Language Stars-Online Resources

Once you've enrolled in Language Stars, you have access to a special part of their website for students. I have found this extremely helpful as I still struggle to pronounce things correctly.  We use this a few times a week.  I haven't seen such a thorough offering from any other language learning school.

This includes:

1. Mandarin Character Practice Sheets - roughly 20 vocabulary words with step by step directions on how to create the characters. I've printed a few of these out but we have not tried them yet.
2. Learning Topic Sheets -  These are the exact ones used in class-just smaller. I print out a few copies of these for around the house.  I try to place them near like objects for review.  Online, you are able to click on a button and have a native speaker say the vocabulary words. I use this feature a lot.
3. Nursery Rhyme -The same rhyme that we do in class- and again with a button that will have someone say it for you correctly. We've been doing the same rhyme for a few weeks now-so it is becoming more familiar.
4. Song -Song with lyrics in Mandarin and English. Some of these are the same as on the Language Stars cd. All are playable from the website.
5. Coloring Page - Basic coloring sheets covering the vocabulary items from class. This week we are reviewing farm animals and pets - so we have a copy of this next to our barn.
   
6. Activity Sheets - These are activities for parents and kids to do at home to reinforce what was taught in class. They are game type activities and we haven't tried them yet. They seem a bit advanced-but I plan to give them a try in the upcoming weeks.

One thing I would like to see on their website that is not there yet is a pinyin pronunciation guide for Mandarin Chinese.  While I'm able to piece some things together from the rest of the vocabulary, it would be helpful for me to have a resource to go to when trying to sound out something that is not part of the Language Stars curriculum.