Mommy Maestra

End of the School Year Lessons and Activities

2013-05-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

Whether you are teaching in a classroom or at home, summer is quickly approaching and lesson plans are coming to an end. After the units are completed and the testing is done, we have to find ways to continue to motivate our students during the home stretch. I remember being in the classroom and the final weeks in May became more challenging as the kids (and teachers) developed a bad case of "summer-itis".

It can happen at home as well. On a daily basis, I supplement my son's education by teaching Spanish, working on math word problems, reading, spelling and sometimes even religious education. In addition, I make sure music lesson assignments are completed and chess is enjoyed at home too. As the school year is wrapping up, I realize that we stop staying on schedule (some days have been so nice outside)! Although, I believe in just relaxing on some days and enjoying lots of free time, there are enough hours in the day to continue our job! Here are some ideas for you to help end the school year with assignments and ideas that are educational and fun! These can be applied to all grades too and can be carried on to the summer months as well.

If you use your smart phone as much as I do to take pictures of your little ones all day long, review the photos with your students to do the following:

Talk about the big moments/projects done this year and make your own yearbook or picture album.

Have your students journal about their favorite part of the school year.

Have your students journal about the most challenging part of the year.

Think ahead:

Journal goals for the next year.

Journal plans for the summer.

Creative writing:

Objects in a beach bag. Pack a bag with summer essentials such as a beach ball, sunscreen, and sand toys and have your students write a story using the contents in the bag. Get creative yourself! Throw in an odd object (a serving spoon or a thermometer) to help add humor or drama to the story.

Write a letter to a character of your favorite book. If your students could say anything to their favorite fiction characters, what would it be?

Organization:

Clean the classroom! Organize supplies, books, and paper clutter. File, recycle, wash down and dust. Have your students help you make a list of the supplies needed for next year. They might surprise you with a great request!

Having fun while still learning:

Play games: Sorry!, Matching, Loteria, Chess, Chinese Checkers, UNO, Quirkle...just to name a few of our favorites, are great educational games to play during down time.

Field trip! A trip to your local firehouse or post office can still be educational! Or take a simple nature walk. Have students write or illustrate what they saw on the way to their destination. Maybe bring a camera along?

Special lunch or dinner. Some home schooled students go year round and some don't. Regardless, make time to celebrate! Even if a graduation is not taking place, take your kids out for a special meal and reward yourself too!

Do you have any educational end-of-the-year ideas? Please share in the comments below! image via

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Betty Galvan, is helping her readers "find the positive and seek the benefits" over at her blog, MyFriendBettySays.com.

She is the mother of three beautiful little boys and a teacher.

Scholastic's Digital Math Magazines

2013-05-21T11:40:00.000-04:00

With summer quickly approaching, it's time to start thinking about how to help your kids keep their reading and math skills sharp so they can avoid the dreaded Summer Learning Loss. But kids don't want to think they're doing school, so we have to get creative and find fun ways to keep them learning.

One of my favorite resources is Scholastic's digital magazines, and especially, their Math Magazine which takes real news stories about current events and turns them into math problems. From Iron Man to cicadas, their problems are fun, challenging, and engaging. Math Magazine is for students in grades 6 - 9. If you have younger children, you might consider DynaMath for kids in grades 3 - 6.

We've been looking at the digital online magazines (my kids LOVE them), but if you want to order print copies, just click here. The digital mags are full of information including articles, videos, and downloads.

Enjoy!

Aprendes Con Launches Educational Program in Spanish (With a Giveaway!)

2013-05-19T22:42:00.001-04:00

To celebrate the launch of their Educational Program in Spanish, Aprendes Con is having a special giveaway on their Facebook page: You can enter to win one of four $50 Amazon gift cards!

Aprendes Con/i Learn With is a fantastic developer who already has English educational apps in place and are now launching those same apps in Spanish. I've written about them before here and here. Their apps focus on early education and developing those skills needed by Pre-K and elementary-aged students. So many of you have asked me over and over for quality apps in Spanish that teach subjects and concepts, not just how to speak the language. Here's your opportunity to follow this company. Take a look at their website in English and now in Spanish.

You can enter their giveaway on their Aprendes Con Facebook page.

A New Hispanic Character for Sesame Street's 44th Season

2013-05-16T00:06:00.000-04:00

Monday afternoon, I had the most wonderful opportunity to sit down with Sesame Street's new Hispanic character, Armando, and his amiga, Rosita, who may well now be my favorite Sesame Street muppet of all time.

Armando - or Mando as he is called on the show - is played by the talented Ismael Cruz Córdova. Ismael is such a likeable guy with his energetic smile and infectious laugh, that I know children across the country will be immediately drawn to his character this fall. He brings a new face to the show that reflects the multiculturalism of modern-day Latinos in America. From the soles of his dancing feet to the tips of his vibrant hair, Ismael is a beautiful blend of his Puerto Rican, Taino, Afro-Caribbean, and European ancestry.

Latino families like ours, are in for a treat as Sesame Street's 44th season (which premieres on September 16th - Ummm, happy Mexican Independence Day, people!) will focus will be on both executive function skills and Hispanic Heritage. Of course we all know what Hispanic Heritage means, but if you're like me, you may be wondering what in the world executive function skills are and what they have to do with early education. It sounds more like something the CEO of a major company needs, no?

Pero, they are actually essential skills that together create the foundation of all core brain activity and are comprised of the ABC's of self regulation, including Affect (understanding that your actions have an affect), Behavioral (showing self control, curbing impulses), and Cognitive (understanding how your actions have an impact).

Part of Mando's role on the show will be to focus on self-expression. He is a writer who loves to write anything from poetry to songs and everything in between. During our interview, Rosita gave an example of how he helped her recently when she became upset after reading a book (she's learning to read) that she had been waiting for. It was called Hola, Lola and was about a little Mexican girl just like her...only she wasn't. The little girl in the book instead walked around wearing a sombrero, owned a burro, and took siestas all the time. Rosita was disappointed and frustrated, but Mando told her that instead of writing an angry letter to the publisher, she should write her own book. He inspired her to share her own story with others.

Ay! You know, right, that this is a guy after my own heart, no?

So Rosita did it. She actually wrote her own song. And she called her story Mi amiguita, Rosita. You'll be able to learn all about it this coming season on Sesame Street. (Did you catch the executive function skill Mando taught Rosita? To channel her frustration into something positive and productive?)

And, Mamis, you will love the fact that when I asked Ismael who his role model was growing up, he told me that it was his own Mami. Here's what he said in our interview...

"I was not influenced much by pop culture," Ismael said. "I was completely and directly influenced by my mom. She was always very clear about her struggle. Not in an accusing way or anything. Just very bare boned. 'This is it and this is what’s happening and your actions will affect you,' she said. She was very clear and open with us about her journey. Not condescending. She spoke to her children…"

"…Respectfully. I learned that from my parents," Rosita said.

"And she considered my opinions," said Ismael. "But always that impetus to move forward. Always the drive to continue no matter what happened."

"So did she place an emphasis on education?" I asked.

"Most definitely," he responded. "It was, 'This is your only option.' And it was your responsibility. We were never rewarded for good grades. It’s also your responsibility to educate yourself as a citizen. You shouldn’t be given a treat just to be the best. Just to do your part. She worked in a Mexican restaurant, and I used to wait for her and do my homework. Sadly, she wasn’t ever able to help us with it. So it was on us and that is very empowering for a child. That was the seedling at my core. I’m trying to keep from crying right now."

They did not, however, have a reading culture in their home. They were never really taught to read. In fact, he says he did not read his first entire book (cover to cover) until 7th grade. He bemoaned the fact that he had not developed better literacy skills early on as he had to work very hard and force himself to develop them when he was older.

Which made my gift to him that much sweeter. Since we knew I'd have the chance to interview Ismael in Maimi, my kids and I decided to present him with a little gift of Latino children's literature straight off of our bookshelves. Each of us chose a book and wrote a message on the inside. We hoped that maybe these books might provide a little bit of inspiration for future episodes. Maybe Mando could read one of the stories or poems to Rosita as one of the segments? Wouldn't that be awesome to feature Latino children's literature on Sesame Street? (It certainly doesn't hurt to try, no?) Either way, the smiles on his and Rosita's faces spoke volumes. And they were quite happy to pose for pictures as you can see above.

You can read more about our selections tomorrow on our sister blog, Latinas4LatinoLit.org.

I just want to end this post sharing his responses to my children's short questions:

My daughter wanted to know what his favorite food was. Ismael said vegetarian sushi! (Yes, he's a vegetarian.)

And my son wanted to know what his favorite color was. Any guesses? He said, ROJO.

The Search for Sesame Street's New Hispanic Character

2013-05-13T16:30:00.000-04:00

So first there was this:

Y luego:

And finally there is this...

Stay tuned for more, Amigos!

¡Muévete Hoy! #FightLatinoObesity

2013-05-12T23:40:00.001-04:00

You may remember me sharing this video last year and the week I dedicated to fighting Latino children's obesity. But the reality is that a week isn't long enough. Obesity among Latino children has reached epidemic proportions. HALF of Latino newborns today will develop diabetes. Our children's weight has long-lasting affects, so it's time we become aware of the risks associated with our children's diet and physical activity levels and it's time for us to make wise choices.

So I hope that you will be seeing more posts here on MommyMaestra dedicated to sharing resources and ways for you to help your children get moving and eat right.

For those of you living in the middle of the city, if you don't have a local park that you feel safe taking your children to play in, and if your child's school does not offer daily PE classes, then maybe you need to think outside the box and get creative when it comes to getting your kids moving.

The new "Muévete Hoy!" exercise video infuses Latin dance moves and a catchy beat as a way to get people up and moving during a break at a conference, meeting, educational seminar, or after school and on the weekends.

To request a DVD copy to play at your meeting, e-mail alejandro.

The video below was produced by the Institute for Health Promotion Research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. For more information, visit http://ihpr.uthscsa.edu or read their blog.

Get your kids moving!

Happy Mother's Day from Text4Baby

2013-05-10T14:27:00.000-04:00

Text4baby wants to wish all moms a Happy Mother's Day! To celebrate mothers and all of the wonderful things they do, the team over at text4baby created a word cloud as a way to highlight all of their special attributes.

Text4baby sends pregnant women & new moms FREE text messages with health information and baby care tips timed to their due date or baby's birth date. If you are pregnant or have a baby under age one, all you have to do is text BABY (or BEBE for Spanish) to 511 411, and you’ll begin to receive free health and safety messages timed to your due date or baby’s birth date. Text messages include information on topics such as labor signs and symptoms, prenatal care, developmental milestones, immunization, nutrition, safe sleep, and much more.

Feel free to join the conversation online at Twitter, @mytext4baby, or on Facebook at text4baby.

Disclosure: I was not compensated to share this information with you.

iLearn With Launches New Literacy App in Spanish

2013-05-09T12:27:00.001-04:00

Today, iLearn With has launched the Spanish version of their literacy app, Ice Land Adventures. The newest app, ¡Pingüinos!, is designed for children ages 3 to 6 and teaches letter recognition, phonics, reading and spelling.

You can read a complete description of the app (in Spanish) on their new Spanish website, or just go to their iTunes page to download the app FOR FREE.

And to follow along as they release more of their English learning apps in Spanish, you might prefer to follow the Aprendes con Facebook page.

REVIEW: VISUAL LEARNING BOOKS from Sunflower Education

2013-05-09T08:39:00.000-04:00

Today I was excited to have the chance to review one of the new visual learning books from Sunflower Education, and I have to say that I love these teacher resource books that provide blueprints and instructions for creating full-scale, actual-size drawings and diagrams with sidewalk chalk. Both of my kids are visual, hands-on learners. They learn best with projects or activities that establish in their minds whatever it is we're studying. So this book with its directions for making full-scale drawings is such a great resource for us. And teachers, homeschoolers, parents and kids alike will also enjoy drawing their own

Created by teachers, the Social Studies book is divided into seven categories: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (i.e., Lighthouse of Alexandria), iconic images of the Old World (like a Viking ship or medieval castle), Native America (e.g., an Iroquois Longhouse), U.S. History (like a prairie schooner), Historic Transportation (such as the Santa Maria!), Warfare (think modern tanks), and American Landmarks (remember the Alamo?).

Each category features the directions to drawing several different images most closely associated with it. This is such a fantastic tool for supplementing your child's social studies lessons and bringing them to life. The dimensions of each image have been thoroughly researched for accuracy. And each activity comes with four sections: Prepare gives you a rough estimate of how much time the project might take and lists the materials needed to complete the drawing; Focus talks about the history behind each project; Present gives you ideas about different ways to create the drawing; and Conclusion shares ways to bring the lesson to a close.

For kids who are artists at heart, this book helps develop their sense of proportion and reveals the intimate connection between math and art. What a treat to be able to cover such a variety of subjects (social studies/history, math, art, and reading) with one simple activity. We're headed to the library parking lot soon with some chalk and measuring tape. We just have to figure out what image we want to draw.

And these eBooks are now on sale for 32% off the original price over on Educents!

How much fun would it be to draw the Alamo?

Disclosure: The links above are affiliate links. Gracias for supporting MommyMaestra!

Scholastic Teacher Express' End of the Year Dollar Deals Sales

2013-05-08T07:30:00.000-04:00

It's here! Scholastic Teacher Express is holding their end of the year Dollar Deals Sales again.

You might remember me writing about it last year when I bought $187.60 worth of eBooks for $16.00!

I love this sale. As a homeschooling mom or teacher, the Dollar Deals are a treasure trove of over 1,000 eBooks for grades PreK-8 that are specially priced for $1, $3 and $5. You can find everything from activity books to lessons plans, and many other teaching resources. You can find downloads for almost any subject and they also have a large Spanish/ELL section.

It’s a really great way for teachers to stock up on resources for next year and for parents to stock up on activities for the children to practice reading and/or math skills during the summer. Avoid Summer Brain Drain with these fun and educational eBooks that keep your kid's skills sharp!

The sale officially starts tomorrow, but you can get a sneak peek today. This 3-day sale is their biggest sale of the year. And you can even pay with PayPal.

I shared my tips for taking advantage of the sale last year, but I'll share them again, because my 3-step process really is the most sensible way to shop!

First, set a price limit for yourself (i.e., $10, $15, $20, etc.).

Second, start on the first page and then just add whichever products you like to your shopping cart, OR look at your wish list (if you made one last year), and see which products you'd like to use now.

Finally, when you finish, go through your shopping cart and start thinning it out by moving products to your wish list. That way you won't loose them, but will be able to buy them later...or at next year's sale.

This 3-day sale ends at midnight on Sunday, May 12th.

Happy shopping!!

Appreciating Those Who Teach

2013-05-07T08:26:00.000-04:00

It really does take a village to help raise and to educate our children, doesn't it? Whether your kids are home schooled or attend a traditional school, there are a lot of people who take part in teaching our children. Some see them every day or maybe a couple times a month. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week but don't stress if you haven't gone out to pick something out for them. As the school year ends, you can also put together something as an end-of-the-year gift. Simply taking the time to say thank you is really the most important idea.

Preschool teachers, tutors, therapists, coaches, music teachers, art teachers, activity leaders, and religious education teachers are all helping our students become well-rounded individuals. They all deserve a little recognition- but that's a lot of people and it can get a little expensive to buy something for everyone.

Nevertheless, whatever your budget might be, little things really are the best. Here are a few inexpensive ideas:

Gift Cards. As low as $5! Teachers love a cup of coffee or a small contribution to help buy all types of books.

Chocolate! A small box of sweets still goes a long way! If I received too much, I always brought it out when guests arrived in my home.

Baked goods. Have your child get involved in baking a small batch of cookies, cupcakes or muffins. Kids love to participate in gift giving.

School supplies. Help your teacher replenish file folders, crayons, markers, tape, staples. Every little bit helps a teacher's

Flowers. Bonus if you have a garden! Freshly picked flowers by a child? So sweet.

Hand written cards and illustrations with your little ones sincere sentiments. And a great teachable-moment from you to your child.

Many kind and selfless teachers will tell you they don't want a gift but I promise you that they do want to be appreciated. When I was teaching, cards made me very happy, but I won't lie and say I didn't love the chocolates! Are there any other inexpensive ideas you might want to add? Please share!

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Betty Galvan, is helping her readers "find the positive and seek the benefits" over at her blog, MyFriendBettySays.com.

She is the mother of three beautiful little boys and a teacher.

image via

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

2013-05-05T08:40:00.004-04:00

Book Review: Mom Goes to War, Mamá se va a la guerra

2013-05-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

Mom Goes to War, Mamá se va a la guerra

written by Irene Aparici Martín
illustrated by Mónica Carretero

For every family that has ever had to battle cancer at some point in their history, this is a book that helps children to understand the experience in a less frightening way.

Mom Goes to War is about a queen who must explain to her two sons about her fight with breast cancer. In the story, she calls a the princes together and tells them about the rebellion happening in her body. She explains the many battles that she alone must fight, but emphasizes her need for an army of allies who will support and strengthen her. Children will learn about the human body, like the role of ganglions as watchtowers to announce the spread of the 'armed rebels,' or cancer cells. But there's no need to fear, because the General (a.k.a. doctor) has a plan of attack that he is putting into place to help defend the queen.

I love books that help children to understand real-life situations. This books is VERY well written and describes a woman's battle with breast cancer in such a way that children can understand the process with a minimal amount of fear. The illustrations enrich the text with soft watercolors that bring the whole story to life.

And do you know the best part? Mom Goes to War is published by the Spanish publisher, Cuento de Luz, and is available both in English or in Spanish. The English translation was done by Jon Brokenbrow and he does a great job.

New Spanish App: Learn Spanish for Toddlers - Bilingual Child Bubbles

2013-05-02T08:25:00.001-04:00

Name: Learn Spanish for Toddlers - Bilingual Child Bubbles
Subject(s): Spanish
Brief Description: An interactive app where children learn Spanish through immersion by selecting pictures that match the written and audible words.
Price: FREE - $23.92
Language: Spanish
Ages: 1 to 4

The newest app from Tiny Factory focuses on developing skills in toddlers and preschoolers. The simple game features 10 different, whimsical lands for your child to travel to. Each land focuses on a specific category, such as los animales (I & II), los números, las figuras geometricas, los medios the transporte, la escuela, las fruitas, la ropa, y los juguetes. Your child selects a category and is taken to a screen with a simple, slowly moving background (like space, or gently rolling hills). Up in the corner, your "teacher" is young Carlos, a Spanish-speaking boy, who says a word in Spanish. The word is also displayed in a word bubble next to his face. Floating around the screen are bubbles of different sizes and inside each one is an object. Your child must touch (or pop) the bubble with the item that correctly matches the word Carlos says.

What I like: This app is a great tool for both fluent and non-fluent children. Spanish learners can learn Spanish words with this immersion-style game. Spanish-speaking children can develop their vocabulary while learning basic concepts needed for Kindergarten, such as number, color and shape recognition, as well as common and everyday items like animals, types of transportation, fruits, clothes, toys and school supplies. At the same time, the game helps to develop fine-motor skills and even promotes pre-literacy since each word spoken appears in a word bubble next to Carlos.

Other Notes: I really like this app and recommend it for early education. However, it can be a little pricey because this app offers in-app purchases. You only get two levels (Animales I & Los Números) for free. Each subsequent level/category is $2.99 or all of them for $11.99. Obviously, it is cheaper to just buy them all at once than to purchase each individual level.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. Tiny Factory contacted me and asked me to review their app. I only explored the free levels.

Happy Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros!

2013-04-30T08:50:00.000-04:00

Wishing you all a happy Día today!

But remember - EVERYDAY is Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros!

We'll be celebrating today with lots of fun and lots of books. How about you?

Before I go, I want to share with you some of the events happening online today:

FIRST, don't miss the announcement of the Día Blog Hop Grand Prize Giveaway winner over on www.Latinas4LatinoLit.org. Felicidades to the winning library!

Second, "Vecinitos: Lots of Little Neighbors, One Big City" is an exciting new Spanish program for children. This summer they'll be running a seven-week long Spanish immersion summer program for children 5-9 years-old at La Casa Azul Bookstore at 143 E 103rd St, NY, NY 10029. Children will learn Spanish through original songs (available with lyrics in Spanish and English on CD Baby at http://www.vecinitos.org/music-and-songs), traditional Latin American rhythms, games and their own works of art - all in Spanish. In honor of El Dia de los Niños, they have a special offer: Anyone who signs up TODAY ONLY gets a very special one-time discount of 15% off the camp! That's 20 hours of camp for just $255. (Normally the camp is $300 per week, so with the 15% off, it would be $255 per week.) You can register here.

Science Xplained: Ice Cream Chemistry

2013-04-29T07:30:00.000-04:00

And our favorite Science Evangelist, Dr. Ainissa Ramirez, is back with another Science Xplained video. This episode focuses on MommyMaestra's favorite food: ice cream! ¡Que rico! So grab your kid and sit and watch this short - but educational! - video.

Free PDFs of Spanish Textbooks for Grades PreK - 6th

2013-04-25T22:22:00.001-04:00

MommyMaestra readers are the best. They are supportive, helpful, and always willing to share information to help the other parents who follow along.

I received this email from Jessica Lemley-Carballo a few days ago, and I just want to say to her, muchisimas gracias for sharing this with me and all of the other readers who are out there looking for resources.

I hope some of you find this really beneficial.

Enjoy!

Hi Monica,

Recently, I stumbled across Mexican Governments Basic Education Reform page. I was surprised to see that they offer textbooks for free in PDF version on their website for grades Prek-6. The textbooks cover all the subjects and are very engaging. It's truly an amazing resource. Of course, the website is in Spanish as are the textbooks.

The website is-- http://basica.sep.gob.mx/reformaintegral/sitio/index.php?act=buscadorlibros

Under search enter: Alumno, 2012-2103, Preescolar or Primaria and Grade level.

The download seems to be pretty slow but worth it! There seems to be more in the way of videos and activities that I haven't explored yet.

Landfill Harmonic: The Recycled Orchestra

2013-04-25T00:39:00.000-04:00

Landfill Harmonic

Last December, I shared the story of Landfill Harmonic with you. It is the beautiful and true story of 20 children living in the Paraguayan slum of Cateura. I posted the inspiring video of how they are collecting trash from the landfill to create musical instruments and have created their own Recycled Orchestra. And I told you that Landfill Harmonic is an upcoming feature-length documentary hoping to finish production this year.

A heartfelt & moving story of how instruments

made from recycled trash

bring hope to children

whose future is otherwise spiritless.

Well, they have moved their fundraising to the Kickstarter platform and have already raised over $147,500 of their $175,000 goal. They only have 20 days left to finish raising the money, or their wonderful project will not be funded.

Of course, you know that I am going to promote and support this inspiring film simply because of the ingenuity of the community, as well as the hope and proof it provides that children can and will succeed if given the right motivation and support. Bravo to the family, friends, and teachers who work to make these children's dreams come alive despite their circumstances.

If you'd like to join me in supporting Landfill Harmonic, you can read all about their project, watch the trailer, and donate here.

Un abrazo!

The Book That Changed My Teaching

2013-04-24T08:31:00.000-04:00

It's true when teachers say that no four-year university can teach you all you need to know when entering the education field. When I entered my first teaching position in a predominantly Latino classroom in a middle-school right outside of Chicago, I was not prepared for what teaching is really all about. Unit plans, lesson plans, and state standards were not the only topics we discussed during staff meetings. The education of our students was our priority, but as it goes in all schools across our nation, sometimes figuring out how to help students become decent citizens of our world can consume a lot of teachers' time.

I left Loyola University with solid grades and a love and appreciation for Victorian Literature. I glided through "Teaching Children and Adolescent Literature" but never even thought about where I would find books that these students could relate to. I just figured that my passion for all types of genres would transcend through my whole being and my middle school students would have intelligent discussions on works such as, The Giver, Night, and Romeo and Juliet. In my head, I pictured a different type of classroom setting.

To say that I was wrong about so many things during that first year of teaching is an understatement. I needed to change my methods and dig deep for creative ways to help students who lacked interest in reading and for those reading below their grade level. I needed to find books with characters with whom they could identify. Latino literature was out there, not much, but some good quality reads and I found them. Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan was one of the first books I suggested to some of my students and I found them not only engaged after a few pages, but their eyes shined a little brighter, backs sat up straighter and a hunger for literature such as this was becoming a new request. I also started to see pride in my students when they talked about characters like Esperanza.

Esperanza Rising, recipient of the Pura Belpre Award, covers loss, change and sacrifice as young Esperanza learns that she must flee her wonderful life in Mexico and migrate with her mother to the United States. Completely startling her reality of beautiful dresses and a big home, Esperanza starts a new life in California, during the Great Depression, working in the fields and learning to adjust to a new life, in a new country and in a different social class.

This wonderful book taught me that even 13 year-olds, like Esperanza and my students, will need to find themselves, adjust and rise to the circumstances presented to them. In the beginning of my teaching career, I thought that with my waiting-to-be-tested teaching methods I could inspire just about anyone to pick up any type of book. I learned quickly that I too needed to rise to the occasion.

Disclaimer: All Amazon links are my affiliate links. Thank you!

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Betty Galvan, is helping her readers "find the positive and seek the benefits" over at her blog, MyFriendBettySays.com.

She is the mother of three beautiful little boys and a teacher.

5 Tips for Non-Native Speakers to Homeschool Bilingually

2013-04-23T00:22:00.002-04:00

© bst2012 - Fotolia.com

I'm so happy to publish another article sharing the story of one mom's experience with bilingual homeschooling. The following is a guest post by Heather Magnuson, a mother of two and a bilingual homeschooler.

In a former life (pre-kids) I taught first grade Spanish-English dual-immersion. In spite of my previous teaching experience, the thought never crossed my mind that I could actually teach my sons Spanish, much less teach them in Spanish. I had tried to teach my oldest son Spanish when he was a baby, but at a very early age (14 months!) he screamed whenever I tried to read a book in Spanish. So, I gave up.

I’ve always been a huge proponent of bi/multilingualism, and it has always been my desire for my children to be (at least) bilingual. However, I had it stuck in my mind that they would have to learn a second language from someone other than me--ideally, at a dual-immersion school. But ideally and reality seem to never agree, especially in a military family that moves every 1 to 3 years.

Last year as I began planning for my oldest’s upcoming Kindergarten year, for various reasons, I decided homeschool was the best option for us. I tucked away the idea of immersion school and began the mad quest to gather all the information I could to figure out exactly how to homeschool. But the idea of a bilingual education for my kids kept nagging at me. I toyed with the idea of hiring a nanny to tutor the kids, which we could not afford. I thought about starting my own immersion school -- not such a great idea considering the 1-3 year move schedule. Finally, I had an “aha” moment, “Wait a minute, I am a trained bilingual teacher…Why can’t I homeschool my children bilingually?” Seems logical, right? Actually, it seemed terrifying to me. I shifted gears from trying to figure out how to homeschool to how to bilingual homeschool. I came across many wonderful resources, including Mommymaestra, which made the prospect not quite so terrifying.

We are now nearing the end of our first year of bilingual homeschooling. There have been plenty of bumps along the way, but overall I would call it a success. My goal for this year was to give my kids a good foundation of Spanish vocabulary and create an excitement for learning the language—which we have met. I thought it best to start small and build each year. I have all our plans in place for next year when we will take on a more formal Spanish study and do part of our history, science, and geography in Spanish. We are all very excited about the year to come!

Following are some bits of advice for other non-native speakers considering bilingual education.

Don’t feel like you have to be a master of the language or speak it perfectly to teach it to your children. I hold to the belief that “something is better than nothing.” Your children will benefit the most from as much exposure to the target language as possible. They can work out the kinks in the finer points of grammar through formal study.

Set realistic goals according to your resources and language ability. If the target language is spoken in your home all day, it is realistic to expect your children to output in the target language. However, if your children are receiving very limited language exposure outside of their schoolwork, it is going to take much more time before they feel comfortable producing the target language.

If you only know a little of the target language, learn along with your children. This is a great way to model to your children the joy of learning!

Remember, bilingual education doesn’t mean that every subject has to be taught in both languages. Bilingual education can simply be studying a foreign language. It can be studying one subject in the target language (Math is a great choice, because numbers are the same in most languages). You can incorporate as much or as little into your own school program. That’s the beauty of homeschooling!

Finally, just as you don’t have to be a classroom teacher to be a good homeschool teacher, you don’t have to be a foreign language teacher to be a good bilingual homeschool teacher. The most important qualification you have is that you know your children and how they learn best.

!Buena suerte!

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Heather Magnuson is a non-native Spanish-speaker, providing her two sons (ages 6 and 4) with a classical, Spanish-immersion homeschool education. She is documenting their journey on her blog, Homeschool Aventuras.

Earth Day GIVEAWAY from Conscious Box & Educents

2013-04-22T07:30:00.000-04:00

For many weeks now, I've been closely following the new company, Educents. The best way I can describe it is sort of like a Living Social for education products and services. You may have seen me sharing some of their great deals on Facebook recently, including their Spanish learning discounts. For homeschoolers, parents, and educators it is a treasure trove! I've discovered some incredible new (to me) products that I can't wait to try with my kids.

So I'm pleased to have this opportunity to offer you a fantastic giveaway in honor of Earth Day. Educents & Conscious Box have teamed up to offer you a chance to win a free Conscious Box.

Conscious Box is a monthly subscription service that delivers the purest, most natural products on Earth, right to your doorstep! You’ll be introduced to the purest, most ethical companies on the planet, every month. Can you imagine the learning potential this has for your children? Every month you get a surprise package with products from 10 to 20 companies dedicated to producing green products. You and your children get to discover these new products and explore where they come from and how they benefit the Earth. What a wonderful opportunity to nurture your child's social conscience and make a difference at the same time!

PLUS, if you aren’t the grand prize winner, you can still get a 3-month subscription to Conscious Box for less than $12/month by heading over to Educents.com. For one week only, Educents will be offering the Conscious Box for 40% off!

In addition, ALL profits from the sale of this box will be donated to The One Fund, which will provide funds to help those families most affected by the tragic events that unfolded during Monday’s Boston Marathon. So enter to win, and then head on over to buy the Conscious Box for yourself or a friend to celebrate earth day and support our fellow Americans in Boston!

Sign up below for your chance to win and teach your kids about being eco-friendly!

I'm using a different commenting system this time. Let me know if you prefer to use Rafflecopter, or if you like the old way of just leaving a comment better. As you wait to find out if you’ve won the box, we encourage you to:

Like Conscious Box and Educents on Facebook
Leave a comment and tell us why you want the box
Share the giveaway with your friends

This giveaway is sponsored by Educents.com. Conscious Box only ships within the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. They can also ship overseas to APO addresses, as well as US territories.

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited.

¡Buena suerte!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Spanish App: ¡Alimentación!

2013-04-20T00:11:00.000-04:00

This week, Tribal Nova (the fabulous developer behind the i Learn With suite of early childhood education apps) announced its newest app: I Learn with Bo: Nutrition! The app is designed to teach children healthy eating habits and how to create a balanced diet.

I'll share a review soon, but perhaps the most exciting thing to learn, is that it is also available in Spanish! In fact, this is just the first app they are making bilingual; they are working to create Spanish versions of their previously released English apps. They've even launched a Spanish website just for i Learn With...or should I say, Aprendes con? (Not sure why it is not Aprendo con.)

Like the others this app will be FREE to download with the possibility for parents to unlock the full version with a single in-app purchase.

Anyway, take a look at some shots of their first Spanish app on nutrition...

Curious George Swings Into Spring

2013-04-19T16:32:00.001-04:00

Winter is FINALLY gone and to celebrate, this Monday, PBS KIDS is airing a NEW one-hour special, "Curious George Swings Into Spring."

My family is so glad to see spring arrive. We've been spending every possible moment outside. The kids have been riding bikes and chasing butterflies, and I have been gardening and maintaining my bird feeders and nest boxes. So when I received a Curious George Swings Into Spring activity kit and screener in the mail (I'm a PBS KIDS ambassador), I was happy to see what was in it... tomato seeds and a bag of birdseed! Hurrah!

But what was even better than that were the activity sheets that show how to build a bird feeder from a 2 liter plastic bottle, a recycling challenge activity, a pinwheel craft, and coloring page. And you can find all of them, too, by simply clicking the links above. This week, we looked at all of the activity sheets, and my kids decided they want to make a bird feeder. We cheated a wee bit and used a drill to make the holes, but used closed scissors to widen them. And we also found that using a long pipe cleaner is actually a lot easier to thread back through the holes in the bottom of the bottle. They're our favorite method for hanging bird feeders because the are strong, but easily bend. My daughter loved it so much she decided to set up a chair outside to watch the birds using it.

My son decided to create his own activity using the tomato seeds. He quickly gathered up some eggshells that were leftover from our cascarones-making extravaganza. We had carefully emptied and washed them, so he just stuck them in an egg carton, widened the hole a bit, and started pouring potting soil inside each one using a little funnel made out of paper. Then he planted the tomato seeds and watered them all down. I'll have to post an update once they start growing.

If you're looking for fun springtime activities to keep your kids busy, the ones I've linked to above are fun and educational. Or you can just let your child be creative and come up with his own ideas, like mine did.

Are your children old enough (or still young enough?) to enjoy Curious George? Mine still are, and after watching the episode, my son said with pleasure, "Oh, that was a really sweet show." And it is little remarks like that which keep me a loyal fan of PBS.

Here's a little sneak peek at the show..

Ranger Rick Jr. Appventures {GIVEAWAY}

2013-04-18T18:21:00.000-04:00

In honor of Earth Day, I'm giving away THREE redemption codes for the wonderful app, Ranger Rick Jr. Appventures - LIONS. You can read the full review of the app that I did back in November.

My kids seriously love this app and still play with it now, even though we've had it for months. Their favorite part? The section that allows you to build your own crazy animals using body parts from different ones.

THE GIVEAWAY

NWF has offered to giveaway a free download of this app to three MommyMaestra readers!

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below.

The deadline to enter is 11:59 EST, Monday, April 22nd. The winner will be chosen using Random.org. and contacted via email - so be sure to leave a valid email address in your comment! (If I have no way to contact you, I'll have to choose someone else!)

And to increase your chances of winning, you can:

1) Follow Ranger Rick Magazine (@RangerRickMag) on Twitter.

2) Follow the RangerRick FB page.

3) Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following: Win a free download of the new app Ranger Rick Appventures:LIONS from @LatinMami & @RangerRickMag #giveaway

Don't forget to let me know by posting a separate comment for each entry!

By entering this giveaway, you agree to the Official Sweepstakes Rules. No purchase required. Void where prohibited. This giveaway is available to readers outside the United States.

¡Buena suerte!

What Role Do You Play In Your Child's Financial Literacy?

2013-04-17T23:41:00.001-04:00

I've written before about how it absolutely astounds me that financial literacy is not taught in schools. Instead, if we want our children to be financially literate, the responsibility falls on our own shoulders.

But how many parents really teach their children about managing money wisely? How many show their children how to put some money aside for savings, some for giving, and some for spending? Who teaches their daughter what interest is? Who teaches their son about balancing a budget?

Well, a recent study released by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) suggests that affluent Hispanic moms, with household incomes greater than $100,000, are working to be financially responsible, while striving to flawlessly manage all the household responsibilities. Yet, like many, they’re concerned about the state of their families’ finances and at times don’t know where to turn for help. Like all moms, they too are trying to actively educate their children about finances and involve them in the family budgeting.

I would hazard to guess that this is not just Latina moms with household incomes over $100,000. I can honestly say that my husband and I don't make over $100,000 yet (hey, we might someday!), but I do know that we're trying to be financially responsible. And teaching our kids how to be responsible with money and become financially literate IS something we are actively working on.

And yet, I can totally relate to 34% of the Hispanic moms in the study, who feel like they should be doing more to save for the future, but right now are struggling to just get by. I see our money just flowing right our of our bank account; medical bills, house payments, utilities, groceries, and gas, not to mention clothing for two growing kids, school supplies and classes just gobble it all up.

Take a look at this infographic that best explains the results of the study:

All of it is fascinating, but the thing that catches my eye the most is that last section which shows that on average, Latina moms are starting to educate their kids about finances when the latter are about 6.9 years old. This is probably a good age, and just a little older than mine were when I first create their three banks. But I think I was late and should have started sooner.

When we go shopping, my kids always wind up asking me to buy them something. Sometimes I do, but usually I don't. And it's not just because I don't have the money (again, sometimes I do!). It's because I want them to start thinking about the value of it. I tell them they can save their money and buy it on their own. Because I want them to work hard so that their satisfaction is that much greater when they use their own money to buy something. And because I want them to think carefully about what they spend their money on.

A few years ago, I read somewhere about creating three banks: One for saving, one for giving, and one for spending. I really liked the idea, so that's what we did. Check out their banks. My daughter has done a great job of saving up money. She quickly learned to put a portion away, and eventually saved up almost $200 that she wanted to use to buy a dairy cow. Don't laugh. Because we did. (Aha! Now that picture up top makes sense!)

I like to think I'm doing a good job teaching her about how to manage money wisely. I hope I am, anyway. But to build up my confidence (and because I'm just plain nosey), I took the Mom Financial Personality Profile Survey. It's available in English and Spanish. I was tickled to see myself labeled as "A Successful Planner." (Somebody tell my husband.)

Anyway, my point in writing this whole article and participating in this blog tour, is to encourage you as a mom, to start thinking about how you are going to teach your child to be financially literate...and responsible. Their future depends on your thoughtful guidance. So sit down and figure out your strategy, then implement it. You'll be glad you did!

Join Latina Mom Bloggers and MassMutual on April 25 from 9-10:30pm ET for the #MoneyMami Twitter Party! We’ll be discussing the results of the Mom Survey and sharing tips on household budgeting and finances. Of course, there will be prizes too, including a computer tablet and gift cards! RSVP starting on April 18th, by visiting www.latinamombloggers.com.

Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour for Latina Mom Bloggers on behalf of MassMutual and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own.