THE GREAT EIGHT IS…

A series of Activity Kits designed for parents to enjoy learning and teaching Spanish to their children at home. Each Activity Kit in the series is based on a theme that is typical of family life with young children such as; Mealtime, Bathtime, and Playtime. Each theme-based Kit is packaged and sold separately and includes a Great EIGHT Navigator™, a Great EIGHT Language Laptop™, and a Great EIGHT Behind the Scenes Guide™. Also included with each Kit are Pronunciation and Song CDs, and Picture and Vocabulary Flash Cards.

The purpose of The Great EIGHT is two-fold: First, if you are a parent with little or no previous knowledge of Spanish, the easy to follow Language Laptop and the Pronunciation CDs will help you learn Spanish, one word at a time. Second, the Navigator provides you with beginning through advanced activities you can use to teach your child Spanish. The Behind the Scenes Guide explains The Great EIGHT Stages in detail, and shares how the author uses The Great EIGHT Stages to raise her children bilingually.

ENVISION…

Envision yourself, singing lullabies to your baby, feeding and dressing him, going for walks, describing the world around him, and comforting him with terms of endearment – all in Spanish!

Envision you and your toddler, playing at the park, reciting the alphabet, quizzing each other on colors, numbers, and animals, playing hide and seek and memory games, doing puzzles and bathing – all in Spanish!

Envision you and your school-age child, cooking and eating meals, going to the grocery store, shopping for clothes, playing catch or board games, talking about the day’s events while driving to and from piano, hockey or dance, and reading bedtime stories – all in Spanish!

TURN “ENVISION” INTO REALITY WITH
THE GREAT EIGHT!™

“THE GREAT EIGHT™”
A SPANISH LANGUAGE PROGRAM…

Based on The Great EIGHT Stages of Learning and Teaching Languages™. These stages are the same ones that parents naturally use to teach, and children use to learn their first language. With this program you deliberately use the same EIGHT Stages to teach your child Spanish.

Divided into Activity Kits based on themes typical of family life with young children, such as; Mealtime, Time to Get Dressed, Playtime at the Park, Playtime at Home and more….

Each theme is sold as a separate Activity Kit and includes; A Great EIGHT Navigator™, a Great EIGHT Language Laptop™, a Great EIGHT Behind the Scenes Guide™, Pronunciation and Song CDs, and Picture and Vocabulary Flash Cards.

The Navigator and Language Laptop make it easy for Moms and Dads to learn Spanish words and sentences they will teach their child.

The Navigator includes many fun and creative ways for Moms and Dads to teach their children Spanish throughout the day. Parents learn how to play a variety of games, make puppets come alive, color, paint, sing, play with toys, and so much more, together with their child, and all in Spanish!

Ideal to use with babies and children, ages 0-12.

Easily tailored to your family’s lifestyle. You choose the depth you wish to implement Spanish into your family’s life-from five minutes a day to full-immersion.

BASED ON HOW WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN ENGLISH

The Great EIGHT™ is based on O’Neill Language Academy’s EIGHT Stages of Learning and Teaching Languages™. These are the same stages that parents naturally use to teach, and children use to learn their first language. With The Great EIGHT, you begin by learning simple words and sentences in Spanish. Next, you are coached on how to teach the same Spanish words and sentences to your child during your daily involvement and activities together. The easy to use Navigator will motivate and assist you, each step of the way!

For parents, the concept is similar to how you teach your toddler, for example, to recognize and say the alphabet, numbers, colors, and shapes. You put time into teaching your child these concepts to insure she is learning what she is ready for. With The Great EIGHT, you can do the same for your child in a second language. A life-long gift for your child!

SETTING GOALS THAT WORK FOR YOUR FAMILY

Your goal for you and your child learning Spanish may be simple, such as naming colors, numbers and animals. Or, your goal may be more advanced, such as communicating in Spanish during mealtime, while playing at the park, and getting ready for bed. The Great EIGHT provides you with the knowledge to weave Spanish into your child’s day, just as you do with English. Simply choose which theme-based Activity Kit to start with, and begin learning and teaching your child from five minutes a day to full immersion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HER FAMILY

Theresa O’Neill Gunderson has developed second language curriculum and taught Spanish and English for over 16 years. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish, a Master’s Degree in Teaching Second Languages and Cultures Education, and an Elementary Education Degree. Theresa co-owns and operates O’Neill Language Academy, Inc. which specializes in language courses for adults and children.

Theresa developed The Great EIGHT Stages which she and her husband use to raise their children bilingually. Their son, Neill (5 years) speaks to his Mom and his baby sister in Spanish, and to his Dad and others, in English. Their daughter, Ellie (2 years) has the vocabulary of a two-year old in English and in Spanish.

In The Great EIGHT Behind the Scenes Guide, Theresa shares how her family uses The Great EIGHT Stages to foster a bilingual home in very enjoyable and practical ways. Read about the knowledge they have acquired, their many experiences, trials and errors, and most importantly, their successes. Then decide to what extent you will learn Spanish, and in turn bring Spanish into the life of your child.

WHY WAS “THE GREAT EIGHT™” CREATED?

The author was inspired to create The Great EIGHT™ while working at O’Neill Language Academy. She has had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of parents in search of a Spanish language program to use with their children. The author has spoken with home school families in need of a Spanish curriculum and with parents who have adopted children from Spanish-speaking countries and want to keep their child’s native language alive. The author has also spoken with parents who are frustrated that their school district does not offer foreign languages until high school, and parents who are bilingual but uncertain how to go about raising their children bilingually.

With so many concerned parents eager to hear how her family has accomplished its goal, the author decided to create The Great EIGHT™. With The Great EIGHT™, families can now enjoy learning and teaching Spanish in very realistic and enjoyable ways.

SPANISH KITS AVAILABLE SPRING 2005

Each Activity Kit is based on a theme that is typical of family life with young children. The Mealtime Activity Kit is available for purchase spring 2005, with other Activity Kits to follow. Each Activity Kit is packaged and sold separately and includes a Great EIGHT Navigator™, a Great EIGHT Language Laptop™, a Great EIGHT Behind the Scenes Guide™, Pronunciation and Song CDs, and Picture and Vocabulary Flash Cards.

THE GREAT EIGHT: ACTIVITY KIT THEMES

HOW TO ORDER KITS

You can obtain more information and order Activity Kits through our website or by calling:

www.oneilllanguage.com
651.264.0404