Valentine’s Day in Brazil is in June, so I usually do the regular Valentine’s Celebrations in February and again in the Portuguese classes in June! In Brazil Valentin’s Day, Dia dos namorados is a celebration for lovers, couples only, no friendship, just love.

My favorite Bilingual Books:

Be Mine – Brenda Ponnay

Primer Dia de San Valentin  de Clifford

Dora Quiere Mucho a Boots

El Primer Beso de Froggy

Feliz Dia de La Amistad, Gus

We are making Butterflies with candy:

• We are teaching love, hugs, kisses, smile as vocabulary and they will see the pic behind a hear and have to say what it is in Spanish or Portuguese.
• The more advanced students will receive a blank cardstock and make pics for the front and write simple sentences inside, I will be posting later pics of what they did!

Wanted to share this link from Mommy Maestra for Valentine’s Cards:

http://www.mommymaestra.com/2012/02/bilingual-valentines-day-cards-for.html

• I will also use a heart shaped basket and they would throw colored hearts in it to review colors!
• We will be making a love tree and placing shapes on the tree which is pink and we call it árbol del amor, Árvore de Amor.

Feliz Dia de San Valentin! Happy Valentine’s Day! Feliz Dia dos Namorados!

Claudia Krusch

Director

Dear Readers,

Think about Easter in South America is to think about food! Thinking back on so many Easter meals at my parent’s home! The most fun part was not the egg! In Brazil, they are ginormous! LOL Check it out!

Link to purchase one:

http://www.brazilianshop.com/BSHOP-32614-Ovo-de-Páscoa-ao-leite-Garoto-Sortidos—750g-#23

It was all about sitting and eating ALL day! O dia todo! My family makes seafood dishes and yummy appetizers and desserts! My favorites listed under my pinterest account:

http://pinterest.com/easylearn/food/

Moqueca de Camarao ( shrimp stew), Farofa de manteiga (Cassava Flour with butter and onions and eggs), Vatapa ( bread pudding made from bread, cashews, dried shrimp and other ingredients), white rice and more! Sooo good! Tao bom!

Some good words for Easter in Portuguese: Pascoa (Easter), Feliz Pascoa (Happy Easter), Ovo ( Egg), Chocolate ( chocolate), Cesta ( basket)

The best memories are all the aromas coming from my mom’s kitchen, my dad’s jokes and all the talk around the table! After all, Easter means giving and looking back, that is what ours was all about!

I hope you enjoyed my post!

Claudia Krusch

EasyLearn Languages

Dear Members,

I thought a lot before offering Valentine’s classes in Portuguese because Brazilian people don’t celebrate it! I decided to bring the theme and incorporate some ideas used in the Spanish class, so they would still learn the vocabulary without meaning less translations. I created a math worksheet with hearts, they learn the word heart, coração and had to add the hearts on the page, children 3 and under just had to look, count on fingers and give me the answer in Portuguese, I also made large heart inside a card and they would draw the family in it; we also  used hearts I cut out and we did the math on the rug. I also used the song beijo, Ivete San Galo to talk about Valentine words…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXvcKm6tERQWe played a tic tac toe with pictures cut where they would have to use thier piece to try to win I used pictures of hearts- coração, cupid – cupido, chocolate- chocolate, baloons-balão I explained in Brazil, Valentine’s Day is in June and it’s called the boyfriend/girlfriend’s day, it’s not for friends, but for people who are inlove, married, in a relationship.

I also used the song I love you, you love me from Barney with ages 3-5, another hit!

They loved the activities and learned Portuguese! Até a próxima!

Abraços, Claudia Krusch EasyLearn Languages CEO

Dear Readers,

I was singing to my son tonight and I sang all the same Brazilian Lullabies I always sing:

Boi da cara preta, Maezinha do céu, Chu chu chu, Sereia, Samba lele ( I will list those songs in another post)

He said Mom, Im kind of tired of the same songs, can you sing something different and I sang this song which reminds us how beautiful life is! It always makes me cry, because reminds me of Brazil! So I wanted to share here on the blog:

A vida- Gonzaguinha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwDRty6NT6g&feature=related

I hope you enjoy it!

Abraços,

Claudia Krusch

Children-More CEO

Dear Members,

I thought a lot before offering Valentine’s classes in Portuguese because Brazilian people don’t celebrate it! I decided to bring the theme and incorporate some ideas used in the Spanish class, so they would still learn the vocabulary without meaning less translations.
I created a math worksheet with hearts, they learn the word heart, coração and had to add the hearts on the page, children 3 and under just had to look, count on fingers and give me the answer in Spanish, with them I used hearts I cut out and we did the math on the rug.
I also used the song beijo, Ivete San Galo to talk about Valentine words…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXvcKm6tERQ
We played a tic tac toe with pictures cut where they would have to use thier piece to try to win
I used pictures of hearts- coração, cupid – cupido, chocolate- chocolate, baloons-balão
I explained in Brazil, Valentine’s Day is in June and it’s called the boyfriend/girlfriend’s day, it’s not for friends, but for people
who are inlove, married, in a relationship.
They loved the activities and learned Portuguese!
Até a próxima!
Abraços,
Claudia Krusch
EasyLearn Languages CEO

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