gift for kid

I only know one language...English.  I took French in high school but I feel like it was harder to grasp because I had zero exposure as a young child.   Children are like sponges and the earlier you introduce them to something new, like a language, the quicker they are able to pick it up.  Let's face it, the US is way behind in teaching other languages.  Most other developed countries have children speaking at least two.  I am not into the whole let's turn the world into one big super competition but wouldn't it be wonderful to give our children the gift of being able to better communicate with others?

I was recently introduced to Bilingual ME which is a program designed to help teach young children (aged 3-8) Mandarin Chinese.  The program includes books which can by used alone or with the LOYO pen which allows the child to hear the words spoken in Mandarin...



I was sent a variety of the Bilingual ME books and they really are wonderful. Using vivid and clear "real" pictures, they show the Mandarin and English word along with an item which would be commonly used in either language (foods, colors, shapes, vehicles etc..).

All three of my children enjoyed the Bilingual ME books.  They found the pictures especially interesting and enjoyed flipping through.  My son "W" was especially interested in the different symbols used in Mandarin and took a real interest.  I really wish I had the pen.  Not being a person who is really skilled in languages made it tough for me to try and pronounce the words.  I had a feeling my interpretation would NOT actually be teaching the children Mandarin but, instead, a new made up mom language!  I do think there is real value in  the site word recognition though and I think the books alone do a tremendous job teaching these in a way that is engaging.  Even Baby R likes to flip through just to see the great pictures.

I give Bilingual ME a thumbs up but I would highly recommend getting the LOYO pen to go along with it.  I think the added games and interactive  portion would be of huge benefit.  Visit Bilingual ME to purchase today.  You can also find Bilingual ME on Facebook and Twitter.

I received this product to review as a member of LivingYourMoment.com's blogger review team. I was compensated for this post but all opinions are my own.