LITTLE PIM BLOG
The Bilingual Child's Brain
If you haven't read 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child by Dr. Naomi Steiner, I suggest that you pick up your copy as soon as possible. Dr. Steiner is an expert in the methods that are used to teach children more than one language, and she works closely with many bilingual and multilingual families.*
In 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child, Dr. Steiner discusses the cognitive benefits to helping your child learn a second language. There is evidence that shows that multilingual children:
- have approved spatial and attentional abilities when they are elderly
- improved memory
- exhibit more creative use of language
- show a better ability to deal with distractions
Her book goes on to explain that studies have shown that bilingual children grasp rules and process information better; even math seems to be easier for them!
I find these scientific developments fascinating and they fuel my passion for helping parents get started on the road to child language acquisition. Over the next couple of weeks we'll be discussing the science behind foreign language learning with Dr. Naomi Steiner as our guest right here on the blog!
If you have any questions, please leave them as a comment below.
*childbooks.com
What do Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, & Michelle Obama Have in Common?
If you follow my blog you already know about the multiple advantages of being bilingual. From improved cognitive development to educational and professional advantages, there are so many reasons to get your child started learning a second language. You may not have known that Gwyneth Paltrow, Johnny Depp and Michelle Obama are French-speakers, as well as all the celebs listed below, many of whom are also teaching their children to speak French!
Other French-speaking celebs:
Johnny Depp
Gwyneth Paltrow
Michelle Obama
David Sedaris
John Travolta
Orlando Bloom
Jodie Foster
Chloë Sevigny
Meryl Streep
Read the whole list on About.com’s French page by Laura K. Lawless: http://french.about.com/od/teachingresources/a/celebrities.htm
Dan Zanes and Milkshake Help Your Baby Learn a Second Langauge
Giving your child the gift of a second language can start as young as 3 months old! While most parents know early learning is key, we don't always know where or when to start our children on their foreign language journey. Music is a simple first step to introducing your child to a new language, and hearing the music will get the rhythm of that language into their brains, making speaking it later on even easier and giving them a better accent. We culled the best of popular French and Spanish songs to create French Bop and Spanish Bop. The CDs will help your children discover French and Spanish through music, and the words in the songs reinforce many of the same words taught in Little Pim! We also included a 16-page book with all the lyrics, printed in the language being taught and in English.
Both CDs feature great kids melodies, sung by native speakers, and include beautiful lullabies and lively sing-a-longs. Spanish Bop and French Bop include three original songs by the popular kids' band Milkshake and the Spanish CD also has a guest song by Dan Zanes in Spanish. If you are a native Spanish of French speaker, you will likely recognize some popular songs from your childhood, and discover some catchy new tunes.
Play French or Spanish Bop in the car, put it on for an impromptu music party or make it part of your child’s bedtime routine. Soon you too might be singing "Frère Jacques" or "Los Elefantes"!
Little Pim Says "G'day Mate!"
Little Pim is definitely a world traveler! Check out these photos of our DVDs being proudly displayed in one of our Australian retailers. Did you know that most Australians take a year or two off to travel between high school and college? Australia is a diverse cultural landscape and its children speak a variety of languages. In primary school Australian children are encouraged to learn a second language from a young age.
Below are two images from the Brisbane Dymocks display. Dymocks is the Borders equivalent in Australia.
The last image is from a Sydney York Street Display.
Contest #2: Win DVDs 4, 5 & 6!
Here's another chance for you to win DVDs 4, 5, and 6! The DVDs are available now in Spanish, French, and Chinese. The titles are as follows: DVD 4: In My Home.
DVD 5: Happy, Sad, & Silly.
DVD 6: I Can Count!
This volume introduces two new friends of Little Pim: Lola the Elephant and Bob the Bobcat. We are certain that your child will have as much fun absorbing language from Volume II as we had making them. You can purchase them individually, in Three-Paks, or in Gift Sets!
Enter to WIN a 3-pack of DVDs 4, 5, &6 in either French, Spanish, or Chinese.
To enter: Comment below telling me which language you'd like Volume II in: French, Spanish, or Chinese? On person will be selected using random.org. Contest ends Monday. Good luck!
For a bonus entry, share this link on Facebook. Leave an extra comment, "I shared" and increase your chances of winning!
WIN DVDs 4, 5 & 6!
DVDs 4, 5, and 6 are here in Spanish, French, and Chinese. The titles are as follows: DVD 4: In My Home.
DVD 5: Happy, Sad, & Silly.
DVD 6: I Can Count!
This volume introduces two new friends of Little Pim: Lola the Elephant and Bob the Bobcat. We are certain that your child will have as much fun absorbing language from Volume II as we had making them. You can purchase them individually, in Three-Paks, or in Gift Sets!
Enter to WIN a 3-pack of DVDs 4, 5, &6 in either French, Spanish, or Chinese.
To enter: Comment below telling me which language you'd like Volume II in: French, Spanish, or Chinese? On person will be selected using random.org. Contest ends Monday. Good luck!
For a bonus entry, share this link on Facebook. Leave an extra comment, "I shared" and increase your chances of winning!
The Premiere of the new DVDs for our Little Stars
Yesterday Little Pim's crew and I showed our new DVDs to some of the young stars who helped bring Little Pim 4, 5 and 6 to life. We drove to upstate New York to Hanover Farm and revisited the beautiful scenery that served as a backdrop during filming.
The children were so excited to be at their first premiere party surrounded by Little Pim crew and staff and could hardly believe it when they saw themselves on the big screen! They were among the first to get a sneak peek at our new characters, Bob the Bobcat and Lola the Elephant, and learned words in Spanish, French and Chinese.
After we screened the episodes featuring our kids, the whole crew answered questions from the audience. One boy wanted to know how we got all the different languages onto the DVDs, a little girl asked about how animation is made, and they all wanted to know more about the "white screen" we used for the background. It was a mini media literacy lesson!
We ended the party by digging into a homemade Little Pim cake, and all the kids took home their DVDs and goody bags. I was so pleased to learned that the kids at Hanover Farms are now using Little Pim to learn French in their classroom.
I have been to dozens of film openings, from Sundance to the Berlin Film Festival, but this was perhaps the most fun I’ve had yet! I am so grateful to the kids who starred in Little Pim and to the Little Pim crew for their hard work and the high standard they bring to everything they do. It was really special to share the new DVDs with the kids who helped make them come to life (with a little help from a panda...).
We hope you enjoy watching them as much we enjoyed making them.
Happy Mother's Day From Little Pim
Happy Mother's Day! We hope all of you wonderful mothers take some time for relaxation and rest today with your families. Have crêpes in bed!
Below are a few ways to say Happy Mother's Day in different languages!
Catalan: Feliç Dia de la Mare
Chinese: Mu Qin jie kuai le
Hebrew: Yom ha'em sameah
Italian: Buona festa della Mamma
Spanish: Feliz Día de las Madres
Happy Cinco De Mayo!
Happy Cinco De Mayo!
Today commemorates the unexpected 1862 victory of the Mexican army over the French army in the battle over the city of Puebla. I've compiled some Spanish vocabulary words that follow the theme of today's festivities.
La batalla - battle La revolucion - revolution La bandera - flag El heroe - hero La independencia - independence La victoria - victory
Get the kids together and practice your espanol today! If you're heading out to a party, I've included a guacamole recipe below that will entice even your pickiest eaters.
Yummy Guacamole
Ingredients
2 large ripe avocados 1 small red onion, finely chopped 2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice 1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped cilantro 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
Cooking Instructions
Cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and peel them. If they are ripe, the peel should come off easily. Dice the avocado flesh, and dump into a bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients, and toss to combine without mashing. The ingredients should remain separate, and the salsa chunky. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping, or as an accompaniment to tacos or burritos.
Servings: Makes about 2 cups (500 mL).
recipe from Kaboose.com
photo from score.rims.k12.ca.us
We're in Giggle stores!
This Sunday I went to the grand opening of the newest Giggle store, which just opened its doors on the Upper West Side in Manhattan.
The store is chock full of beautifully selected colorful toys, clothes, baby products and gifts. My 5-year old was the first to win our "treasure hunt" by finding the Little Pim DVDs, flash cards and CDs!
I was a giggle customer back when Little Pim was just a twinkle in my eye and always appreciated their great sense of design and excellent customer service. I later learned that their sales people all go to a "giggle University" where they get intensive training. This is probably why when you shop online or visit one of their 11 stores, they will go above and beyond to find you what you are looking for!
I once needed a new part for my Stokke high chair and they were calling all over town for me and were really nice about it; this is pretty uncommon in the baby retail world. I'm so proud to be part of the giggle family.
When we left the store, my husband, boys and I went to the 78th street playground and then had strawberry milk and pretzels before heading home. A perfect Sunday afternoon! If you are in New York, stop into the new Upper West Side giggle store. You'll love it. A bonus: Kate, the lovely store manager, speaks French and Spanish.
I hope you had a great weekend!
