Motivation Motivation Motivation
It’s extremely important that kids have the motivation to learn Dutch. How to increase their motivation is not as difficult as you might think. You can simply do the following
-Rewards
Offer them rewards for learning extra words or phrases (e.g., a chocolate bar from the Netherlands, a trip to a Dutch restaurant, or his/her favorite place, such as an amusement park)
-Surprises
Especially for small children, including infants and toddlers, surprises are proven to increase motivation. If you play games like peekaboo (for babies) your child will be able to keep paying attention to the program.
-Fun
Playing games like hide and go seek by counting in Dutch or a cardboard game will do the trick.
Keep it short and simple
Not only adults but also children automatically lose interest if what they are asked to do is difficult. When you ask them to learn only a few Dutch words at a time, they will find the task more enjoyable and increase their confidence in learning Dutch.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice makes it perfect the old saying goes. If your child has no opportunity to practice what he/she learned, you can make sure that all the efforts are in vain.
-Test & Quiz
You can speak to your child in Dutch if you know how to speak Dutch. If you don’t know how to speak Dutch, you can still ask questions like “what is “this” in Dutch?” by showing an object. If you know a few words in Dutch, you can show him/her 2 objects and ask “which one is “…”?” Kids love drawing things, you can also play with your children and ask them to draw objects by calling object names in Dutch, e.g. “can you draw me a ….?”
-Talking with native speakers.
Another way of practicing Dutch is giving your child opportunities to interact with native speakers of Dutch. It would also be a fun family activity to visit a place where Dutch is spoken such as a Dutch restaurant, Dutch supermarket, Dutch culture center, Dutch temple, Dutch school, Dutch community center etc.
-Flashcards
Flash cards might sound like an old school method but they are effective. Similar to Dino Lingo motion images, how flash cards work is very simple: they create object-sign associations in your child’s brain after a short period of exposure. You can use Dino Lingo Dutch Flash cards or make your own and practice with your child. If you are wondering about how to use Dutch flashcards you can check out our blog post about Glenn Doman.
-Songs & Cartoons
Dino Lingo Dutch is a perfect combination of songs and cartoons. You can also find tons of Dutch songs and cartoons available online. It is also not a bad idea to buy some Dutch children’s song cd and play it in the car or at home as background music. Studies have shown that even background TV can increase children’s vocabulary.
-Children’s Stories
If your child knows some Dutch, you can purchase Dutch storybooks on the internet. If he/she doesn’t know how to speak Dutch, you can read fairy tales by replacing some words with Dutch words.
Summary:
Let them watch Dino Lingo Dutch videos regularly and play Dino Lingo Dutch language online games. Visit places where Dutch is spoken such as Dutch restaurants, Dutch supermarkets, Dutch culture centers, Dutch temples, Dutch schools, Dutch community centers. Play with fun educational stuff like Dutch jigsaw puzzles and Dutch toys. Don’t forget the posters (Dutch alphabet, sight words, Dutch flag). Interact with other kids who can speak Dutch or study together with someone with whom they can practice Dutch.