in Spanish for upper elementary and middle school
• Home Art Instruction with Heron Books - a curriculum review for tweens and teens
• 20 Multicultural Children’s Books about Female Artists

--------------------------------------

Sharon Jeffus graduated from John Brown University with a B.S.E. in Art Education and is the founder of Visual Manna. She has written over 22 books and has created the Visual Manna Teaching method which incorporates the elements and principles of art, art history and a variety of techniques in media along with each lesson. You can go to visualmanna.com for more information. Her books and materials are carried by Rainbow Resources.
You can email her at visualmanna@gmail.com.

New Spanish Website for Children Teaches Traffic Safety

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored campaign with Latina Mom Bloggers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

There is so much to think about when it comes to your kids going back to school, but perhaps one of the most important lessons we as parents must teach our children has to do with safety. We all want our children to remain safe not just at school, but on their way to school as well. Car crashes continue to be the leading cause of death for children ages 2 to 6 years old. Our kids can get hurt in other situations, too, such as riding their bikes or walking to school and even as a bus passenger. 

I think you'll agree with me, though, that teaching a 4 year old about passenger safety, probably isn't the easiest thing to do. But teaching them practical tips can save their lives. Lucky for us, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recognized that young children need training in this area and have created a most fabulous bilingual campaign to help us teach our kids traffic safety. The best part is that it is in English... and Spanish!

"¡Piensa seguro, viaja seguro, mantente seguro!” ("Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe!") provides parents with some of the tools they need to help their child walk and ride more safely.

The NHTSA has teamed up with Ludorum, the producers of the Chuggington™ television series, to create an interactive site for children in preschool through 1st grade. This amazing tool makes learning traffic safety fun for children through games, printables, and videos - all of them hosted by the popular characters from Chuggington™: the "trainees" Wilson, Koko and Brewster. (The link here is for the Spanish website, but there is also an English version.)

When your child gets on the site, he or she starts by taking the safety pledge. Afterward, she can explore the site and play the safety game where she advances her train across the game board by correctly answering traffic safety questions. 

The site includes a section where you can download and print posters with safety tips for bikes, walking, bus and car rides. (There are tips for parents, too.) And you can also find a page with printable coloring pages and mazes for your child to enjoy. And lastly, there are fun videos to watch that feature the Chuggington™ characters. 

Don't forget to check out the Parent's section for additional resources!

You can also follow the NHTSA on Facebook and Twitter for additional back-to-school traffic safety tips.

Early Learning with Mis Primeras Mañanitas by Fisher-Price®

This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Fisher-Price® and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

The early years of your child’s life are some of the most critical ones for their physical, emotional, mental and social development. I’ve talked before about how the amount of interaction they have with family and friends boosts their language development skills, but this is just one small area of their social and mental development. You can help nurture their overall development in other areas using specific tools, products, and activities that challenge them both mentally and physically. And by doing so, you’ll be helping prepare your child for the start of school so that they will begin ready to learn.

That’s why I was delighted to learn about the new Mis Primeras Mañanitas campaign by Fisher-Price®. The first of its kind, this program is specifically dedicated to Latino families and focuses on a key milestone moment in your child’s life: his or her first birthday. I absolutely love the name of this campaign because ever since I can remember, my Mami and ‘Buelita have sung me this song on my birthday. It’s been a family tradition to sing this whenever anyone (especially children and young girls) celebrates their cumpleaños. Not a birthday passed when I was little that they didn’t sing me this song, and even to this day, they call me on the phone on my birthday and sing me Las Mañanitas. (My mother rarely makes it through the whole song before bursting into tears, but that’s another story.)

When my own children were little, it was hard to find - and afford! - products and toys to help engage their young minds. I didn’t really know which products were good, or how to find them. But now there’s help for parents!

If your family would like a chance to win toys that help develop your baby’s skills, then be sure to enter the Mis Primeras Mañanitas Sweepstakes! You could win a Birthday Prize Pack with everything you need to throw a memorable first birthday party. Sweepstakes winners will win party invitations, favors and decorations, a customized piñata, and a customized birthday cake. Winners will ALSO get a bundle of TWELVE (12!!) Fisher-Price® toys, such as:

• Fisher-Price® Baby’s First Blocks™
• Fisher-Price® Rock-A-Stack®
• Fisher-Price® Laugh Brilliant Basics™ Corn Popper®
• Fisher-Price® Little People ® Lil' Movers™ School Bus

In addition to giving away awesome products, the Mis Primeras Mañanitas website is a wonderful resource where mamis like you can find unique and creative ideas for your baby’s first birthday party. Moms, you’ll be delighted with all the decorating, recipe, and gift ideas to help make your bebé’s first birthday memorable. Your baby will only be one once, so it is great to have one place where you can go to get lots of tips and ideas!

THE GIVEAWAY

The wonderful gente over at Fisher-Price® have also generously offered to give one MommyMaestra reader a Fisher-Price® Laugh & Learn™ Crawl Around™ Car! This is not one of the products included in the sweepstakes, so it is a special treat just for you!

To enter the giveaway, just use the Rafflecopter below.

What better way to celebrate your nene’s first birthday than with educational toys that help him or her learn and grow?

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sesame Street Airs a Bonus Half Hour This Fall

My mami loves to tell people that I used to watch Sesame Street until I was 13.

I'm pretty sure she's un poco exagerada (as most mamis tend to be when their kids grow up). She probably came home one day and found me watching it. Maybe I stumbled upon it while surfing channels and decided to take a trip down memory lane because, really, who didn't love Sesame Street as a kid? My own kids - ages 8 and 10 - still catch an episode every now and then.

Anyway, this popped into my head yesterday when I saw on my Facebook stream that starting Monday, September 1, a bonus half-hour SESAME STREET program will debut on-air and on digital platforms. The additional half-hour program will air on weekday afternoons on PBS stations, complementing the one-hour series that airs weekday mornings.

For the first time, viewers will also be able to stream SESAME STREET for free on PBS KIDS digital platforms. Selected full episodes of the 30-minute show will be available at pbskids.org/video, on the PBS KIDS Video App, and on the PBS KIDS Roku channel.

I can't help but think about how technology today is making education more accessible for children. And I can see how this helps busy parents who sometimes need extra help keeping their kids busy learning for 30 minutes during an important phone call, on a long drive, or while waiting at a doctor's office. I think back to those times when my kids were little and we'd go on errands. I usually would take a book or toy to keep them busy, but occasionally we go somewhere and I'd forget and all I'd have on me is my iPad or smartphone. I sure could have used something like this, knowing they'd be learning something educational!

Disclaimer: I'm a PBS Kids Ambassador, which simply means that I find out about information and opportunities from PBS Kids to share with you. I wasn't compensated for this post. All thoughts and stories are absolutely and totally my own (including the bit about me watching Sesame Street at 13!).

Why Being an Involved Parent Really Matters

This week, I'm excited to be celebrating Education Week, an annual Univision initiative to stress the importance of education to Hispanic families and provide resources for them.

Last Friday, as part of Univision's kick off of Education Week, I had the pleasure of watching the live-streamed program hosted by Jorge Ramos on the topic of Latino and higher education. There was some great information shared from professionals in the field of higher education, such as how 80% of Latino students attend community colleges and how there are tons of financial aid resources available for these students in the forms of scholarships, grants, student loans, and more.

One of the things that struck me the most was when one of the members of the panel mentioned that a good education begins in preschool and how our families need to be enrolling their kids in preschool to prepare them for school.

But again, there is one crucial question that comes to my mind every time I hear this statement made: How many Latino parents actually know how important preschool is for their child's academic success?

Chance are if you are reading this and are a regular reader of my blog, you could have raised your hand after thinking about that question. You know preschool matters and that if you can't for some reason enroll your child in a preschool - or choose not to on purpose - it is important to work with them at home, teaching your child to recognize letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and more so that they can start kindergarten ready to start learning how to read, spell, as well as add and subtract.

You also know that being an involved parent extends way past preschool and, in fact, all the way through college. It means that your responsibilities change from year to year (sometimes from day to day) as your child grows. It doesn't mean having all the answers. But it does mean knowing how to get them and passing that skill on to your kid.

Do you know why being an involved parent really matters, though?

Studies have shown that having an involved parent increases a child's chance of academic success regardless of income level, race, ethnicity, etc. Having an involved parent reduces behavioral problems, and improves math and science achievement, school preparedness, graduation, and more.

While attending the LATISM conference last month in New York, one of the panels I sat in on was a Town Hall Meeting on the State of Education. One study that was shared found that the Latino parents in the study group never received any college financial aid information throughout their child's entire K-12 education. In addition, 3/4 of the college-age Latino students surveyed said they would have gone to college if they'd had more information.

I'm not going to say that these parents weren't involved in their children's education. But I will say this: when you are involved, when you place a heavy emphasis on education and pass that value on to your child, you will find the resources your child needs to succeed.

You will learn about scholarships like the ones that Univision offers. You will learn about how poor grades don't necessarily mean no access to college, but instead may require your child to attend a community college to boost their grades in order to get into a university and eventual Master's program, if that is what they wish. You will find the help your child needs to master skills, concepts, or subjects with which they are currently struggling. It will happen. YOU will make it happen. The resources are there, we just have to actively look for them.

For tips on how to be an involved parent, read this article I shared a couple of years ago. Every single tip still applies today.

Wishing you and your child much success in your education goals!

Un abrazo...

Monica

You can follow the excellent conversation on Twitter using the #EsElMomento hashtag.

PEG + CAT Big Gig App Review

Yesterday was the premiere of the new PBS KIDS show, Peg + Cat. The series centers around a young girl who wakes up every day to a different math problem that she has to solve with the help of her cat... and other friends. It's a super show that helps children develop early math skills in a fun way. PBS KIDS sent me and my kids the show's accompanying app for this review, and here's what we thought... 

Name: PEG + CAT Big Gig
Subject(s): Math & Music
Brief Description: Preschoolers learn about simple math with this musical adventure.
Price: $0.99
Language: English
Ages: 3 to 5 years old

What my kids like:
My son loves the songs from the show, so this musical app is a big hit. He especially like the "Sound Check" section that allows him to create and record his own song by simply tapping the musical instruments, characters, and chicks! Then he can play it back and listen to his melodious creation.

He also likes the "Big Gig" section in which he chooses a character then listens to a series of notes and recreates them by tapping on specific numbers. If he gets them all correct, then he gets to watch a short animated segment of the characters playing that particular song.   

What I like:
I love that the songs are all catchy tunes and not annoying. Ha! Okay, seriously, I do enjoy hearing the songs. I also like that they are all centered around math and numbers. For example, one song teaches counting by 10s, another teaches kids how to measure objects, and another helps kids recognize patterns. Too often early math skills are not even talked about so I'm very pleased to see a show that focuses on this area. And I'm especially glad to see additional tools being created around the show to allow kids to practice and develop these early math skills. Being able to identify numbers and basic counting are skills that all children entering kindergarten need to know so that they are not trying to catch up with the other kids for the rest of the year. This app helps strengthen their knowledge of these basic math concepts and is a great tool for both parents and teachers. 

Make Eating Healthy Fun with PBS KIDS and Whole Foods Market {Giveaway}

On October 7th, PBS KIDS will air a new series that focuses on preschool math skills. Peg + Cat is such a sweet and fun show that breaks stereotypes with its main character, Peg, a young girl who loves math. So often we focus on literacy skills for preschool children, but frequently forget that pre-math skills are equally important. So this new series helps out parents who are not able or who choose not to enroll their children in preschool, as well as parents who are looking to help supplement their preschooler's education with activities at home. By the time children leave preschool and enter kindergarten, they should be able to identify numbers and do basic counting. Peg + Cat helps them to learn this and more.

One of the best ways to teach early math skills at home is in the kitchen using food and recipes. Whole Foods Market has partnered with PBS KIDS to support healthy eating habits and early math education. What a clever way to engage your kids and teach them essential lifelong skills! You can find a whole bunch of Peg + Cat activities, recipes, and more on the PBS KIDS website.

THE GIVEAWAY

One MommyMaestra reader will win a Peg + Cat prize pack that includes a Peg + Cat book, notepad, activity sheets, and $35 Whole Foods Market gift card.

To enter to win, just use the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Attendance Awareness Month

My latest article on NBC Latino talks about the importance of school attendance, which is a critical issue for children, especially those in early elementary like kindergarten. Chronic absences can dramatically affect a child's literacy levels Click on the image above to see a bigger version and learn some fascinating facts on why atteding school every day is so important and what you can do for your family.

Mi Abecedario: Spanish Edition

This post contains affiliate links. 

If you have followed me over at the Latin Baby Book Club, then you'll know that I'm a bit of a nut about abecedarios. I don't know why. But I just love alphabet books in any language, really.  

So I wanted to share with you Mi abecedario (aff link) by Maria Parrish. The illustrations are insanely cute and I love the simple, but engaging layout of the book. It is currently only available as an eBook, so make sure your have a Kindle or Kindle for PC (it's free!) or Kindle for iPad or Android before you purchase it. 

This beautiful book is a great introduction to the Spanish alphabet for both Spanish-language learners and native speakers. Remember that if you have a child under 5 years old, you should be working with them at home to prepare them for entering kindergarten and starting school. ESPECIALLY if they are not enrolled in a preschool. Letter identification is a critical skill that they need to master before they can start reading. So why not teach them in a fun way with abecedarios?

You can find Maria's beautiful eBook here (aff) on Amazon.

And here is a sneak peek at some of the images in this beautiful book for children: 

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. I did receive a free digital copy of the book for review purposes. All opinions are my own. 

Spanish Preschool Curriculum Review: Monarca Language & {PRINTABLE}

If you have a 3- or 4-year-old child at home, then this summer is the perfect time to start preparing them for entering school and kindergarten. I want to emphasize once again, how important it is for children this age to either attend a preschool or be worked with at home to develop the skills they'll need when they enter kindergarten. I am reminded of a 2000 study by the department of education that showed that half of the Latino children starting kindergarten could not recognize all the letters of the alphabet, no surprise given that Latino kids are less likely to be enrolled in a preschool program than any other group.

I have written extensively about the importance of parents working with their children at home to teach them basic concepts such as letter and number recognition, shapes, colors, and more. You can find tons of bilingual resources here on MommyMaestra simply by searching for "preschool" in my sidebar.

And now I have a new one to add to the list! I recently had the opportunity to explore Monarca Language, an website with high-quality materials in Spanish for 3 and 4 year olds. The subscription-based site covers math logic and pre-literacy skills, as well as fine-motor coordination, reasoning and attention span.

With a subscription you can get access to the following themed printables and activities: Seasonal Materials, Reading & Writing Corner, Math Circle, and Coloring Activities. (The coloring pages are actually free to everyone.) And you don't have to worry that your kids will get bored with the same old worksheets because they are adding new materials every month. They even include phonetics instruction, in addition to letter recognition. I was impressed to read that 85% of the participating children finish the program reading and writing efficiently.

I really do like the easy and age-appropriate printables. They use many of the concepts my own children used when learning to recognize numbers and letters. Best of all, you can choose the level of difficulty and proceed at your child's own pace. All of them are in Spanish, with easy to understand directions in both English and Spanish for teachers and parents.

The fact that they include math is especially exciting as so often program focus on pre-literacy skills and forget or ignore early math skills. Really and truly, as I looked throughout this program I was very pleased to see that it covers all of the basic skills and concepts a child would learn in preschool.

I also love that there is no long-term commitment and you can cancel your subscription at any time. This makes me feel like Monarca Language is so confident in their materialsprintables, activities, and newsletter. You can even test it out with a one-month free trial.

FREE PRINTABLE

The kind people at Monarca Language have allowed me to share the following printable with MommyMaestra readers. It is part of their Seasonal Materials and features La Primavera: Animales de la Granja. Best suited for 3-year-olds. For more free printables from Monarca Language, click on the words "Monarca Language" in the section below this article.

If you already subscribe to Monarca, leave some feedback in the comments to help other readers decide if this is a program for them.

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Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post, however, I did receive a one-month access to the site for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spanish App: Aprendes Con la Selva poderosa: ¡Los animales!

Spanish app alert! Aprendes con just released their newest Spanish app: Aprendes Con la Selva poderosa: ¡Los animales! And yes, it is free. If you would prefer to play it in English, you can find that version here.

This app focuses on Life Science and is designed for children ages 3 - 6. It teaches them to recognize animals, identify their appropriate habitats, and associate key vocabulary words to describe each one.

You know we're big fans of iLearn With and all of their early education apps for children. We haven't played this one yet, but all of their apps are high quality, educational, and mostly FUN.

If you download and play it, let us know what you and your kids think of it!

Cricket Magazine Launches Babybug...en español!

Looking for an educational magazine in Spanish for your toddler? Well, I finally have one for you!

When my kids were little, we would get Babybug and other little magazines like it. At the time, I scoured the internet looking for the same type of magazine but in Spanish, and lamented over the fact that there weren't any. I even went so far as to play with the idea of doing it myself, but with a full plate, that idea never panned out.

Well, I am so pleased to share that Cricket Magazine, the leader in quality children's magazines, has embraced the idea and in a progressive move launched Babybug en español. Babybug is a boardbook style magazine made with nontoxic ink, rounded corners, and no staples. It is put together by the very talented Christianne Meneses Jacobs, creator of Iguana magazine, the only Spanish language magazine for kids ages 7 - 12. (Cricket Magazine now offers Iguana magazine as well.) Full of the highest quality content available from the world’s best children’s writers and artists, Babybug is available in a print or digital edition for your iPad!

With early learning a critical issue for Latino families that has a significant impact on academic performance, it is important for us to find the resources that we need to prepare our children for school. Babybug helps parents develop their children's pre-literacy and pre-math skills with fun but simple illustrations and activities. Inside you'll find stories and activities that teach them about the seasons, colors, number & letter recognition, ways to develop your child's vocabulary, and ones that teach them about the world around them and their own bodies. Poems and short stories prevail and make learning a lot of fun for you nenes.

I especially love how they incorporate cultural folklore and fingerplays that allow us to pass down the traditional stories of our heritage. So many of them are not only fun, but educational, too.

Check out this introductory video to the app...

Learn more about Cricket's Spanish Magazines for children here.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of Babybug en español for review purposes.