Putumayo Kids Latin Dreamland is a musical journey through Latin America–from Mexico’s “Cucurrucucú Paloma” to Brazil’s “Noite de Lembrar.”

Latin Dreamland enables parents to infuse culturally tasteful music to children during nap time or right before bedtime. The disc is comprised of ten lullabies interpreted by a collage of Latin American artists.

It’s hard to choose a favorite from the rich arrangement of songs. Luis Salinas bolero, “Un Vals,” is the perfect Argentinian embodiment of childhood dreamland. Maruca’s, “Canción de Cuna” and Marta Gómez’s “Cielito Lindo” are interpreted in the maternal comfort any child would be willing to cuddle up to.

Perhaps my favorite song was “El Eco” by Los Incas. I’ve been listening to Andean music for a very long time, the mixture of wind and string instruments are a vessel to the magical landscapes that Perú is known for. There is also an element of storytelling in the non-lyrically enhanced genre unmatched by any other form of expression.

Putumayo World Music was built on the goal of introducing people to the music of the world’s cultures and their motto is “guaranteed to make you feel good!” Latin Dreamland is a precise embodiment of culturally rich music that makes you feel good. We are sure that the collection will become a favorite for nap time for both child and parent.

For Putumayo Kids visit Putumayo or Facebook and Twitter.

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Putumayo’s Latin Dreamland CD to TWO lucky winners. All you have to do is visit the Putumayo Latin Dreamland page and leave us a comment telling us what song(s) you are most excited to hear. Then, enter the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Earth Day/Día de la Tierra is celebrated worldwide on April 22nd. This is a perfect time to sit down with our kids and make learning about taking care of our Madre Tierra fun and entertaining en español.

You can start by pointing out the fun fact that the three Rs (las tres erres) are the same in English and in Spanish!

Recycle=Recicla

Reduce=Reduce

Reuse=Reutiliza

Then, check out these fun online games, activities and videos around the web.

• Online Free Spanish has created a great set of games, puzzles and coloring pages, all in Spanish, to celebrate el Día de la Tierra. Pictured above.

 

• Tu Discovery Kids has a whole microsite called “Mi Planeta” dedicated to Earth Day. It includes sections such as Tips Verdes, Santuarios de Animales, games and videos and, yes, all in Spanish (this is the Latin American version of the Discovery Kids site).

 

• Scholastic has a publication called “Let’s Find Out” dedicated to exploring nature. The magazine has a Spanish version which you can order or just download for free, along with a teacher’s guide and extra printable activities.

 

• Primera Escuela has tons of coloring pages to print and there’s a huge section for Earth Day.

 

• The Environmental Protection Agency has a whole section with resources in Spanish for children and teachers to talk about Earth Day. The picture above is of a free downloadable booklet to learn why we must reduce, reuse and recyle.

 

• Check out this very cute video created by a group of school kids in Spain: Las Tres R. Reducir, Reutilizar y Reciclar 

 

• NatGeo in Latin America has created a series of promo spots for Día de la Tierra featuring icons such as Julieta Venegas, Fito Paez, Aleks Syntek and many more. Check out Julieta Venegas´ spot:

For more videos, activities, games and more in Spanish to learn about Earth Day, check out and follow our board on Pinterest.

Share: Have you found any fun ways to learn about el Día de la Tierra?

Just a super quick note to let all of you know that Amazon has launched it’s Tienda Kindle with 30,000 eBook titles in Spanish! For those of you who’ve been following us for a while, you know this is pretty huge since reading is one of the best ways of ensuring that are our children are not only bilingual but also biliterate.

I definitely still need to do a lot more navigating in the eBooks Kindle en Español site, but I’ve already found some pretty cool stuff, including a whole section dedicated to a collection of Dora the Explorer books in Spanish for the Kindle Fire. Although the children’s section has a lot of translated books, I’m pretty sure (and hopeful) it’ll keep on growing.

I haven’t always been a fan of e-Readers, but my husband bought a Kindle last year for school work and I decided to try it out. I’m still a huge lover of actual books — and I’m sure I always will be — but I truly like the convenience of reading on a Kindle and, with this new store, it looks like I’ll be introducing Vanessa to it shortly.

I absolutely love the prices, with many books at just .99 cents or even free if you’re an Amazon Prime member. But wait, even if you’re not you can still get your hands on over 1,000 classic titles for FREE! Here’s the first one I’m trying out: Cuentos, adivinanzas y refranes populares.

Go check it out for yourself and tell us what you think!

{Image by TheCreativePen}

Caillou is originally broadcast in French, but the Spanish versions can easily be found on YouTube.  PBS airs the English versions in the US.

This is one of my girl’s favorite episodes:

Caillou y el Gran Tobogán

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6p-fWsFFso&feature=PlayList&p=7648EDE2A7F93BB2&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=11

Remember to head over to our new sister site-SpanglishBabyFinds-for your chance to win one of the new bilingual toys + games from Ingenio’s collection.

Photo by shutterbugMike

We hope all of you are having a great Independence weekend and that you were lucky enough to see some amazing fireworks – as we were It was truly something else to see Vanessa’s amazement and to hear sus gritos de plena felicidad!

Today’s links to everything bilingual include a bit of everything, including a reminder to enter our last Bilingual Summer Fun giveaway and an exciting announcement about the week ahead.

1) Bilingual Readers: Freebies for Bilingual Families – “We were so excited to find two great websites full of free activities for helping parents develop children’s reading levels. Both sites are available in English and Spanish (one is available in French and German too!), and both are 100% free.” Gracias for these and more resources from our friends at Bilingual Readers! These are all definitely worth checking out!

2) Mashable, The Social Media Guide: How To Learn and Practice Languages Using Social Media – “Given the globalized online world we live in, learning a new language has never been easier — nor as interactive, interesting, and social! From Twitter to blogs to social networks, there are numerous ways you can start your social language learning and keep it up while making new friends. A roundup of ways that you can use social media to learn a language and connect with native speakers. This is just a taste of the many language learning sites available across the social web. Wow! I am impressed! I had no idea! Has anyone ever used any of these? I know I will soon and I’ll definitely let you know what I think…

3) RLPR: Peanut Butter and the Art of Cultural Adaptation – “We speak español at RLPR, though we sometimes misinterpret each other. Tal vez es porque hablamos argentino, peruano, panameño, mexicano, salvadoreño, puertorriqueño and more – so we have to do some work to decipher each other’s dialects. While this is unquestionably conducive to our ability to do good work, it comes with its challenges. On more than one occasion we’ve been distracted by the impromptu Independence Day celebration in the kitchen with pisco sours – not to mention the dispute that arises when the drink’s origin gets called into question (Peru vs. Chile, anyone?).” This was hilarious and so true! We’ve talked about this topic before here and I know we will continue to do so. BTW, not only are Pisco Sours Peruvian, so is Pisco…I should know, right?

4) Bilingual Summer Fun Week of Giveaways – Our whole week of giveaways ends tonight at midnight EST. You can still enter to win two fabulous premios: one for the pequeños and one for YOU!! I promise you’ll love both of them. So, what are you waiting for? What to do: go here and here for more details!

Finally, I just wanted to let you all know that we’ve prepared a whole week dedicated exclusively to the most popular method used out there by those of you raising bilingual children. We’re talking the One Parent/One Language (OPOL) method. We have all kinds of posts prepared for you regarding this topic, as well as more giveaways! So we hope to see you around here next week. Promete ser una semana interesante…

If you like what we’re talking about sign up for free SpanglishBaby updates via email or via RSS. You’ll like it.

Photo by shoothead

Today we decided to steer away from what we usually do on Sundays-give you a round up of this week’s links to articles and news regarding bilingual matters. Instead, and as a way to close this five-day series on dual immersion programs and bilingual education, we’ve compiled a concise list of websites that provide useful resources about this heated topic.

The sites below are a great starting point for parents researching this path.

• Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)–Dedicated to providing a comprehensive range of research-based information, tools, and resources related to language and culture.

• Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition–(CARLA) is one of the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI National Language Resource Centers, whose role is to improve the nation’s capacity to teach and learn foreign languages effectively.

• National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs–Collects, coordinates and conveys a broad range of research and resources in support of an inclusive approach to high quality education for English Language Learners (ELLs).

• National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education–Building family-school partnerships that work.

• Directory of Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Programs in the U.S.–Maintained by the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL).  The Directory was last updated on August 25, 2008, with 335 programs in 27 states (plus D.C.).

• Directory of Foreign Language Immersion Programs in U.S. Schools –CAL’s searchable directory of language immersion programs. This directory includes elementary, middle, and high schools that teach all or part of their curriculum through a second language. Such programs are referred to as total or partial immersion programs. In general, the programs are designed for students whose native language is English.

• The National Network for Early Language Learning–an educational community providing leadership in support of successful early language learning and teaching.

• Ñandutí–comprehensive resource on foreign language teaching and learning in grades preK-8. Based on the premise that learning another language is beneficial and that students of all ages can learn a language

• Heritage Languages in America–The Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages is committed to advancing language development for heritage language speakers in the United States as part of a larger effort to educate members of our society who can function professionally in English and in other languages.

Please feel free to share if you have any additional links you think might help those wanting to get more information on this subject. We thank you for a great week as together we learned more about the often confusing topic of bilingual education.

And now for a…

You don’t want to miss the special week we’ve prepared for you starting tomorrow.

We’ve rounded up a few of our fellow mamás blogueras to share with SpanglishBaby friends their personal stories of success, defeat, love and passion as they raise bilingual and bicultural kids.

Come back tomorrow, Monday, to read the first entry in our Week of Mamás Blogueras. Tati from Wanna Jugar With Migo writes about how abuelos can be the best promoters of language learning.

Later during the week you’ll read inspiring stories from:

• Jennifer Manriquez–Bilingual Fun

• Violeta García-Mendoza–Multi-Culti Mami and Turn People Purple

• Mónica Olivera Hazelton–Mi Cielito Lindo and Latin Baby Book Club

• Carrie Weir–Bilingual in the Boonies

And, as if it could get any better, we’ll also be giving away four baskets with Victoria Secret’s new beauty line made from natural ingredients-Naturally.

Make sure you don’t miss anything that will be happening here this and every week. Sign up for free SpanglishBaby updates via email or via RSS. You’ll like it.

Photo by ~My aim is true~

Even though I still have some time, there’s something that’s been gnawing at me lately. And even though I debated a bit about whether or not I should write this entry, I eventually decided the timing was perfect.

First because we’ll be focusing on dual language immersion education the whole week and second–and most importantly–because after all the (six!) weeks since launching SpanglishBaby, I feel like we’ve already built a pretty impressive community. We love reading your comments because they’re both insightful and inspiring.

So, I’m going to be a bit selfish today and this time around, I’m going to present you with my problem in the hopes that you can enlighten me a bit, or at least give me a different perspective, something I might have missed.

The question is whether or not I should send Vanessa to a dual language immersion school where she will be taught in both English and Spanish. It’s not that I don’t want my daughter to be fully bilingual and bi-literate (able to read, write and speak) in my mother tongue, it’s more like I feel I should be able to do it myself. If I were able to find a dual language immersion program she could attend where we live, I think I might want for her to learn a third language like Mandarin Chinese…

Then, a few weeks ago, out of nowhere, my husband said something to this effect: “You’re going to be teaching Vanessa how to read and write in Spanish, right? You could do after she comes home from school, just a little every day, right?” It was really more a statement than a question, to which I reacted with nothing. Not because I had never thought about it, but because for the first time I saw the enormity of the task at hand.

Would I really be able and willing to do that? Would I have the patience and dedication? Would Vanessa want to continue studying after spending eight hours at school? Or, should I just do everything in my power to send her to an elementary school designed to do just that: teach her both languages while I just help reinforce the minority one at home?

In doing research for this week of dual language immersion programs, I came across some wonderful information about the successes and accomplishments of the kids enrolled in them. I truly believe this is the best option we can give our kids, I just don’t know whether having someone else teach Vanessa my first language is kind of a waste when she could be learning a third language.

So, what do you all think? What are your plans for your kids? If your kids are already in a dual language immersion program, I’d love to hear from you and what you have to say about them, or anything else related to the education of our little ones.

First in an occasional series…

Since we all have different stories to tell and our own ways of raising our kids bilingual, from time to time, we will invite a guest to contribute to SpanglishBaby. Today, we introduce you to the first one. We hope you enjoy it!

The following is a guest post written by Karen:  Spanish learner, mother of two boys and blogger at Teaching and Learning Spanish.

I have to admit that it is difficult to teach Spanish when it’s not your native language, but it is doable. It takes more effort, but the rewards are worth it. Fortunately, I am knowledgeable in the language since I have a BA in Spanish, but I earned that degree back in 1993. After graduation, I didn’t really use the language, but then started studying on my own about five years ago because I wanted to teach it to my two boys, who are now six and nine.

I have discovered that I take a very informal approach when it comes to teaching Spanish to my children. I try to use it on a daily basis and in context. For example, when my younger son is setting the table, we talk about what everyone will need and what we’re eating that evening. I do all of this in Spanish and he responds either through his actions or by words–one word here or there, but he definitely comprehends what I am saying.  Another example is when they get in the car after school, I ask them about their day in Spanish. So, overall they get a good dose of the language every day.

Read: How Can a Non-Native Help Her Child Become Bilingual?

Also, we listen to podcasts together such as Cody’s Cuentos and some of the podcasts (newbie, elementary levels) from SpanishPod.  My older son really seems to enjoy those. After we listen to them, I try to use some of the key vocabulary we learned to help them remember the new words. I also try to incorporate technology in their learning of the language. For instance, my younger son has started doing the activities on Foreign Language Friends. This program has definitely peaked his interest in the language.

In the car, in addition to podcasts, we like to listen to the Professor Pocket CDs and when I say “we” I really mean “we.” I can honestly say I enjoy listening to these CDs with the boys. We also listen to music by Jarabe de Palo, Maná, and others Spanish-speaking bands.

Read: I am not fluent in my child’s second language

Again, it really takes quite a bit of effort on my part to do this. There are times when I get frustrated like when I can’t remember a word or phrase. I try not to let that bother me too much, though. In the end, the fact that they are getting exposure to a different language is what is most important.

Read: Advice for Non-Native Speakers Teaching Their Kids Spanish?

Are you learning Spanish to teach it to your children? We invite you to share your story and tips with us.

If you like what we’re talking about sign up for free SpanglishBaby updates via email or via RSS. You’ll like it.

{Photo by Photo by mikecogh}

Photo by JAG Photography

I hate to use the word “mistakes” because I think the journey can be difficult enough without adding any more pressure. Mostly I just wanted to compile a list of some of the things that parents have been known to do which have hindered the process of raising a bilingual child. They’re really meant more as reference than as a list of “thou shalt not” dos.

While I was researching this topic, I came across some pretty interesting reasons why parents fail at raising their children bilingual. In the end, I came to the conclusion that it really boils down to one major thing. So, before I list some of these “mistakes,” I just want to emphasis that perseverance is probably the most essential trait you need to posses when raising bilingual children. If you just keep at it–even when it feels like you’re failing or you’re not seeing the results as quickly as you’d like–in the end, it will all be worth it.

Try to keep this in mind:

• One thing is to be consistent, it is another to be inflexible. Speaking the second language should not become a burdensome task for your children. Try to make it as fun and natural as possible without making rules that can’t be broken. Otherwise, it will become a struggle–especially the older your children get–and you might eventually feel like you won’t win the uphill battle.

• Along the same lines, instead of correcting every single mistake your child makes, try repeating what he just said the correct way. Be patient, making mistakes is part of the process. Again, if you make a huge deal out of this, the whole thing will just become a punishing chore. You will fail. What you actually need to be doing is praising endlessly! Motivation will make a huge difference.

• Caving in to what “others” have to say about your decision to raise your children bi/multilingual will get you nowhere. Let’s face it, myths about this alternative way of raising children abound, especially in this country where being monolingual is the norm. People–whether it be your in-laws, neighbors, so-called friend and even some teachers & pediatricians–will always have something to say when you decide to do things “differently.” Do your own research, surround yourself with others in the same boat, ask for a second opinion (if the negative comments are coming from a “professional”). In the end, you are the parent and it is up to you to decide what is best for your kids.

• Using movies and music in the minority language is great, as long as they’re used as supplements. Sitting your child in front of the set to watch the Spanish version of Cars, for example, will do her no good if this is the only exposure she has to the language the whole entire day. Although it is better than nothing, you need to speak to your child directly and intently. The more she hears you speak the minority language, the more she will learn.

• Thinking it is way too late to start. Let’s see in how many ways I can say this: Late is better than never. It is never too late. If not now, probably never. It’s easier the earlier you start, but it is not impossible if you start later.

It is totally normal to feel like giving up at some point along the journey. Feelings of discouragement are part of the process, but when you do feel like that, try to look for support from others who are also raising bilingual kids. And, remember, you can always come to SpanglishBaby and drop us a line about what’s bothering you or the struggles you’re going through, we promise to remind you of the value of your decision, but most of all, we promise to be a place where you can just blow off some steam!

Have you ever thought about giving up? What has stopped? What advice would you give a parent that’s thinking about giving up?

Photo by Mai Le

This is our second installment in our weekly series, Ask an Expert, and we are so happy to introduce Barbara Zurer Pearson, Ph.D., author of the informative and extremely useful book Raising a Bilingual Child–among many other qualifications. But before we get into all those, we wanted to thank all of you for sending your questions and remind you that you can continue to do so by going here!

A bilingualism expert with over twenty years of research experience in the fields of bilingualism, linguistics, and communication disorders, Pearson is currently a Research Associate at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  Her pioneering work on bilingual learning by infants and children and on language assessment has been published in scholarly journals and in the book Language and Literacy in Bilingual Children.  As Project Manager, she contributed to the creation of the innovative DELV tests, culture-fair assessments of language development published by The Psychological Corporation.

And, now for the question:

Do children stick to their mother’s native tounge?

The following question was posed by Rick Jervis, a journalist born and raised in Miami to Cuban parents who now lives in New Orleans. He hopes to become a father in the near future and has already started wondering about the process in light of his family’s dynamic.

“What if the dad is speaking the minority language and the mom is speaking only the majority language. Thought I read somewhere that kids tend to stick to the mother’s native language.. (my wife was born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican dad, but her mom is from New York and so was raised speaking only English).”

Dear Rick,

You’re part right. If the mother and the community speak the majority language and only the father speaks the minority language, that’s 2 against 1. Children usually spend more time with the mother than the father, so it might be 3 against 1. But if you and your wife can add other sources of Spanish and if you help your children feel that they really WANT and NEED to learn Spanish, the family can tip the balance the other way.

There is already one very good thing in your favor. Both of you care enough about your children speaking Spanish to plan ahead about it. You probably both have positive attitudes toward Hispanic customs and enough background to give your children the *desire* to learn the language. So, the question boils down to: Will your children have enough *opportunity* to speak and hear Spanish from important people in their lives on a consistent basis?

As a father, you shouldn’t automatically count out your contribution to the child’s language experience. There are several examples in my book of fathers who were the source of the minority language for their children. I also recommend George Saunders’ 1980s book  about how he did it. (It’s described in my book.) Saunders was a native English speaker in Australia who taught his three children German so he’d have people to speak German with.

It can be done, but you and your wife have specific things to consider if you decide to do it. How much time will you be with the children? How many other sources of Spanish will be available to help out? If you were born in Miami, it’s likely that your English is stronger than your Spanish. What steps will you take to strengthen your Spanish, and perhaps learn all the little children’s songs and finger plays that you may have forgotten? Will you have any opportunities to join a Spanish playgroup or find a bilingual school? Will you be able to travel to Puerto Rico (and maybe someday soon to Cuba!) or other Spanish speaking countries, or have Spanish-speaking visitors come see you?

I hope you’ll go for it! What’s the worst that can happen? The children don’t learn enough Spanish to be active bilinguals, but they pick up a good accent (for when they learn it later in life), and they learn about Spanish language and culture in the process.

Do you have a question for our experts? Remember no question is too big or too simple. So, to send us your question, please click here or leave a comment below. Thank you!