In Plain Language

Strong language skills can set your child up for success in all subjects! If your child is spending more time learning from home than usual right now, they may not be exposed to the language-building activities they would typically have in school. 

In today's Season 2 kick-off of the In Plain Language podcast, Diane Paul of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association gives expert tips for supporting your child's language development at home — without it feeling like homework for them. 

Support the In Plain Language podcast to continue bringing free language and speech resources to families worldwide by clicking "Support" here: https://anchor.fm/in-plain-language.

Shop bilingual books and language learning resources at www.MaltyTheBlueTiger.com. 

What skills do kids need to have when they enter kindergarten? Should they know how to read, or how to count? What can you do if their preschool has been closed and they've been watching Frozen on repeat for the past four months? Not to worry: Carrie Shrier, an early childhood educator at Michigan State University Extension, has straightforward tips and strategies to get your child ready this summer (no cramming required). 

To keep your child learning at home, shop Malty the Blue Tiger bilingual books & audiobooks at www.MaltyTheBlueTiger.com or on Amazon now! These are the teacher-recommended resources that will teach your child language skills and help them embrace their unique voice.

This is our last episode of Season 1 of In Plain Language! We'll be back in October 2020 with new language learning resources for you and your family. Thank you so much for joining us!

Does storytelling occasionally feel more like a chore than a special family activity? Do you want your child to learn important reading skills AND to grow a love for reading? These invaluable storytelling tips from the pros — voiceover artists Sheli Baez (the voice of Malty the Blue Tiger!) and Brock Powell (the voice of The Kool-Aid Man!) — will help.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to use great storytelling to grow your child’s literacy skills such as reading comprehension, visualization, and critical thinking — and to turn them into an avid reader for life.

Follow Sheli on Instagram: @shelibaez

Follow Brock on Instagram: @brocktalks

Shop teacher-recommended bilingual books & audiobooks now! Take an extra 15% off your order with the code PODCAST at www.maltythebluetiger.com. These are the resources that will teach your child language and help them embrace their unique voice.

Did you ever make up secret words — or even an entire language — as a child? This can happen for a number of reasons, which we discuss in this episode of In Plain Language.

We'll be talking about kids who create languages for fun (a hobby that can actually be super beneficial!), kids who create code words with friends, and twin speak. Hear invaluable tips from linguist David Adger, PhD, of Queen Mary University of London and psychologist Joan A. Friedman, PhD, of Santa Monica, California. 

Don't forget to subscribe and review this podcast if you love what you hear! Those little things go a long way in spreading the word about this resource. You can shop teacher-recommended language learning books and audiobooks at www.MaltyTheBlueTiger.com (U.S. only) or find us on Amazon (globally). 

Speaking eloquently and confidently for a crowd is an invaluable skill — yet it's one that children are rarely taught, even as they’re expected to make great presentations as part of their academic success in school (think oral book reports, science experiment presentations, and social studies debates). However, you can instill this skill set in your child with these five easy tips.

We spoke to Lauren Mosback, a licensed professional counselor and author of My Sister’s Super Skills, and Herman Otten, a public speaking expert, to bring you the best strategies for helping your child rock school presentations and public speaking overall. By the end of this podcast, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge you need to raise an exceptional public speaker (or become one yourself — after all, these tips work for grownups, too!).

Shop Malty the Blue Tiger bilingual children's books (available in English and Spanish or English and French) on Amazon today to give your kids new language skills and confidence in their unique voices. These books are essential tools for both bilingual families and new learners!

Get your Spanish edition: https://amzn.to/2O0hBXH

Get your French edition: https://amzn.to/2K8GLSM

Love what you hear? Leave a review if you can — it means the world to everyone who contributes to and creates this show! Plus, we’ll be featuring some of your reviews on the air. You can also support this podcast with a small monthly donation at anchor.fm/in-plain-language. In doing so, you help to continue these important conversations about language.

Your kids are constantly surrounded by the Internet. Your iPhone? They beg for it constantly. Tik Tok? All their friends have it. Lit so much foji rn? They understand that in a second. 

But what type of effect does this exposure have on kids, from the youngest ones who are just learning the English language to those who have been speaking it for years? In this episode, you’ll hear from two incredible linguists and get intel on the origins of the latest Internet language trends. Get all of your shocked-face emojis ready, because this stuff is mind-blowing! 

You can buy Malty the Blue Tiger bilingual children's books (available in English and Spanish or English and French) on Amazon today to give your kids new language skills and confidence in their unique voices. These books are essential tools for both bilingual families and new learners alike! 

Get your Spanish version: https://amzn.to/2O0hBXH 

Get your French version: https://amzn.to/2K8GLSM 

Love what you hear? Give this podcast a little love with a review — it means the WORLD to everyone who works so hard to contribute to and create it! (Plus, we’ll be featuring some of your reviews on the air.) You can also support this podcast at anchor.fm/in-plain-language. In doing so, you help to continue these important conversations about language.

You want your child to grow a large vocabulary and excel in language. You want them to thrive in their reading ability, school life, and relationships with friends and family — all of which are directly influenced by language skills. Simply speaking around your young child is a great place to start, but there's much more that you can do. Follow these five simple, smart strategies to help your child’s language skills flourish, whether they’re learning their native language or another language.

Today’s experts are Diane Paul, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, the director of clinical issues in speech-language pathology at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and Veronica Davis-Quiroz, a former foreign language teacher.

For more information on language development, visit www.identifythesigns.org and www.asha.org/public/speech/development/chart/.

Malty the Blue Tiger bilingual books easily teach kids language skills and celebrate every unique voice. Pick up your copy on Amazon today (available in English and Spanish or English and French), and consider supporting this podcast so we can continue these important conversations about speech and language!