Foreign language reading program

[Triniity]

Hi there, 

this might be a really weird question. As you know, we are german and live in germany. DD does not speak english, but I would like her to. I am a bit lazy though and do not really know how to start teaching it to her - whatever I am babbling ;)

There are so many nice programs like starfall and stuff like that online. All in english though. 

Do you think it would hurt to let her do them? Although she cannot yet read german ? Do I overthink? 

[Tigerle]

Originally Posted by Triniity 
Do I overthink? 

Yes!

Just like I did at that stage. This is the thread I had about it., with more ideas for you: 

http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1344887/keeping-an-emerging-reader-busy-on-the-computer/20

Get the subscription to the more interesting starfall stuff and let her go to town.

[Triniity]

Quote:

Get the subscription to the more interesting starfall stuff and let her go to town.

Where can I find it? I looked around on the starfall site but could find nothing to subscribe or even indicating that there is more somewhere ...

[whatsnextmom]

To answer your question, doing starfall isn't going to hurt her but since you do speak the language, it'll go much faster if you just use it with her during normal day-to-day life. An hour a day while doing something routine would get her up to speed pretty fast. It is much easier to learn to read a language you already have some conversational ability in.

[Tigerle]

Originally Posted by Triniity 

Where can I find it? I looked around on the starfall site but could find nothing to subscribe or even indicating that there is more somewhere ...

Hmm...being a subscriber, the website may look different to me, but I cannot find the link either - maybe if you click on "more starfall" in the top right corner, they'll ask you to subscribe? It was 32 $ for a year, but DS (and DD, who loves to watch!) gets his money's worth of fun (an learning English) out of it.

[Tigerle]

Originally Posted by whatsnextmom 

To answer your question, doing starfall isn't going to hurt her but since you do speak the language, it'll go much faster if you just use it with her during normal day-to-day life. An hour a day while doing something routine would get her up to speed pretty fast. It is much easier to learn to read a language you already have some conversational ability in.

This never worked for us. Whatever we do, unless I have the situation verbally under control, things go downhill fast - I cannot afford during the day to have to spend time and energy for DS to figure out what I'm saying, it's hard enough to keep things runnung more or less smoothly without it. But we tried playing with hand puppets at bedtime, a cat we said was from England and a squirrel from New York City and while DS loved the play, conversational ability never took off - he basically never answered. However, he is clearly learning with starfall and repeating after the computer voices. Go figure!

[Geofizz]

Check out Sesame Street as well. I learned a lot of Turkish as a teenager watching the Turkish version of it.

[nurunannesi]

Originally Posted by Geofizz 

Check out Sesame Street as well. I learned a lot of Turkish as a teenager watching the Turkish version of it.

Hi Geofizz, can I ask how you watched Susam Sokagi? I've seen it myself in Turkey, but I don't know how to get ahold of it here in the states. I've looked online but haven't found full episodes. Any suggestions? Thanks!

[Tigerle]

We have recently discovered Pocoyo - both DS and DD love it! And they are both understanding more and more English. Available on youtube by pocoyousa.

[Geofizz]

Originally Posted by nurunannesi 

Hi Geofizz, can I ask how you watched Susam Sokagi? I've seen it myself in Turkey, but I don't know how to get ahold of it here in the states. I've looked online but haven't found full episodes. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I watched it from Istanbul. . I was an exchange student there when I was 17. I lived with a host family, and I was the first to get home each day. I watched Susam Sokagi each day after school.

Let me ask around for ways to see it in the States. I'd kinda like to see the orange big bird again myself!

[Triniity]

thanks for all the suggestions!

will look into pocoyo for sure (sesame street creeps me out ...)