Motivation Motivation Motivation
It’s extremely important that kids have the motivation to learn German. 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 Germany, a trip to a German 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 seek by counting in German 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 German words at a time, they will find the task more enjoyable and increase their confidence in learning German.
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 German if you know how to speak German. If you don’t know how to speak German, you can still ask questions like “what is “this” in German?” by showing an object. If you know a few words in German, 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 German, e.g. “can you draw me a … ?”
-Talking with native speakers.
Another way of practicing German is giving your child opportunities to interact with native speakers of German. It would also be a fun family activity to visit a place where German is spoken such as a German restaurant, German supermarket, German culture center, German temple, German school, German 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 German Flashcards or make your own and practice with your child. If you are wondering about how to use German flashcards you can check out our blog post about Glenn Doman.
-Songs & Cartoons
Dino Lingo German is a perfect combination of songs and cartoons. You can also find tons of German songs and cartoons available online. It is also not a bad idea to buy some German 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 German, you can purchase German storybooks on the internet. If he/she doesn’t know how to speak German, you can read fairy tales by replacing some words with German words.
Summary:
Let them watch Dino Lingo German videos regularly and play Dino Lingo German language online games. Visit places where German is spoken such as German restaurants, German supermarkets, German culture centers, German temples, German schools, German community centers. Play with fun educational stuff like German jigsaw puzzles and German toys. Don’t forget the posters (German alphabet, sight words, German flag). Interact with other kids who can speak German or study together with someone with whom they can practice German.