NEW
FUN AND DYNAMIC SPANISH CLASS FOR TODDLERS!!!
Sponsored by:
Tully Parks & Recreation
Open to all Tully School District Residents
The
First Three Years
While children are not able to vocalize
their needs until the age of one they are paying close attention
to everything you do and say. They will study the movement
of your lips, responding to you with gentle coos, as you communicate
with them. They will watch intently your hand and facial
gestures when you speak to them or other family members.
And they will undoubtedly mimic your patterns of communication.
Research studies indicate that by the
time your child reaches his first birthday, he will understand
a fair amount of what he hears and may be able to say a few
simple words. By his second birthday, he understands
much of what he hears and cans express a moderate range of
ideas. By his third birthday, he can comprehend most
of what he hears and he has a working vocabulary that can
get him through most situations. In fact, by the age
of three and a half, most children have a vocabulary of more
than one thousand words.
During the first three years of life a
child is absorbing everything he is exposed to and his brain
if forming neurological connections that will set the foundation
for his academic success. Exposing your child to a foreign
language on a regular basis at an early age helps solidify
these connections in the part of his brain that is responsible
for communication and language learning. The brain,
especially during the first three years of life, is able to
learn a second or third language with little or no effort
at all. Once the child had developed the neural circuitry
for a foreign language, he can use this information to expand
his vocabulary and master it.
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Baby
Fiesta Spanish Immersion Class for Toddlers
The goal of Baby Fiesta Spanish
Immersion Class is to start children, from 6 months
to 3 years old, on a wonderful and energetic journey
to learning Spanish by immersing them in the language.
Because children are active and learn best when they
can participate in activities Baby Fiesta Spanish Immersion
Class incorporates the use of three of the five senses:
hearing, sight and touch. Children will be encouraged
to see and use various musical instruments, participate
in familiar nursery rhymes as well as other cultural
tunes, and enjoy many other visuals. This format
will not only keep them engaged but will expose them
to the wonderful world of Latin America.
Parent participation is a must.
The class will not succeed without your assistance and
cooperation. Every parent is responsible for his
or her child. Your interaction and encouragement
not only motivates your child to be an active participant
in the class, but also helps solidify your relationship
with your child. This is a special time of learning
and bonding, so we encourage parents to embrace their
children and join in on this journey to language acquisition.
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Classes
begin Wednesday, July 24 at the Tully Town Hall.
To Register call (607) 749-3355.
Each Baby Fiesta session is 6-weeks long
and every class is 45-minutes in length. Consistent
attendance is very important for proper exposure and progression
in language acquisition. There is no refund for absenteeism
so please make every effort to attend each class.
Classes begin Wednesday, July 24 at the
Tully Town Hall. Registration is handled on a first
come first serve basis. If the class is full you can
request to be added to our database to register your child
in a future class or you may contact Baby Fiesta to see if
more than one session is being held.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
To the untrained eye, these classes may
look like supervised playgroups for small children with the
expectation that all the games, songs, visual aids and other
fun activities take place in Spanish. In fact, Baby
Fiesta is a highly structured method of exposing children
to a new language in a fun setting so that they learn the
language effortlessly, just as native children do in their
own environments. Because the children are playing and
learning simultaneously, at the prime age for learning language,
they make rapid progress. With the Baby Fiesta program,
your child will be speaking without an accent in no time!
What
are the goals of the Baby Fiesta program?
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To help build within a child an understanding
of the Spanish language as he or she embarks in the life-long
process of language development and acquisition. Understanding
is the natural, first step in the process of language development.
First we hear, then we understand, then we speak.
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To develop a child's ear for language.
By exposing them to a new language they will become accustomed
to its sounds and tones and will eventually repeat what
they hear.
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To take
advantage of the heightened language acquisition ability
that children possess during the first three years of life.
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To help
children love and appreciate the Spanish language.
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What can
I expect at each Baby Fiesta session?
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This is a highly dynamic and energetic
class setting. We incorporate a fun and interactive
system of teaching. Through songs, movement, music
and puppets we keep your child engaged his or her brain
is absorbing the language.
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Repetition is an important part of the
learning process. The program is designed so the child
is continually hearing the same words, thus reinforcing
their ability to retain what is taught in the class.
We encourage parents to play Spanish music and videos for
their children at home, and to read to them in Spanish.
Major bookstores like Barnes and Nobles carry these items.
You are free to register your child in as many sessions
as you like.
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Small, controlled environments assure
focus. There are registration limits. No more
than 20 children will be registered per session.
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We ask that parents and caregivers not
to translate for their child so that the child can learn
to think in Spanish. Likewise, we want to ensure that
the child is hearing the correct pronunciation.
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Please remember that your child is watching
you! Your enthusiasm and participation will enhance
the child's enthusiasm and absorption. If you as the
parent make it a point to participate in what is going on
then your child will have a second opportunity to discover
a word's meaning if they missed the teacher.
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To ensure that everyone is focused we
ask that you keep distractions to a minimum. Please
try to refrain from conversations during the class.
We also ask that you avoid using your cell phone during
class. Smoking is not permitted in the classroom.
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Positive Associations. We want
the children to be happy and relaxed so that they stay emotionally
open to their teacher and learning experience, and it is
important that they always associate Spanish with fun and
enjoyment. Please don't force a child to participate.
They will in their own time and in their own way.
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Toys. To maintain focus, personal
toys should be put away by the time class begins.
Another child's toy can be distracting. Parents and
caregivers should not let their children play with the visual
aids, school toys unless they are presented as part of an
activity. We ask parents and caregivers to please
keep their children from taking teaching materials from
the table before instructed to do so.
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Every child reacts differently to every
situation. If a child is facing a challenge of any
sort and becomes a distraction to the rest of the class
we ask that you quietly and quickly take the child out of
the class until he or she has calmed down. Remember,
this should be a positive experience for the child so try
to calm and distract the child with something else, then
gently encourage the child to reenter the class setting.
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Disciplining Other Children. Please
do not discipline a child who is not your own.
About
the founder:
Natividad (Nati) Cabrera Shaw holds a
bachelors degree in English Literature from SUNY Cortland.
She is a New York City native of Hispanic descent and is fluent
in Spanish. She is married and resides with her husband and
son in Homer, N.Y. Nati was led to develop this program with
the goal of teaching children the Spanish language when they
are at an age where they can acquire a language effortlessly.
Currently she provides simultaneous translation, from English
to Spanish, for the members and visitors of her church.
Nati Cabrera-Shaw
Cabrera Shaw Communications
79 N. Main Street
Homer,
NY 13077
Phone:
607-749-3355
E-mail:
ncshaw@twcny.rr.com
