I came on here just now looking for the same thing.  I was looking through the books to see if there were any books I could download and print off but didn't find many suitable.  I liked the Brill Kids ones but the stories weren't to my taste and all the others I looked at weren't right.  I have been thinking or a while about writing a series of readers because to buy a set of readers is so expensive. Also most have the writing with the picture which is no good for very young readers as they are too busy looking at the pictures to see the words.  I was thinking of having them on the internet so people can download them and print them off.  I never thought of having them on little reader.  That makes so much sense though.  I'm making files with the top 100 most commonly used words at the moment which I hope to upload onto Brill Kids soon.

Are you sure it it still cheaper than PW at least you are buying something that you can use indefinitely with SM you are only borrowing.  I cant commit to so much and I'm really disappointed.

Aangeles

Your post is a wealth of information thank you.  I am very interested in the Qiao Hu curriculum.  Can you tell me how much it is to subscribe please?

Keeli

Hypatia well if you cant find French resources what hope is there for the rest of us .

I also have Muzzy but I wasn't very impressed especially as it was do expensive.  Though they have brought out their 20 year anniversary set which I think has all the languages except Chinese.  That has no English in it you can get it on ebay cheaper.

Drummerboy I like your whole post, but especially 

"Now I realise they are so caught up in socially bred fears that they their perception of the events in front of them are warped.
Don't be insulted, be kind. They are unenlightened. People who don't understand that which is different from them are often scared. Scared people love to regain power by being hurtful."

This is spot on.  thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Keeli

Hi Izp11
No it's not all total immersion in French. The football cartoon bit and the French children bits are total French with no English.  Sege the monkey speaks French only but the parrot speaks English and French, she translates the gist of what Serge is saying but not word for word, very often she just answers what he has asked.  There is English but its not excessive I personaly felt that the English was helpful in keeping my children engaged and stopped them getting that glazed over hypnotised look that they get if i put something like a French Disney movie on (which is just too complicated and fast).  I also like it because I can switch on the English subtitles so I know whats going on.  It has a mix of different learning methods I'd say.  As I said my two loved it and learnt a lot from it and I'd recommend it to anyone but then Aangeles daughter didn't so with everything it depends on the child.  I really wish they made another one though because like you I've purchased a few DVDs that are really disappointing, and far too much English and I'm fed up with waisting money.  I've asked my friend who is French to have a look for any good French preschool programs, ones that are designed for young French children so they are simple and clear.  I'll post up anything that she comes up with.  Merrilises French teacher this week suggested   Barbapapa and Babar the elephant in French (both of which you can watch on Youtube but I'm not convinced by them at the moment.  I have two problems with them, first I wouldn't let my children watch them very often in English so I'm not keen on doing so in French I'd rather have something more educational but in French if I'm going to have these then I might as well get Fifi and  the Flower tots in French.  My other problem with these things is that they are all cartoons so children dont get to see the mouths of the speakers.  Seeing how a mouth forms a word is quite important.  Does anyone know if the Wink language DVDs have real people talking in them?  We have a fantastic program in England called "Something special"  It teaches makaton sign language (sign language for disabled children) but it is fantastic, I used it to teach my first two to sign, now something like that in French would be great.  Any way those are my thoughts.  I'd like a pre schooler type programs with real people in them.

ooh ooh can I have OTTM sweatshirt too.  Yes I agree it's lonely but then a pioneers life is and that is what we are.  I very rarely tell people what I do because they don't understand and they get all difencive.  What I have noticed,(I noticed this first with breast feeding and now with baby ed) is that people are actually feeling guilty and so attack you to make themselves feel better.  I don't think they are consciously doing it.  I think the problem is, is that you dont know for sure if its going to work or not because its a bit of an experiment really, and then you feel like your not doing it properly anyway so the criticism hurts more.  Some times I wish I could be just a normal mum and then I could go out for cups of coffee with the girls and feed my children as many biscuits and sweets (thats cookies and candy to you) as they want and send them off to school.  And park them in front of the telly so I can clean and do my own thing.  I sometimes wish I could sit with the other mums and join in the gossip when my daughter is at ballet class and get excited about what celebrity is doing what.  But I cant, I just cant do it.  I get excited when I read about the possibilities of teaching my children and I love to read books on education rather than the latest fashion.   But my time will come, now I just love my children and enjoy all they do and enjoy our time together and enjoy watching them learn and grow.  I don't want to miss a moment of it.  Yes there are times when I'm so tired and lonely but, oh my, I wouldn't swap and become one of those mummies for the world.  (And when I say that I'm not criticising them in there choices at all but its not what I want for me and mine).

Just keep enjoying what you are doing and enjoy seeing the fruits when they come,  (and they will)  and just enjoy your child. 

X X

No I've had a good Google around and cant find a video clip anywhere.   All I can say is that my children learnt a lot from it and really enjoyed it.  There is and English talking parrot and a French talking monkey,  and a silly jungle football team as well a  group of French Children, with lots of songs oh and some PC games too.  The pack has a DVD and a CD as well as an activity book, games and parents sheet.  I don't know if it is available in British format only. 

Its not on You tube  I dont think you will find a video clip online, sorry :-(

We really liked French is fun with Serge the Cheeky Monkey.  It is divided into 10 episodes and has a sheet in English to tell you what words are covered in each episode.  It is very parent friendly for those that don't speak French.  We watched one episode every day for a week and then went on to the next episode the next week.  My children loved it, aged 2 and 4.  I only wish they did a second one.  My friend is French and was very impressed with it.  it has a mixture of computer animation, cartoon animation and real French children.  I've put the BBC website down as it explains it but you can buy it cheaper from Amazon.
http://www.bbcshop.com/education/french-is-fun-with-serge-the-cheeky-monkey/invt/9780563520061/

My eldest daughter who has just turned 5 started having Cello lessons at age 3.  but we don't have the money to send our son who will be in the summer.  I want to teach my 6 month old perfect pitch and have a go with the older two as well but its getting the materials together.  I have been looking at Piano Magic for the older two to use but it is a lot of money when you cant have a try first, and at the moment I haven't got the money any way.  (as you may have guessed I am not musical myself).