I think there was already a topic on this but what do you all think about babies not picking up a thing when they watch a foreign language dvd or audio cd unless either the parent is participating or there are real people on the dvds not Dora the Explorer?

I pretty much believe it except for the fact that my 20 month old baby girl seems to repeat a lot of words when we listen to our French cd in the car.  And she definitely knows some words from our French Dora the Expl dvd which makes me think she is absorbing some of the story line in French.  As a matter of fact, it's so cute, because she refers to Dora and Boots in their French names and she says it in such a great French accent that it sometimes shocks me.   It's just hard to believe that she wouldn't be picking words and phrases up. 

What do you think about the new research.  How does it compare to the your kids have had with their educational dvds?

By the way, obviously I know it's much better to hear French from a human speaker but that's not possible every day.

Thanks, Lucy

I don't speak French at all but for the past 2 months my 20 month old girl is in French class 1 hour a week with a native French teacher and then she gets 2 hours on Sunday and 4 hours on Monday with a native French speaking babysitter who only speaks French to her.   So all together she gets about 7 hours of strictly native French speaking per week.  We would love to do more but 7 hours a week is all we can afford.  It's only been two months but she seems to understand when her babysitter ask "do you want to play" or "do you want something to eat" or "do you want to go into your room", etc. 

So I guess I'm wondering if she can become fluent in French with just 7 hours a week.   I've read that it takes at least 3 hours a day of foreign language exposure for babies to pick up the language but this seems excessive considering that I know one baby who has a French nanny one day a week, and a chinese nanny one day a week, and a English nanny the rest of the week and this 2 year old boy speaks all three languages!

What's been your experience?  Any recommendations as far as time with the babysitter? 

Thanks!
Lucy

I'm so glad the tumor is shrinking!!!!

Much Love,
Lucy

Chartreuse is a sort of a puke lime green.   

Everyone's suggestions on color are great.

Hi everyone,
My little girl is 20 months old.  She just started saying some color words like pink, white, blue and we draw with crayons on poster board almost everyday.  If I show her a pink crayon and then show her the big pink star on her shirt, she will point to the start and say "pink" and then to the crayon and say "pink" again.  But I just think she's following my lead.  From what I can tell, she really doesn't understand what pink looks like.

Any good methods for teaching colors, especially to someone under 2 years old?

Thanks!
Lucy

Hi Maria,

I just did a search on your type of cancer and came across this article on the Cancer Compass website.  I think you should read it.  The woman's daughter had the same diagnosis but is now living cancer free because of a transplant.  I don't know the details but the woman seemed very open to people contacting her with questions. 

I'll be thinking of you and wishing you wellness every day.   

http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,1276,0.htm

My 18 month old loves TV and her educational shows.  She watches about an average of 45 minutes a day.  When I ask "do you want to watch your French show?"  She hears the word "show" and runs from the kitchen into the living room, catapults herself onto the sofa and then just stares at the TV waiting for it go on.  She watches for about 15 minutes then she might get off the sofa and go into the other room to play by herself.   But she loves YBCR, French Little Pim, French Dora the Explorer, and Blues Clues on Noggin and a couple other shows on Noggin.  We also put on Paradigm (I think that's what it's called) which is a 24 hour live music station that shows all live concerts.  So sometimes the Beatles are on, sometimes Alicia Keys is on, etc.  She loves it.  She stands real close to the TV and dances around dropp'n like it's hot.  My husband and I dance with her.   I think when I can't play with her and she's bored with her toys, some TV can be stimulation for her eyes, her brain, it makes her laugh, and she sees things she wouldn't see in our normal daily routine.   I think TV done minimally and discriminatingly can be stimulating, not harmful.

Oh my gosh, I can't wait for FRENCH.  Can't wait, can't wait can't wait!!  Go Brillkids, go!!

I can barely get my baby girl to focus enough on books and words when she can see them.  If I blind folded her, she would run around bumping into walls and giggling her head off.  I'm just say'n.

I play the Little Pim French dvd's on TV for my baby girl a few times a week and we also listen to the Pimsleur cds (for adults) in the car.  I notice she repeats the sounds when we are in the car.  Also, I just got a Dora dvd that has a French speaking option and my baby girl absolutely loved it.  She dances around and repeats the sounds (she's only 18 months).  It's been very effective.  I highly recommend going on Amazon.com and finding the Dora dvds that are also in French.

I love the Pimpleur cds in French.  You just listen 30 minutes a day in car or before bed or whenever and you really learn the language and your pronunciation will be superb (unlike when you learned it in high school).   

I also have Little Pim in French for my baby girl and she loves it.  Also, I learned a lot just listen and watching her cds with her. 

When learning a foreign language it's crucial to hear the words/phrases pronounced by a native speaker without seeing how the words are written.  Because if you see how it is written then no matter how hard you try you will pronounce it as you would in your own language.  However, if you hear it without seeing it and without any preconceived notion of how it's supposed to sound then you can only pronounce it they way you heard it, in the correct foreign accent.   Just listen to the cds, repeat, and you will learn and you will love they way you speak.

Wow, that is sooooo awesome.  Your dedication and faith has really paid off.  So happy for you and your son!

 French! French! French!!!!!  Oh please do French asap.  It's the hardest of the romantic languages and once children know French it's much easier to learn the others.   

We can't wait for French.  We're so excited for it!

My baby always loved:

Anything with cause and effect such a dropping a ball in a shoot and then hearing a bell ring, turning the light switches on and off, pressing an button on a toy or dvd player and watching some happen like the dvd open and close.

Playing with a ball

drumming on tupperware or anything

She was intensely interested in small mechanical things and sticking click it type legos together

Hi Bertha!

I don't have any experience teaching deaf children to read but I think this is a great idea for your child and I'm sure with consistency and determination you can do it.  It seems like if you use LR and you child sees the word matched up with the photo many times over a period of time, he/she will remember the word.  It helps to hear the word, but you certainly don't have to hear the word to remember the word, seeing it is what counts and knowing what it means is what counts.

You will definitely succeed and I can't wait to hear about how it goes!

Lucy