Vistete, Robertito: Get Dressed Robbie

I just finished this book and tape with my boys, four and 2 1/2. I'm a Spanish teacher, and author of Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 1 & Flip Flop Spanish: Ages 3-5: Level 2, so I'm always looking for good teaching resources. The tape is nice and clear. Side A has the book read in order - English phrase, Spanish phrase. Side B has the book read in English entirely, then in Spanish. It has a picture glossary in the back as well, with pronunciation guide. A great way to change things up - My children were very interested in pushing the play and stop buttons on the recorder, but the four year old did notice vocabulary from his Flip Flop Workbook, and was pleased to listen and follow along in both English and Spanish. The 2 year old...well, let's just say we'll try again in a year or so with him. He likes to DO things I say in Spanish. Sitting is not his forte, but I was happy they heard someones else's voice in Spanish, and it was a story, not just vocabulary words.

Get Dressed Robbie is a great introduction to French words for clothes. Like all of the "I Can Read French" books, both the English and French is on each page. You start by reading the whold book in English, then go back to read each page in both English and French. Finally, you try to read it all in French. This helps the young reader and/or adult helper to compare and understand the words and sentence structure of both languages. Even better, is that French pronounciation for every line in the book is located in the back. Unfortunately, the pronounciation is in the back instead of on each page, probably because each page would otherwise be too cluttered. Although I really like this series of books, they tend to be a little too long, and a little too much like lists. This is very useful practice for new French readers, but can get a little tedious. If this book, and others in the series, where instead shortened and made into board books with pronounciation on each page, then they would be fabulous for toddlers. Nevertheless, the books in this series are still a great start for young readers and adult helpers who have no previous experience with French.

I am passionate that my children will begin foreign language develoment early. I have been spending 1/2 hour per week day having them do a French activity (cd rom, music, videos) for the past year. My 7-year-old is losing interest but became motivated when she was introduced to Get Dressed Robbie. She is easily able to read the English to her 2-year-old brother and is working on the French. My children are picking up vocabulary and grammar naturally through this books and others in the collection. I appreciate the pronunciation guide and the encouragement to parents to attempt to pronounce even if we may be off!