Helping Your Child Learn in Two Languages

By Illinois Early Learning Project

Many families new to the United States face an important choice. Should their children focus on learning only English? Or should the children also be fluent in their home language? Children who know more than one language often benefit in school and later in life. Also, many parents and grandparents find that talking to older children about important life matters is easier if the children retain their home language skills. Here are some ways that parents have helped young children keep their home language while learning English in school.

Be aware of skills and habits of mind that are important in any language.

• Keep in mind that your preschooler can build good speaking and listening skills and habits when he listens and talks to people who are fluent in any language. In school, he will learn from teachers and peers who know English well. At home, you are the language expert!
• Talk with your child in your home language every day so she sees you using words and gestures with ease. Express feelings and complex ideas. Tell jokes and funny stories. Let your child see you reading, making lists, and writing notes so she learns how people communicate through print.
• Help your preschooler count, estimate, compare, measure, and solve problems in your home language so he understands that math concepts are the same in any language.
• Nurture your child's curiosity about the world around her. Use your home language to help her ask questions, describe things she observes, and make predictions. Being able to do those things will help her in school.

Make your home language the foundation for literacy.

• Help your preschooler learn the alphabet and read signs in your home language. That way, he can begin to understand that letters and symbols have meaning.
• Tell stories or read aloud to your child in your home language. Record yourself reading aloud, so your child can listen independently.
• Teach your child songs and musical games in your home language.
• Make books with your child. Your child can dictate stories to you. You might also create fantasy tales or books of true-life family stories.

To learn more click on this link: Helping Your Child Learn in Two Languages

Halloween 2010

My friend Joanna, and I organized a Halloween party for our kids and their friends. Since Joanna's place has a bigger space then our house we decided to have it at her house, plus her room mates gave us a big hand. They played games. At a lot of yummy snacks, and screamed a lot. It was fun, fun, fun. The game that had them talking was the mummy game were we divided the kids in two teams. Object of the Game: The first team to wrap their mummy wins! What you need: Toilet Papers. The kids also went trick or treat. We gave the neighbors the candies, and explained to them what to do. More pictures are coming soon.

Read a book give a book , "I Knew You Could"

I Knew You Could!

By Craig Dorfman Is a remarkable book.

From "I think I can" to "I knew I could," The Little Engine That Could helps kids of all ages realize that anything is possible if you just put your mind to it!

My kids and I read it together for free, and we love it. You too can find awesome books to read with your children for free. Every time you read a book, a book is donated to the needy children. Join our group African Languages, read a book, and make a difference.

Storymoja Hay Festival updates

The Storymoja festival is a life time experience. I met business owners, writers, cartoonist, illustrators, economist, film makers and the list goes on. Tomorrow I'm looking forward to meeting the Tinga Tinga team. The Tinga Tinga is a creative and wonderful film for children inspired by the African Tales. Its a blessing to be around people doing work that one loves.

Storymoja Hay Festival 2010

The Storymoja Hay Festival is hear again!

Come and support Yambeka Children Media at the Hay Festival! Our books will be available. This is a fun festival for parents and children. Aunts, uncles, brothers, mothers, grandparents, sisters, mothers, cousins all welcome!!!!!

Storymoja

The British Council will facilitate the attendance of 2,000 children from across Kenya to attend the Festival free of charge.

• 20% of all tickets will be made available free to students to attend the events at the Festival.

• A reading marathon will be launched at the Festival.

• Education links will be developed with Room to Read, KOEE, Book Aid International and Oxfam.

• A series of workshops will be made available to students for masterclasses with leading writers, storytellers, journalists and performers. There will also be further post-festival mentoring and manuscript development workshops.

• In 2009 the first internship from Kenya to Hay was initiated with a three-month placement for an existing Storymoja employee to join the Hay Festival team. The second employee participated in the placement in 2010, and the 15-year-old winner of the storytelling competition also attended the 2010 Hay Festival.

• Storytelling Competition winners from 40 schools/universities will work with leading mentors to hone their performances. The 2010 competition is sponsored by the US Embassy.

• The 2010 Storymoja Hay Festival poetry competition winners will be announced, and will have a chance to showcase their work at the Festival.

• The 2010 Storymoja/Generation Kenya photo stories project will exhibit and showcase winning entries at the Festival.

• A careers workshop based on the Storymoja Careers Encyclopaedia (in development) will be offered as a key event for high school students.

• Marine awareness and the need for conservation will be taught through a daily ‘under sea’ party, featuring skits from Matatu from Watamu, sing-alongs, etc. The set will be created by children themselves through facilitated art and craft activities.

• Parenting talks will be delivered by child psychologists and education experts, covering topics such as getting help for your children with learning difficulties, or supporting gifted children.

To learn more visit: Storymoja

Two years old Diddy singing Okadhila

Visiting Watamu, Kenya

A couple weeks ago, my family and I took a well deserved holiday to Watamu a beach resort on the Indian Ocean of Kenya. The nearest big town is Malindi. We took a 10 hours bus drive from Nairobi to Watamu. The children sang their favorite songs, and kept asking when we were going to reach Watamu. I have to give it to them, they were really good in the bus most of the time. Having a lot of snacks also helped. When we arrived in Watamu, it was raining, but not enough rain to make you too wet. We crossed the road, to find temporary shelter while waiting for our ride. Within 10 minutes, we were greeted by a friendly, lady who is one of the board members for the Local Ocean Trust-Watamu Turtle Watch. Carefully we drove to:Local Ocean Trust-Watamu Turtle Watch were we called home during the time we spent in Watamu. The Local Ocean Trust-Watamu Turtle Watching aim is to conserve Kenyan marine resources.

Their work consists of: hands-on conservation, research, education, campaigning and community development.

We stayed in a beautiful home with a big open space, the children could run around out side the house while we're in the house preparing breakfast, or lunch unlike in Nairobi (we live in an apartment compound , and the open space is parking lot). We took a tour of the house, then we went to watch the turtles, and met few of the employees, and guests, and watched the turtles. The following day the first thing the kids asked for was to go and watch the turtles. We then went to the beach which was about 7 minutes walk from the house. The beach has beautiful white sand. We also visited a beautiful Mida Creek where you can swim and collect beautiful sea shells.

The weather was beautiful, not too hot or too cold. Enjoy the pictures coming soon.