Little Sponges® curriculum aims to enable teachers and parents in developing biliterate children who exhibit positive multicultural attitudes and who achieve high linguistic competence in two or more languages. Little Sponges® program achieves this via an effective, research-based linguistic framework for Dual Language Programs (DLP) serving children ages 2-8. The innovative multimedia curriculum includes 14 authentic, cross-curricular learning modules. Using our unique Watch-Learn-Play© methodology, children travel through the learning adventures with our charming main characters, Mishka and Frog, learning over 3,000 words and phrases in two languages.
Children watch the video adventures led by Mishka and Frog, learn the material utilizing our interactive games, puppets, and vocabulary cards, and actively “play” with the content via our multi-sensory lesson plans, skills-based activities, and online assessments.
Our robust, multi-sensory, cross-curricular content fosters intercultural competency by exposing children to the dialogue between Mishka and Frog. Children hear spoken words and read along with the characters using native audio and subtitles.
Little Sponges® program exemplifies the strategic use of English and the partner language during instruction. Both languages are valued and respected equally in the program. Each language is presented in its own respective linguistic space (using audio and visual cues). In some parts of the program, the languages are connected and analyzed to help students gain deeper meaning and transfer knowledge. In other parts of the program, the languages are separated to allow students to practice various skills in each language independently to gain fluency.
Providing the road map for our learning adventures, is our unique Adventure Map – see example below. This visually engaging map strategically positions each adventure, so that children can learn and practice the adventures’ vocabulary in a sequential or flexible manner according to the DLP’s instructional philosophy or manner of use. Our Little Sponges® Adventure Map and thematic units contain hundreds of real-life videos, vocabulary cards, interactive games, songs, writing activities, summative and formative assessments, gradebook and much more in every course!
If you would like to learn more about our teaching methodology or see an example Little Sponges® lesson plan, click on the button below.