Early Lingo...Review & Giveaway!

I know I have told you all before that I am decidedly NOT skilled in languages.  I always struggled with foreign languages in high school much to the dismay of Sister Francis Claire (tres sorry Madame!).  I think a big part of my problem was that I was not exposed to a foreign language until I was a teenager.  My parents only spoke English and no foreign language classes were offered to me until high school.  I really, really wish I could speak at least one other language and I am a big advocate for exposing children to other languages from a very early age.  I think introducing other languages early on will only open more days later and create better opportunities to communicate with others.  When I was approached to try out a DVD put out by Early Lingo I was very excited.  This one looked like just the sort of teaching tool I like to use for the kids.  Here is the scoop...

Caryn Antonini, graduate of the Georgetown University School of Languages and Linguistics, has created the new, innovative learning tool – EARLY LINGO. It was at the University that Caryn cultivated her understanding of a child’s acquisition of language and the relationship to their cognitive development. As a new mother, Caryn wanted to give her child the advantages of learning a foreign language as an infant and all the subsequent benefits it would bring to her child later in life, but was unable to find anything on the market that would accomplish this effectively.

ABOUT THE SERIES

• Early Lingo is a playful approach to learning.
• The interactive program allows young children to become familiar with a foreign language through immersive and repetitive learning techniques.
• The use of playful animation and live-action video create a stimulating visual context.
• The Early Lingo Series is the first of its kind, offering a solid foundation in learning foreign languages. With frequent exposure any child will be able to speak with no accent and familiarity.
• Early Lingo uses the Total Immersion Method, a method that immerses the child immediately into the target language with no use of translation.
• Early Lingo uses native speakers who articulate, speak slowly and use comprehensible words and phrases that are easy for the child to understand.
• Children can learn a foreign language in their own home at any given time, an easy and convenient learning experience for all.

When the kids and I sat down to watch I was so impressed by the quality of the video....the one we reviewed was Early Lingo Opposites at the Beach (French addition).  All three of my children were taken by the real scenery coupled with the animated characters.  I was a little dubious about the total immersion method but my kids did not seem put off by it at all.  The real life imagery paired with the French word was all the guidance they needed.  The narrator spoke slowly and clearly making it easy for the kids to understand and to repeat if they wished.  Here is taste of the video we are all learning so much from...

  What a great tool for introducing children to a foreign language!  The kids really enjoy the mix of animation and real life pictures and I think it helps them to associate the French word with the meaning.  This gets a big thumbs up from our entire family! It is also the winner of the highly coveted PTPA award so I am definitely not alone in my impression of this fantastic product!

You can pick up the video we reviewed on Amazon...

Visit the Early Lingo Website for their full line of videos here.  Don't miss the opportunity to expose the children in your life to the wonderful world of language.  It opens so many doors them and it makes out world just a little smaller (in a good way!).

Great news, readers!  Thanks to Early Lingo, one RBM reader will receive an Early Lingo DVD of their choosing!  Thanks so much to the sponsor and here is how to enter...

Multiply and Divide with Stick and Steps...Review & Giveaway!

My kiddos are still small but soon enough the will be entering the classroom and will be faced with learning more complex than sharing with your friends.  When they do enter that realm I want them to feel confident and successful.  When I hear about guides to help children in the classroom I am always very interested because I want all the tools I need in my  pocket to help my children along.  I was recently given a book called Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps by Maureen Stearns and I was very interested in checking it out.  As the title suggests, it helps children with math which is actually something I really struggled with when I was a kid.  Here is the scoop...

Math concepts can seem very abstract, but in just a short time, literally in just 5 minutes, students can learn how to multiply. This book concretely shows what multiplication is, instead of just having students memorize the times tables. It gives step-by-step instructions as well as sample problems showing how the process works. A natural flow occurs throughout the book as concepts get more difficult. Also included are easy ways to divide, find least common multiples, and square roots. This simple, hands-on method will help students achieve a better understanding of mathematics and boost self-confidence as well. Students will become so proficient they will be able to teach Sticks and Steps to others who struggle with multiplication and division. Multiply and Divide with Sticks® and Steps is easy to learn, easy to teach, and so logical, it's easy to remember. An essential resource for parents and educators to carry with them in their bag of tricks. 

When I went through this book I was very impressed.  This is a wonderful way to teach children who struggle with the traditional way of multiplication and division.  It is quick and easy to learn (and teach!) and I think this method would be tremendously helpful to children who learn more visually.  I really wish I'd had this book as a kid because it would have saved a lot of frustration.  I am a visual learner and the traditional memorization method did not work so well for me.  I think this really would have helped!  Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps is ready to go for when A, W & R head off to school!  If you have a child who is learning their tables this would be a great book to go over with them this summer.  You can pick up your copy today on Amazon...




One lucky RBM reader will win a copy of Multiply and Divide with Sticks and Steps!  Thanks so much to the sponsor!  Here is how to enter...

Mandatory Entry: Did you have a subject you struggled with in school?  Leave a comment below telling me which one it was.  As I mentioned, mine was math!!  You must complete this for any extras to be counted.

For Extra Entries:

1.  Follow this blog= 1 entry

2.  Like Reviewed By Mom on Facebook =1 entry

3.  Enter one of my other giveaways & let me know you have done so = 1 entry per giveaway entered.

4.  Follow Reviewed By Mom on Twitter = 1 entry

5.  Blog, Tweet or Facebook about this giveaway & let me know where to find it (each can be done once daily)  = 1 entry per each

6.  Write a review of RBM on Alexa and let me know you have done so  = 3 entries 

7.  Comment on one of my non giveaway posts and let me know you have done so = 1 entry 

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to include your e-mail.  Contest is open to US residents and will end on July 9th.    The lucky winner will be announced by e-mail on July 10th and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.  Good Luck!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and I was provided with the mentioned book  for purpose of review. The opinions in this post are entirely my own. Your experience may differ from mine. This post has not been reviewed or edited by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this review. The sponsor of this giveaway is responsible for prize fulfillment and shipping the winner(s) their prize.