Spanish Tip of the Week: Translator Apps

Many parents ask us if they can successfully support their child's growing Spanish skills if they themselves don't speak Spanish.  The answer is a resounding yes!  There are many ways you can help your child continue to develop skills in any language. 

For those of you that have smart phones, there are many translator apps out there you can download to help make practicing Spanish with your child easier. Some of these apps are so simple that all you have to do is say the word into your phone in English, and POOF! The Spanish word is spoken back to you complete with correct pronunciation!

Here are a few apps to try (all free!):

iPhone: Talking Translator, Talking Translations, or Say Hi! Translate

Android: Talking Translator/Dictionary, Spanish Translator
 
The translator apps are also a fun way to learn new words with your child. Point to objects you don’t know the Spanish word for. You can say, “Como se dice…? (Ko-mo say dee-say…?) 

Give it a try!
How do you say mustache in Spanish?
Find out together with your child.

Are there any great apps out there that we've missed?  Leave us a comment and let us know!

Greetings!

Hello Pine Village friends! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jen Doyle, and I've just begun working with Pine Village in the area of communications, which will include regular postings to the blog. Just to give you a little bit of background, I'm the mom of two Pine Village alums - Lucy, 12, and Will, 10 - and a future Pine Village student, James, 2, who will be entering the Brighton school in the fall. We are thrilled to be back!

Over the coming months, I hope to bring you more about what's happening in the schools, what's happening with our teachers and directors, and what's happening out there in the field of early childhood education, bilingual education, and just some things that might be of interest in for the day-to-day experience of loving and raising our kids. (If there's anything in particular in which you're interested, please don't hesitate to send me a note at pvpjen@gmail.com.)

So, for example, as the mother of 10- and 2-year-old boys who can't stay out of each other's business, I, for one, am very interested in the FREE play date at the Needham location this Saturday (2/16 - rescheduled from its original date of 2/9). For a full hour (9:30 - 10:30), I can sit and play with James -- or possibly even sit and relax while James plays with his contemporaries -- and know that for at least one hour on Saturday, I don't need to worry about his big brother kicking a soccer ball at his head. ("But, Mom, I wasn't aiming at his head -- if he hadn't stood up right then, it would have been a fair kick!" -- Don't even get me started about the fact that, yes, this was happening inside because of the two feet of snow on the ground, or that a ten-year-old boy shouldn't be playing full out soccer with his two-year-old brother, period.)

Also, for those of you who are considering the South End school (or know someone who is), you are invited to a combined open house/science fair on Saturday, 2/23 (10 - 11:30 a.m.). The South End PVP kids will be showing off their science projects -- and showing their families (big brothers and sisters included!) what they've been during this month in which Science is the theme of the curriculum. (So, of course, we hope that all of the South End families will be able to attend as well.)

If you are interested in either of the above events, please see our events page at http://mybilingualpreschool.com/events/ for registration information. (Both events are FREE, but we do ask for RSVPs so that we have everything we need to accommodate everyone.)

Which brings me to my final thought for the moment. Back when Lucy was in her first year at PVP, she came home one night and kept going on and on using words that sounded suspiciously like "vertebrates" and "invertebrates." Since she was all of three years old (and not exactly a whiz at pronunciation -- because, yes, she was three), my husband and I wracked our brains trying to think what she could possibly be trying to tell us since, obviously, the concept of whether a creature had a spinal column or not (full disclosure -- I had to actually look that up just now; I mean, I was pretty sure that I knew what it meant, but still...) seemed a little bit beyond her age range. But lo and behold, the next morning when I walked in to drop her off, there was her teacher Alicia pointing out the various wildlife around them (birds, squirrels, even the ants on the pavement) and asking these tiny little beings -- i.e., our precious children, not the birds, squirrels, ants, etc. -- to think about whether each of the animals and insects they were seeing was one as opposed to the other. To this day I attribute my older kids' curiosity and joy of learning to a preschool environment that both challenged and inspired them each and every day. Although the teachers and we parents are always thinking about school in terms of 'curriculum,' to them it's just another day of fun.

I look forward to bringing you more about the fun they have throughout their Science-themed month -- and I hope you, too, will share your kids' experiences as you attend the schools' science fairs in the coming weeks.

On that note, I'll leave you with a picture of James showing his skepticism as his own concept of the world was challenged a bit when a wall of snow greeted him this weekend when we opened up our front door. Until next time...

Spanish Tip of the Week: A game to try at home

If you are looking for more opportunities to practice Spanish with your children, repetitive games, songs, and rhymes can be a great way to build vocabulary and increase your child's comfort level while using Spanish. Try this game at home to practice syntax and color names. Remember, in Spanish we usually put the adjective after the noun, such as in camisa azul (blue shirt), pantalones rojos (red pants), or zapatos negros (black shoes). This game will help you practice.

“¿Dónde está el osito?” 

Cover some paper cups with colored construction paper, or have your child color or paint white cups.

Hide a small object under the paper cup (like a small bear) and have your child guess where it is by asking them...

 “Where is the bear?”
“¿Dónde está el osito?”

(Dohn-deh eh-stah el oh-see-toe)

Only the person who hides the object can touch the cups so they HAVE to practice their Spanish to figure out where it is!

Encourage full sentences like...

“The bear is under the blue cup.”
“El osito está bajo el vaso azul.” 

(El oh-see-toe eh-stah bah-joe el vah-soe ah-sool)

Keep guessing in Spanish until they find it. For more variations, label the cups with letters, numbers, or shapes instead of using colors.  Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!

Spanish Tip of the Week - Socializing

When we take our children to the playground, a party, or any other kind of event, we tend to use a number of phrases to encourage them to initiate play and navigate typical Toddler- & Preschool-age interactions.

Normally, many of us do this in English. Now that you’re part of a community of families dedicated to giving their child(ren) the gift of bilingualism, why not try it in Spanish?! 

Here are some useful phrases to encourage your child to socialize positively with other children:

You: “Ask him/her what her name is.” Your child: “What is your name?”	“Preguntale como se llama.” (preh-GOON-tah-lay KO-mo say yama) “¿Como te llamas?” (KO-mo tay yamas?)
You: “Ask if s/he wants to play!” Your child: “Do you want to play?“	“Pregúntale si le gustaría jugar!” (preh-GOON-tah-lay see lay goosta-ria hoo-gar) “¿Quieres jugar?” (KEY-eh-res HOO-gar?)
You: “S/he would like a turn.  Please share.” Your Child: “Here you go. It's your turn.”	“Ella/El quiere un turno. Comparte por favor.” (EH-ya KEY-eh-reh oon TOUR-no) “Toma. Es tu turno.” (To-ma. ESS too TOUR-no)

Diviertense! 
(Have fun!)

Spanish Tip of the Week: Practicing your own Spanish with the PVP Teachers

Many parents and caregivers are very eager to practice Spanish at Pine Village. Conversing with the teachers in Spanish is a great way to get information about your child on a daily basis while also enhancing your own language skills!

The following phrases are very simple and easy to practice every day. Choose a phrase each day and practice, practice and practice. Most of the time your child’s teacher will tell you this information without you asking but it is a great way to also practice listening and comprehending. We are sure you will feel more comfortable and ready to learn more.

Your Question:	Possible Answers:
Hola ¿como estás? Hi, how are you?	Bien, Gracias. Fine, thank you.
¿Dónde están los niños? Where are the children?	Están…afuera, en el parque, en el salón. They are…outside, at the park, in the classroom.
¿Qué hicieron hoy? What did you do today?	Hoy… pintamos, jugamos afuera, leímos un cuento, hicimos yoga. Today… we painted, we played outside, we read a story, we did yoga.
¿Que aprendieron los niños hoy? What did the children learn today?	Hoy aprendimos sobre… los planetas, los animales, el invierno. Today we learned about… planets, animals, the winter.
¿Qué tengo que traer mañana? What do I need to bring tomorrow?	Mañana tiene que traer… un juguete, pijamas, un libro, una foto. Tomorrow you need to bring…a toy, pajamas, a book, a picture.
¡Hasta mañana! See you tomorrow!	¡Hasta mañana! See you tomorrow!