Free 30-Minute Language Learning Online Class for MommyMaestra Readers

The following is a sponsored post by Cultural Bytes. 

This month is our favorite month here at Cultural Bytes because it’s the month to share our heritage. Cultural Bytes is a FULL IMMERSION language program that focuses on teaching children many languages - Spanish, French, and Mandarin. 

Due to the pandemic, we changed our methods of teaching. At first, we thought it was going to be difficult since it was ALL online but luckily parents, as well as their children, have loved our classes! We have students all over the world learning with the Cultural Bytes teachers. The advantage of learning a language not only gives our students the ability to develop their critical thinking, their communication skills, and their vocabulary faster, but it also includes the most important part:  CULTURE! 

These classes focus INDIVIDUALLY on the student. What that means is that the teacher finds out what the student likes and enjoys and from there, the class is built. The only catch is that it’s fully in the language they will be learning. It is really fun! And for that reason we would like to offer a 30-minutes FREE class to all MommyMaestra readers when you fill out this form! 

We are so excited to hear from you! 

If you want to learn more visit www.cultural-bytes.org. 

Have you had your cultural byte today? 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Cultural Bytes. MommyMaestra only accepts sponsorships by approved education companies.

Free Download: Spanish Lesson on Giving Commands

One of the most important lessons in Spanish is the one that teaches the imperative verb tense. But we don't see that highlighted ever in the PR for Spanish programs. It's weird because being able to tell people to do things is an important part of speaking any language! So I'm pretty happy with this month's free download from MommyMaestra sponsor, Spanish for You!

This month's freebie is all about telling others to do things. Sounds bossy, doesn't it? But trust me, it's not! When we are with people we tell them to do things all the time - Look at this! Write this down. Listen to this song. Leave it on the table. Come with me! I could go on and on.

This 5-page file includes an instruction page, two command and supportive vocabulary card pages, and two activity pages. There's also an audio file to help with pronunciation.

Click here to download this file

Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Free Typing Lessons & Games Online

Another unexpected result of the distance and online learning has appeared! There have been a lot of parents asking about typing lessons for their kids. For many, typing isn't taught in schools (and I bet those schools are now re-evaluating that!). So parents are looking for online programs. And it's a bonus if those programs are FREE!

So I started looking at some of the suggestions that many veteran homeschoolers have been sharing. Here is a short list of awesome online typing programs. I've noted if the language can be changed for Spanish and English instruction.

Online Typing Programs

• Ratatype.com - Free/multiple languages
• Typing Club - Free/multiple languages 
• Typing.com - Free/multiple languages
• LearnTyping.org - Free/English only

Typing games for younger students:

• ABCYA - lots of fun typing games here! I think they are in English only?
• Typing.com also has a section of games for young students.
• Typing Fingers
• TypeTastic! - a variety of games for K - 12

Image © Can Stock Photo - zurijeta

Free Online Piano Lessons: Encore Music Studio

Are you looking for a way to start or maintain your child's piano lessons from home during the pandemic? Or maybe you're looking for lessons that fit your budget? Check out the free online piano lessons from Izzie Chea! Ms. Chea teaches voice, piano, and flute out of her home in Texas. Her Facebook page is Encore Music Studio.

Free Piano Lessons via YouTube 

Oh, my gosh, friends. She is the nicest and so much fun. Ms. Chea is a virtual piano teacher giving FREE fun piano lessons on YouTube and Facebook live. She gives full, 30 minute piano lessons to kids, teens and adults. She gives LIVE lessons on Facebook every Friday at 1:00pm CST!

Watch her introductory lesson below. It is the first lesson in her children's series. She tells you which books to purchase for the lessons, explains how a piano works, how to hold your hands/fingers, where the different keys are, and more.  If you love it, you can join her private Facebook group Encore Music Makers.

Now, guys here's the thing. Ms. Chea is SO NICE to offer these lessons for free. She's made this a donation-based studio. So if you decide to participate in these lessons, after you buy your books, PLEASE consider donating whatever you can on a weekly or monthly basis via Patreon.com/izziechea. 

We're here to help each other and $5/mo or even $10/mo if you can spare it for piano lessons is a deal you won't find anywhere!

The Piano Lesson Books You'll Need

Here are the books that you'll need for these lessons. I've included links to them using Ms. Chea's affiliate links so when you purchase them, she'll get a small percentage at no extra cost to you. It's one way to support her in exchange for her free lessons. ♥

Piano Lesson Book: Complete Level 1, for the Later Beginner

Alfred's Basic Piano Library Theory Complete, Bk 1: For the Later Beginner

Other Posts You May Enjoy

• Non-Musical Parents Supporting Musical Kids
  
  
• Dancing Hands: How Teresa Carreño Played the Piano for President Lincoln
  
  
• Online Preschool Music Class
  
  
• Little Creatures: An Introduction to Classical Music
  
  
• Great Spanish Songs for Your Classroom!

New Dolores Huerta Curriculum

Did you know that April 10th is Dolores Huerta Day? At least, it is observed as a state holiday in California thanks to former governor Jerry Brown who made it official back in 2018.

And this year, Huerta will be celebrating her 90th birthday! And to celebrate both the holiday and the birthday, educators have been working with the Dolores Huerta Foundation to create a brand new curriculum that is available for FREE online!

From what I've seen, there are lessons for grades 1 through 11, plus a lot of additional resources. I'm not sure if there are still more lessons that are going to be published, but so far there is a whole page full of materials available for download.

And you don't even have to live in California to use them!

If you're looking for resources to celebrate the holiday in your classroom, go and take a look.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Sra. Huerta!

Lingua Garden Offers Free Course Demo

Opportunity alert!

For those of you looking for an online Spanish class, here's a chance to sample the ones offered by Lingua Garden. Here's a message from my friend, Denise, the owner:

Over the next 48 hours, sign up to demo my new online Spanish course for children (2-10 yo) at no cost!

Yep, FREE! No scam, I am just asking for your support and feedback in return.

If interested, please read more below... 

Hola! My name is Denise and I am a fellow homeschooling mom raising two amazing bilingual children. I am also a passionate educator and entrepreneur who specializes in early childhood and elementary foreign language education. I currently dedicate my time to teaching local Spanish lessons to children, live online lessons to children, and homeschooling.

Would you be interested in trying this new Spanish course I have developed at no cost? If so, sign up today! Just click the link below. I would very much appreciate your feedback once you have completed the course. :)

CLICK HERE TO TRY THE FREE SPANISH COURSE

Why am I doing this?
A few homeschooling families I currently work with have encouraged me to reach out to you because they strongly believe that future courses like this one could fill a need in current homeschooling households. I am curious to know what you think.

I love teaching Spanish and about Hispanic cultures. This is my passion. If possible, I want to help homeschooling families in their bilingual journey. I believe that your feedback is essential as I continue to consider the idea of adding more courses with new content. :) 

Ms. Denise

Free Download: Spanish Numbers in the 70s

We're almost there! The end of the year draws near as do our free number games from MommyMaestra's exceptional sponsor, Spanish for You! You may remember that they are currently focused on helping students learn those higher numbers that come after 20 in class (you can find their earlier downloads here and here and here). 

This 4-page mini-lesson will help your young Spanish learner memorize their numbers in the 70s, as well as how to spell them. The file includes a page of directions, a seventies' grid, a writing practice worksheet, and a speaking activity. As always, it comes with the audio file to help you learn proper pronunciation. 

Click here to download this file

Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Free Art Lesson: Ladders in Art

A few years ago, I was fortunate to be able to share with you "Teaching Art to Preschool and Early Elementary Age Children," a guest post by art educator Sharon Jeffus, the founder of Visual Manna. Today, I welcome her back to MommyMaestra with an original lesson for MM readers. Enjoy!

Ladders in Art 

by Sharon Jeffus  

Copyright 2017

Younger children enjoy looking at master artwork.  Verbal skills are enhanced as they talk about the artwork.  An art project relating to the masterwork develops their fine motor skills and enhances language skills as well.  Teaching vertical and horizontal line is important.  A ladder is very basic and simple in structure.  In a ladder, we see vertical and horizontal lines. The line is the first element of art.

One of my favorite pictures of a ladder is this picture of the professor standing on the ladder by Carl Spitzweg.  He calls the wonderful picture “The Bookworm.”

“The Bookworm” by Carl Spitzweg

Do you think this man loves to read?  Can you guess how many books are in the picture?  It is fun to imagine.  Long ago some people had libraries full of books in their home.  You might see a ladder in a home or library, or you might see a ladder beside a tree.  August Macke did the painting below of a man climbing a ladder.  How many people do you see in the picture?  What is the lady doing?  Sometimes someone will hold a ladder to steady the person climbing it.  Do you think that there is a cat in the tree?  Why?

 "Obsternte" by August Macke

Ladders have been used for hundreds of years.  The man on the ladder below lived long ago.  The picture was done by an artist called Signorelli in the 1500’s.  What is the man doing on the ladder below?  What do you see in the background?  Things in the foreground are larger and things in the background are smaller.  Do you any cars in the picture?  Why? Do you see the horse in the background?  Do you think the man is building something?

'Man on a Ladder' by Luca Signorelli

We are going to do a picture of a ladder together.  We will make a tree first and then we will make a ladder next to the tree.  You will need paper, pencil and crayons or markers.  We are going to start with the letter “Y” and create a tree.  Follow the directions below to make a tree with a ladder.  It is an apple tree.  When you draw a ladder, you make two vertical lines.  A vertical line stands straight and tall.  You then put horizontal lines to connect the vertical lines.  Horizontal lines are flat.  The teacher can also cut strips of paper and the children can paste the ladder together.



To learn how to make this tree in all the different seasons, go to my lesson here.

There is also a Bible story about a famous ladder.  You can go here to read about it.

You can go to my website at visualmanna.com to learn about teaching programs available.

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Sharon Jeffus graduated from John Brown University with a B.S.E. in Art Education and is the founder of Visual Manna. She has written over 22 books and has created the Visual Manna Teaching method which incorporates the elements and principles of art, art history and a variety of techniques in media along with each lesson. You can go to visualmanna.com for more information. Her books and materials are carried by Rainbow Resources.

You can email her at visualmanna@gmail.com.