Articles

Journaling in the multilingual home

21/12/2020

I've been journaling my busy mind away since I was thirteen years old. The quiet moment between me, the beautiful red notebook I had, and my thoughts - the act of writing them down, putting them into words, organizing them and finding sense in everything (well, not always) has helped me calm my mind and gain perspective in many situations.

This was also how my passion for the written word started - I realized how well I could express myself and how I enjoyed crafting with words. Since then I went on to write many short stories (in Portuguese, published in a collection), blog posts, a novella and a book.

That was journaling in the most popular sense of the word.

Now throughout my teaching practice I've discovered that children can journal too - in many different ways! And what they have to gain from it is just as rich:

They can learn to sit with their emotions, think about and express them.
They can follow an interest, have a hobby and enjoy recording it.
They can become more fluent, confident writers.
They can become better communicators.
They can learn that writing doesn’t have to be a chore, that it can be cozy and creative.
And they can see how powerful a tool the written word can be.

In a multilingual home, journaling can be a compelling and effective way to make writing a habit and to support literacy in your family languages. Good reading and writing skills are a sum of consistent, small, daily efforts. So if literacy in the minority language is one of your goals, you will need to be persistent, patient and have a variety of activities under your sleeve.

If you'd like to DIY, here are some prompts you can translate to your language(s) and adapt to your family. You can write them on strips of paper and put them in a jar, box or tin; you can print them and glue them on popsicle sticks; you can make a little booklet and gift it this holiday season!

52 Journal Prompts for Kids to Record Their Lives and Thoughts
300 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids
(If you search for 'Journal Prompts for Kids' in your language you will find lots of great ideas!)

I have also researched and selected a few journals for your inspiration. Some are available in different languages, others aren't. I would love to know if you have a recommendation of a journal in your language!

A Pandemic Journal: Free Printable in Multiple Languages
The Happy Self Journal (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Dutch, German, French, Italian)
Big Life Journals
I Love the Earth: A Journal for Celebrating and Protecting our Planet
I Love Science: A Journal for Self-Discovery and Big Ideas
Journals by Wee Society
Me and My Big Move
Over Ons, Van Ons (Dutch)

Journaling is one of the tips for Writing Motivation you can find in The Toolbox for Multilingual Families. Add this book to your multilingual parenting arsenal!

Happy Writing! :)

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Multisensory activities in the multilingual home

8/11/2020

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We all learn and remember things in different ways. For some, hearing and seeing something is enough. Others might remember more easily when they do, touch or move. And we’ve all been transported into a memory by a sudden smell or taste…

Multisensory activities engage more than one sense at a time, and with that it creates more brain connections and stronger memory.

Children are curious, playful and active by nature - they will be much more interested and engaged in activities that involve a mix of movement, touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing.

Fun and varied learning will certainly be more memorable - for the kids and for you - than worksheets.

How can you apply multisensory techniques in your multilingual home?

When learning a language we naturally use the listening and speaking skills the most. Try to use the other senses to help your children learn new words. Think cooking together, gardening, going for a walk, doing crafts, listening to music or audiobooks, playing, all while talking about what you’re doing.

Can specific tastes, smells, songs, dances, games or toys be connected to each different language?

When children start learning to read and write, especially in different languages, all their senses can be engaged in developing those skills.

Imagine seeing letters and words on paper, then practicing writing them with a pencil. Now imagine singing a song about the alphabet or letter-sounds, with accompanying movements; listening to a story and doing a gesture whenever you hear a particular sound or word; making letters with dough, seeds, etc; writing words with movable letters, chalk, paint, stamps; baking cookies and writing about it.

Which ones will create stronger brain connections?

Here are some activities you can try for handwriting, reading and writing.

And many more activities like these have been curated by Ute and I on our Toolbox for Multilingual Families!

I’d love to see what you and your children are engaged in!
If you’re on Instagram, please tag me: ana.elisa.miranda

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How do you talk to your newborn baby?

3/8/2020

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I've been a language teacher and enthusiast for half of my life. I've learned about foreign language learning and experienced it myself.

For a couple of years now I've been immersed in everything multilingual children and how they acquire different languages at the same time.

I've dreamed of the day my own children would be growing up multilingual. I would love to see them speaking to my family in Brazil, reading and writing in Portuguese.

But then I had a baby…

The most common advice out there is that you should talk to your baby even before they're born. I honestly found myself feeling quite awkward talking to my bump. I tried reading aloud, but I didn't have much material in Portuguese at the time. So yeah, during pregnancy my partner and I read a little bit and awkwardly talked to the bump a little bit.

When she was born I thought "No time to waste! She's here, she sees me, she hears me, she's watching and learning all the time! Let's dooooo this!"

But then… postpartum exhaustion! And you know what newborns actually do most of the time? Eat, sleep, pee and poop. How am I supposed to talk to her? To give her that precious language input?

When I started feeling a bit more like myself and when she started staying more alert, I naturally incorporated "conversations" during: diaper changes, feeding and tummy time. I say good morning, ask how she slept, if she had good dreams, I describe what we're doing, talk about the day ahead, about the weather, etc. I do baby talk, which is slower, emphasizes vowel sounds and helps babies distinguish the sounds and words of a particular language. She started cooing and making cute sounds, so I reply - and so she learns how conversations work!

We also add to the experience by singing and reading a lot to her - pretty much any time she's awake! I honestly like that better than talking, I feel like there’s a purpose and an end to it.

As with any advice, we see what works for us. How do/did you talk to your babies?

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Teaching our children about diversity

9/6/2020

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My first child was born five weeks ago. In a world of global pandemic, quarantine, isolation, economic crisis, tension. But we are the lucky ones - who get to stay home, keep their jobs, count on health care.

She's also born in a world where there's war, famine, violence, and all kinds of prejudice and injustice. It's not good news, baby.

And it's not new. People have been suffering for centuries! But there comes a time when things must change, when we must change! We must do what we can, wherever we are.

As an educator and a mom, I believe in the power of bringing up a conscious and kind generation. Children who will make a difference - and change us in the process too.

I hope for my daughter that she is never mistreated for being a girl, for having Brazilian roots, for speaking another language, for simply being who she is. I hope the same for your daughters and sons.
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Let's educate ourselves and our children and see what you can DO wherever you are.

There are many great resources online. Here's a start:

We, the kids, need answers - A poem by Havana Chapman-Edwards, @thetinydiplomat
How White Parents Can Use Media to Raise Anti-Racist Kids
The anatomy of a diverse bookshelf
How to introduce children to activism
Books and Resources to Help You Raise Anti-Racist Children
Be the Change! Books to Inspire Activist Kids
Picture Books That Teach Kids About Prejudice, Inclusion, and Kindness Broadening the Story: 60 Picture Books Starring Black Mighty Girls

Help me round up resources in other languages!
Videos, book lists, articles, podcasts, Instagram pages, etc, from every corner of the world!

Português: 15 livros para promover a identidade racial na escola
Español: Books about race, by Learning Bilingually
Français: 10 idées pour apprendre la tolérance aux enfants
20 livres qui stimulent la tolérance, la solidarité et l'empathie
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How to help your children become bi-literate

24/10/2019

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Last week Ute Limacher-Riebold and I met with parents from around the world to discuss ways to help children keep reading in their home languages.

It was again an enriching discussion and I’m eager to share some insights with you.

Reading and writing in any language involves three crucial aspects:

Knowledge of print.
Knowledge of language.
Knowledge of the world.

And it is important for those supporting the child not to lose sight of the biggest purpose of reading, which is to understand a message; and of writing, which is to communicate an idea.

That’s why language and knowledge are so important!

But let’s go back to print for a bit, because that’s where the whole mechanics of learning to read and write starts.

Children need to learn to do three things with print:

Recognize the letters/characters/symbols.
Connect them to sounds or meanings.
Form them, write them correctly.

And all that must become automatic and fluent for them to be competent readers and writers.

A few ways to practice reading and writing in a fun, sensory way at home:

Have magnetic or wooden letters to play around with forming words.
Make cards with letters, words or pictures that they’ve been learning. Create games such as memory, dominoes, categories, make up a story, etc.
Sort objects or toys into categories (initial/final sound, rhyme, etc).
Play I Spy and I’m going on a trip.
Play Scrabble and Hangman.
Organize a Word/Letter Hunt around the house.
Play Word Snake or Word Ladder.
‘Blind read’ with sandpaper letters.
Make letters from different materials: play dough, clay, pipe cleaners, Lego, etc.
Draw and write with different equipment: chalk, paint, crayons, markers.
Write with your ‘magic body parts’ in the air.
Write on someone’s back.
Write on a sand/salt/rice tray or on a Ziploc bag filled with hair gel.

The more hands-on and fun the activities are, the more eager children will be to learn!

As they grow and develop, it’s important to keep finding context and purpose for reading and writing. Some interesting practices could be: writing letters, cards or emails to family, writing stories together, writing a journal or keeping a happiness jar.

Language transfer and different alphabets

It is true that once a child learns to read in a language they’re likely to transfer those skills to the other, especially if they share the same alphabet. The task here is to work on the letters and combinations that are read in a different way. There might be a bit of initial confusion, especially when writing, but with time and practice it will sort itself out.

Children learning different alphabets or writing systems will have more to learn and probably need more time to master both, but on the other hand they might experience less confusion.

Literacy development requires time, patience and consistent practice. And if you're learning more than one language, even more so!

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This meeting followed Reading in different languages with babies and toddlers.

For more Free Online Meetings on Multilingualism, check out Ute's calendar.

Test your children's reading skills in English and find out what you need to bridge the gap.

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