Language Lizard

Looking for ways to make note-taking less stressful for your child? How about gifting them a talking pen that records their things and prepares digital books they can access anytime, anywhere?  Well, that’s possible with a smartpen such as PENpal by Mantra Lingua. With a recorder pen, possibilities are endless. These pens are designed to support learning by playing back audio by simply touching them to pages. So, get ready to expect the unexpected and expedite language skill development in your child. You can: Turn books into ‘taking books’ Children find it hard to keep themselves engaged with books. While they enjoy other activities, they hate reading multiple pages. Recorder pens can eliminate this issue by turning books into talking books. These pens come with built-in tools that can playback audio in various languages. Record and create new books Another great feature is the ability to record your own narrative and create new books for your kids. While sound enabling a book from th

“Reading good books is like engaging in conversation with the cultivated minds of past centuries who had composed them, or rather, taking part in a well-conducted dialogue in which such minds reveal to us only the best of their thoughts.” -René Descartes, Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy Being able to read is one of the greatest gifts for mankind. It helps us cherish the laurels of our past while preparing our minds for the future. It’s no wonder that every parent is obsessed with insisting on reading to their children. But does that make audiobooks bad? Whether your kid is going for Russian children’s books to learn a new language or interested in fictional or educational texts, audiobooks have often been put under the bad light. As per critics and book “enthusiasts,” learning through an audiobook is nothing but cheating and some fancy gimmick. However, the sticklers who insist on reading the old-fashioned way: ➢Can’t remember what they read ➢Don’t have access

English Language Learners (ELLs) are students who do not have English as their first or native language. In a classroom setting, they can often pose a unique set of challenges to teachers. One of the reasons behind this is that they do not belong to a single proficiency level; they have a diverse range of very unique language acquisition and educational needs. There are, however, several apps and tools available today, including a talking pen, that are designed to make it easier for them to get a better grasp of the English language and thus improve their confidence in the process. As a teacher, here are some ways in which you can use these resources for the ELLs in your classroom: 1. Introduce them to Mantra Lingua’s PENpal Mantra Lingua’s PENpal is a device that is designed to play back audio when it touches audio-enabled bilingual books, charts, and other learning resources. This portable, durable, and easy-to-use device allows for a multisensory experience that can be helpful for

If somebody were to be asked, “Why do children go to school?” chances are, they would say it is to learn how to read and write. But a school does more than that, especially when it encourages diversity in the classroom. A diverse classroom prepares children to face the real world where they will have to live and work with people from different communities and walks of life. It also builds critical thinking skills and encourages empathy. If you are a teacher with a multicultural classroom, it is your responsibility to make sure that the students appreciate and understand each other’s differences. From using multicultural books to organizing classroom activities, here are a few ways to do that: 1.Interactive storytelling sessions Knowledge dispels assumptions. When you help your students appreciate the beauty of multicultural diversity, you can help increase acceptance, tolerance, and respect. And one of the ways to do that is to organize storytelling sessions. You should ask the student

Research suggests that children develop an understanding of gender, ethnicity, and disability in their early stage of childhood. So, it makes sense for parents and educators to include multicultural education in their early childhood education programs rather than elementary education. This also helps children develop their identities and expand their cultural knowledge and understanding of diversity. When it comes to exposing children to multicultural education at an early age, multicultural books play an important role. Let’s find out how these books help: A deeper understanding of different cultures Through multicultural children's books , children learn that a variety of people of different races and ethnicities exist around the globe. They also understand that people with different cultural backgrounds can still get along well and live in harmony, giving rise to a pluralistic culture. In other words, young children at their early stage of childhood do not separate themselves f

What does kindness mean for a child? For preschoolers, it may be sharing their cookies with a sibling or saying hello to the neighbor walking his dog. If they are older, they may show kindness by comforting a friend who looks scared or worried or donating their allowance for a good cause. How do you ensure your child develops the virtue of kindness?   Let your words and actions speak the language of kindness and compassion. Ensuring your child grows culturally aware is also very important to nurture kindness in them. So, talk about diversity and buy multicultural picture books.   Here are some things you should do for creating a culture of kindness in your home: Inspire Your Child’s Imagination   An active imagination will help your child develop kindness and compassion. It teaches them to be empathetic. Pretend play with your young child to practice empathy. For instance, ask your child what will they do if their favorite doll or teddy fell and bumped their head? As they grow older, a

As parents, you can have different reasons for raising your children with multiple languages. For some families, it is simply a way of life. For some, it is better cognitive development, enhanced intellectual abilities, or increased prospects in the future job market. There are also people who use it as a tool to fight back against the dominance of the English language. But no matter your reason, a multilingual child enjoys some great advantages over their monolingual peers. And if you want to raise your little one into an adult who is fluent in more than one language, here are a few things you should do, including getting the best books for kindergarten: 1. Be realistic when setting your goals One of the first things that you should do when deciding to raise a multilingual child is to set some goals, such as the number of languages you want them to learn or the level of fluency you want them to have. But your goals need to be realistic. For instance, expecting your child to pass for a

Every parent is excited at the thought of their child starting preschool. If your child is soon going to be enrolled in preschool, we are sure you must be trying to introduce them to reading. One way to get their attention is to invest in audio books for kids. To make your task easier, here are a few tips. These will help your little one develop the basic skills needed to become a reader: 1. Show them your love for reading Telling your child how much you look forward to your reading time together will pique their interest in the activity as well. Talk about your favorites from your childhood- the stories or books you loved to read. Even when you are not reading to them, you can read in front of them, whether it is a newspaper, a cookbook, or a work by Shakespeare. Watching you read will motivate them to do the same. Preschoolers love to imitate adults.   2. Make story-time a ritual in your household Take out some time to read together with your child every day. Curl up alongside your c

At a time when the world is witnessing overwhelming changes and chaos, it is critical to instill the feelings of love, kindness, and acceptance in our children in the hope of a better, brighter tomorrow. Parents have an important role in shaping the impressionable minds of children and instilling in them values that will help them to become better human beings who not only care for each other but also respect and accept diverse identities and living experiences. Undoubtedly, this is no small task. Broaching such sensitive subjects in front of your children is tricky since these have to be introduced in a simple, easy to understand manner. You have to do so without sounding preachy or boring. We believe that the perfect way to pass on positive messages of diversity is to introduce them to the wonderful world of fiction, i.e. through books that are replete with attention-grabbing pictures and fun content. This helps kick start crucial conversations and encourages children to think differ