This review is a head-to-head comparison of our experience with trialing six different online Math classes which are taught in Chinese, including HouHua, VIP Think, Wukong, Zhangman Kid and various Singapore Math options.
Author Archives: lahlahbanana
Extensive Reading: The secret to learning Chinese
Extensive Reading has been the key to our family’s Chinese learning. It’s about reading widely for pleasure, focusing on of texts where >98% of words/characters are known. This post describes how the approach works, and how stress free it can be. Don’t focus on teaching the child 500 words; focus on setting up a love of literacy for life.
1000+ Chinese Picture Books compatible with Luka Reading Robot
Our 1000 favourite Chinese picture books to read with Luka Reading Robot or Luka Hero, split by age groups, along with tips on how to find great Chinese picture books for Luka.
Book Review: Frog and Toad Story Books 青蛙和蟾蜍
Frog and Toad is a charming set of 4-books, which tells a timeless story of friendship, having been written over 50 years ago …. it’s perfect as an early chapter book for an emerging reader, with less pictures and more text. The stories are endearing because Frog and Toad’s adventures are simple every day activities – going for a walk, reading, cooking, cleaning the house or tending a garden. If your child can read >1000 characters, do give this a good look.
Chinese eBook Apps for Children: Comparison and Review
A detailed comparison of nine Chinese e-Book platforms for Children, including Wawayaya JoyReader, Dudu, Ellabook, Epic, and others. The posts covers the range of books available, ease of use, and key considerations.
Comparison of character lists in Chinese graded readers
This posts compares the character lists between three famous Chinese levelled reader series, being Sage 500 Books, Odonata Readers and Le Le Chinese. Posts compares differences and overlap. It outlines outlines key differences, with a focus on the first 500 characters used within each set.
Books to enjoy about Dragon Boat Festival
How can your family enjoy Dragon Boat Festival in Singapore this year, from the comfort of your home? Here’s a list of great reads and some activities to inspire.
iFlytek Alpha Egg versus Youdao Dictionary Pen 科大讯飞扫描笔 vs 有道
This post is a detailed comparison of iFlytek Alpha Egg versus the Youdao Dictionary pen (科大讯飞扫描笔 vs 有道) in terms of design, accuracy, and other key features. They are both excellent options, and the race is clearly on between dictionary pen manufacturers in China.
Mandarin Companion Review
Mandarin Companion books are a really different kind of graded reader / bridging book set. For Levels 1 and 2, they take classics from English literature, and cleverly translate them into books with minimal characters, that can be read by a Mandarin beginner. This concept makes it quite appealing for an older learner, who gets a bit bored by the ‘Tom and Jane’ style beginning books, and enjoy more interesting storylines.
How can a story like Jane Austin’s Emma or Sherlock Holmes, or the Secret Garden be condensed down into just 300 or less characters without losing the intrigue? Well, yes, you’ll see it’s been done very well with Mandarin Companion readers.
Learning in Lockdown! – Chinese HBL resources
If you’re feeling the fear (again) of what the next month may look like for homeschooling, then this post is for you. This was a post I had hoped wouldn’t be needed. It’s a simple list of what worked best for us, during a 92 day period where our little family unit didn’t interact physicallyContinue reading “Learning in Lockdown! – Chinese HBL resources”