Language Lizard

 If your child shows little interest in reading books, and if you are met with endless complaining when you ask them pick up a book, know that you are not alone. Many teachers and parents struggle with the problem. Think you have decided to teach Spanish, a second language to your child, and picked up bilingual Spanish books for kids, but they refuse to read. The first step to solve the problem is to understand why your child avoids reading. Here are a few common reasons why children run away from reading: 1. The topic does not interest them The child may be saying that books are boring, but what they may mean is that the particular book’s storyline does not seem interesting to them. Sometimes you may feel you need to tell your child what to read, but what you should do is help them explore. When buying books online, sit with your child to find engaging ones for them.   2. The book’s format does not appeal to them Children spend a lot of time on screens. Video games and online...

Raising a culturally aware child is of utmost importance. After all, who doesn’t want their child to value principles like equality and be socially accepting of diversity? While parenting to foster a passion for diversity, acceptance, and equality may seem like a daunting task, if you undertake culturally responsive teaching , it will be easier! Here are four tips to help you raise socially aware children: 1. Talk to them about privilege- Privilege may feel like an intimidating concept to talk about to a child, but children are curious, and they do notice social differences. They recognize gender differences, cultural differences, color differences by the age of four. Their social perceptions and attitudes are shaped accordingly. Talk to your child about diversity, cultural differences, and tell them how sometimes certain groups face difficulties because of that. Culturally responsive teaching helps your child respect differences.   2. Use the natural curiosity of children to teac...

 Have you introduced your child to the joy of reading with ears? Yes, we are talking about audio books. There are so many benefits, including the educational ones, that audio books for kids bring to the table. If we had to pick just one, it would be the fact that it helps us experience a good story with our children. Every once in a while, you may feel too tired to read aloud a bedtime story. Let audio books take care of the job while you relax and enjoy the story together as a family. If you are new to this, here are a couple of tips that will help you make the most of it.   1. Start small- When introducing your child to audio books, start with a short story. A book that your child has read before, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, is also a great way to start enjoying audio books. Like reading, listening is also a skill that needs practice. Be patient with your child, let them get used to it before sitting through a long story with them. 2. Explore your options- Revisit...

 Culturally responsive teaching is the ability of an educator to teach in a multicultural setting and is one of the most powerful tools for helping students find their way out of the achievement gap. By achievement gap, we mean the gap found in academic performance when comparing underserved students and students who are more privileged to opportunities and success. By focusing on culturally responsible teaching methods, teachers can help change their students’ attitudes toward themselves as well as make them understand how success will come eventually. Types of Learners There are two types of learners: a dependent learner and an independent learner.A dependent learner depends on the teacher to carry most of the cognitive load of tasks. They will sit passively and way of stuck until the teacher intervenes.This type of learner tends to be unsure of how to tackle new tasks.The other type of learner is an independent learner. This type of learner relies on the teacher to carry only s...

The concept of multicultural education is gaining more and more popularity among educators. The idea behind it is to make meaningful changes to curriculum and reform educational institutions in a way that empowers children from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Multicultural picture books are definitely there but we need a proper system that stresses cultural diversity. Here is a basic framework for multicultural education that educators can follow: Content Integration - Content integration focuses on naturally infusing content relevant to the cultures and backgrounds of your students into the curriculum. Knowledge Design - The next dimension is knowledge design. The educators need to discuss and analyze the cultural frames of reference biases, generalizations, and assumptions. One good example of different perspectives on historical events would be the voyage of Christopher Columbus and the founding of the Americas. Also, the students should be allowed to present and discuss their ...

Growing up attending elementary schools in small towns, most students don’t receive proper education on various important topics, such as social justice and multiculturalism. Their views on cultural diversity typically change—sometimes, drastically—when they enter college. As teachers, it’s important for us to be more “culturally-responsive” and make our students more aware. But, what does it mean to be a culturally responsive educator? You need to understand that culture is essential to student learning. This implies that you need to know your students’ backgrounds, traditions, and celebrations that they recognize in their culture. A great place to start becoming a culturally responsive teacher is with respect. You should promote self-respect and respect for others so that you can begin building these relationships with your students. It is easy to implement social justice and diversity topics in any lesson. It can be as simple as changing the book that you're reading to your stu...

For most parents, getting their kindergartners to put down the smartphone or tablet and pick up a book can be quite a tedious task. But it is important to help our kids develop a reading habit, and it is especially true in the case of bilingual kids. Growing up while trying to learn two languages can be overwhelming, but having the right books at hand can make that process easier. Books don’t just teach vocabulary and grammar; they are also an effective tool for learning about the world. So, you must buy the best books for kindergarten and encourage your little ones to read them. And here’s how you can make that fun: Let your kids choose the books Kids love to feel like they are in charge of something, even if it is picking out books. And when they pick books that seem interesting to them, they are also more likely to read them. You can take them to a bookstore or library, or allow them to shop from an online bookstore, and ask them to choose from bilingual titles that are appropriat...