Spanish in Motion

Mission Statement

All Star Movement Educators stimulates the inherent abilities in children to acquire language naturally. Our unique combination of kinesthetic, visual and auditory involvement stimulates and challenges children to expand linguistic horizons at their own pace in a fun, creative environment.

Fact	The latest Research Studies prove that optimal language development occurs between birth and 10 years of age.

Language in Motion maximizes this potential by developing curriculums geared for children ages 3 to 12 years. (The younger the child, the more receptive they are to this fun, playful program.)

Fact	Students exposed to foreign languages in the Pre-School and Elementary years tend to have a higher self-esteem; be more creative; and, perform better in other classes.

Language in Motion stimulates children's natural curiosity in language through the effective use of music, movement and creative visual aids, thus motivating the child's desire for learning. (We strive to help children get and stay interested in education.)

Fact	Research shows music and movement to be extremely useful in retention of information. (Just try speaking the lyrics of a favorite song without singing or playing the music...)

Language in Motion utilizes the talents of our staff, professional chore-ographers and educators, to continuously refine its curriculums taking full advantage of current musical trends and research. Our staff simply cannot wait to create new and challenging movement combinations. (In fact, they rarely stand still!)

What is Spanish in Motion?

The Spanish in Motion Program is designed to enable the acquisition of a foreign language through innovative teaching methods. Choreographed body movement, music, creative visual aids and games, combined with many other assorted instructional activities in a low-anxiety environment, are the basis of the program. This programming approach utilizes the three language skills: understanding, speaking and reading, as well as creating an emotional involvement through the use of theatrics and movement. Another important feature of our program is the incorporation of American Sign Language as a component in the teaching of Spanish.

In a typical/traditional learning environment, students are limited to studying new vocabulary and grammar structures using paper, pencil and textbooks as their main learning tools. Teachers will focus on teaching grammar rules, and students, in general, will aim at "getting the right grade to pass". This method leads students to complete tasks in a mechanical way, without thinking in many cases. But even worse, students do not understand what they are reading and/or writing, and, they can't engage in conversation! Therefore, traditional methods of teaching foreign language have failed to produce satisfactory results for thousands of students.

The "In Motion" concept puts into practice some findings of recent research by famous linguists.

For example, T. Terrell states in The Natural Approach to Language Teaching, an Update, "Students must acquire the second language in much the same way that people acquire their first language: in natural situations". Linguist A. Koestler provides a very good description of rhythm's influence in learning with his statement, "Rhythm and rhyme, assonance and pun are not artificial creations, but vestigial echoes of primitive phases in the development of languages, and of the even more primitive pulsation of living matter; hence our particular receptiveness for messages which arrive in rhythmic patterns".

When we look at TPR (Total Physical Response), as James Asher presents it in many of his books (e.g. Learning Another Language Through Actions, the Complete Teacher’s Guidebook), we see the "In Motion" concept 100% supported. This methodology creates a unique program to promote real language acquisition in an enjoyable and effective way. "Language In Motion" appeals to different learning styles, develops alternative learning skills and builds self confidence by involving students in highly motivating activities; and, it affords second language learners, just like first language learners, an opportunity to play with language.

"Language In Motion" does not overload students with endless memorization of vocabulary and language patterns. Conversely it facilitates memory retention of the foreign language as a result of the broad scope of kinesthetic, visual, and auditory involvement. The activation of many neurological pathways connecting mind and body in the quest of learning results in generally facilitated learning and increased long term retention by ingraining the language with muscle and motor skill memory.

The goal of the program is to get students to understand what is heard, and to convey their own ideas verbally. Following the auditory and verbal skill development, students will eventually acquiesce to reading and writing in Spanish as well. Consider how babies learn language, they hear, they mimic sounds, they begin talking, and then they learn to read and write. The main objective of "Language in Motion" is to enable students to communicate effectively and naturally in a foreign language.

Why teach children a foreign language at an early age?

	In the past decade brain and linguistic researchers have learned a great deal about the best way to teach foreign languages, so that children develop real language proficiency. They have identified a "window of opportunity" during which learning a language comes the easiest.
	From both a practical teaching standpoint, as well as the latest research, we now understand that the better learner is one who starts early- at least before age 10.
	In terms of benefits, the research is pretty conclusive. Students exposed to foreign languages in the elementary and preschool years have a much higher level of success in other studies. They also have higher self-esteem; are more creative; and, develop better complex, problem solving skills. Additionally, they perform better in their native language, and become more open to other cultures.
	The power of the young brain to learn languages is so great that the number of languages presented simultaneously doesn’t seem to matter. They can learn as many as allowed to hear systematically and regularly at the same time.
	Very young children’s brains have trillions of connections waiting to be programmed. Some of these govern abilities to see and distinguish objects; to master major motor skills; and, to learn languages.
	After some age, which most researchers estimate at about age 9 or 10, some of the fundamental connections can no longer be made in the brain. In essence, the "window of opportunity" to easily acquire multiple languages gradually closes.
	Research indicates that during the course of childhood the brain becomes less "plastic" in the ability to restructure itself. By the time the child reaches puberty, the brain is significantly less adaptable in acquiring subtle nuances of foreign language.
	Consequently, the brain in essence becomes rigid and loses the ease of developing rich cognitive systems, including language. This does not mean that a second language cannot be learned as a teenager or adult! Motivation and necessity are powerful learning forces, however beyond puberty, the likelihood of mastering a new language with the ease of a child, or of ever speaking it like a native tongue, are almost nil.
	Children seem to soak up language by osmosis, particularly when it is taught through a variety of activities that involve both brain hemispheres. Such is the case when we sing in Spanish and make specific movements at the same time. When we come to think of it, it is through just such variety of activities that we naturally learn our own language, long before we understand the concepts of spelling, and grammar, and sentence structure, etc.

Our Program

	Music can help you remember things faster and easier.
	Cross lateral movements (e.g. touching the right foot with the left hand) activate both brain hemispheres. Movement is linked to learning.
	Scientific research has proven a causal relationship between the brain’s ability to process music and to reason.
	Music induces a receptive mood that enhances cognitive processes.
	Moreover, general music processing, including melody, has been linked to the right frontal lobe area, which happens to be the site of verbal functioning and verbal skills!
	Children do not memorize grammar rules or long vocabulary lists, but instead "feed" knowledge to their brain. This constitutes the process of acquiring versus learning (which would be studying because you want to)… not to speak of "being sent" to learn by your parents…

Interesting Facts

	By the year 2015, it is predicted that 50% of the American population will speak Spanish.
	Students who know a second language perform better on SAT tests.
	Some stroke patients who cannot talk can still sing!

Enroll your child now!