Do You Offer Bilingual or Multilingual Lessons?

[Mary Poppins]

Just curious if anyone incorporates other languages into their interactions with their dcks? If so, which ones?

My dd is learning Japanese and my ds (they are my helpers here) and I are learning German so we do try to throw each of these in along with some Spanish (which none of us here know but I think it's important). We do numbers, words and even the Japanese writing.

The dck's lovethis Micky Maus Wunderhaus and I have to admit, it is helping me with the fundamentals of the language too, .

Anyone else doing similar stuff?

[wdmmom]

Nope. I've never even considered it. I am not a licensed teacher, nor do I claim to be.

Any extra would make the value of daycare even higher. I don't think any of my parents would want to pay more for anything extra. I could offer them gold plated dinnerware, a $2000 Rainbow play system and a bounce house. They aren't going to pay any more.

If it's free, it's a whole nother can of worms.

In your case, I think it would cost you money to start up...for material, books, videos, or even a speaker to teach it.

To me it wouldn't be advantageous to incorporate it for such a young group of children.

[Mary Poppins]

Nope. I've never even considered it. I am not a licensed teacher, nor do I claim to be.

Any extra would make the value of daycare even higher. I don't think any of my parents would want to pay more for anything extra. I could offer them gold plated dinnerware, a $2000 Rainbow play system and a bounce house. They aren't going to pay any more.

If it's free, it's a whole nother can of worms.

In your case, I think it would cost you money to start up...for material, books, videos, or even a speaker to teach it.

To me it wouldn't be advantageous to incorporate it for such a young group of children.

Wow, really. So I need to be a licensed teacher and charge extra to throw in some foreign words and extra fun and such?

Okay then...

Thanks for opining.

[Blackcat31]

I teach them simple ASL signs. We start using some of the simple manners signs such as please and thank you from early infancy and just do them almost involuntarily duirng our normal routines.

Otherwise I know no other languages.

[Mary Poppins]

I teach them simple ASL signs. We start using some of the simple manners signs such as please and thank you from early infancy and just do them almost involuntarily duirng our normal routines.

Otherwise I know no other languages.

We do signing too, except I only know the alphabet so I do that as part of our "finger plays" each day. I really wish I knew how to full on sign, if I did I'd teach it (without a license even !)

[Blackcat31]

We do signing too, except I only know the alphabet so I do that as part of our "finger plays" each day. I really wish I knew how to full on sign, if I did I'd teach it (without a license even !)

You can Google quite a few simple signs with automatic actions showing you exactly how to do them. I would start with a few easy and frequently used words and go from there. The kids love doing it and I find it fun too!

[Mary Poppins]

You can Google quite a few simple signs with autmatic actions showing you exactly how to do them. I would start with a few easy and frequently used words and go from there. The kids love doing it and I find it fun too!

Already working on it . The internet is such a great tool for learning new things to share with the kids!

[permanentvacation]

I do not teach my daycare children a foreign language mainly because I don't see the point of teaching a young child something that will not be continued to be taught to them once they start kindergarten.

I honestly believe that schools have it backwards. It has been proven that the younger a child is, the easier it is for them to learn different languages. So, why don't they teach foreign languages begining in elementary rather than in high school? If they taught foreign languages in elementary school, than it would make sense to me to teach it in daycare/preschool.

Now, I also know that if you learn a different language, it helps you to have better brain function, critical thinking skills, be better at problem solving, help to keep you from getting dementia, and more. So, to help them expand their brain function, which would help them in a variety of aspects of life throughout their entire lives, it would make sense for us to teach them a foreign language in daycare/preschool.

Hmm, after that last statement, maybe I will look into teaching them a foreign language - and learning one myself as well and maybe I won't get Alzheimers!!

[wdmmom]

Once you offer free and new, parents tend to expect is as part of what they are paying for.

Example: You charge $150 a week for daycare. You add in foreign language and sign language into your routine without charging. If you stop these extras, the parents tend to ask what you are going to offer in place of these programs.

The great thing about your business is that you can do what you want. I know my group of children better than you and based on that, my opinion was that it wouldn't be fun or interesting to them. Most are 3 and under. If I tried to sit them down and toss funny sounding words at them, they would give me the stink eye and go about playing.

That was all I was trying to say.

[SunshineMama]

Just curious if anyone incorporates other languages into their interactions with their dcks? If so, which ones?

My dd is learning Japanese and my ds (they are my helpers here) and I are learning German so we do try to throw each of these in along with some Spanish (which none of us here know but I think it's important). We do numbers, words and even the Japanese writing.

The dck's lovethis Micky Maus Wunderhaus and I have to admit, it is helping me with the fundamentals of the language too, .

Anyone else doing similar stuff?

I do Spanish with all of my kids. It isn't something I advertise/offer officially- the daycare kids get the benefit of me teaching my own kids so it's kind of a spill over effect.

[sharlan]

I haven't in the past, but will be getting a Chinese program before summer starts. My 6 yo takes a Chinese class one day a week. My almost 5 yo goes to a dual English/Chinese preschool and will be in a full day dual immersion K next year. My almost 4 yo will be in the dual preschool next year.

[Country Kids]

We do very basic sign language here and spanish here.

I think offering more is what makes me stand out among other providers and the catch is, I don't charge more. Never have, never will.

Here's what I have done in the past with my childcare and my parents loved it, loved that there children where experiencing things they might not others wise get to do.

Bible story lady came once a week
Skating time with lessons-once a week
Spanish lessons-two that were kindergarten age and my daughter was doing them also.
To many field trips to remember
Dental lady came in to discuss teeth
Learned all about fire safety at Lowes with the firemen this year.
Storytime once a week

and so much more!

I think your parents would like it. Maybe send home a sheet with what your going over with correct pronuncitation so the parents can do it also.

[Mary Poppins]

I do not teach my daycare children a foreign language mainly because I don't see the point of teaching a young child something that will not be continued to be taught to them once they start kindergarten.

I honestly believe that schools have it backwards. It has been proven that the younger a child is, the easier it is for them to learn different languages. So, why don't they teach foreign languages begining in elementary rather than in high school? If they taught foreign languages in elementary school, than it would make sense to me to teach it in daycare/preschool.

Now, I also know that if you learn a different language, it helps you to have better brain function, critical thinking skills, be better at problem solving, help to keep you from getting dementia, and more. So, to help them expand their brain function, which would help them in a variety of aspects of life throughout their entire lives, it would make sense for us to teach them a foreign language in daycare/preschool.

Hmm, after that last statement, maybe I will look into teaching them a foreign language - and learning one myself as well and maybe I won't get Alzheimers!!

Schools have a lot of things wrong. This is just one of them IMO.

I agree that foreign language should be taught from birth on and I wish I had been given the privilege of being introduced to German much earlier in life than I was (I was introduced to it in highschool like many people who begin a new language but didn't pick it up again until my late 30's - oy!).

My daughter, OTOH, started Japanese young and hasn't just learned the language but their beautiful alphabet, too. It is like art. We brought in a foreign exchange student one year from Japan and they became buddies. It was awesome.

My philosophy is that education begins and birth and ends at death and "school" often gets in the way of learning. Or at least ****s the fun out of it.

We are homeschoolers.

[Mary Poppins]

Once you offer free and new, parents tend to expect is as part of what they are paying for.

Example: You charge $150 a week for daycare. You add in foreign language and sign language into your routine without charging. If you stop these extras, the parents tend to ask what you are going to offer in place of these programs.

The great thing about your business is that you can do what you want. I know my group of children better than you and based on that, my opinion was that it wouldn't be fun or interesting to them. Most are 3 and under. If I tried to sit them down and toss funny sounding words at them, they would give me the stink eye and go about playing.

That was all I was trying to say.

I get ya.

Part of what I offer appeals to my dcp's because I am very upfront that we offer an educational based daycare environment. It isn't formal and my teaching experience comes from being a homeschooling parent and tutor to several children for over 20 years. They know this at our first interview and many prefer my approach to the alternative.

Honestly, I don't see ever NOT including sharing the knowledge I have with my dck's (not just foreign language but everything!) because it is what my daycare is, not something "extra" I offer.

[Mary Poppins]

I haven't in the past, but will be getting a Chinese program before summer starts. My 6 yo takes a Chinese class one day a week. My almost 5 yo goes to a dual English/Chinese preschool and will be in a full day dual immersion K next year. My almost 4 yo will be in the dual preschool next year.

That is awesome. I only want to learn enough Chinese to say something nice to the lady at our favorite Chinese restaurant and surprise her . I can barely handle umlauts let alone another alphabet! ::