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Article by Mikala Vidal
When Piña and Michael Madera decided to raise their two sons Spanish bilingual, they encountered some unique challenges. Even though both Piña and Michael are fluent in the language, they found it difficult to consistently change their speaking habits.”You’d think it would be easy, to just switch to your second language when talking to the kids. But language habits can be really hard to change” says Piña. The couple knew they’d need help, so they began seeking products that would help make learning fun and Spanish-speaking families to practice and play with.
Most home-based Spanish teaching materials they found pinpoint simple nouns or colors, something they could teach on their own. Others simply translated traditional songs, like “Old McDonald.” Determining that “cow” had limited uses in their suburban daily life, Piña and Michael were more interested in teaching language like “I’m hungry,” or “Please wash your hands.”
Piña also looked to her community for support, but the few Spanish playgroups available to her focused on exposure to basic vocabulary, or consisted of non-Spanish-speaking families seeking a teacher. ” After visiting many groups that were lacking leadership, I realized, ‘Hey, I think I’m that teacher!’” said Piña. She had recently quit a job developing educational materials to stay home with her kids, ages 2 and 4 at the time, so it just seemed natural to get involved.
Thanks to Piña’s Mexican mother, she was brought-up fluent in Spanish and raised in a bilingual home. Her mother not only taught her the language, but also made sure that she was raised celebrating her Latino heritage. In addition, Piña studied classical piano throughout her childhood and went on to study writing at Brown University and the University of New Mexico. Paired with Michael, who holds a Master’s degree in Spanish, a Doctorate in Psychology and also studied music, the couple had all the right skills for their new project.
To get started, the couple first needed a platform for sharing their skills with the community. As an active member of a local organization, The Medford Family Network, a program that serves families of young children, Piña approached the director, Marie Cassidy. “Marie was incredibly supportive of my goal to lead a Spanish class for families. I had been an educator for nearly 20 years, so I understood good teaching, but teaching young children was new to me. Marie went over multiple drafts of my lesson plans and we crafted an 8-week class, piloting in October of 2008. I wanted to teach useful phrases, using fun songs, so Michael and I wrote the songs and built the class around them” explains Piña.
While creating their original music and class curriculum, Piña and Michael put a lot of energy into learning the latest methods for teaching children language. What they learned confirmed what Piña’s mother had known 40 years earlier: the most effective way to teach children a new language is “immersion.” This means exposing them to the language exclusively, even if for short bursts of time. “Using the immersion technique paired with the learning benefits of music, kids and caregivers sing our music in class and just start speaking Spanish naturally.” explains Piña.
“The class was an instant hit and has been a popular one ever since.” Says Marie Cassidy. “Because the class is based on the Madera’s upbeat songs, it is fun and interactive. Piña has the kids and adults singing, dancing and learning together. We are so enthusiastic about Sing-A-Lingo, that we’ve secured funding to bring it to the larger community through a Wright’s Pond 2010 summer performance.”
The songs were received so well by the children and adults in Piña’s classes, that the Maderas decided to share their music and language-teaching methods with others. As a result, Piña founded Sing-A-Lingo, an educational company that provides effective, enjoyable materials for teaching children a new language. Their first album En Mi Casa/In My House, was released in February 2009 and became an instant hit. Piña and Michael are thrilled that their music has brought joy to others and that their En Mi Casa album recently received 3 national awards: Parent’s Choice Award, 2009 iParenting Media Award, and The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, whose testers fell “in love with the music. From the catchy lyrics to the lively and upbeat tunes this is far more than a language lesson on a disc.”
Now, as Sing-a-Lingo’s album and music-based teaching philosophy have gained popularity across the nation, Piña and Michael are committed to providing parents and caregivers with even more products and resources to support their efforts to teach children a new language. Sing-A-Lingo’s latest accomplishment is the New Spanish-All-Day Program: En Mi Casa, based on the original music included on the album. This unique program combines Spanish songs for kids, visual aids and interactive, online fun to create effortless, language learning moments. The recipient of a 2010 NAPPA Award, the Spanish-All-Day Program gives children and caregivers the opportunity to spend joyful, wholesome time together, deepening connections and promoting life-long learning.
To learn more about Sing-A-Lingo and how they can help you get started teaching your kids Spanish visit http://www.singalingo.com.
Mikala Vidal is a marketing/PR consultant who is raising a Spanish bilingual child.
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