Cuentacuento

My favorite podcasts for bilingual & diverse families.

Andrea — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:15:04 +0000

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https://mailchi.mp/91e01eb2227e/bilingualdiverseparentingpodcasts23

What do children mean when they say they are bored at school?

Andrea — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 15:59:28 +0000

In my second book “Guillo, el armadillo”, the main character, Guillo, starts school happy and excited. He wants to learn and experience new things. Towards the end of the story, he is full of anxiety, doesn’t want to go to school, and, even worse, believes he is not “school material”. What happened?

Does this resonate at home for you?

Maybe not. You might be on the lucky side, but a recent study by Michael Furlong found that one in eight middle and high school students expressed strong negative beliefs about school, describing it as boring and of low value.

Furlong and his colleagues shed some light on what students may mean when they report boredom at school. Instead of viewing boredom as being limited to a particular subject or classroom, they studied students who report broader unfavorable school attitudes, or a “School Boredom Mindset.”

According to their review of the literature, school boredom may be a signal of internal mindsets, external situations, or a deeper emotional challenge:

· Trouble with the subject matter or task demands (being over-challenged)

· A need for more or new sources of stimulation (being under-challenged)

· Limited interest or motivation in a particular subject

· A mismatch between a student’s ability and the skill required to complete a task.

· A low perceived value of what is being taught.

· Disengagement and dissatisfaction

· Helplessness and sadness

· Depression, anxiety, apathy

What can you do as a parent if you think boredom is impacting your child’s well-being?

· Don’t make assumptions. Instead, ask open-ended questions like, “What do you mean by boring?”, “Why do you think school is boring?”, “Tell me more, please”.

· Find out what causes the feeling by asking questions like: “Is there a time at school when you are not bored?” “When did school start feeling boring to you?”.

This will help you gauge if the issue is that school is challenging, not so challenging, or if your child is having problems at a social or emotional level. You will be better informed to get the right help.

What to do as an educator or an institution?

· Get to know your students. What are their passions and talents?

· Use that to design your curriculum, evaluation formats, and your school culture in general.

· Ask students for feedback.

At the end of my story, “Guillo” discovers his unique talent, and he is thrilled. When kids feel that they are valued, supported, and that they have something to contribute to their learning environments, school becomes fun.

If you would like to read more about this, I recommend these books: “How Children Fail” by John Holt: https://www.amazon.com/Children-Fail-Classics-Child-Development/dp/0201484021 and “Don’t let School get in the Way of Education.” by Dr. Anane Olatunji. Releasing in 2024. Sign up to https://www.droinspires.com/ and receive a free chapter.

20 Best Podcasts to learn Spanish

Andrea — Sun, 05 Nov 2023 15:08:19 +0000

I have shared my favorite podcasts in many occasions. Yes, I love them and I think they are a fun and effective way to learn or strengthen your Spanish. Many of you have asked me to share some more podcasts for advanced students, so here I concentrated on those for the most part. Enjoy!

For young children/beginners:

Spanish stories for kids: https://open.spotify.com/show/4PpK6RKY0EnSF73jSTHOXy

Cuentos infantiles: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SfIQYMI6iS8cX3d6Kym3s

Storytime for Kids: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Tjl9CFOh9REWJSH8qpydi

Érase una vez: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rSm3ZO8msZmoMkWEB2mUC

The Spanish experiment: https://www.thespanishexperiment.com/stories

Simple stories in Spanish: https://open.spotify.com/show/0jFBhC63xxXsr2b1LGbirw

For intermediate learners:

Puro cuento: https://open.spotify.com/show/74rJ1T0pBeXzUIjCB3TrG0

Yo hablo, tú hablas: https://open.spotify.com/show/0RHY244aC71VR1ywHqUXOb?si=RZUiiA8tSWumcBc-vqLYiA&nd=1

¿Me lees un cuento? https://open.spotify.com/show/4SE0subj9QExKImnJD6gpV

For advanced/native speakers:

Los niños y Jimeno: https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/los-ni%C3%B1os-y-jimeno/id337909060

Mija: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ksO6XtEezkKGmFbfhshHy

Tres cuentos: https://open.spotify.com/show/17BSip3pA7mL8JzL2JJC7U

Radio ambulante: https://open.spotify.com/show/0J74zdNxUVWHq4gLoq8MqX

Coffee Break in Spanish: https://open.spotify.com/show/4WYj81C37trSAv42zwnipj

News (slow in Spanish): https://open.spotify.com/show/3DfaUnQ6qypI0qK7tGhp4A

Charlas Hispanas: https://open.spotify.com/show/72Jh8c3wr8bfGrpkzdGqrK

How to Spanish: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-spanish-podcast/id1458420685

Hoy hablamos: https://open.spotify.com/show/1puKUN2oF1M5DMt8o4M1bA

Unlimited Spanish: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ubEWht2RwxacGF5jREKv0

A zero to hero: https://open.spotify.com/show/74gMrfuWZSxXcb3OVmut86

10 COOL WAYS TO HELP YOUR KIDS LEARN SPANISH THIS SUMMER.

Andrea — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 15:30:00 +0000

Summer days are perfect for splashing in the ocean or pool. But what do you do with the kids during those scorching hours when it is not good to be outside? Help them learn some Spanish! These tips are fun and easy to implement. They are also a very natural way to acquire a language. And what’s best, YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW SPANISH! In fact, you can learn together! Enjoy and let me know how it went.

1. Read some books.

Reading stories is one of the best ways to learn vocabulary in a contextualized way. In addition to this, you can also teach a bit about the target culture. You don’t speak Spanish? No worries, many authors, especially independent ones, offer youtube channels where they read books. (They also offer free ebook downloads often) Here is mine: Andrea Olatunji Youtube Channel and here are a couple I can recommend: Lilo cuentos infantiles and SheySheyland

2. Listen to Spanish podcasts for kids.

On my previous blog post I shared some of my favorite podcasts: My favorite Spanish Podcasts for Kids. These are a fun and easy way to get your kids to enjoy some quiet time while they learn.

3. Do a home, store, or supermarket scavenger hunt.

You can make a bilingual list of food, clothes, furniture words, or any vocabulary you want to target. then, get kids to go on a scavenger hunt and find these things. If you are at the store, they can walk with you, tell you when they find one and check them on their list. You can use Google translate or a dictionary if you don’t know Spanish.

4. Listen to songs and dance.

Music is fun, appealing, relaxing, and it gives kids an opportunity to get their wiggles out while indoors. Youtube offers a million examples if you search “Spanish songs for kids”. I have used the Cds Muevete and Cha Cha Cha with my students and they loved them. You can also download the songs from Amazon. Don’t focus on learning the lyrics. Just dance and watch what happens.

5. Make some art.

Kids can learn colors and shapes by creating a collage using these. Cut out shapes out of construction paper in different colors and listo! Encourage the kids to tell you what they created using the color and shape vocabulary.

6. Do some yoga or zumba in Spanish.

Again, you can find a lot of examples on the Internet. Here is a good one: Zumba by Sara. She will give them a workout!

7. Learn with PBS

PBS offers some good quality stuff. In any laguage. Oh Noah! is cute and fun!

8. Create your own flashcards. With audio and visuals!

I have mentioned this resource many times. It is that they are just so good and easy to make! Tiny Cards allows you to make bilingual, visual, and audible cards.

9. Arbol ABC offers games and activities for all levels.

Full of activities by subject and levels. Kids need to know some Spanish for most of these, as so do you to navigate the site. Arbol ABC

10. Take advantage of what Cuentacuento books have to offer.

I created Cuentacuento Books to offer teachers and parents an opportunity to help their kids learn Spanish in a fun, meaningful, and contextualized way. Did you know my books have an educator’s guide with ten lesson plans, photocopiable activities, guiding questions, and project ideas? There are also vocabulary cards which are so much fun. Check them out!

My favorite Spanish Podcasts for Kids

Andrea — Mon, 07 Jun 2021 20:14:16 +0000

In the past couple of years, I have developed a true love for podcasts. I listen to them to learn new skills, to find spiritual inspiration, to enjoy stories with my son, and to teach!

These below are my top five favorite Spanish podcasts for kids. You can enjoy them with your young ones at home, or if you are a teacher, these can be an amazing resource in the classroom.

CLICK ON EACH IMAGE TO ACCESS THE PODCAST. And let me know in the comments below if you have other suggestions or what you think about these ones.

Enjoy!

Andrea

1. HOY QUIERO CONTARLES

Level: Intermediate/ Advanced

This is a great podcast with a high quality production. The narrator is a writer from the Dominican Republic and she is super warm and charming.

2. EAT YOUR SPANISH

Level: Beginners

The narrators are a bilingual Louisville based family with a background in Montessori education methods. They were recently named one of the “Best New Latinx Kids Music Groups” by Billboard.com. Easy, fun, and high quality episodes. Perfect for beginners!

3. SÉSAMO EN LAS COMUNIDADES

Level: Intermediate

Following the style of Sesame Place where kids are engaged in discussions, this podcast offers content on health, well-being, emotional topics, and school.

4. LOS NIÑOS Y JIMENO

Level: Intermediate

I love this conversational podcast based on the conversations Jimeno has with kids in his TV show. Perfect to use in the classroom as a conversation prompt or at home to practice your Spanish.

5. DUOLINGO SPANISH PODCAST

Level: Intermediate/ Advanced

I have used Duolingo’s Tiny Cards forever in my classes and my students love them. This podcast is another successful product by Duolingo. These are true stories, filled with cultural elements, narrated in easy to understand Spanish with English narration. Hosted by Martina Castro, co-founder of NPR’s Radio Ambulante.

What is your superpower?

Andrea — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 16:04:03 +0000

What is in you is yours and nobody can take it. We all have a unique gift that makes us special. It also guides us on pursuing our purpose and passion in life. When we put this gift to the service of others, we are not only enhancing our stay in this planet, but we are also contributing to its divine purpose. Finding our talent validates who we are and gives us focus for our daily actions.

Children are incredibly intuitive beings, and many times, they know right off the bat what they are bringing to this world. Yet, outside noises, school standards, and expectations cloud this knowledge and they forget.

As parents and educators, we need to help all kids remember how amazing they are and how WE NEED their talents to make this world a better place.

When I wrote “Guillo, el armadillo” I was thinking about all of this. Guillo, gets frustrated at school because he cannot accomplish any of the proposed challenges. At the end, he discovers that he can roll into a ball, something that most animals can’t do. The story came up based on a project I usually do with my students. The project is called “Mi talento” (My talent) and it consists of them teaching the rest of us something they know how to do well. For some, this is a fun experience where they get to show off what they know. Yet, for others, it is a pretty intimidating one.

Helping these kids discover their talents has always been very rewarding for me. It just makes my heart grow to see them get validated by the activity and learn that they not only have a unique talent, but also that the rest of us are entertained, inspired, and enriched by learning about it.

The younger we learn about our talents the better. However, it is never too late. What is your superpower?

Thursday Tips 8- Ten tips to get your students to read and write.

Andrea — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 18:48:06 +0000

It can be really challenging to engage your students in meaningful reading and writing activities, especially if you teach virtually. Here are some tips that might help:

Make sure the content is relevant. Focus on student’s personalities, lifestyles and preferences to choose books and writing prompts.
Use music as prompts. They can listen to a song and write about how it makes them feel, or change the words keeping the same rhythm. What about listen to music without lyrics and write a story inspired on it
Use art as prompts. They can describe what’s going on in the picture, what happens next based on that scene, how the painting makes them feel, how they can relate to the painting.
Highlight everyday situations. Ask your students to tell you about their routines. Things like what they ate for breakfast or what is on their playlist are meaningful and fun.
Start with Storytelling. Using books as springboard for writing is a great way to go. Students can react to the story, rewrite the story changing details, re-tell the story to their peers, etc. This provides a contextualized platform with a more real purpose.
Encourage journaling. Students can describe their daily experiences, research findings, responses to prompts, a travel journal, or their experiences as a historical character!
Connect with Pen Pals. This is truly a fun way to read and write! You can find Pen Pals abroad, in another state/school, or maybe there can be secret Pen Pals where they write to classmates without knowing who they are.
Get your students to sell. I love using projects where students have to do research and accomplish some sort of mission. Some of my favorites are: Sell your teacher a vacation package, a seasonal wardrobe, or a city tour.
Provide surveys and tests. End of the quarter/unit surveys and tests (the kind you need to find out what personality type you are or what’s your lucky number) are fun and a great way to read and write with purpose.
Create a book club. See what your possibilities are. It can be a poetry club, a riddle club, a joke club, etc. Anything that requires writing and sharing collectively.

Well, I hope this is useful for you. You probably noticed that I used the words meaningful and fun a lot here. Well, these are the key ingredients to engage your students and make them love reading and writing! Let me know if you have any questions.

Celebrate Books and the Planet

Andrea — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 21:31:27 +0000

April is the month to celebrate books and the planet! Here are some of my favorites. If you want to know more about these books and the authors, during the month of April I’ll be chatting with them on my Instagram account. Check them out: @AndreaOlatunji

Author Pilar Velez

http://lettertomydreams.com/

This is the first book of the “Carta a mis sueños” series by the Colombian writer and president of “Mi libro Hispano” association, Pilar Vélez. Pilar’s many award-winning books and projects aim to promote Hispanic culture and protect our environment. The city of Isabella in the Galápagos islands dedicated a library to her!

“Carta a mis sueños para el planeta Tierra” is an invitation to love and care for our planet. It is written in a way that enhances the language learning process while empowering young kids. There are activities, resources, and even biographies in this wonderful rendition to our mother Earth.

Author Gina Gallois

http://moonflowerpress.com

Gina Gallois is a former French teacher who has published books in English, Spanish and French. In this book “Nuestras amigas las zarigüeyas” Gina teaches us about these interesting animals.

With an interactive approach to the story and highlighted relevant vocabulary, we get to learn many facts about these animals. The illustrations are really beautiful and at the end you can find even more facts, including how the animal is called in different countries. In Uruguay, we call them comadrejas and here in New Orleans, where I live, we see them all the time! (Spanish)

Author Leticia Ordaz

https://cielitolindobooks.com/

Leticia Ordaz is a Mexican-American award-winning children’s book author, and Emmy-nominated anchor/reporter in Sacramento, California. With her books, Leticia is committed to promote diversity.

With thirteen touch and feel textures, “Mr. Macaw’s Paleta Adventure” takes us on the adventures of two boys and their kite “Mr. Macaw”. This is perfect for young readers as they want to experience and feel the process. Beautifully illustrated with easy to follow language. (Bilingual)

Author Susana Illera Martinez

https://lalathelizard.weebly.com/

Susana Illera Martínez is an award winning Colombian author with over two decades of experience in advertising, marketing, and graphic design.

“Lala, a different kind of lizard (una lagartija diferente)” has won the Latino Book Award 2nd Place ~ Most inspirational Children’s Picture Books 2020. This is a beautiful book about acceptance and friendship.

Lala feels insecure about revealing to her family that she does not eat insects and her best friend is a spider. After the two friends journey away from the Pond by The Rock, Lala, and Ari discover that our differences make us special and that it’s important to be surrounded by those who accept us the way we are. (Bilingual)

Author Cristina Sicard

https://cristinasicardauthor.com/

Cristina Sicard was born in Ohio and has Dominican roots. With a background in journalism and education, Cristina brings us this sweet story with a great message.

Year after year, Sábana the sloth worries about everything. He is convinced his anxiety will never allow him to succeed in life. When he is ready to give up, a new friend helps Sábana recognize his worth.

Sábana and Lula are characters the author hopes to connect with individuals and elevate diversity and inclusion. (English)

Author Alexis Ruginis

https://veoleo.co/

Raised in Colombia and bilingual, Alexis Ruginis and her sister Janike Ruginis have teamed up to create Veoleo,a small press that focuses on producing board books entirely in Spanish to emphasize language immersion, and storylines that are witty, fun, interesting, and infused with Latin American and Caribbean culture.

Pensamientos uses pansies to reveal a playful world of magical connections between colors, emotions, and the power of our thoughts. (Spanish)

Author Yolanda Puente Balcazar

Yolanda Puente Balcazar is a native of Cali, Colombia with thirty one years of experience as an educator! She has a passion for writing books and poetry.

Tita is a little turtle who lives in the rainforest. She is about to turn five and her mom wants to give her a nice celebration. However, things don’t come out as expected. You never know how things may turn out when you decide to surprise somebody. (Spanish)

Author LaRupra

A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Dallán Ruiz Prada (or LaRupra, as she is known in the literary world), studied library science and has worked for many years in public and university libraries.

“Baloo, el perro tragón” is a mischievous puppy that wants to eat everything he comes across. Simonna, his sister is the storyteller in this cute book that teaches us about the sweet relationship between kids and animals. (Bilingual)

Author Andrea Ruiz

https://www.mimishero.com/

Andrea Ruiz is an entrepreneur, author, and the co-founder of Girls Lead Summit, a peer-to-peer mentorship program for girls 8 to 14 years old.

After Mimi’s parents venture outside of Planet Lili in search of a better life for her and her little brother, she suddenly faces the seemingly impossible task of finding them in the vast Andromeda Galaxy. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime as Mimi travels from planet to planet and unlocks her natural superpowers: integrity, kindness, gratitude, and self-love. Throughout her journey, she builds meaningful connections with her ancestors as well as her inner child.

This story inspires readers of all ages to unlock their limitless potential, discover the magic inside themselves.

(Bilingual)

Author Elvira Rosales Ormseth

Elvira is an educator located in Memphis, TN. She grew up in Nicaragua, where she was fascinated with bull sharks and their unique habitat in Lake Nicaragua. While on a family vacation, she found the inspiration to write this book.

The story teaches about lake Nicaragua, bull sharks, and their ability to live in lakes as well as in the ocean. You can also see some other types of marine life that live in the area. Finally, there is message of friendship and kindness. (English).

Thursday Tip 1- “Virtual classes” doesn’t mean all the activities have to be on screen.

Andrea — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:34:39 +0000

I know many teachers are raking their brains trying to come up with activities to teach a language online. The most natural approach is question-answer on screen or worksheets to complete and submit. This is quick and easy but not so engaging for our kids. Here are a couple of suggestions/prompts. I added the possible topic addressed in parenthesis:

For lower levels: Ask the kids to MOVE!

· How many steps can you count from your bedroom to your kitchen? (numbers)

· How many toy cars do you have? (numbers)

· Send me a picture of your favorite toy. Can you describe it? (vocabulary/adjectives)

· Go outside, get some sticks and build a bridge for me. Send me a picture and describe it.

· Draw a picture of your favorite season and share it with me, etc.

· Search in your closet. How many red socks do you have? (colors/numbers)

For upper levels:

· Post a picture of your favorite clothes. Do a fashion show. (clothes)

· Cook and share a picture/video of it. Explain what you made. (food)

· What did you eat for breakfast today? Share a picture and tell me about it. (food)

· Make a video telling me about your daily routine (routines).

· Read a short story and report on it. (vocabulary)

These are just some examples. As you see, these are not too sophisticated. Yet, they encourage kids to go about in their environment and perform instead of being passive in front of a screen. They also embed topics and elements they pertain to the kids’ lives making learning more personal and relevant.

Can you share other ideas to get kids off the screen that work for you?

Thursday Tip 2- Give students voice and choice

Andrea — Thu, 18 Mar 2021 16:31:34 +0000

Traditional teaching is usually one of compliance. Students need to BE QUIET, LOOK at the teacher, LISTEN, and then respond to the teacher’s questions. This usually leads to disengagement because the student is basically PASSIVE. No wonder, during virtual teaching, the disengagement is even more evident. Being away from school and separated from the teacher through a screen, the alienation becomes bigger and kids cannot connect to what is happening in class.

Something that might be of help is to give kids VOICE & CHOICE. What does this mean? Allow students to have input in what is being taught. Yes, I know. You are the teacher, and you have a curriculum to teach. BUT, how you teach it and in which order doesn’t really affect its effectiveness.

Students love it when they get empowered and can choose what to do. Here are some specific tips:

Create a choice board with all the activities you want them to do for the day and let them choose in which order to do them.

Simply tell them “today, we are going to do this, this, and this. Where would you like to start?”

When being evaluated, ask them to choose between a paper quiz, a presentation, or an audio recording.

Provide them with surveys to get feedback about what is working and what is not.

Tell them the topics you are planning to address in the coming weeks and ask them if they would like to add or modify something. Yes, they can help you!

These are just a few suggestions. Of course, you need to adapt to your students’ needs and ages. Yet, never underestimate their input. I have had the best feedback and ideas from my students. Having a choice makes them empowered and more involved in their learning. Thus, everybody is happier. Do you have other suggestions, ideas that worked for you, or questions? Let me know.