THE BLACK BOOK OF COLORS
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the Arabic translation of The Black Book of Colors. Would you pick up the book and if so, how would you use it? FULL POST
INCLUSIVE BOOKS IN ARABIC
Nada Barakat Khawaja gave a wonderful talk on Inclusive Children’s Books at the IBBY CANA conference. The post summarizes important questions one should be asking when selecting an inclusive book. It also lists some wonderful titles available in Arabic. FULL POST
SIX WORD POETRY BY 6TH GRADERS
My very good friend and poet Zeina Hashem Beck gave a lecture on poetry to 120 sixth graders at a school in Dubai. At the end of the lecture, the kids went off and created their very own six word poems. To view samples of their work, check out the FULL POST.
THE BILINGUAL PARADOX
When it comes to exposing children to more than one language, there is a dilemma that every caregiver experiences. On the one hand, we realize that children pick up languages easily. On the other hand, we worry that given the complexity of language acquisition, exposure to two or more languages will cause language confusion and developmental delay. This dilemma has often been called “the bilingual paradox,” the simultaneous belief that exposure to more than one language is both good and bad. FULL POST
LITERACY RESOURCES IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH
Readingstart will now be bringing you literacy enhancing resources in both Arabic and English. We’re starting with monthly activity calendars designed to provide parents, educators and children with daily opportunities to engage in activities that help promote language development. The calendars are now available in easy to download PDF files that can be printed and posted to your fridge or board for daily inspiration. FULL POST
THE BENEFITS OF BEING BILINGUAL
Although bilingual children make more mistakes on picture naming tasks and adult bilinguals experience tip-of- tongue phenomenon more frequently, the benefits to speaking two or more languages far outweigh the set-backs. Research indicates that there may be benefits across the lifespan, from increased cognitive reserve and better control of attention to delay in the age of onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia. FULL POST
THE ZERO TO SIX LIBRARY
Are you looking to start building that early childhood library in Arabic for your children or students? We’ve put together a list of 24 wonderfully illustrated books written in Arabic to get you started. A PDF list of books is also available for download, with the names of the books transcribed as well as translated into English. FULL POST
CHOOSING BOOKS FOR KIDS
As parents, caregivers or teachers, we often wonder how to choose books for children that will mean as much to them as they once did to us. How do you choose quality books, and most importantly, how do you choose them for infants and toddlers under six years of age? In this post you will find advice gathered from various sources and compiled into “by age” tips. FULL POST
AN INTERACTIVE READING TECHNIQUE
We are all aware of the benefits of reading aloud with children, and if you were in doubt, we hope this blog will convince you. However, research shows that it’s not only the frequency of reading aloud that leads to cognitive and linguistic gains, but also, and more importantly, the quality of the shared reading. FULL POST
THE EARLY WORD GAP
The first few years of a child’s life are developmentally extremely important. This is a statement that has been repeated often. Experiences as an infant set the stage for everything from linguistic competency to school readiness, and research evidence continues to back this point. FULL POST
