Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems/Iguanas en la nieve y otros poemas de invierno is an absolute delight. Parents, do not be intimidated by the word poem in the title! What Francisco X. Alarcón gives us with this picture book is an introduction to image. The poems, short and simple, will teach your children to grow with an acute appetite for sensory details. This collection, like the others in its series, is very visual and while it explores much associated with winter it also touches on many important themes our children face each day such as identity, community and cultural awareness.
The illustrations, by Maya Christina Gonzalez, are vivid and play a large role in the overall joy that is found in this book. Gonzalez does an excellent job complimenting each poem and her artwork is colorful and alive.
Suited perfectly for children in grades 3-5, this book will help children begin to build their creative process using small detail. Because the poems are observations, young readers will be able to identify similar visual details during their own day-to-day experiences. While in nature, walking to school, or even while spending time with family at home, they may begin to notice detail in a new way, an important skill for all children. This book, and the others in this seasonal series provide an excellent tool for building sensory skills.
Furthermore, if your child is a young student of Spanish, this book is effective in isolating a few words at a time, so the Spanish does not become overwhelming. Because the poems are short, they can be broken up into daily lessons. It is a perfect and joyful book for any age to read.
–Jacey
For this book and the others in its series (Spring, Summer and Fall), click here. Get it in time for Christmas!
We wanted to share with you one of Jacey’s favorite poems from the book, perfect for the season! Happy Holidays!
Nochebuena Christmas Eve
me encanta I love
el sabroso the delicious
olor aroma
de tamales of tamales
cociéndose simmering
al vapor in their steam
toda mi familia my family
a mi alrededor all around me
cantando singing
las alegres the joyful
canciones de songs of
Las Posadas Las Posadas
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: reading, literacy, bilingual books, learning to read, kindergarten, asian americans, bilingual children, Reading with your child, bububooks, Trends in Education, bilingual parents, bilingual schools, bilingual homes, getting ready to read, getting your child ready to read, Latino Americans, reading skills for kindergarteners, children's books, Add a tag
As school swings into session, we thought we should continue the learning to read checklists. Below you’ll find Part 3 in our series. Your child should develop the following skills throughout her kindergarten year. Keep in mind, she won’t have these skills right away, but usually develops them by the end of kindergarten. Be sure to talk with your child’s teacher for more details or if you have any questions while your child enters the magical world of reading!
√ My child listens carefully to books read aloud.
√ My child knows the shapes and names for the letters of the alpahbet and writes many uppercase and lowercase letters on his own.
√ My child knows that spoken words are made of separate sounds.
√ My child recognizes and makes rhymes, can tell when words begin with the same sound, and can put together, or blend, spoken sounds.
√ My child can sound out some letters.
√ My child knows that the order of letters in a written word stands for the order of sounds in a spoken word.
√ My child knows some common words such as a, the, I, and you, on sight.
√ My child knows how to hold a book, and follows print from left to right and from top to bottom of a page when she is read to in English.
√ My child asks and answers questions about stories and uses what she already knows to understand a story.
√ My child knows the parts of a book and understands that authors write words and text and illustrators create pictures.
√ My child knows that in most books the main message is in the print, not the pictures.
√ My child predicts what will happen in a story and retells or acts out stories.
√ My child knows the difference between “made up” fiction and “real” nonfiction books and the difference between stories and poems.
√ My child uses what he knows about letters and sounds to write words.
√ My child writes some letters and words as they are said to her and begins to spell some words correctly.
√ My child writes his own first and last name and the first names of some friends and family.
√ My child plays with words and uses new words in her own speech.
√ My child knows and uses words that are important to school work, such as the names for colors, shapes, and numbers.
√ My child knows and uses words from daily life, such as street names and the names for community workers–teacher, mail carrier, etc.
This information is provided by the National Institute for Literacy. For more, please visit www.nifl.gov/nifl/publications.html.
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, literacy, bilingual books, learning to read, asian americans, bilingual children, bububooks, Trends in Education, bilingual parents, bilingual chinese english books, bilingual spanish english books, bilingual children's books, bilingual homes, getting ready to read, getting your child ready to read, toddler reading, Reading with your child, multiracial children, teaching my child a second language, teaching my child my native language, reading, preschool, Add a tag
Hello there! This blog posting serves as a ‘prequel’ of sorts to the last blog posting and focuses on getting your toddler (2 or 3 years old) ready to read. Below is a checklist for you as you help your toddler grow with strong reading skills. And REMEMBER: you can follow this checklist in the language YOU feel most comfortable! Literacy skills transfer across languages, so be sure to expose your children to your native language.
√ I read with my child every day, even if it’s only for a few minutes.
√ I encourage my child to bring his favorite books to me so that we can read together.
√ I point to pictures and name them out loud, and encourage my child to point to pictures while we read.
√ I watch to see if my child sometimes makes eye contact with me when I read aloud. That tells me she is paying attention to me and the story.
√ I talk with my child throughout the day about things we are doing and things that are happening around us.
√ I try to be patient when my child wants to read the same book over and over again.
√ I encourage my child to “play” with books—pick them up, flip them from front to back, and turn the pages.
√ Sometimes I listen when my child “pretends,” to read a book—he holds the book, goes from page to page, and says words, even though they’re not the words on the page.
√ I give my child paper and crayons so she can scribble, make pictures, and pretend to write.
This checklist was taken from the National Institute of Literacy. More information can be found at www.nifl.gov/nifl/publications.html. Happy reading!
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, reading, literacy, bilingual books, preschool, bilingual children, Reading with your child, bububooks, multiracial children, Trends in Education, bilingual parents, bilingual chinese english books, bilingual spanish english books, bilingual children's books, bilingual homes, getting ready to read, getting your child ready to read, Add a tag
As the start of school approaches, you and your preschooler may be nervous! So many firsts will occur during the preschool years—how exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. One of those many firsts will include learning to read. Below is a checklist from the National Institute for Literacy that offers ways to help your child “get ready to read” during the ages of 4 and 5.
√ I help my child hear and say the first sound in words (like “b” in boat), and notice when different words start with the same sound (like “boat” and “book”).
√ I help my child hear words that rhyme (like moose, goose, and caboose).
√ I introduce new words to my child, like “bow” and “stern,” which mean the front of a boat and the back of a boat.
√ I talk with my child about the letters of the alphabet and notice them in books, like “c” for canoe.
√ I point out signs and labels that have letters, like street signs and foods in the grocery store.
√ I encourage my child to find the joy and fun in reading. Usually, I let my child choose the books we read.
√ I let my child pretend to read parts of the books when we read together.
√ I talk with my child about stories and make connections to things that happen in our own lives.
√ I ask “what,” “where,” and “how” questions when I read with my child to help her follow along and understand the stories.
√ I help my child write notes or make books (like an alphabet book), even if his writing only looks like scribbles or marks.
For checklists on other age ranges and for more information, visit the National Institute for Literacy at http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/publications.html
Literacy begins at home!
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, reading, bilingual books, asian americans, bilingual children, Reading with your child, The bookstore, bububooks, cultural identity, multiracial children, bilingual parents, bilingual schools, books for the summer, bilingual chinese english books, bilingual spanish english books, bilingual children's books, bilingual homes, Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy, Latin Expo USA, Add a tag
bububooks' logo
After a great weekend at Latino Expo USA and the Chicago Chinatown Dragon Boat Race for Literacy, I thought I would use today’s blog to offer two reasons to shop at www.bububooks.com
1) Reading skills transfer across languages. Even if your child learns to read in Spanish or Chinese, they’ll be able to transfer those reading skills once they start to learn English. Therefore, read to your child in the language you’re most comfortable.
Also, children like to read the same books over and over. If you have two languages at home (each parent has their own dominant language), use bilingual books to read the story to your children in both languages.
The most important thing is to read to your child! It does not necessarily have to be in English. Read in the language you are most comfortable.
2) These books help your child to develop their cultural identities. The main character in most children’s books is Caucasian. bububooks strives to offer storybooks that highlight aspects of Latino (mostly Mexican-American as of now) and Chinese culture. Even if your child doesn’t speak a foreign language, the lack of children stories that discuss topics related to your culture will affect how they view themselves and your culture.
Thanks for your continued support. We hope to see you at our next event or online!
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, reading, bilingual books, asian americans, bilingual children, Reading with your child, The bookstore, bububooks, cultural identity, multiracial children, Trends in Education, bilingual parents, bilingual chinese english books, bilingual spanish english books, bilingual children's books, bilingual homes, Add a tag
I enjoyed these tips so much I had to share them with you. They were written by Deanna Lyles, cofounder of Bilingual Readers, a brand new publishing company which provides resources for bilingual and multilingual families and communities. This article was taken from www.SpanglishBaby.com.
A very patient Spanish speaking mom has been reading her daughter Sara’s favorite book Yo Tigre out loud to her in Spanish every night at bedtime for the last month. But tonight Mom’s out with some friends, and it’s English speaking Dad’s turn to read Sara to sleep. He dutifully pulls out adorable children’s book after adorable children’s book, but it’s no use: Sara wants Yo Tigre, and Where the Wild Things Are just isn’t going to cut it. What’s a bilingual Dad to do? Is it alright for a parent in a One Parent One Language home to break his commitment to speaking to his child only in his native language when the child’s love of reading is at stake?
Most of us are aware that reading aloud to small children is one of the greatest tools parents have for helping their children’s language development along. But when it comes to reading aloud in a bilingual home, many questions arise as to who should read to children in what languages. In OPOL homes the easy answer is that each parent should read to the child in his or her native language, but putting this principle into practice is often anything but simple.
Although they are sometimes hard to find for certain language combinations, bilingual books are one of the best tools for getting the most out of storytime in a OPOL home. While reading monolingual books to your children is certainly beneficial, bilingual books are an especially useful tool for bilingual families. Bilingual books allow both parents to take turns reading the same book to their kids, each parent in his own language. If one parent reads a book to a child in English and the other parent reads the same book in Spanish, the child will automatically begin to associate both languages with the stories and objects on the pages of the book. We all know that children love to read and be read the same stories over and over again, so hearing the exact same text in each language every time a book is read is an easy way to reinforce vocabulary and sentence structure for the bilingual child.
In addition to taking advantage of bilingual books, there are also other strategies for reading consistently to your kids while sticking to the OPOL method. Regardless of whether or not you read monolingual or bilingual books (most families will read both),establish a routine to make sure that each parent is reading to the kids in his or her language every single day. If you stick to this routine, it’ll be a great tool for developing your child’s language abilities in both languages. You can also make recordings of your voice reading your kids’ favorite stories out loud. This way your child can still listen to Mom’s soothing voice read a story in Spanish or Dad doing all the fun voices in English anytime, anywhere. (A friend confessed that these recordings are also great for long trips in the car).
Last but not least, if you’ve broken the rules and read a story to your child in your second language, don’t beat yourself up over it. While consistency is key in any bilingual home, nobody’s perfect and slipping up every once in a while will not scar your child for life. The same thing goes for those of you who may not have been consistent readers in the past. Thankfully each day is a new opportunity to read to and with your children. Happy reading!
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, reading, bilingual books, asian americans, bilingual children, Reading with your child, The bookstore, bububooks, cultural identity, multiracial children, bilingual parents, bilingual schools, dual language programs, books for the summer, bilingual chinese english books, summer books, bilingual authors, chengyu, Chinese Idioms, Add a tag
The cover of The Frog in the Well
The Frog in the Well retells a Chinese idiom. Chinese idioms tend to be four characters long and paint a moral teaching. The frog that lives in a well believes the well encompasses the entire world and that he understands it better than anyone else. One day the frog meets a sea turtle that introduces the wide, deep ocean full of much more life than the well. From this experience, the frog realizes a world exists outside the well.
New author Irene Tsai highlights the moral lesson that one should not be narrow-minded and, instead, be aware of the “ocean of knowledge for him to learn.” She does so in this beautifully and clearly illustrated book—by Pattie Caprio—that includes both traditional and simplified characters along with pinyin and zhuyin. Irene also succeeds in offering imagery for the life the frog is living, something that will certainly capture the attention and imagination of children.
Indeed, The Frog in the Well has won the Reader Views 2009 Reviewers Choice Award and has received rave reviews that are copied below.
“What a delightful book! It has a meaningful message, and the illustrations are charming! My father attempted to teach me Chinese when I was a child. I would have loved this book! I know that The Frog in the Well will be enjoyed by aspiring language students, their parents, and teachers.”
–Dominie Soo Bush, Writer and Educator, FL
“Irene Tsai tells stories that speak to readers of all ages. She has a unique ability to convey classic Chinese stories by using language and tone that children today can appreciate. She expands cultural boundaries and provides an avenue for nurturing your child’s emotional development.”
–Harsh K. Trivedi M.D., Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Brown Medical School, RI
“The Frog in the Well is both beautifully written and illustrated. The story of how the frog views his world will jump off the pages for children while educating them about Chinese culture and language.”
–Tom Watkins, Michigan State Superintendent of Schools (2001-2005)
Honorary Professor, Mianyang University
The Frog in the Well is now available at www.bububooks.com. Check it out today!
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, reading, top ten, bilingual books, asian americans, bilingual children, Reading with your child, bububooks, multiracial children, Trends in Education, bilingual parents, bilingual schools, dual language programs, books for the summer, bilingual chinese english books, bilingual spanish english books, summer books, bilingual authors, Add a tag
Colorin Colorado
Below is an article taken from Colrín Colorado, a bilingual (Spanish and English) website for families and educators of English Language Learners. It offers five tips for helping your child continue to learn over the summer break. Scroll down for the English version. Enjoy!
Cinco consejos gratuitos y sencillos para el aprendizaje de verano
Por: Brenda McLaughlin y Jane Voorhees Sharp (2008)
Existen estudios bien documentados sobre cuánto de lo ya aprendido pierden los niños durante el verano. Harris Cooper de la Universidad Duke observa que “en general, durante el verano los niños experimentan una pérdida promedio de lo aprendido en lectura y matemáticas que equivale a un mes de aprendizaje” (1996).
La cuestión es que los niños no tienen por qué perder nada de lo aprendido durante el verano. En realidad, usted puede alentar a su hijo a disfrutar del verano y a aprender siguiendo estos cinco consejos gratuitos y sencillos. ¡Pruébelos!
1. Leer todos los días
Estudios de investigación
A nivel de la escuela media, leer cuatro o cinco libros durante el verano influye de manera positiva en el nivel de lectura que puede alcanzar el niño en otoño, comparable con la asistencia a la escuela de verano. (Kim, 2004)
Sugerencias
Lleve a sus hijos a la biblioteca con frecuencia y permítales que escojan sus propios libros. Escuchen libros en audio. Suscríbanse a una revista. Túrnense para leerle el uno al otro. Permítales a los niños quedarse despiertos hasta media hora más si es para leer.
2. Usar las matemáticas todos los días
Estudios de investigación
El área donde se registra la mayor pérdida que sufren los niños durante el verano es en el área de los cómputos matemáticos, a un nivel de 2.6 meses promedio de aprendizaje. (Cooper, 1996)
Sugerencias
Practiquen las tablas de multiplicar aumentando 7 veces (o hasta 8 ó 9) el valor de cada punto en un juego de baloncesto. Pídales a los niños que pidan cambio en la ventanilla de autoservicio. Enséñeles a los niños cómo ingresar en www.coolmath.com en inglés) para jugar juegos de matemáticas. Invente problemas de matemáticas cuando viajan en automóvil o durante la cena.
3. Salir a jugar
Estudios de investigación
Los programas de actividad física intensa tienen efectos positivos en los logros académicos, además de mayor concentración, mejores calificaciones en pruebas de matemáticas, lectura y escritura, y menos casos de mal comportamiento. (Journal of School Health, 1997)
Sugerencias
Busque opciones para que su hijo haga actividad durante 60 minutos por día. Sugiérale pasear el paseo del vecino, ir a nadar, jugar al badminton o al fútbol, salir a caminar o andar en bicicleta en familia. Busque formas seguras y divertidas de salir a jugar durante todo el año. Visite los sitios de Internet Los niños en su casa, PBS Padres, y los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades para consultar más ideas y información en español.
4. Escribir todas las semanas
Estudios de investigación
La mayoría de los estudiantes de primer año que ingresan en instituciones postsecundarias para cursar un título de grado deben tomar clases de refuerzo de escritura más que clases de lectura. (NCES 2003)
Sugerencias
Pídale a su hijo que les escriba una carta por semana a sus abuelos, parientes o amigos. Anímelo para que escriba un diario de verano. Pídale que escriba la lista de las compras para la familia. Organice un proyecto del amigo invisible por carta para adultos y niños en su iglesia o comunidad.
5. Hacer una buena acción
Estudios de investigación
Los estudiantes aprenden más y “actúan” menos cuando participan en actividades que ayudan a su desarrollo socioemocional, como el servicio comunitario. (The Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning, 2004)
Sugerencias
Incentive a su hijo para que ayude a sus vecinos o amigos. Puede ofrecerse como voluntario de un grupo local o participar de un proyecto educativo de servicio. Sugiérale que reserve parte de su asignación para donarla. Miren juntos el sitio de Internet Big Help de Nickelodeon (en inglés) y el sitio de Parent Link Rhode Island (en español) para tener más ideas.
Five Free and Easy Tips for Summer Learning: Research Pointers and What You Can Do
By: Brenda McLaughlin and Jane Voorhees Sharp (2005)
Research about how much children lose ground over the summer is well documented. Harris Cooper of Duke University notes, “Overall, children experience an average summer learning loss across reading and mathematics of about one month” (1996).
The thing is, though, kids don’t have to lose over the summer. In fact, you can encourage your child to have a summer of fun and learning with these five free and easy things to do. Try them out!
1. Read Every Day
The Research
At the middle school level, reading four to five books over the summer has a positive impact on fall reading achievement comparable to attending summer school (Kim, 2004).
Suggestions
Take your kids to the library often and let them choose which books to check out. Listen to books on tape. Subscribe them to a magazine. Take turns reading to each other. Allow your kids to stay up a half hour later at night as long as they’re reading.
2. Use Math Every Day
The Research
The largest summer learning losses for all children occur in mathematical computation, an average of 2.6 months (Cooper, 1996).
Suggestions
Practice the multiplication tables by making each point in a basketball game worth 7 points (or 8 or 9). Ask your kids to make change at the drive-thru. Show your child how to go to Cool Math to play math games. Make up math word problems in the car and at the dinner table.
3. Get Outside and Play
The Research
Intense physical activity programs have positive effects on academic achievement, including increased concentration; improved mathematics, reading, and writing test scores; and reduced disruptive behavior (Journal of School Health 1997).
Suggestions
Find ways to ensure your child is active for 60 minutes each day. Have him or her walk the neighbor’s dog, go swimming, play badminton or soccer, take walks, or go for family bike rides. Look for safe, fun ways to play outside together year-round. Go to Family Corner Magazine and PBS Parents for more ideas.
4. Write Every Week
The Research
More freshmen entering degree-granting postsecondary institutions take remedial writing courses than take remedial reading courses (NCES 2003).
Suggestions
Ask your child to write a weekly letter to his or her grandparents, relatives, or friends. Encourage him to keep a summer journal. Have her write the family’s grocery list. Organize a secret pal writing project for adults and kids at your church or in your community.
5. Do a Good Deed
The Research
Students learn better and “act out” less when they engage in activities to aid in their social-emotional development, such as community service (The Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning, 2004).
Suggestions
Encourage your child to help out neighbors or friends. He or she can volunteer with a local group or complete a service learning project. Suggest that your child set aside part of his allowance for charity. Look at Nickelodeon’s Big Help web site together for more ideas.
Adapted from a presentation by Brenda McLaughlin, Director of Research and Policy, Center for Summer Learning, Johns Hopkins University and Jane Voorhees Sharp, Office of Early Care and Education, New Jersey Department of Human Services.
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: bububooks, cultural identity, multiracial children, dual language programs, books for the summer, bilingual spanish english books, summer books, Nancy Tabor, reading, Reading with your child, Add a tag
Cover of We are a Rainbow/Somos un arco iris
Nancy Maria Grande Tabor writes bilingual Spanish/English books for children. Some of her titles include Somos un arco iris / We Are a Rainbow and Albertina anda arriba: el abecedario / Albertina Goes Up: An Alphabet Book. An American, Tabor grew up mostly in Mexico. She now teaches Kindergarten in northern California.
Inside look to A Taste of the Mexican Market/El gusto del mercado mexicano
Nancy Tabor was one of the first bilingual teachers in her school. She discovered there existed very few bilingual books to help her teach her class. Indeed, because the thought of bilingual education was so new, Tabor struggled to find any resources or even support as she developed her teaching program. One night, Tabor expressed her frustrations to her daughter who replied, “Why don’t you write your own book?” That same night, Tabor sat down and wrote her own book. She cut out her art from construction paper. And an author was born!
Tabor went on to write several more books, creating her own beautiful and colorful artwork for each. A huge fan, bububooks offers all of Tabor’s books.
Inside look to Albertina Goes Up: An Alphabet Book/Albertina anda arriba: el abecedario
*The information provided in this blog was gathered from a presentation Tabor gave at the Multicultural Children’s Literature Conference in San Francisco, March 2009.
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: children's books, reading, top ten, bilingual books, bilingual children, Reading with your child, The bookstore, bububooks, cultural identity, multiracial children, bilingual parents, bilingual schools, books for the summer, bilingual spanish english books, summer books, Add a tag
Summer break is in full swing. We’ve listed our top ten books for summer reading below as well as Laura’s review of each of them. Buy them at www.bububooks.com for your kids’ enjoyment during the summer break!
1. My First Book of Proverbs/ Mi primer libro de dichos
Brilliantly illustrated, this book offers insight into Mexican proverbs or “kisses of language.” With an introduction by Sandra Cisneros, this book is a hit with parents and children alike!
2. Somos un arco iris / We Are a Rainbow
This book openly discusses the issues children face as they get to know each other’s cultures. I like it because Nancy María Grande Tabor focuses on cultural similarities and differences as well as the misunderstandings and happiness friends experience together as they grow. Beautifully illustrated by her own construction paper cutouts, this book serves as a great introduction into building cultural identities.
3. Celebrations / Celebraciones: Holidays of the United States of America and Mexico / Dias feriados de los Estados Unidos y Mexico
Another one of my favorites, Tabor highlights the various holidays in America and Mexico, their importance and how they are celebrated.
4. In My Family/En mi familia
Carmen Lomas Garza brings another fascinating book to us. She takes her readers through life with her family ranging from earaches to cooking to special days. Included with her magnificent paintings, this book takes us into Latino culture as experienced by Garza.
5. Cincuenta en la cebra: contando con los animales / Fifty on the Zebra: Counting with the Animals
This book and #6 are fantastic interactive books. Using her trademark construction paper artwork, Tabor offers an opportunity for you to practice the alphabet (in Spanish AND English) and counting with your child. On each page, Nancy Tabor introduces a letter/number followed by questions such as, “Can you find two candles?” and “Is if a fat cat or a skinny cat?” These books will keep you and your child occupied for hours!
6. Albertina anda arriba: el abecedario / Albertina Goes Up: An Alphabet Book
See #5.
7. The Woman who Outshone the Sun/La mujer que brillaba aún más que el sol
Adapted from a Mexican folktale, this story shares the importance of treating others with kindness. With a lesson that transcends various cultural differences throughout the world, this book offers a folktale most American children will never know. Its beauty in the story is also reflected in the artwork.
8. Angel’s Kite/ La estrella de Angel
I love this story because it is magical. Alberto Blanco draws you in, making you follow the kite with your whole heart, eager to see what happens. And the ending just makes you happy!
9. Baby Rattlesnake/Viborita de cascabel
Baby Rattlesnake is a Native American tale that offers valuable lessons for children. I love it because it illustrates its theme so clearly and colorfully. This story is one of my favorite’s to read out loud to children.
10. Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems/Jitomates Risueños y otros poemas de primavera
While I love all four of the poem books by Francisco Alarcón, I think this one is my favorite because springs if my favorite season. In this book, Alarcón shares poems about spring, great food, holidays, fruits, gardens and his beloved grandma. Each poem works into its structure colorful illustrations. I highly recommend all four books.
There you have it. The Top 10 books we like for the summer. Feel free to email us for any other recommendations at [email protected]. Enjoy your summer!
Blog: bubublog (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: bilingual children, Reading with your child, bububooks, cultural identity, multiracial children, bilingual parents, bilingual schools, dual language programs, child care, bilingual spanish english books, children's books, Uncategorized, bilingual books, Add a tag
I attended the monthly Bilingual Parents Advisory Council meeting in Elgin, Ill., this past weekend. It was great to see so many parents interested and involved in children’s education. There were some great performances too!
During the morning, I read two books to a little girl whose mom was attending the meeting. She spoke Spanish, was learning to read in Spanish and spoke a little English. I read to her in English since I don’t speak Spanish and she seemed to comprehend most of what I was reading—she could answer many of the questions I would ask her. That is also the beauty of children’s books—the beautiful illustrations aid in comprehension! We had a fun time and I enjoyed sharing with her.
I have high hopes for this girl’s future. Her mother is doing the right thing—ensuring she learns to read in her native language while also learning English as a language. Because of this experience, I want to share with you a tip sheet called, “Helping Your Child Learn in Two Languages,” provided by the Illinois Early Learning Project. For more tip sheets, visit www.illinoisearlylearning.org
Helping Your Child Learn in Two Languages
Many families new to the United States face an important choice. Should their children focus on learning only English? Or should the children also be fluent in their home language? Children who know more than one language often benefit in school and later in life. Also, many parents and grandparents find that talking to older children about important life matters is easier if the children retain their home language skills. Here are some ways that parents have helped young children keep their home language while learning English in school.
Be aware of skills and habits of mind that are important in any language.
- Keep in mind that your preschooler can build good speaking and listening skills and habits when he listens and talks to people who are fluent in any language. In school, he will learn from teachers and peers who know English well. At home, you are the language expert!
- Talk with your child in your home language every day so she sees you using words and gestures with ease. Express feelings and complex ideas. Tell jokes and funny stories. Let your child see you reading, making lists, and writing notes so she learns how people communicate through print.
- Help your preschooler count, estimate, compare, measure, and solve problems in your home language so he understands that math concepts are the same in any language.
- Nurture your child’s curiosity about the world around her. Use your home language to help her ask questions, describe things she observes, and make predictions. Being able to do those things will help her in school.
Make your home language the foundation for literacy.
- Help your preschooler learn the alphabet and read signs in your home language. That way, he can begin to understand that letters and symbols have meaning.
- Tell stories or read aloud to your child in your home language. Record yourself reading aloud, so your child can listen independently.
- Teach your child songs and musical games in your home language.
- Make books with your child. Your child can dictate stories to you. You might also create fantasy tales or books of true-life family stories. Try making a bilingual dictionary together. Illustrate the books with drawings or magazine cutouts.
Stay in touch with preschool staff.
- Let your preschooler’s teachers know that you support your child’s education at home by reading, writing, and talking with her in the language you know best.
- If you have time, offer to help out in your child’s classroom. You might even try teaching the other children some words and phrases in your home language.
Keep in mind that having a bilingual family is not always easy!
- Look for support groups for bilingual families in your area. Arrange playgroups or outings with other families who speak your home language.
- Help your child to understand that knowing two languages well will be useful to him, even if he now feels some peer pressure to speak only English.
- Treat language learning as a puzzle your family is working on together.
Ayude a su hijo a aprender en dos lenguas
Muchas familias en los Estados Unidos hacen frente a una decisión importante. ¿Debería su hijo enfocarse solamente en aprender el inglés? ¿O deberían los hijos hablar con fluidez la lengua materna también? Los niños que saben hablar más de una lengua frecuentemente tienen ventajas en la escuela y más tarde en la vida. Además, muchos padres y abuelos han hallado que es más fácil hablar con los niños mayores acerca de cuestiones importantes en la vida si los hijos mantienen la fluidez en la lengua materna. He aquí algunas maneras en las que algunos padres y madres han ayudado a sus hijos pequeños a mantener la lengua materna a la vez de aprender el inglés en la escuela.
Esté consciente de las habilidades y hábitos mentales que son importantes en cualquier lengua.
- Tenga en cuenta que su hijo de edad preescolar puede desarrollar buenas habilidades y hábitos de hablar y escuchar cuando escucha a personas que hablan con fluidez cualquier lengua y conversa con ellas. En la escuela, aprenderá de maestros y compañeros que dominan el inglés. En casa, ¡usted es el perito!
- Converse con su hijo en su lengua materna todos los días para que lo observe utilizar palabras y gestos con facilidad. Exprese sentimientos e ideas complejas. Cuente chistes y cuentos divertidos. Deje que su hijo lo vea leer, hacer listas y escribir notas para que aprenda cómo la gente se comunica a través de la palabra impresa.
- Ayude a su hijo preescolar a contar, calcular, comparar, medir y resolver problemas en su lengua materna para que comprenda que los conceptos matemáticos son los mismos en cualquier lengua.
- Estimule la curiosidad de su hijo acerca del mundo que lo rodea. Utilice su lengua materna para ayudarlo a hacer preguntas, describir las cosas que observa y hacer predicciones. La capacidad de hacer estas cosas ayudará a su hijo en la escuela.
Convierte su lengua materna en el fundamento de la alfabetización.
- Ayude a su hijo preescolar a aprender el abecedario y a leer rótulos en su lengua materna. De este modo empezará a entender que las letras y los símbolos tienen significado.
- Cuéntele cuentos o lea en voz alta a su hijo en su lengua materna. Grábese a sí mismo leyendo para que su hijo pueda escuchar de forma independiente.
- Enséñele a su hijo canciones y juegos musicales en su lengua materna.
- Haga libros con su hijo. Su hijo podría dictarle cuentos a usted. Podrían crear también cuentos fantásticos o libros de historias de la vida real de su familia. Intenten hacer juntos un diccionario bilingüe. Ilustren los libros con dibujos o con fotos cortadas de revistas.
Manténgase en contacto con el personal del programa preescolar.
- Comunique a los maestros preescolares que usted apoya la formación de su hijo en casa aleer, escribir y hablar con él en la lengua que usted habla mejor.
- Si tiene tiempo, ofrézcase como voluntario para ayudar en el aula de su hijo. Hasta podría intentar enseñarles a los demás niños algunas palabras o frases de su lengua materna.
Tenga presente que ¡no siempre es fácil tener una familia bilingüe!
- Busque grupos de apoyo para familias bilingües en su ciudad. Haga arreglos de grupos de juego o excursiones con otras familias que hablan su lengua materna.
- Ayude a su hijo a comprender que el dominar dos lenguas le será útil, aun si ahora siente alguna presión de los compañeros hacia hablar solamente el inglés.
- Trate el aprendizaje de una lengua como un rompecabezas que su familia está colaborando en hacer.
By: Mayra Calvani,
on 3/18/2009
Blog: Mayra's Secret Bookcase (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: how to choose books for your child, reading with your child, Add a tag
Choosing children's books, or any book for our children is a challenge which should be met with care. Aside from their purely entertainment content, books can stimulate a lifelong interest in the child that wasn't originally there, or even suggest a direction in life which the child could take later on.
It is my view that carefully chosen fiction or non fiction books have the potential to radically shape a young mind! Perhaps more so than any other form of media, because, for one thing, a book tends to have longevity. It sits on the shelf at home silently demanding to be picked up, until eventually it is.
Other forms of media are more fleeting, get lost more easily, or conveys its message too quickly as a so-called 'blip'. But books tend to have a resilience and a staying power that, perhaps, other forms of media don't have. This equally applies to children's books, with an especial emphasis on reading books as opposed to picture books. More importantly, a book in the 'hand', enables the reader to control the assimilation of information at his or her own pace. They can also be deliberately placed in the way of a child by a discerning adult, whereas output from other media streams is based on an agenda which is not necessarily educational! So exactly what books should we place in our child's path? And should we also allow them to make some of the choices?
The answer to the second question is almost obvious in retrospect. A child must practice his or her decision making faculty if it is to successfully run its own life later on. Decision making is an important life skill which must be practiced. And so somehow, we have to instill this ability into our offspring, and empower them to distinguish between right and wrong decisions.
Latest findings suggest that choosing a book is an excellent way for a child to practice this process and to appreciate the consequence of its actions. It is also an approach which is finding favour with teachers, who are the source of this information in the first place. There appear to be considerable benefits in allowing children to choose books for themselves.
It has been found that children who are allowed to do this, tend to spend more time reading both in the class and at home. It seems to provides them with the strong spur to keep on reading as they progress through school.
Unsurprisingly, a child that reads more, develops its reading ability and expands his or her vocabulary and reading fluency. But without a proper strategy for comparing and choosing children's books, the art of decision making in this area could become lopsided.
The child may develop a preference for choosing unchallenging reading matter which would slow up or even permanently stunt its progress. The prevalence of words in common usage can render less common words obsolete at this level, at least where every day conversations and everyday reading is concerned. It can then turn into a bad habit!
Certainly, vocabulary at a certain level can be intimidating. But words like 'perdiction', 'inalienable', 'tablature' etc, are still relevant and in use, but have to be grown into by the reader. At some point they have to be put within the reader's range, preferably at the earliest possible moment, because a college education isn't always an option, and an individual may grow up developing a stigma towards more complex language.
I personally know of a woman who feels intimidated when she is in the presence of people who 'talk nice' or speak as if 'they have swallowed the dictionary.' And this is because she only progressed to a certain level of reading fluency, when possibly it could have been encouraged more by the system or by someone at home.
And so how can we as discerning parents lubricate the cog wheels a little, and gently push our children towards higher and higher reading plateaus?
Two approaches, which dovetail nicely into one another are suggested as a means of choosing children's books or reading books in general.
One is known as the 'Goldilocks method' and the other doesn't have a name as such, but could be thought of simply as parent guided reading.
Applying the 'Goldilocks method, instead of shoving a pile of books in front of a young reader and saying, 'which one do you want?', we should try and get them to make comparisons. Like Goldilocks who, tried out the porridge and found it to be either 'too hot', 'too cold', or 'just right' etc, we explain to our children that some books may be, 'too easy', some 'too hard' and others 'just right,'. We then show them examples of books in these categories, and make the important point that books which are 'too hard' today will be 'just right' in the future.
If the books in the 'too hard' category are books that we own, or belong to a sibling, then it is also very important to explain to our child that he or she is still allowed to look at them, to see if they are getting any easier to read. No book, unless its morally questionable, or plainly unsuitable should be off-limits to the interested young reader.
I say this because I remember taking a book down from a shelf as a child and being told 'not to touch it' because 'daddy wouldn't be too happy if I did.' (Jammy fingers probably had something to do with this!) As I recall the book was an old annual of 'Boys Own paper' -The Bop, which would have been quite fascinating to look at.
Books in the 'just right' catagory tend to have only a couple of unfamiliar words on a page, which is still understandable to the child. Books which are 'too easy' tend to be the old favourites. In some cases, passages from these books are virtually memorised word for word by the child and do not present a challenge.
To arrive at your assessment of the relative readability of books, have your child read three or four pages, and make a note of words they don't understand, and ask them if they can explain the text in their own words. If more than three words a page are unknown to them, the book is still a candidate if the child's comprehension of the text is adequate. The book will be readable and still pose a challenge at the same time.
Books which are outside the scope of your young reader will make themselves immediately obvious if you use this method. If a child's comprehension of the text is poor, then it is clear that the book is unsuitable. By a process of elimination you'll end up with a shortlist of suitable reads for your child. However, the whole process can be done quite quickly, and if in a bookshop, can be a question of assessing a couple of pages to judge the suitability of the book in hand.
The next step is to teach your child to make this assessment on their own, perhaps using a piece of paper to make notes when choosing books in a library. Have your child write down the title of the book, followed a count of the words not understood on a randomly chosen book page. Then have your child read a page and have him or her write down either 'H' for hard to understand, 'E' for too easy to understand, or 'OK' for just right. See example below:
Book 1. 'Tom Sawyer.' 4 words (not understood). OK
Book 2. 'The Pyewiz and the Amazing Mobile Phone.' 2 words (not understood). OK
Book 3. 'Little Dorrit.' 8 words (not understood). H
Book 4. 'Dr Suess.' 0 words (not understood). E
A choice can then be sensibly made based upon the child's own assessment. The important point being that your child's reading skills can only grow and develop if they are moderately challenged.
If the text from the test pages of a book can be comprehended, but the vocabulary is challenging, then this would be a good choice. But if there are difficulties with comprehension, then unchallenging vocabulary won't make the reading any easier. In this instance it would be better to choose those books whose text is best comprehended.
In my own experience, when I was nine, my father took control of my reading and sat me down with the works of William Shakespeare, expecting me to learn passages by heart! At that age, it was pure gobbledegook! And although I managed to memorise parts of various speeches, they made absolutely no sense to me. My father obviously had a better understanding of the bard, and tried to impart this to me, but it was no substitute for my being able to read and comprehend the text for myself. And although I acquired some archaic vocabulary, it didn't help my overall comprehension of what I was reading. In this instance, the choice of reading material was too challenging, and should have been abandoned for something more commensurate with my abilities. Comprehension is therefore vitally important to the above method.
Once the child learns to make choices, it is a good idea for you, as the parent to make
'recommendations', but this can only be implemented if the parent is aware of suitable books to recommend. It is therefore a good idea to have a stock of books in the home on a wide variety of subjects. These can easily be obtained from a second hand book shop where prices suit any budget. Reference books tend to be more expensive but are well worth the purchase.
Obviously the wider the choice, the better for our child. Books on a narrow range of subjects may fail to make the desired impact. So breadth and width of material is what is required, but guidelines as to the suitability of certain subjects can be obtained from your local school or educational authority.
H.H.Jones is the author of one sci-fi book for teenagers. For more information click on: The Pyewiz's new website
http://www.science-fiction-fantasy.com
I grew up bilingual Norwegian-American English. My parents had books in both languages and read them to me from an early age. My Norwegian books are some of my most treasured possessions still.