In my suburban city outside of Denver, we have a very diverse demographic. An agricultural community, we have a growing number of Spanish-speaking residents moving into the area each and every year. In my children’s classrooms, there are often several students for whom English is a second language. And in many instances, the faculty and staff are not fluent in Spanish, either. There is an enormous skills gap, then, between those students who are being immersed into American culture, schools, and learning opportunities. Many of them are successful. Many of them are frustrated and left behind by the system because of such a large setback early on.
Now, imagine YOUR child has enough knowledge of Spanish to be able to act as a liaison between that student and the teacher. Imagine YOUR child is able to bridge that gap so that truly no child is left behind. With Whistlefritz, your child can be well on their way to learning a foreign language. The program is designed to provide an immersive experience for the best possible results in either Spanish or French.
Early childhood is the absolute best time to learn a language. Their verbal skills are growing exponentially from the time they are born through their early elementary years. When they are early school-aged, immersing them in language learning can create language fluency for your little ones, even if you do not speak a foreign language yourself!
How Whistlefritz Language Learning Works
Whistlefritz is designed specifically for kids so that it is engaging, interactive, and fun. Repetition is the key to learning, and the program is rife with opportunities to present words in new contexts. This allows children to grasp the context of a word instead of simply memorizing vocabulary words for tests and quizzes and then immediately forgetting them. Whistlefritz offers several opportunities for children to learn a Spanish or French through immersion by listening to CDs, watching DVDs, playing games, as well as lesson plans for teachers, parents, or guardians.
The Whistlefritz Difference
There are only two options with this program. Other programs may offer a variety of different tongues to learn. The difference here is that Whistlefritz actually uses live speakers so that children can see and hear the way words are formed. Animations are nice, and certainly fun for children. However, all language learning is done by watching a live speaker form the actual words. Facial expressions and mouth movements are important for children to see as they develop language skills, and that is something Whistlefritz does and does well.
Over the years, I have seen several animated shows for children designed to expose children to a new and different culture and language. Dora the Explorer, Ni Hao Kai Lan, Go Diego Go…just to name a few. Children love the opportunity to learn new words and exciting cultural differences. However, the animated shows do little to provide an immersive experience or develop any sort of fluency. They are wonderful for piquing interest in other cultures and languages, yet do little to actually teach any in=depth language skills. Whistlefritz gives children a giant head start towards Spanish or French fluency from a young age. Most high schools offer those two options as foreign language electives for students. Children who take advantage of immersive language learning from an early edge have a huge advantage over those who don’t. Plus, there is the added benefit of your child being the one to bridge the gap for another student who may be struggling with English as a second language.
