Whether it’s Go Fish or Monopoly, weekly game nights ensure you and your little ones have one night of the week set aside for laughter, connection, and social-emotional learning. Add language learning to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for academic success! Here are our top three games for interactive language learning.

Guess The Language

Beyond teaching new words and phrases to your kids, this game is a great way to introduce the concept of multiculturalism by exposing kids to the different languages and cultures.

The rules are simple. In a variety of languages, write common phrases such as “home,” “I love you,” or “thank you” on blank flash cards. Allow each child to pick a card. Have them read the phrase on the card (or read it for them) and let everyone in the family take turns guessing which language it is.

Whoever guesses correctly keeps the card. The family member with the most cards at the end wins!

Simon Says: International Style

Simon Says has been a staple of homes, schools, and camps for decades. The premise is simple. Simon (the leader) instructs everyone to do a variety of tasks that range from touching their head to stomping their feet. If a direction starts with “Simon says,” players should obey. If it doesn’t, no one should move. Anyone who follows directions not prefaced with “Simon says” is out. Last player standing wins.

Adding a dose of language learning to the game is as simple as tossing in a few phrases in the target language. Rather than Simon giving the command to run in English, give it in French or Spanish. Kids will be so busy having fun, they won’t realize how much they’re learning!

Family Scavenger Hunt

Easy and fun for the whole family, creating a multilingual scavenger hunt doesn’t have to be complex. Simply hide objects throughout the house and use your child’s target language to write simple clues on flashcards. Explain to your kids that each object they find will count as one treasure. Whoever collects the most treasures at the end of the game wins.

Involve the whole family in fun language learning games and watch excitement grow as kids discover the joy of learning and laughing at the same time!

The post 3 Ways to Bring Language Learning to Game Night first appeared on Professor Toto.

The answer might be simpler than you think. Does teaching your child French or Spanish feel like just another task on a seemingly endless list of things you need to do to successfully prepare your little one for adulthood? Therein may lie the problem.

All too often parents are apprehensive about what they believe will go into second language instruction. From private lessons to homework in a language they might not understand, parents are understandably – especially during these chaotic times – reluctant to embark on another “project.” But, if you’re not excited about the prospect, how can you expect your kids to get excited?

Here’s the good news: teaching your child a second language isn’t nearly as stressful or labor intensive as you might think. Why? The answer lies in the difference between how adults learn versus how young children learn.

As adults, we’re primed with a need to intellectually understand everything we’re learning. To grasp a second language, we require explanations about grammatical structures, variances in vocabulary usages, and cultural etiquette. Our brains have been programmed to need to understand the “why” before tackling the “how.”

Kids learn in a completely different manner. For them, the “how” comes before the “why.” Teaching a young child a second language involves little more than immersing themselves in an emotionally-engaging storyline (in their target language), inviting them to sing and dance, and encouraging them to dive into the world of their target language. The more fun they have, the less self-conscious they are, and the more they learn – without even realizing it. That’s why animated videos, interactive learning games, and sing-alongs work so well with little kids.

By taking language lessons off of kids list of “things mom and dad say I have to do” and making them a fun reward after a day of navigating a big world filled with big feelings, you’re transforming learning from chore-time to playtime.

Overwhelmed by all the options available to you? Check out the only animated language learning series developed by a practicing specialist – Professor Toto! Try it today and register for free.

The post Move Language Lessons off the ToDo List first appeared on Professor Toto.

The answer might surprise you. Research studying the benefits of second language learning in young children offers up a number of compelling reasons to introduce your child to the foreign language of your choice. From longer attention spans to greater empathy, we’re spotlighting three of the biggest benefits of learning a second language as a toddler.

Elevated Executive Functioning Skills

One of the primary skill sets toddlers need to learn is what is referred to as executive functioning. This refers to activities such as sorting coloring blocks and remembering basic patterns. Covering everything from working memory to emotion regulation, these are a set of mental skills that include flexible thinking, memory, emotional self control, and following directions. Repeated studies show that bilingual toddlers perform markedly better on executive functioning tests than monolingual toddlers.

Increased Attention Spans

Toddlers aren’t exactly known for exceptionally long attention spans. However, when tested, studies show that toddlers who regularly engage in learning a second language – whether through formal, in-person immersion schools or virtual learning technology and educational videos – consistently display better ability to remain focused even in the midst of distracting external stimuli. The benefits of increasing the ability to remain on-task will serve children as they navigate increasingly complex life and academic skills in the next few years. From learning to tie their own shoes to mastering the basics of letter-sound correlation, kids who can focus will outperform those who struggle to pay attention.

Better English Skills

Unless English is not your child’s first language, teaching your kids a second language has been shown to be incredibly helpful in giving them a framework for understanding and mastering the English language. Why? By activating the language learning centers in the brain, you’re activating a multi-purposed set of neural connections that translate organically from one language to the next and give children a boost in language development capabilities.

Looking to start your toddler on a bilingual journey? Start your 7-day trial of the award winning Professor Toto series today!

The post 3 Reasons to Teach Your Toddler a Second Language first appeared on Professor Toto.