English Blasters Speak

Parents

Holly (American, bilingual - English, Japanese)

Thanks to English Blast, our daughter has gained exposure to an incredible
range of topics at an early age -- she is often applying knowledge gained in
English Blast to other parts of her life and shares what she has learned with her
close Japanese friends…the Unit of Inquiry topics often become the subject of
their play. When we travel and come upon something studied in English Blast
she is so excited. When we look at the newspaper and see articles on topics
we've studied, the article resonates with her and really means something. And
best of all, what our daughter learns in English Blast often inspires further
independent exploration.

English Blast has helped our daughter learn to read, to manage study skills and
phonics work on her own, and make presentations with confidence.  The group
spurs her on, and makes her work harder than when she worked one-on-one
with me or her father.

Initially I was skeptical about all the parent participation.  But I've grown
deeply committed to this aspect of the program, especially as the Units of
Inquiry have become our prime means of teaching.  I have seen such positive
results with our daughter.  I now look forward to the units I teach, and look
forward equally to the units in which I am a student with the children.

The program has opened my mind to how much we can all teach our children
together and shown me how critical is the positive attitude of a parent toward
learning.  I love being a student in the classes.  Besides learning all sorts of
things on topics I might not have explored on my own, the parent curiosity and
interest in learning really inspires and motivates the children.

Parent participation is challenging but rewarding.  It is so healthy for the
children to see parents as learners as well as teachers, and it is great for
parents to be learning alongside the children.  The result is that throughout the
year, both at home and on travels, parents are truly able to reinforce and
expand upon what has been learned in English Blast.

Our daughter moved to Japan at the age of 2 1/2 and struggled to learn
Japanese at yochien.  Once she had gained Japanese fluency and finally had
that hard-won confidence in the language and with her Japanese friends, she
became a reluctant English speaker and reader.  English Blast has shown her
that bilingualism and biculturalism are positive attributes and has given her a
supportive group of friends and classroom peers with whom she can interact and
learn, and she is now comfortable with her dual identity.  Now she no longer
feels embarrassed by her English-speaking ability and her non-Japanese
parents (well, most days!) and makes the transition from Japanese school to
English Blast and home with ease.  

ENGLISH BLAST!