Fab Mums

iPhone Apps are a great tool to encourage learning through play and with careful selection by parents they could be invaluable in the development of literacy. The multilingual aspect of the applications is ideal for bilingual children. The majority of the applications are in English, but there is a good choice of apps in other languages too.  [...]

I am a huge supporter of teaching children through play. During play the mind is comfortable and open to new stimulus so it is not surprising that children learn more when they are relaxed. That’s why educators use a playful method in early learning. Looking at my son’s schoolwork it is evident how teaching systems [...]

These foreign language alphabet blocks from Modern Lola are a great idea for young children who are exposed to a second (or even a third) language. Perfect 44 mm wooden cubes handcrafted with attention to details and coloured with attractive bright and child safe paints, they are ideal to be handles by little hands. The [...]

Recently I have been following my son’s progress with English literacy using his Italian schoolwork as a reference point. This works well especially for numeracy and science subjects, but when it comes to learning reading and writing it takes a little more work. I decided to introduce this immediately after Christmas when he began to [...]

It’s amazing what a difference a few months can make in the realm of bilingualism. Back in September my six year old was not at all keen on speaking his minority language and although he understood everything he insisted in answering in Italian. Soon after starting school he showed more of an effort to speak [...]

Raising a bilingual child is not just about teaching the command of the minority language, but also about giving exposure to the cultural background of that language, which is fundamental for a correct use of the language itself. This is one of the biggest problems with translations; often something is lost in the process when [...]

There is no substitute for peer motivation. I have been trying to no avail to get my son to speak English and I know he could if he wanted to because he understands everything perfectly, but he insisted in answering in Italian until a few weeks ago. In the past he only made exceptions if the [...]