Monday, December 5, 2011

Little Reader Chinese Review.

Hi Readers,


I have had the pleasure of doing a review on Little Reader Chinese. Now Chinese is a language I would love to teach my girls. It is very different language from English and as time goes on I believe it will be a great asset to have as China position themselves to be the next 'world power' and I think having Chinese as a language will be a huge advantage to my girl's future.

Little Reader Chinese certainly helps in making that process of learning a language easier. Do I expect that my girls will become fluent in Chinese by watching this programme? No I don't. I am aware that interaction is needed between real people to learn a language do I think it will give them a good grounding in Chinese?Yes I do which is why I will recommend the program to people.

So here are the pros's
  • A complete programme where all you have to do is press play
  • Native Mandarin speakers used so your child hears exactly how the words are pronounced.
  • Your choice of Traditional or Simplified Chinese to teach your child
  • The programme also teaches phonics which certainly helps me as I am trying to learn along with my child. It shows each letter in English and how it is pronounced in Chinese.
  • The programme works exactly the same as the English version and it starts by teaching single words, than couplets, than phrases, than sentences. It is all set out perfectly so you don't have to worry about making adjustments.
  • If you know Mandarin yourself you can customise the content to suit your needs if you wish.
  • There is no Pin Yin attached to the Chinese character so your child learns to read the character rather than its English phonic alternative. I believe this to be a huge positive as I am trying to learn Chinese and I rely heavily on the Pin Yin to be able to pronounce the word rather than learning how to read the character its self. 
  • Reasonably priced it certainly wont break the bank purchasing this product.
Con's
  • On the odd occasion there is a sound file missing with the word but they can be easily remedied by a quick email to the BrillKids team who are more than willing to help.

There are now numerous studies done on the benefits of being  Bi-Lingual if I was to invest in anything I would invest heavily on my children being fluent in another language. A great book to read is the Bi-Lingual Edge written by two linguists and it is a great reference for 'how to' teach a second language when you don't speak one.

I hope this review has been helpful for you and you can make a decision on your next resource educational resource.

Kimba.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of Little Reader Chinese 6 months curriculum in exchange for my honest review.









Thursday, December 1, 2011

Hello Readers,

As the year draws to a close and the busy Xmas period begins I have started reflecting on what I would like to teach my girls next year. Bit by bit I'm starting to work things out in my mind. I have decided to work on more practical life things with Miss S and start helping her to develop her independence. I am a devotee to the Montessori method of education and I believe in the teaching of children to take care of themselves. I still do alot for my eldest and I am taking away from her the chance to do things for herself and feel good about it. I guess I am having a hard time letting go and allowing her to do some things on her own. I guess it is a mother's prerogative to have a hard time of letting go of her baby and letting her grow up.

My other goals are to have her reading and writing independently and well on her way to a good and solid understanding of maths. In the second half of 2012 I will introduce the wink programme and start right brain training, which is something I am really looking forward to.

My littlest  I will continue to do flashcards, show words, and step up the signing with her. I have found it harder to be consistent with the signing the second time around, and read more to her.

Well it is very late and tonight I'm feeling particularly tired.

Watch out for my Little Chinese review!!!

Kimba