• Listen to music sung in the target language.  Select any kind of music that the child enjoys; it might be soothing lullabies to listen to at bedtime or something upbeat that he or she can dance to. The music will awaken a curiosity in the new language, motivating the child to want to know more.  Your child's Jabberü instructor would be happy to provide suggestions.
• Become the student.  Encourage your child to teach you stuff in the new language. Mimic her and occasionally get it wrong on purpose so that she can correct you. Kids love knowing something that you don't know!
• Set up a special time during the week to use the target language - maybe bath time or breakfast.  This is a great review and brings to life what the child is learning at Jabberü.  Use the language that the instructor has sent home with your child, and be sure to ask the teacher for any language that you need.
• Remember that the only reason your child (or anyone for that matter) will really be interested in learning a new language is to communicate with another person.  Let him show off a little. Go eat at an ethnic restaurant and see how many words he can use, or perhaps he can introduce himself to the server in the target language. (We've provided even more ideas for making a family dinner out a leaning experience in the "Family Activity" section of the newsletter.)
• Using the target language in combination with English is okay.  They are learning so using the target language is key. "Do you want the rojo one or the azul one?"

There are many benefits to learning a second language at an early age.  One research study shows that a major benefit of becoming bilingual at a young age is an increased density of gray matter in the brain.  According to the study, the process of learning a language structurally changes the brain, with this change occurring the greatest in people who start foreign language learning before age 5.

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20041013/being-bilingual-boosts-brain-power

The Chinese New Year celebration is nearing its conclusion, which will be marked with the Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Jie.  This fun festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar year of the Chinese calendar, which will fall on March 4^th this year.  It was first celebrated during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 25 AD).

As part of the festival young and old carry lanterns through the dark night, and everyone fills the streets to enjoy lantern parades, dragon dances and firecrackers.  Lantern riddles are also a popular tradition.  One will write a riddle on his lantern; if you solve the riddle correctly you'll receive a little gift.

Yuan Xiao are eaten to bring harmony and happiness to your family.  The following simple ingredients can be found in any Chinese market - here's a link to Asian markets in the Metro Washington, DC area.

http://chopstixguide.com/grocerydir.html

Ingredients:

   Glutinous Rice Flour

   Sesame powder

   Water

You'll notice that there are no precise measurements for this recipe.  Chinese cooking is about feeling and texture.  You'll do fine without the measurements, but you can find a version that includes measurements online if it makes you nervous.

Step 1: Mix the glutinous rice flour with water.  It's best to do this the night before so that the water and flour have time to combine and set.  You want the texture to be sticky and firm enough to form a ball.  Use a paper towel to absorb any excess water, or add a little water if it seems dry.

Step 2: Mix sesame powder with water.  The powder is already sweetened, but you can add a little sugar if you'd like.  Again, you want the mixture sticky enough to form small balls of it.  Make small balls, about the size of a marble.

Step 3: Make bigger balls (about golf ball sized) out of the rice flour paste and shape each around one of the smaller sesame paste balls.

Step 4: Boil a large pot of water and add the balls to the boiling water.  After a few minutes, the balls are ready to be removed when they have floated to the top.

Reinforcing what your child is learning at Jabberü can be as simple as going out to eat.  Select an ethnic restaurant where he or she can practice some of the target language they've been learning in class.  Pick a restaurant where not just the food is from the target culture, but the staff is likely to be as well (meaning Rio Grande might not be the best choice for conversing in Spanish with the staff).

• On your way to the restaurant invite your child to practice saying 'hello' or even introducing himself in the target language.
• Listen to target culture music in the car on the way to the restaurant.  Once at the restaurant, point out that the music playing there is similar to what you heard in the car.
• Think about what food related language your child has learned in class (if you're not sure, ask the instructor) and discuss menu items that include those items.  Some kids will respond to "How do you say bread in French?" while others might respond better to "I don't know how to say bread in French" and waiting for them to provide the answer.
• If you don't speak the language that your child is learning, practice asking in the target language "Where is the bathroom?" before going to the restaurant.  Ask your child and look around the restaurant.  She might not be able to answer in the target language, but she may be able to point or answer in English, indicating that she understood the question.
• If your child is comfortable with this, tell the server that she's learning the language.  Most servers will enjoy this and will speak in the target language in simple sentences to the child. 
• Be sure to let Jabberü know how it goes - we love to hear stories about the children using the new language.   Sophie Rofheart, who is taking Chinese from Jinwei, introduced herself to a server in Mandarin, without any prompting from Mom.

Visit Daisy Baby and Bring in your copy of Growing Up Global to receive 10% off of in-store merchandise. Offer valid through April 1, 2007.