Genesis of Our Family in Hind: First Week of Daily Activities (Post #2)
Here’s a quick rundown of what I did this week with my kids, N and M. I’m choosing to do it day by day so you can see what Language Mama Planner looks like in a nice orderly execution. Hopefully this is helpful for you to see what it could be like implemented in your own home, or perhaps daily homeschooling routine.
SUNDAY – Prep Day.
I gathered my Go Dog Go book, some assorted toys, and my fully charged iPad mini. I asked Christine to help me film some videos for the week. She obliged. It took 20 minutes to film myself doing the Family script, Curtesy Script, and reading the book aloud in Hindi. The videos as you will see are unedited and were made in a single take. I’m doing it this way so you can make your own new mistakes and not the same ones I made! I used iMovie on my iPad to add titles to the movies for your reference. But the videos were so simple they definitely don’t need any fancy titles.
I also had images to go with Go Dog Go and quickly made those into a coloring sheet on my laptop, then printed off a few copies.
MONDAY – Daily Activity: Song
Using this cheesily animated video directly off YouTube, I set a timer for our 10 min of Hindi and played the video. The song repeats several times during the video including specific references to just “head, head” and “shoulders, shoulders” etc.
N and M laughed at the ridiculous animations (its like kid eye candy: dancing icecream cones? Under any other circumstances I would write off videos like this for their spastic flashiness).
Then I picked up M’s favorite stuffed animal and did the song again (I know this song well, so I am able to sing it accurately) with the stuffed toy doing the hand motions. N just listened while he did his own thing.
TIP: even when your toddler/son does not want to participate, just say “Ok, then you can play quietly and listen.” The child is still receiving the language! Don’t force participation.
TUESDAY – Daily Activity: Story
I set my 10 min. timer and gathered N and M to watch this video of myself stumbling through Go, Dog, Go! in my rusty hindi. There are a few grammar flaws (feminine masculine, and pluralization errors). Don’t throw it out altogether if its not perfect! Use an imperfect video for a lesson, then gradually improve for the next book you record. Rusty, somewhat halting language still works for early learning! I also just did the first half the book since the video was already nearing 5 min, and I knew that would be the limit of N and M’s attention spans.
After they watched the video, I opened the physical Go, Dog, Go book and they poured over each picture up close, while N kept exclaiming “Why do we have to do this in Hindi?” I just answered, “Just a couple more minutes” and continued describing the pictures in Hindi.
N asked me to read the book in English but I said “Right now, we are making this a book special for Hindi. I can read you a different book in English!” TIP: Keep your language learning tools separate and special so your children will always expect to interact with them in the new language instead of English.
WEDNESDAY – Daily Activity: Courtesy Script
I set a timer for 10 minutes then turned on this video and watched it with N and M. They were very interested since they love those action figures and dollies that I used. Afterwards, I spent the next few minutes doing the same script with a bag of 20 tiny finger puppets we own. We played with all the little puppets, doing the same script over and over. N lost interest and started playing with something else after about three minutes. M happily continued until the timer beeped and even repeated most of the phrases!
THURSDAY – Daily Activity: Family Script
I set the timer for 10 minutes then turned on this video. N, M and I watched it, then N played in the same room, while I invited M to look and see if her baby doll had “dirty hands” (which it really did so I didn’t have to pretend!). Then we went through the whole washing process together at the sink, me giving commands, and moving the doll’s hands. M was very delighted! She brought over a second doll whose hands we also washed, then I had M show me her own hands and we washed them. I did the script with her a total of three times.
Friday – Daily Activity: Coloring Book
I set a 10 minute timer. I had made this coloring sheet (click image to print it for your own use!) on Sunday and now gave N and M each a printout. Then with a small box of crayons and the Go Dog Go! book in hand, we sat down at the table and I reread the book in Hindi while they scribbled. As we got to each part of the story, I’d point to the relevant image on the coloring page. They overall stayed interested the entire time. I saved the coloring pages afterwards for the class activities.
N began repeating “Go Dog Go!” phrase in Hindi. M was repeating words throughout.
Next post will be about my hour long Weekly Class! I’m excited to share how it went for the first time. Seeya then. -Alyssa
