Dear Readers,

I was thinking about good ideas for games to play with my son while we were home during the holidays and new year’s and I came up with some ideas to bring foreign language into our play time, I hope you get a chance to try some of them!!!

1. Año Nuevo – Buena Suerte- make a popcorn string and add a marshmallow after each 10 pieces, they will have to count pieces while placing them on a piece of thin wool or rope, ribbon….

2. Baking together- A very famous holiday baking recipe is for pan dulce, try this recipe and ask children to place dried fruits inside of it, they will have to tell you the colors while placing them. For recipe:

La receta del pan dulce casero es una buena y energética receta que permite elaborar unos sabroso panecillos muy apropiados para almorzar o merendar gracias a su gran aporte energético y nutricional.

Ingredientes para 4 personas:

• Pasas de corinto: 50 gramos
• Azúcar: 6 cucharadas
• Huevos: 2 unidades
• Levadura en polvo: 1 sobre (15 gramos)
• Harina: 280 gramos
• Mantequilla: 100 gramos
• Leche: 100 cl
• Anís: 1 copa
• Fruta confitada: 50 gramos
• Piñones: 30 gramos

Preparación:

Tiempo estimado:

• Se ponen las pasas en remojo para que estén blandas cuando las tengamos de utilizar
• Por otro lado, se separan las claras de las yemas de los huevos. Las claras se reservan y las yemas se ponen en un bol junto con el azúcar y se baten enérgicamente hasta obtener una consistencia espumosa
• A continuación se añade la mantequilla previamente derretida y, sin dejar de remover, se van agregando alternativamente la harina, la levadura el polvo y la leche vertida lentamente
• Cuando está todo bien mezclado se agrega el anís, las pasas previamente pasadas por harina, los piñones, las frutas confitadas cortadas a trocitos
• Por otro lado se baten bien las claras de los huevos a punto de nieve y se añaden a al mezcla anterior
• Se remueve todo bien hasta que quede una mezcla homogénea y esponjosa
• A parte, se unta un molde con mantequilla y se enharina para que no se pegue el pan a las paredes del molde
• Se vierte la mezcla en el bol y se introduce en el horno a 180? durante una hora. Cuando el pan esta cocido se saca del horno y se deja enfriar a temperatura ambiente

3. Counting Beans- In Brazil, people place lentils or beans on the table during new year’s eve to bring prosperity, place a bowl with beans or lentils on your table, explain  the tradition and count the beans together!

4. Print some foreign language words and hide them in cookie dough, bake them, after cooling it off, have children break cookie before eating and they will read the words….make sure you know the meaning and that words are previously explained to children before baking or in another activity! Suggestion on words: Spanish: coche, pelota, libro, agua, jugo, galleta, Portuguese: Carro, bola, livro, água, suco, biscoito.

5. Suggestion on song: Portuguese:

Adeus ano velho:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ajbyPaBJqM

Please share your experience with me!!

Happy New Year! Feliz Ano Novo, Feliz Año Nuevo!!!

Claudia Krusch

EasyLearn Languages CEO

Dear Members,

I wanted to share some of my experiences in the past week with children in our Spanish and Portuguese classes!

Some interesting things happened when we asked children to make a lista de presentes or lista de regalos (gift list), one of our students told me that he didn’t need anything, he had everything and asked me how you say that in Spanish! Another student had a 20 item list and we spent the whole class, trying to have him say the gifts in Spanish….off course they came up with fuzzoodles, zuzu pets and other wierd names….I used my imagination to help them say those things in Spanish and Portuguese!

We also brought some cookies and had them decorate the cookies and place things on Santa’s plate (prato de papai noel/plato de papá noel). We also did a craft with cookies, chocolate and milk. We placed a plate on a coloring page, children cut the cookies, candy and candy cane and glued and colored it.

I also share with children that candy canes are not a Christmas treat in South America, gifts are placed in shoes on the windows in many countries and no real trees, just plastic ones! Weather is warm in South America, so people eat lighter meals!

I hope that brought more ideas to parents and educators on how to share holidays with children using a foreign language!

Merry Christmas!

Claudia Krusch

Easylearn Languages CEO

Dear readers,

I’m so excited to start sharing some activities our instructors will be using at our Spanish classes in South Jersey!

First I would like to share a list of words, must have when you are teaching Christmas in Spanish:

Feliz Navidad! -Merry Christmas 

Christmas tree – árbol de Navidad

presents – regalos

sleigh – trineo

chimney – chimenea

the shepherds – los pastores

bells – campanas

peace – paz

ornaments – adornos

wreath – corona

For children who read, they will “decorate” the tree below with the words above ( cut them and have them glue them on the tree, saying the names in Spanish)

http://www.coloring-page.net/pages/xtree027.html Word find for older ones:

http://spanish.about.com/library/weekly/aa121399a.htm Song/video for little and older ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq34OLRM5Mw

I also have a line of bells, children will ring (repicar) and each time I stop in a different number of bells, they need to count them.

I read Santa Claus is coming to town in Spanish, I use the book in English and make 2 line sentences for each page. They know the story, so it becomes easier. I also use the video and turn in the Spanish mode for the dvd, I do that with frost the snowman and Rudolf too. We have a whole class, just with Frosty! I may share that later!

I also print colored balls and color cotton balls with paint and have them do a “snowball fight” and each ball touches another student, they need to tell me the color. Younger and older ones love it!

Google ” cascabel” and you will find the words for jingle bells in Spanish, there are three or four versions.

The one listed here on youtube is a little hard for little ones, so when we sing only, I use

Cascabel, Cascabel musica de amor

Dulces horas, gratas horas

Juventud in flor

Cascabel, Cascabel

Tan sentimental

No ceces o cascabel,

de repiquetear

I hope you enjoyed my ideas! Please share your experiences in using them here!

¡Feliz Navidad!

Claudia Krusch

EasyLearn Languages© CEO

Ideas and information on this blog are protected by copyright, please contact author to publish or reprint ideas.

Dear Readers,

This past two weeks, I searched for a different way to bring the Thansgiving theme a different flavor! I decided to use prepositions and shapes for the first two weeks and food as well.

Children learned or revisited food vocabulary while setting up a table with thanksgiving favorites, such as :
Pastel de Calabaza- Pumpkin Pie

Pavo- turkey

Patata- Potato

Pan- Bread

We also learned:

Feliz Dia de Acción de Gracias – Happy Thanksgiving

and shapes which were compared to food and feathers of Pablo the turkey!

We also showed a fun shapes video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS5zmH2XRu4

I hope you enjoy it!

Saludos,

Claudia Krusch

EasyLearn Languages CEO

Dear Amigos,

I am very happy to share some interesting links to show thanksgiving traditions in Spanish and bring vocabulary to celebrate the season of being grateful in a great way!

A parent asked me: Thanksgiving has such hard words for children to learn and memorize! Her statement inspired me to focus on activities which will capture the child’s attention while teaching Thanksgiving words and concepts in Spanish.

Click on this link and have the child repeat some basic words

http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/spanish_for_kids_18

print those words and make flashcards or memory games, they are great ways to start

Depending on the age group, you can also play with this matching game:

http://123teachme.com/games/drag_n_match/category/thanksgiving

And finish a quiet story time with this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61iqIl8YwuY&feature=related

You can use a turkey coloring page online and ask the child to color the feathers in patterns, amarillo, rojo, verde….the  pattern can be as complicated as the child’s age. If your child is under 3 years old you can help them by coloring using the pattern, repeating colors in Spanish and asking what comes next? Que viene ahora?? Rojo, no!, Amarillo, no, verde, si!!!

I have designed the EasyLearn materials which are coming out of the oven for you! Please keep checking us out for more info on how to share Thanksgiving vocabulary with your child!

Saludos,

Claudia Krusch

EasyLearn Programs CEO

Dear readers,

Some teachers have asked me in the past years for ideas on Halloween themed classes. We have used many different topics but this year, I believe we really capture the children’s interest with the classes. We divided the Halloween topic in two classes, using the verb poner (Yo pongo), the children were asked:

1. To place Halloween objects in the cauldron – Yo pongo el fantasma en el calderon ( I put the ghost in the caldron)

2. To place eyes, mouth, ears, nose on the ghost’s face- Yo pongo la nariz en la cara….(Used a paper bag, markers for eyes, ribbon to tie the ghost), nice activity and cute craft

3. Book Activity- We read the book 5 little ghosts in Spanish and they had to place each ghost in each part of the book- Yo pongo un fantasma……

4. Song- Original Yo pongo sung by me to be released on my upcoming cd- for sound file email me directly

Vocabulary needed:

Ghost- Fantasma

Witch- Bruja

Monster- monstro

Mummy- mumia

Halloween – Dia de las Brujas or Dia de los muertos

Candy – dulce

trick or treat – dulce o travesura

Halloween, Dia de Las Brujas, is all about making children have fun!!!! Dressing up, having candy…..I hope my ideas will inspire teachers and parents celebrate Halloween at home using a foreign language!

Saludos,

Claudia Krusch

EasyLearn Languages LLC – Director

Dear Readers,

Many parents asked if there is Halloween in Spanish speaking countries and I used to say no, there is a Dia de Los Muertos celebration which is more religious and not child oriented. Well, a parent of one of my students recently shared that in Colombia they do Dulces o Travesuras (trick or treat) and children dress up like in the US. That surprised me!

 In Brazil, my native country, Halloween is only celebrated in English Schools, not as a real holiday…..They have dia das crianças, October 12th when little children receive toys.
I will share later this week some linkswith information on dia de los muertos and Spanish Halloween worksheets and songs. Stay tuned!

Saludos,

Claudia Krusch
CEO EasyLearn Languages LLC

Dear Readers,

This week’s post has the objective of bringing your reflection on what activities you bring into your child’s life and the consequences of each one of them. My questions are not condemning or supporting any activities, they are questions I raised in the past years before signing my son up for classes.
Karate promises foccus and discipline, but how about the aggressive part of repeatedly exposing children as early as three years old to kicks and punches???
Dance will help body coordination and self esteem. How about girls who are overweight and the classes will bring a low self esteem issue which shouldn’t be present in her life until at least pre teen years???
Sports bring competitive spirit and they are a great exercise. How about children who don’t like to run, are not coordinated enough to follow games and play and who could care less about what’s going in the field and feel left out by the other children who excel in sports???
Musical Instruments are a great way to bring concentration and develop brain connections. How about children who are tone death or who can’t play anything after trying one song for three months?
Foreign languages are great to stimulate brain connections, promoting early reading, reasoning among other skills. How about children who have speech impairments or whose parents don’t speak the language and can’t help them develop them at home? It is proven that foreign languages will not harm and sometimes help speech impairments and home input can be substituted by effective use of the foreign language class to build skills.
Science experiments with complex concepts…..really???No comment on that.
I don’t think I have all the answers, but my questions hopefully will help guide your own questions which should be confronted with your child’s unique personality and abilities to promote enrichment time as fun, educational and above all, HAPPY TIME!

Email me for more questions on how to bring foreign languages closer to your little one!

Saludos,
Claudia Krusch
EasyLearnlanguages LLC CEO

Dear Members,
When thinking about what activities to sign my son up in the fall, I faced many choices….music, sports, drama classes, arts and more…..I decided to look for classes which were fun and educational, so I kept him on our Easylearn programs for foreign languages, math at Mathnasium to keep his math skills, music to develop brain connections and concentration and a sport, which will be football due to his size!!!!!!I had no trouble picking a sport, I must say that!
Parents often talk to me about continuing with foreign language classes and I tell them it is for the children’s benefit to continue while they are young and learning is as easy as playtime!
This fall choose well, ask for demo classes but above all choose something your child enjoy doing!
It’s all about having fun!
Saludos,
Claudia Krusch
Director of Easylearn programs

Dear Readers,

I’m so excited to announce that we listened to parents and we are now offering our summer book with activities to be used at home! The book contains 20 pages of pure fun, coloring pages, games, suggestions on activities and more! The book is recommended for children 2-7 years old, but some of the activities can be done with older ones as well!
Make it a family fun time and join us in the great journey of bringing foreign languages to little ones!
To purchase the book only, go to our site: www.easylearnlanguages.com and make a payment of $ 10.00 + shipping and handling and you will receive your book at home or receive instructions for download.
To join the membership portion of our site, you will click on the membership icon on this blog and follow instructions, that will give you the book, personal consultation on how to use it, newsletter with great articles, class plans and more!
I am proud of our new venture and I hope you enjoy it too!

Saludos,
Claudia Krusch
EasyLearn Languages Programs Director