Get Loud! for Hispanic Heritage

The following post is in collaboration with Tragos. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Discover ¡Get Loud! by Tragos Games, a fun, bilingual word game for kids. It's perfect for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month - or learning at ANY time of the year.

Every year, during Hispanic Heritage Month, I go on the hunt looking for new resources that will help families (including mine!) with learning about about Hispanic culture or that support them in their efforts to raise bilingual kids. This year, Tragos Games stands out!

Get Loud! is their new bilingual guessing word game that is kid-friendly and great for nurturing their knowledge of Spanish AND Hispanic culture. I received a review sample of the game a few weeks ago. It is fabulous for several reasons.

The Huge Number of Cards

¡Get Loud! has SO MANY cards! There are 400 cards with words on both the front and back in English and Spanish, when necessary. That means 800 words! Wow. I can totally see how this would be an awesome game to play in the classroom and/or at home. These words range from simple everyday words of people, places, and things that your kid will be learning both in and out of school.

A lot of the words are culturally based - in other words, if you aren't familiar with Hispanic culture, then you will probably learn a lot. You may want to keep your phone handy so you can look up what some of them are. And even if you consider yourself pretty knowledgeable, you may still need to look up a few.

The Diversity

I like the diversity of Hispanic cultures that are represented in this game deck. From Puerto Rico to Colombia to Peru, there are references to foods, people, words, and more.

But the game also comes with different levels of difficulty. The cards are color coded: red and yellow with simpler words and references for younger players, or blue and green for more challenging words that adults are more likely to know. They include topics such as history, travel, and pop culture.

It's Bilingual!

And I think that the best part of this game is that it can easily be played in either English or Spanish. Many of the words are recognizable or used in both languages. But when necessary, they've listed the word in both languages.

This would be a great way to reinforce new vocabulary if your children (or your entire family) are learning either English or Spanish. 

But it's also a great way to learn about Latin America and U.S. Hispanic culture, icons, and more.

It's Kid Friendly!

The packaging says that this games is best for kids ages 8 and up, but really, I think you might even be able to use it with younger children. You may need to be intentional in the cards that you select to play with, but there are certainly PLENTY of options. 

How to Play

Playing the game is easy!

1. Choose the colored cards you want to use.
   
   
2. When it is your turn, you flip the minute sand timer and grab a card from the deck. Do your best to describe the word until the other person guesses what it is. 
   
   
3. Get another card from the deck and do the same. 
   
   
4. The team or player with the most cards at the end of three rounds is the winner!

The game defines a round is completed after each player on a team has had a turn. 

I think you can play individually or in teams, but teams is recommended. However, as a parent and teacher, I think you can certainly use this game in a variety of ways.

Get One!

This game is a must-have for all Hispanic families and classrooms. Don't wait! You can order your ¡Get Loud! card game here.

Want to find this post again? Pin it!

Raising a Bilingual Child When You’re Not Bilingual

 

The following is a guest post by Erin McGann. In this post she shares her experience with German, however, any language could be substituted.

I always wanted my son to learn a second language, fluently if possible. I grew up on the border of the French-speaking region in Canada, and although my French was quite good, I never felt confident speaking it. I didn’t want that for our son.

When he reached school age, we enrolled him in a French immersion school, and I was able to start speaking more French with him at home, though he was reluctant to speak to me in French and shy in the classroom. Two years in, we accepted a job transfer with my husband’s company and moved to Germany. None of us could speak German!

At this point my son was seven, and we chose a bilingual German-English school for him. Language immersion was one of the reasons we agreed to this big move – if it couldn’t be French, German would be a good second choice. However, we couldn’t help him much, despite taking language classes ourselves. He quickly outstripped our skills. We worked hard to support him, and now, five years later, he is comfortable chatting and playing in his second language, and his best friends are native speakers.

This is what I’ve learned about raising a bilingual child when you’re not bilingual yourself:

It’s a marathon, not a sprint

Something one of my son’s teachers from his French-language school told us was to not push too hard on the language at home at first. He’s concentrating on processing the second language all day at school, it’s exhausting. Let him relax when he’s off school. There would be a point when we could do that. I do find now I can speak German with him and he doesn’t even notice, but at the beginning he would beg us to speak English at home. This is a long process, it will come!

Don’t give up

Other people who don’t speak more than one language will find this whole thing confusing, and I encourage you to stop at the first signs of difficulty. It is difficult, learning a language to a high level is hard. Have patience, and hang in there. If you’re really concerned about your child’s progress, see a speech pathologist who is familiar with and positive about multilingual families. But I won’t lie, this is not an easy process and there will be rocky times.

Find support for your journey

You’re not alone though. The online language school Lingoda recently did a survey of US parents who are learning a language themselves, and 85% said they also wanted their child to learn another language. Look for language playgroups and storytimes if your child is younger, so they can connect with other kids speaking the minority language but also so you can connect to other parents who understand what you’re doing. There are lots of Facebook groups out there for kids’ language learning, but one of the best general ones is the Multilingual Parenting group. You’ll find parents with kids learning all sorts of combinations of languages there, and lots of support.

Get experienced one-on-one help

The thing that has helped the most with our language journey was finding a private tutor. We needed someone that could go over our son’s homework and answer questions about the language for him that we just couldn’t as non-native speakers. Small group classes can be helpful too, but there will be a point where they just need very directed help and feedback on their writing, for instance.

Let them teach you

What is it about correcting their parents that brings kids so much joy?! We did this from the beginning, getting our son to correct our pronunciation or look over our own language lesson homework. It brings him a lot of pride that he is the best German speaker in our family. This really helps to bring up when he’s feeling frustrated about school.

Watch movies, listen to music, read books

Don’t just leave the language learning to school and tutors though. Even if you’re not fluent, engage with media in the minority language. Watch movies together with the subtitles on, find some good playlists with songs you can learn to sing along to, and get them to read books to you. Ask lots of questions when you don’t understand something, and let them teach you. We watch German-language TikToks together and I get him to explain the jokes when I don’t understand!

It’s hard work, supporting your child as they learn a language beyond your own capabilities, but it’s worth it. They will have so many more opportunities to work, learn and play because you committed to helping them learn another language.


--

Erin McGann is a Canadian freelance writer focusing on travel, living abroad, parenting, history, and culture. After nearly a decade living in the UK, Erin settled in Heidelberg, Germany with her husband and son. Dragging her family to every castle and open-air museum is a favourite activity, along with sewing, archery, and historical reenactment. You can check out her travel blog, and follow her obsession with half-timbered houses on her Instagram account.

Bilingual Toolkit on COVID-19 for Families

Are you looking for a bilingual resource for families impacted by COVID-19? The wonderful educators over at ReadyRosie have you covered.

They have dedicated a section on their site to help families cope with all the changes that the pandemic has brought. There are three main areas: Learning at Home, Prevention & Care, and Emotional Well-Being.

This is a valuable tool for bilingual educators who are trying to provide additional support to the families of their students.

If this sounds like something you need, click here to visit their website.

Tips for Non-Spanish Speaking Parents Raising Bilingual Children

© Can Stock Photo  ylivdesign

The following guest post is by Debbie Annett, founder of Spanish for You! Thank you, Debbie, for accepting my request to write on this topic!

Non-Spanish speaking parents can still raise bilingual children. There are many paths that can be taken. Some people have access to dual-language programs where their children attend the local school and are immersed in Spanish everyday. Dual-language programs do the work for you. This article is for those who don’t have an option like that.

I will provide you with a suggested path that considers your time and budget. Everyone has different amounts of time and money they can give to this effort. So, the goal is to provide a path where just about anyone can help their kids become bilingual by adulthood or maybe sooner.

You will see that this path takes years. But know that along the way, your child will be achieving ever higher levels of language proficiency. So even though Spanish fluency may not be reached until later, you will see an increasing ability to communicate. That is exciting!

So, let’s get on with this suggested path to bilingualism!

Begin Early 

As many people know, the earlier you begin learning a language, the easier it is to learn. Starting early takes advantage of your child’s “brain” ability to learn languages more easily and become savvy linguists later.

However, you can begin at any age, so if you are reading this and your child is already in elementary school or older, don’t worry! It is still ever so possible!

Begin with a Structured Spanish Program 

No matter what age your child is, using a structured program will guide your efforts. A structured program will lay things out for you so your child can systematically and sensibly build their skills.

If your child is not yet school age, look to enroll in a baby or toddler Spanish class together. Or, look at programs to use at home, such as Little Pim or others. Once you have a program in place, you can supplement if you’d like. For example, expose your baby or toddler to music or videos in Spanish. See if you can purchase bilingual baby/toddler books in Spanish that come with audio so you can read and listen together. At this early stage, you are developing their ear for the language and getting those brain connections going.

If your child is in elementary or middle school, you can use a program like mine, Spanish for You!  My program provides you with step-by- step, daily lessons that you can do at your own pace. The lessons are in bite-size chunks and are filled with easy-to-do activities. You can even learn Spanish along with your kids if you want!

The program works to develop the child’s ability to understand, speak, read, and write in complete sentences using content that is useful in everyday life. It also prepares your child to succeed in high school Spanish. You can learn more about Spanish for You! for home use here.

Whether you choose my program or another, just make sure it seems like a good fit for you. My program comes with a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee, so you can see if it’s a good fit. Be sure other programs you consider offer you a way to try without risk.

Another option at the elementary or middle school age is to find an enrichment class. Some schools or organizations offer after-school Spanish, and some homeschool co-ops offer classes. But be sure that your child will learn more than just vocabulary, phrases, and some songs. At this stage, it is best that your child learn how to use the language, not just memorize groups of words or phrases.

Take 4 Years of High School Spanish 

The next step on this path is to take 4 years of high school Spanish. Since your child has already been learning Spanish, he/she will excel with confidence at this higher level. Take advantage of conversation or other elective Spanish classes if offered.

Also, if your child has been doing a structured program, such as Spanish for You!, for a few years or more, you may want to ask the school or your homeschool class instructor, to evaluate him. They can determine if he/she could begin higher than first-year high school level.

Supplement Elementary, Middle School, and High School Learning 

You can supplement your child’s elementary, middle school, or high school learning in many ways. It isn’t necessary, but these are ideas in case you are interested:

• Visit places where Spanish is spoken, such as local restaurants, grocery stores, etc.,

• Visit Spanish-speaking countries. Some families go on mission trips through church or other organizations. They interact with native speakers as they provide charitable services.

• Enroll in a Spanish summer immersion camp such as Concordia Language Villages. This is a neat option, but it can be pricey for some families. So don’t feel you have to do it.

• Listen to music, watch videos, and read bilingual books with audio if available. Your child won’t understand everything, but he/she will pick things up. If watching videos, it helps to run subtitles in English or Spanish while the video is speaking in Spanish.

• For high school students who have had Spanish for several years, take a look at my blog post on suggested reading for them.

• Find someone to practice conversation with your child. Read my blog post on this here.

Take College Level Spanish 

If your child attends college or even if he/she doesn’t, continue the learning at the college level. Your child can major or minor in Spanish. If he/she doesn’t attend university, take advantage of classes offered at your local community college. Take conversations classes or other non-grammar based classes such as literature. If you are unsure about which classes your child would qualify to take, then ask to take a placement test. Community colleges and universities have these available to you.

Do a Study Abroad Program 

Students can do study abroad programs beginning in high school and through college. In these programs, students live and study in a Spanish-speaking country. There are many exchange programs available for high school students and you can usually find out about these at your local high school.

If attending a university or community college, you’ll almost always find a study abroad office with lots of possible programs. Some programs go for an entire academic year while others offer you weeks at a time in Spanish-speaking countries.

I consider study abroad programs to be the “icing on the cake” when learning a language. The student becomes highly challenged to use his/her accumulated skills with native speakers on a daily basis. Such a neat experience!

From personal experience, I recommend a minimum of 5-6 months where Spanish will be spoken every day. But, if that is not doable for you, any amount of time will be beneficial.

Conclusion 

That is it! It takes years, but is doable for just about anyone. The biggest expense comes with the study abroad. At that point, the money investment is worth it. And if your child has enjoyed the experience, he/she can endeavor to find future work or other activities that put him/her in communication with Spanish speakers frequently!

If you have any questions about getting your child started learning Spanish, feel free to contact me. Also, feel free to browse my blog for practice ideas as well as other language learning information.

Printable Bilingual Thanksgiving Acrostic Poems & Freebie

More bilingual Thanksgiving goodness! Do you remember doing acrostic poems when you were a kid? Usually, our teacher would whip them out around Mother's Day. They even made a song about it. You remember:

"M" is for the million things she gave me
"O" means only that she's growing old
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me
"H" is for her heart of purest gold
"E" is for her eyes with love-light shining
"R" means right and right she'll always be
Put them all together they spell MOTHER...

They were one of my favorite activities as a child (and I think they still are!). They are fantastic for beginning writers because they develop writing skills and critical thinking. They're also great for language learners because students have to think in terms of relationships: What words associated with Thanksgiving begin with....? And it boosts vocabulary.

So just for fun, I've put together this packet of bilingual Thanksgiving acrostic poem templates. It includes directions and examples in both English and Spanish, as well as five different acrostic pages with prompts of varying length and difficulty. There's also a blank page to allow children to use their own focus word.

You can find it here in my TpT store or the MommyMaestra shop.

BUT because it is Thanksgiving and because I am thankful for you, dear readers, I have created a sample freebie for you to use. I hope you enjoy it.

Click here to download

Learn Spanish with Super Stolie

This is a sponsored post.

I'm always happy to discover new artists who are sharing their love of Spanish with children in fun and educational ways. Music is such a great way to help children learn and retain information and new languages. So today, I'm pleased to introduce you to Super Stolie!

Rebecca Stoelinga, performing under the name Super Stolie, is a musician and performer. For the last 11 years, she's been writing and performing for children. The great thing is that she recently began to offer bilingual shows - ¡Super Stolie Guacamole! - to encourage children to learn more about the Hispanic culture. Her bilingual shows intertwine nursery rhymes to entertain her younger audience with movement activities for the energetic ones. Older kids get to participate through volunteer opportunities.

Her website says that Stolie took "Honors Spanish in high school and revived her Spanish learning in 2015 with an immersion program in Guadalajara, México. She then visited Pacific coastal town, Puerto Vallarta, where she now spends all of the winter months — practicing Spanish, playing music for tourists, booking her summer shows, and avoiding the cold."

Honestly? I'm always a skeptic when I read things like this until I actually hear a person speak Spanish to see if there's any kind of accent.

But after I saw this video, I was sold. How fun is it? You can find it on her Super Stolie 10 album, which also has the "Boca, Boca, Boca" song. You can listen to it using the link above.

Since starting out, Super Stolie has released four albums of original music. This year, Super Stolie will release a bilingual album with more songs like those I mention above, so be on the lookout!

She'll also be offering her original songs as sheet music for young piano and guitar learners, as well as translate her songs into readable book form — in both English and Spanish! 

I love her rhythm and energy. And I like how much time and effort she's put into her music. She performs more than 100 shows each summer across the country, but mostly in Chicago. To find out if she'll be somewhere near you or to print out her show schedule, click here to view her 2018 Tour dates.


Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Super Stolie. All opinions are my own.

The 2018 L4LL Latino Children's Summer Reading Program

Did you know that May is Bilingual Literacy Month?

So it is with extreme pleasure that I can share that the 2018 L4LL Latino Children's Summer Reading Program is now live!

Five years ago, my business partner Viviana Hurtado, Ph.D. and I launched the first national online summer reading program for Latino families. Our goal was to support literacy among Latino children, who consistently come in last when it comes to literacy.

Our mission has been to raise literacy rates through pedagogically sound, culturally relevant content, and technology is rooted in our belief that all educational and professional achievement, as well as economic empowerment, rests on the mastery of basic reading skills.

The program has changed a lot over the course of these five years as we strived to find the right way to make it accessible to families and educators. And, in fact, Viviana and I stepped back from it for the last year or so as she started a new job and I managed my pregnancy, move to Texas, caring for my mother, and the birth of my baby. But we knew that we had a really great program, and we are happy to say that we think we have found the best way to bring it to bilingual families and educators. All of our reading programs are now available as direct downloads from both our newly updated website and our new TpT store. 

We have three programs available.

Our free BASIC Summer Reading Program 

This consists of printable resources to help your kids have fun reading in English or Spanish during the summer. It contains:

• Our 2018 Summer Reading Lists
• Reading passport
• Reading logs
• Bookmarks
• Postcards
• Pledges
• Certificate of completion

You pick the materials that best suit your family’s/student’s needs.

Each year, we update our Summer Reading Lists to include new titles. You’ll only find Latino children’s literature on our lists as we strive to highlight this small – but important! – genre by Hispanic authors and illustrators. Choose books from our suggested 2018 reading lists of Latino children’s literature, or pick your own. Our program is easy, flexible, and fun!

ALL of the activity pages are available in English and Spanish.

Our Summer Reading CAMP 

This is a 10-week DIY Summer Reading Camp with culturally-based activities to develop reading and writing skills. It is for children ages 6 to 12 years old and includes more than 100 activity sheets designed to boost literacy skills over the summer break, as well as additional tools for educators and students. The program also includes original reading passages and illustrations by Latino children’s authors Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy, René Colato Laínez, and Lulu Delacre.

Each week covers a different theme:

1. Art/Arte
2. Family/Familia
3. Folklore/Folclore
4. Food/Comida
5. Immigration & Heritage/Inmigración y herencia
6. Music/Música
7. Nature/Naturaleza
8. Poetry/Poesía
9. Sports/Deportes
10. Summer/Verano

You can now buy the individual themes or save 10% when you buy the complete CAMP!

Again, all the activities are available in English and Spanish.

The L4LL Latino Children’s Year-Round Program 

For those of you who really enjoy our Summer Reading CAMP and want to use it during the school year, this extension is for you!

We’ve created three additional themes for educators who would like to use our CAMP during the school year. These three themes are:

1. Holidays & Traditions/Fiestas y tradiciones
2. Famous Latinos/Latinos famosos
3. Seasons/Estaciones

The third theme, Seasons/Estaciones, is meant to replace the Summer/Verano theme in our Summer Reading CAMP.  This then gives you an additional 75 pages and a total of 12 full weeks of materials to complete over the course of the semester or year. You decide your time frame, we supply the base materials.

Like our CAMP, these themes contain culturally-relevant literacy activities to boost your students’ reading and writing skills. You’ll also receive reading suggestions relevant to each theme.


If you want to learn more about what activities are found in each theme, visit our website's shop or our new TpT store!

Oh, and YES! We're participating in TpT's sitewide sale in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, so if you take a look there, you'll find all of our products on sale up to 25%!

SURPRISE GIVEAWAY: Bilingual Multimedia by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

Ages ago, authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy reached out to me and generously offered a huge set of their materials to be given away to MommyMaestra readers. Sadly, the past year has been quite tumultuous and difficult for me and I just couldn't get to it, but they were kind enough to keep the materials set aside just for you. I am so thankful for their dedication to Latino families and their support of bilingual education.

SO let me tell you what this surprise giveaway is about!

Alma Flor and Isabel have put together 12 packages each featuring five of their works. These sets of multimedia materials are mentioned in their Transformative Calendar, a FREE download for parents and educators. It is full of suggestions for books and poems appropriate for each month of the year.

Each package includes:

1. Books plus DVDs
2. CDs
3. Book + CD

For example, one package contains:

• The books: Pasos from Puertas al Sol Quince Años Edition plus the DVD El encuentro mágico con el folklore infantil
  and Me llamo María Isabel plus the DVD  Lectura creadora
• The CDs: Poesía eres tú and ¡Pío Peep!
• The book and CD set: Música amiga Number 4 Corre al coro by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, music by Suni Paz

And another has:

• The books: Uno, dos, tres… dime quién es from Puertas al Sol Quince Años Edition plus the DVD El encuentro mágico con el folklore infantil and Yes! We Are Latinos plus Path to My Word DVD by F. Isabel Campoy
• The CDs:  Todo es canción poems by Alma Flor Ada music and voice, Suni Paz
  
  and Cuentos que contaban nuestras abuelas read by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy
• The book and CD set: Música amiga Number 5 Con ton y son by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy, music by Suni Paz

Now just imagine...there are 12 of these prize packages!! All of them include materials in English and Spanish for children or their educators.

THE GIVEAWAY

There will be 3 (THREE) winners who will receive 4 (FOUR) packages each of some combination of materials by the authors. You don't get to choose...it will be a surprise!

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below.

¡Buena suerte!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dual Immersion Parent Workshop

Today's post is for my California readers! Anyone in the Redondo Beach area? If so, check this out.

This coming Saturday, Latina Mothers Collaborative is spearheading a workshop for parents raising bilingual children. The workshop will have three sessions (see descriptions below) that address how to incorporate Spanish into your child's education. The sessions are being led by a group of amazing women who are empowering Latina moms through their work and products.

Registration is limited and on a first come first serve basis. Every family will receive a goody bag with treats, information, and valuable resources for bilingual education for your family. Psst!! It includes a copy of my children's book, Linda and Reuben Learn at Home, thanks to the publisher, Read Conmigo!

Each participant will also receive an entry for RAFFLE PRIZES!!! (I sure wish I lived in Redondo Beach!)

Please, RSVP via email to latinamothersc@gmail.com to receive your registration link.
Price: $25 per couple
Date: Saturday, February 10th, 2018
Time: 2:00pm-5:30pm
Location: My Escuelita: Spanish for Kids
1603 Aviation Blvd
Suite #11/12
Redondo Beach, CA 90278
FREE PARKING!!

Here's more information from Latina Mothers Collaborative:

Ever wonder how to start or incorporate Spanish into your child's education? We all know that education styles are NOT a one size fits all. @latinamotherscollaborative, @myescuelita, & Multilingual Learning Network brings you three different workshops that will include the following:

Spanish Enrichment

Irma Vazquez from @myescuelita will review best practices in second language learning and how to create a bilingual setting for Spanish enrichment at home.

Spanish Homeschooling

@carolina_adame will facilitate a conversation around Spanish curriculum and bilingual best practices in a homeschooling setting. She will explore materials and supplies needed to enhance your program and create a network of parents and homeschoolers to support your goals.

Dual Immersion Programs in Public Schools

Dr. Olga Grimalt will facilitate a discussion around the process of applying for Dual Immersion programs in the surrounding areas, Olga will highlight and describe features unique to Dual Immersion within the public school system. She will share a roadmap for various pathways to this goal.

Arroz Con Pollo and Apple Pie author, Maritere Rodriguez Bellas (@latinaboomermom), will also be on hand to answer questions and enhance the conversation around common experiences that parents face as newly arrived families or as established families... books will be available for purchase! Take advantage of this opportunity and have Maritere sign your copy!

This will be the first of many workshops that the organizers are planning. I hope you all have the opportunity to attend if you are in the area! Let me know how it goes. ;)

Great Gift Ideas for Bilingual Kids

This year, I thought it best to do a roundup of my favorite gifts for bilingual families. Below are some remarkable products that I think will really appeal to children and even their parents. The criteria I used is simple: It must be fun and educational.

Learning a new language or maintaining one's bilingualism shouldn't be a chore. It should be something that we enjoy doing. I think the products listed below help to promote a positive outlook when it comes to being bilingual.

I hope you enjoy!

This post uses affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission that helps me purchase books and other materials for my own homeschooling family. Thank you!

My Little Donkey/Mi Burrito by Canticos

Ages 5 and under
Most Hispanics have heard the traditional Christmas song, Mi burrito sabanero, and so I think this sweet book by Canticos would be a wonderful gift to give your child on Christmas Eve! Then you can read/sing it together....in English or Spanish or both!

Lingua Garden

Ages 2 - 10 years old

Fun. This online learning program can be summed up in that one word. Lingua Garden is put together by the talented Denise Leitch, a Chilean-American Spanish teacher who worked hard to create an engaging and effective program for teaching little children how to speak Spanish. There are different levels and themes in her classes. I love how organized the program is and how you can track your progress on the same page where you are watching the videos for each lesson or downloading the activity pages. The truth is, Denise really makes this program come alive with her exuberant videos. Learn more by visiting her home page.

Mundo Verde/Green World by Mister G

Ages 2 - 10 years old
This new album by bilingual musician, Mister G, is a must-have! It is a collection of inspiring bilingual songs that encourage people around the world to support of global conservation and action. Each song is unique and many are performed in collaboration with musicians from throughout Latin America and the U.S. From bomba and samba to reggae and bossa nova, there's a little something to thrill every listener. Want to hear a sample? Check out this ADORABLE music video!

Family Poems for Every Day of the Week - Poemas familiares para cada día de la semana by Francisco X. Alarcón

Ages 7 - 12 years old
This new release from Children's Book Press is a must-have for every bilingual family's library! Written by the late Chicano poet, Francisco X. Alarcón, the poems reflect the daily multicultural lives of Latino children. Alarcón's poems are complemented by the vibrant illustrations of Chicana artist Maya Christina Gonzalez. This entire book is a celebration of bilingualism, multiculturalism, and childhood.

Linguacious Card Games

Ages 5 and up
This card game is from a new language-learning startup that focuses on teaching basic vocabulary in foreign languages through the use of fun flashcard games. What sets these cards apart is the fact that they are the only flashcards that feature real pronunciation by native speakers. Each card comes with a QR code, so you will need a QR code reader on your phone to play (but it is easy to download and it's free). And I love that each card focuses on complete literacy: reading, writing, spelling, and pronunciation. Take a look here to read about all the different games you can play with these cards.  The cards are currently available in five languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Hebrew.

Disney Pixar Coco (Remember Me) A LOTERIA Game

Ages 4 and up
So much fun! I included this set simply because the graphics on the cards are SO beautiful and, of course, because the movie was so delightful. Reinforce your child's Spanish vocabulary with this game that includes words and images such as el sol, el nopal, la cama, and many others.

Booklandia Box

Ages 2 - 10 years old
This monthly subscription is the perfect gift for bilingual families as it last ALL YEAR LONG! Each month, bilingual or Spanish books are delivered directly to your doorstep to help develop your child's biliteracy and love of reading. Authentic and original titles in Spanish - not bad translations - are the focus of this wonderful company! The book boxes are designed for families with children ages 2 to 12 years old.

Día de los Muertos Booklets

I couldn't resist one last printable for Day of the Dead. I used these with my kids because they were asking for a simple hands-on activity. So if you are looking for something to engage and educate your kids or students, consider this packet of Día de los Muertos booklets!

This packet features three different styles of books: a flip book, an accordion book, and a booklet. Just choose the one that best suits your needs.

All three are available...

• in black-and-white or full color, 
• with descriptive text or blank to allow students to write inside, 
• and in English or Spanish.

Younger students can simply color, cut and go. Older students can write in descriptions of the elements associated with the holiday. 

Some assembly may be required, but it is easy with just a few pieces of tape, some glue, or a stapler.

You can find this file in my TpT store or in my MommyMaestra shop.

Guía para padres y maestros de niños bilingües {GIVEAWAY}

I know that many MommyMaestra readers are raising bilingual children or are bilingual ed teachers. As such, this next giveaway is something I think you will very much enjoy. Even if this description doesn't apply to you, it's quite possible that you know someone who would benefit.

It's no secret that I greatly respect the work of authors Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy. They have contributed a tremendous amount of materials to bilingual and bicultural education in this country. Not only books, but videos, curricula, and other materials. And at the center of their work is always the needs of Hispanic families, especially the children.

Once again, they have created an invaluable resource, this time in Spanish. Guía para padres y maestros de niños bilingües (aff link*) offers parents raising bilingual children both hope and guidance. (It's actually a second edition.) They give realistic descriptions of the joys and challenges associated with teaching bilingual children.

Most of the book is laid out in a Q & A format, and they do provide answers to some of the most common questions related to this topic. You'll find information about

• bilingualism in the digital era
• up-to-date research on the mixing of languages or code-switching
• the influence that siblings have on the family language
• the intellectual benefits of bilingualism
• and the effect it has on a child's personality, identity, and self-esteem.

While the majority of the book is directed at parents, the authors have also included a section for educators on how to best support the home-school connection.

And one of my favorite topics, nurturing literacy at home and reading suggestions for adults and children. 

This is not light reading material. It is very informational and a comprehensive resource for parents who are serious about raising bilingual children. 

The Giveaway

Multilingual Matters, the publisher, has generously offered a copy of this book to three MommyMaestra readers!

To enter to win, simply use the Rafflecopter below. 

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review- Raising Bilingual Children: A Practical Guide

A coule of weeks ago, I shared with you a review of Maritere Rondriguez Bellas' book, Arroz con pollo and Apple Pie - Raising Bicultural Children.

Today, I 'm reviewing her other excellent book, Raising Bilingual Children: A Practical Guide (aff link). It is an easy guidebook for parents who are committed to raising bilingual kids. Divided up into six chapters, the book starts with how to get started and ends with suggestions for non-native language speakers. You'll read about how after-school language learning programs get creative and the pros and cons of immersion schools. And you can read five case studies of children who move from school into the world.

It covers common questions parents have, such as what to do when your child refuses to speak Spanish at home, how to proceed when one parent doesn't speak the target language, and should you be concerned if your 2 year old isn't speaking in either language.

There is practical advice for busy parents, as well as testimonies from real parents who have successfully raised bilingual kids. I love that I can read about parents who have been there and done that, so they know what I'm going through. And you can even read interviews with some of their bilingual children.

In addition, Mari has included articles and advice from the experts, too, such as Delfin Carbonell Bassett, PhD, who debunks the five most prevalent myths associated with raising bilingual kids. Have you heard that a bilingual kid's brain will get confused with so many different words in different languages? That they'll get confused and suffer language delays? Maybe you've heard that a child must start learning a second language from birth or they'll be unsuccessful. Learn the truth to these and other misconceptions in chapter one.

I think you'll also enjoy the 100+ tips you'll find scattered throughout the book. You could even make it a daily goal to write one on a dry-erase board and post it somewhere you and your family will see it to boost your commitment.

While this book emphasizes immigrant parents, I love that the last chapter is for monolingual parents who are raising bilingual children. What a selfless act those parents are making and how awesome is it to have a resource to help them in their commitment!

Overall, this book is a must-have for every bilingual family's home library. Or if you know a family that fits this description or a couple expecting their first child, then this would be an excellent gift!