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The Gift of Language, a Scholarship, and Graduating to Advanced Spanish


Every time my child speaks to me in full complete Spanish sentences it blows my mind! It's been exactly a year since we ventured into our Spanish immersion journey. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by, and how much my son's Spanish fluency, and understanding has blossomed! 

It was around this time, last year that I signed him up for his first ever Spanish immersion language lessons during the Spring of 2013, and I enrolled him again for the Fall of 2013. The first session was a window to Spanish learning, the second session was a refresher of what he already knew. 

Worldwide Culture Swap Discovering Scotland {Global Culture Education}


I was thrilled when the wonderful group of moms from Worldwide Culture Swap grouped together individual families for a one-on-one culture swap exchange.

The family from Scotland sent us the following:

Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop #13


Hi!  Welcome to the Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop #13
This week Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop features two wonderful posts about Chinese New Year! Celebrated the Year of the Horse: 

1.  Chinese Year of the Horse Art Project chinese year of the horse art project

2. Chinese New Year: Preparations

Spanish Text-Rich Home

Our Spanish text-rich home. I'm taking this reading in Spanish business serious! I'm determined to raise not only a bilingual child but a biliterate one as well.

Thank you Jenny from Spanish Playground for your post on Multicultural Kids Blog that has inspired me to do this at home.  We're working on one of our goals for the New Year



Learning About Black History Month in Spanish

As a parent it is my responsibility to teach my son about his Black, and Latin heritage. I remember my first post on embracing your roots and culture, and it's directed to him so he can learn to appreciate the beauty and richness of both his cultures.  Although he's still too young to understand  that particular post or even his grandmother's interview I feel that I've already sowed the seeds of heritage in his little mind. Seeds that one day will fully bloom with knowledge and full awareness of his cultural background. 

With that being said, I've had the opportunity to review a wonderful Black History Month packet completely in Español! Can we say double score!  I was thrilled, and excited to use it with my little man. 

However, the grade levels are for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and homeschoolers. My baby is just in kindergarten! But, keep reading so I can show you how I used this packet for my 5 yr. old. :)

 

Simple Valentine's Day Heart Mobile


This is a simple foam heart mobile that little man did with his friends during a playdate.  All you need is heart shaped foams in different sizes (I bought these during last year's Valentine's day clearance sale), glue stick, ribbons, and stickers.  The kids had a great time decorating them with smaller size heart stickers. Once they finished their projects, I would glue the ribbon, and voila! Heart mobiles! The kids love them! 

Learning Spanish: Penmanship and Mathematics (Caligrafía y Matemáticas)

Little one and I have been working hard on his reading, and writing in Spanish. With that in mind, we're focusing on beginners penmanship skills, and mathematics.  I found on-line this really cool booklet called Las Aventuras de Lia y Grafo Cuaderno de Ejercicios de Caligrafía that we've been using it in combination with the Spanish "Preparación para la Lectura y Ortografía" and "Preparación para la Gramática" workbooks that I bought during our visit to Puerto Rico this past summer.

Unfortunately cursive writing will not be taught in schools.  So that's on me to teach him. I know he has a long way to go before he starts writing in cursive, but it's something that I want to start with him early on. By practicing cursive writing strokes, and having fun at the same time he's on his way to eventually starting to write in cursive when he's older. 

Growing Up Black During the Segregated Era {Interview With My Son’s Grandparents} Part I

This is part one of a series that has truly and profoundly touched me. I've had the opportunity to interview both my son’s grandparents on his Daddy’s side. Being able to look through old pictures, talk to them, and research this sad and unfortunate time in the history of the segregated South in America, has been a personal eye-opening experience. 

For quite some time, I've been wanting to write for my son a special post about his African American/Black heritage. Though sadly enough my son’s Black ancestry has a dark history of oppression that needs to be shared from his grandparents own unique perspective. 

What better way to do so during Black History Month, and to teach our son his heritage through his grandparents, their history, also his story. My son is so blessed to have both his grandparents on his Daddy’s side alive, and well to share their story. 

How-To Host a Children's Book Swap



Hosting a children's book swap is quite simple! In a recent play date, I asked the moms to go over their children's books. Together with their kids they would look for books that they no longer read or they had lost interest in. The goal was for each child to bring 3 books, and leave with 3 books that were 'new' to them.