Why German?
This is an amazing time for your child to learn a second (or third) language!
Young children don’t feel anxiety when learning languages. It is a natural process of their day-to-day acquisition of new vocabulary. They are not afraid to speak using new words or of making "mistakes". They don’t care whether it is grammatically correct or not. They just speak… Over time their brain incorporates the corrections.
Regardless if your child continues their German language acquisition at an elementary, middle or high school in the future or if they no longer use the language later in life, encouraging bilingual brain development at a young age has proven to have multiple benefits in overall brain development.
At Kinderstube children learn to speak German by experiencing the language in use, through play and repetition, daily routine, songs and melodies and books and literature. They simply learn by copying their environment.
Please read more in this article: http://www.earlychildhoodeducationzone.com/why-your-kids-should-learn-a-second-language/
Watch this TED video about the benefits of a bilingual brain: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-speaking-multiple-languages-benefits-the-brain-mia-nacamulli
Young children don’t feel anxiety when learning languages. It is a natural process of their day-to-day acquisition of new vocabulary. They are not afraid to speak using new words or of making "mistakes". They don’t care whether it is grammatically correct or not. They just speak… Over time their brain incorporates the corrections.
Regardless if your child continues their German language acquisition at an elementary, middle or high school in the future or if they no longer use the language later in life, encouraging bilingual brain development at a young age has proven to have multiple benefits in overall brain development.
At Kinderstube children learn to speak German by experiencing the language in use, through play and repetition, daily routine, songs and melodies and books and literature. They simply learn by copying their environment.
Please read more in this article: http://www.earlychildhoodeducationzone.com/why-your-kids-should-learn-a-second-language/
Watch this TED video about the benefits of a bilingual brain: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-speaking-multiple-languages-benefits-the-brain-mia-nacamulli
Ideas on how to incorporate language learning at home:
- Encourage language learning in your child’s environment by having them learn from a parent, nanny, babysitter, friends, etc.
- Invite people from other cultures into your home.
- Attend cultural events featuring music, dance, or food from other countries.
- Provide books (both in the second language, but also about travel and culture). Remember that reading the same book multiple times builds and reinforces vocabulary!
- Label things around the house.
- If you speak another language, speak to the child as much as possible.
- Practice words while eating, bathing, or playing by asking your child what it is and having him or her tell you in both English and the target language.
- Make bingo games, flash cards, memory games, etc.
- When asking for something, have them say please and thank you in the second language.
- Purchase or borrow CDs, DVDs, games, etc.
- Play I Spy.
- Name as many things as you can name at the dinner table.
- Keep a map handy and pull it out as conversation, food, or activities tie back to a place.
- Cook or taste foods from other cultures.
- Introduce children to native speakers, and encourage them to use the second language they know.
- Sing, sing, sing! It builds vocabulary and develops fluency.
- Write letters to family and friends in the target language.
- Talk on Skype with people from other countries, or with family/friends who also speak the language.
- Look for resources online that can teach language at home.
- Speak to your child positively about the value of learning another language.
- Send your child to immersion elementary schools, summer language camps, or, for older children, study abroad.
- Visit a library and check out books, CDs, etc., and ask about community culture and language events taking place.
- Learn a language alongside your child.
- Establish daily routines that will always take place in the second language (using the same clean-up song, saying please/thank you, counting to 50 while brushing teeth, etc.).
- Have fun with language and your child will have fun, as well!
