Easy-to-read graded novels in Simplified Chinese. Which ones are great and why?
Author Archives: lahlahbanana
Youdao Dictionary Pen 3 Review
有道 Youdao Dictionary Pen 3.0 offers quick translation between Chinese, English and Spanish! This is an honest comparison between the 3.0 version and earlier versions.
Review: Youdao Pocket Printer for Chinese home learning
Super cute little thermal printer, which is ink-less and wireless, and connects to your phone. You can print notes, photos, flashcards, invitations, and much more, including Simplified Chinese character range, with OCR text extraction.
Book Review: Magic Tree House in Simplified Chinese 神奇树屋
A good book set for a child who knows at least 1500 characters, and is ready to read novels. Historical adventure fiction., making is an appealing genre.
Are phonics or pinyin needed to learn Chinese?
Hanyu Pinyin is a contentious topic among non-native Chinese speakers (and no, I’m not referring to any politics here either). This is my take on it, and some observations about how different countries tackle literacy and phonics in Chinese.
Online Chinese language courses for kids that you might not have heard of (yet)
7 new online Chinese language classes to suit learners and budgets, both big and small. All with free trials available!
Little Sheep Goes up the Mountain 小羊上山 Review – Chinese Levelled Reader
Exciting new series of graded readers released in 2020 & 2021, by the same authors as Disney I Will Read, but SO much better! This book set is an excellent choice for any child who is starting learning to read, and it won’t break the budget either.
Teaching kids Chinese in a monolingual home – how to start?
How do you encourage a child to love and speak Chinese when you don’t speak it? Here are ideas for non Chinese speaking parents on ways to teach the language and increasing Chinese exposure to enable children to attain fluency,
Simplified Chinese Comic Books & Graphic Novels for Kids
Review of six great sets of Simplified Chinese graphic novels for children which contain touching stories and Asian-themed graphics. Great for language learners of multiple abilities, with lots of cultural relevance too.
Best Chinese Pop Songs for Kids: Mando pop & C-pop for families to enjoy
Songs are a great way to learn a language. This post shares catchy and clean Mando pop / C-pop songs for children from across the decades.