7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child - Paperback

by Naomi Steiner (Author), Susan Hayes (With)

Find out why early childhood is the best time to teach your child a second language and learn how to do it with this step-by-step guide.

The best time to learn a second language is as a child. During childhood, the brain is more receptive to language learning than at any other time in life. Aware that a second language can enrich their child's understanding of other cultures and bring future job opportunities in a world drawn ever closer by globalization, many parents today are motivated to raise their children bilingual.

7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child helps parents in both monolingual and multilingual families determine and achieve their bilingual goals for their child, whether those goals are understanding others, the ability to speak a second language, reading and/or writing in two languages, or some combination of all of these. The authors will:

• explain how the brain learns more than one language,
• explode common myths,
• address frequently asked questions,
• and reveal an array of resources available to families.

Packed with insightful anecdotes and powerful strategies, 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child is a one-of-a-kind guidebook for those seeking to provide their children with a uniquely valuable experience.

Back Jacket

Kids think it's cool to be smart. And what says smart more than speaking two lan-guages? 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child shows us that nearly every child can learn a second language, and this excellent resource will inspire and guide you to help your kids do just that.

-- Melina Gerosa Bellows, Editor in Chief, National Geographic Kids and author of The Fun Book for Moms: 102 Ways to Celebrate Family No matter what age your child is or whether you speak one or more languages, you can raise your child to be bilingual! 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child makes it easy for all parents to embark on this remarkable and rewarding journey. The book's step-by-step approach, which can be adapted by all families, will help you determine and achieve your bilingual goals for your child, whether those goals are understanding a second language, the ability to speak another language, or even reading and/or writing in two languages. 7 Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child explodes common myths about bilingualism, explains how the brain learns more than one language, answers frequently asked questions, and reveals an array of bilingual resources available to you and your family regardless of where you live. The book presents common hurdles and provides useful tips for conquering them. It also helps you navigate foreign-language learning opportunities in the public school system and offers concrete advice for handling special situa-tions that can affect bilingual academic progress. Packed with insightful anecdotes and powerful strategies, this one-of-a-kind guidebook will enable you to provide your child with a uniquely valuable and enriching experience. Naomi Steiner, M.D., is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Tufts Medical Center Boston. Dr. Steiner is an expert in the methods that are used to teach children more than one language, and she works closely with many bilingual and multilingual families. She is raising her own two children multilingual and lives in Boston. Susan L. Hayes is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Parent & Child, Parenting, Woman's Day, and other publications. She lives in Brooklyn.

Author Biography

Naomi Steiner, M.D. (Boston, MA) is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician who works with bilingual families at Tufts Medical Center Boston.

Susan L. Hayes (Brooklyn, NY) is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Parent & Child, Parenting, Woman's Day, and other publications.