Bilingual Friday: Fun Board Games

In surfing for ways to have fun and learn a second language, I came across the Language Learning Game. This company has created two games to learn basic Spanish. The idea is simple and perfect for children in early elementary school. I encourage you to check it out. Be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the home page. The owner Barbara Bohl tells you about the game and how it came to be.

See you back here Monday with another book review that takes a book beyond reading.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Creative Wednesday: Favorite Food Alphabet

It's safe to say that we all have favorite foods.

I challenge you to come up with a list of foods that you really like. Now, that's not much of a challenge, so, make your list in alphabetical order and list one food item for each letter of the alphabet. The food has to start with the letter, not just have the letter in the word somewhere. If that's too easy, see if you can make the foods rhyme.

Are you doing this with your children? Have them find pictures of the foods and paste them next to the food name.

Have fun with this and please share. I'll share my list next Wednesday and hope some of you have posted comments so I can share your list too.

Now, could you eat them all in one meal? I dare you, no, I double dare you!

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

What Takes A Book Beyond Reading?

For many months now I've been sharing books that go beyond reading.

Now it's your turn. Do you have a favorite book that you'd like to share here? If so, leave me a comment and I'll set you up as a guest blogger for a Monday post.

Have other ideas of how to take a book beyond reading? Share them in a coment and I'll add them to a post with credit given to you.

Look for my Tips booklet coming out soon about the 10 top ways to take books beyond reading.

That's all for today, I'll see you back here Wednesday with some surprises to spike your creative writing imagination.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Immersion and Dual Language Schooling Is Catching On

Across the United States schools are offering an alternative to single language study. Immersion classrooms are springing up all over. Here are a few articles highlighting different schools in two different states.

FLAG (Foreign Language Academy of Glendale) in Glendale, CA teaches children in Spanish, Armenian, Korean, German and now Italian. This program is working and has been so successful that they were awarded a $2.4 million in federal grant monies.
Read about their interesting approach to the multi-cultural area they are in and why it’s working. (Read full article.)

County schools expand dual-language classes, ESL Assistance

“Research shows that dual language is better for the students,” said Keely Krueger, District 200’s bilingual coordinator. “I think a lot of that reason is [the Spanish-speaking students] do start learning English in kindergarten. And they have those English language models in the classroom.” (Read full article.)

This type of teaching not only benefits those for whom English is a second language, but also for those who it’s their first language and will for a lifetime.
From a personal observation, I speak both English and Spanish. As a demo girl at Sams in Central Florida I have the opportunity to talk with members in their native tongue. It makes them feel more at ease and they always appreciate the effort that I make to speak to them in their first language. As for me, I love having the knowledge of a second language. It enriches my life and has afforded me many opportunities that, if I didn’t speak Spanish, I’d never have experienced.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Have a Great Veterans Day!

As a wife, daughter and mother of military men, I want to dedicate today's post to those who have served our country.

My father was an officer in the Navy. My husband just retired this year from the Coast Guard. My son is an officer in the Coast Guard.

I'm proud, VERY proud of all of them.

Take time today, and every day, to thank those who serve this great nation of ours. I do. If I see someone with a military hat, shirt or uniform on, I always make a point to say to them

"Thank you for serving our country."

They don't hear it enough and it always brings a smile to their face. Those who serve in the military are all volunteers. They made the choice to put their life on the line so we can enjoy the freedoms that we do.

In closing, please click on this link. It is a beautiful tribute to our men and women in uniform.

Enjoy your day and thank a veteran for helping you to be able to enjoy it in this wonderful land of ours.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Book of the Week: My Grandma’s Kitchen Rules! By Bill Kirk

Today’s book is a cute rhyming story about a young girl and her grandmother. Grandma loves all the things in nature that her granddaughter brings home, with one exception. Ants! Read along as all kinds of creatures and discoveries are brought home. See what happens when ants are introduced and the problems they bring with them.

The illustrations in this charming story capture your attention and bring the rhyme to life. Lots of color and fun borders on each page bring you into the story.

How has this book gone beyond reading?
Bill has once again combined a fun rhyming story with science. At the end of the story there are six pages of factoids, activities, games and a list of websites where you can go to learn more about ants.

Pick up your copy today at Guardian Angel Publishing.

You can visit Bill over at his site Bill Kirk Writes.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

See you back here Wednesday for another fun creative brain boost.

Language Magazine - The Journal of Communication and Education

In my Google Alerts for 'bilingual education' today I found a website that intrigues me. Language Magazine. It's a well put together site for world languages.

The home page article grabbed my attention. Two is Always More Than One talks about language and the educational system in America. Read it and see what you think.

Throughout the site you can learn about the countires where English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Italian, German and Arabic are spoken. Study abroad and travel opportunities are available as well as an understanding of where the languages originated and it's use world wide.

If you're a teacher and interested in teaching abroad, this might be the place you'll find your next teaching adventure.

Check out Language Magazine. I think you'll find it interesting too.

posted by Joy Delgado

We go Beyond Reading

Laughing Zebra – Books for Children

Check out what’s going on at the zoo!

Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog