Reviews
Synopsis:
Get ready to shout “¡Sabor!” That’s what people call out in Spanish when they hear great music. Once children hear these playful original songs and beloved family favorites, they’ll want to sing and dance to them again and again (and they’ll be learning Spanish as they do!). From the producers of the award-winning CDs “Cha, Cha, Cha” and “A Bailar!” (Let’s Dance!), comes this festive new collection of interactive Spanish learning songs with the emphasis on active, whether it’s making animal noises, playing games, calling out responses, singing, or dancing. Internationally beloved singer-songwriter Jorge Anaya is your musical guide to this fabulous fusion of world music styles, including cumbia, calypso, salsa, and merengue, that keep the Spanish language-learning party going. From “Uno, Dos y Tres” and “Mi Día (My Day)” to “En El Rancho de MacDonald (Old MacDonald)” and “Cuando Sea Grande (When I’m Big),” each lively song introduces Spanish vocabulary with words and phrases children use every day. A Translation Guide is included, providing an easy reference for parents and teachers who are first-time learners of Spanish. Get ready to be immersed in irresistible rhythms and pulse-pounding beats, and get ready to shout, “¡Sabor!” Ideal for children pre-K through 2nd grade, ¡Sabor! is fun for all ages!
Dove Worldview:
Whistlefritz presents this CD with songs in Spanish for your young children ages two to seven. This CD is filled with wonderful and entertaining, toe-tapping songs that children can sing along to help them as they learn to speak Spanish. It will help in the process of teaching your child a second language. Dove awards our “Family-Approved” Seal for all ages to this CD.
Content Description:
Sex: None
Language: None
Violence: None
Drugs: None
Nudity: None
Other: None
The Dove Foundation
Whistlefritz has created some really fun ways to introduce your kids to Spanish or French, or to supplement the language education they might be getting at school. Created by a mom to help her own kids learn Spanish, Whistlefritz is available in both CD and DVD formats. What’s important is that you do not have to speak anything other than your native tongue to give your child the well-documented benefits of learning a second language, which include larger vocabularies, better problem-solving skills, greater cultural sensitivity, sharper memory, more self-control, and more efficient ability to communicate (along with a whole lot more people to be able to communicate with). The list goes on and on. The two programs we evaluated, ¡Sabor!, (Spanish Learning Songs CD) and On Va Jouer (French learning DVD), are engaging and age appropriate. However, while childhood is the best time to learn new languages, if you’re just starting out yourself, there’s plenty here for adults as well.
Mr. Dad
Si algo les he contado a lo largo de mi tiempo en las redes sociales es mi trabajo diario porque mis hijas hablen español, aunque ellas lo entienden muy bien, contestan en inglés, les leo en español, vemos programas y películas en español, pero al final del día es como me dijo una amiga, quieren decir algo pero no logran expresar su idea en español y terminan diciendo lo que piensan en inglés.
Hace unas semanas les contaba por Instagram sobre un Cd de música infantil en español, al principio tuve mis dudas en como ellas recibirían este nuevo método, porque en verdad no quiero confundirlas ni mucho menos hacerlas sentir obligadas a hablar un idioma que no se sienten seguras, muchas personas me han dicho que debo forzarlas, pero no quiero que por hacer esto terminen odiando el hablar en español.
Este CD consta de entretenidas canciones originales y de títulos muy populares, son muy contagiosas, mis nenas las cantan una y otra vez cada que salimos en el auto, sobre todo tienen tres favoritas, Cuando sea Grande! Buenos Días y En el Rancho de MacDonald, son canciones que animan a participar, ya sea reproduciendo ruidos de animales, jugando o respondiendo, cantando o bailando.
El compositor y vocalista Jorge Anaya es la guía musical por esta fabulosa fusión de estilos de cumbia, calipso, salsa y por supuesto el merengue, ritmos muy contagiosos, cada una de estas animadas canciones presentan situaciones cotidianas para los niños. además incluyen las letras de las canciones para ayudarnos a los padres a facilitar más rápido el aprendizaje de cada una de ellas.
Ahora mismo notó que mis hijas estan mas interesadas por saber que es tal palabra y ya tratan de contestar un poco mas aunque sea un SI mamí, espero seguir con estos CD no solo para el español, creo que es un buen comienzo para iniciar otro idioma cuando ellas esten listas.
Para mas detalles visita la pagina web de www.whistlefritz.com , para novedades su pafina en Facebook y Twitter
Entre Compras y El Hogar
“¡Sabor! Produced by Whistlefritz is a lively and energetic CD featuring themed songs to help children learn Spanish. The music is very upbeat and the lyrics are at a level for young learners to grasp. The rhythm and beat of the music keeps the listener engaged and the repetition makes them want to join in the singing. The accompanying booklet is very useful. It does not translate the lyrics word for word, it actually isolates key words in each line to help the listener understand. The child sees the key words and can decipher what the sentence is expressing. The songs also include many cognates (words in Spanish that look like and sounds like words in English). I will be adding this CD to my classroom collection!”
Parents’ Choice Foundation
““Play the singing one!” is a rallying cry I hear from the back seat at least once a day. “The singing one” is what our oldest son calls the recent Spanish language CD, Sabor! by Whistlefritz. Whenever I feign ignorance of the CD he is quick to prompt me by saying, ‘you know the one with the panda and mouse on it’. It’s good when your toddler is so specific, isn’t it? We’re big fans of Whistlefritz and the way they present foreign languages. The songs are kid-catchy, have lots of choruses that repeat and all of the vocabulary is in the liner notes.
To say that our 5 year old loves these songs is an understatement. In the car we listen to ‘the singing one’ about 80% of the time with the remaining balance being split between country, 70’s, that ‘mix’ station and news. Even when we listen to the radio after a couple of minutes I’ll always hear, “play the singing one”. “What’s the polite way to ask for the music”, is my response. “May I please have the singing one”, he’ll say, moving his head from side to side just so I know he’s being somewhat prompted to do so. The songs on Sabor! are catchy. For adults who are in the same area as children who need to hear things repeated more often than us it doesn’t get old. The payoff for listening to Buenos Dias Amiguitos dozens upon hundreds of time is when your children start to repeat or sing the songs. Now when I try to sing the songs our oldest says “stop, I’m singing”, while putting his hand out like he’s stopping traffic. The biggest difference for us regarding Whistlefritz and other children’s language programs is how much more enjoyable it is for us and them. Repetition is key towards them learning and I can listen to these songs over and over without getting sleepy or annoyed. They’re happy, educational and simple to understand if you have a basic grasp of Spanish.”
Daddy Mojo
“As a home school teacher I was planning on keeping this CD a surprise for my children for the new school year this fall. I was planning on listening to it when they were sleeping or with head phones so they couldn’t hear it, but before I could they found it in my pile of school supplies I’m organizing. My children love happy music so much, that they have literally taken control of this CD and listen to it whenever they can. My 7 year old is begging for Spanish lessons, his 4 year old cousin and newest Aunt are primary Spanish speaking, and my son really wants to be able to talk to them better than he does now. My 4 year old loves learning how to be big like his older brother, and is super excited that he has now figured out how to use the CD player without help. He switches the CDs around, and sits in bed listening to music once his brother has fallen asleep at night, or he’ll get up early and turn the music on to wake his brother up. With this Whistlefritz CD I have found my kids hiding all around the house listening, singing along as best they can, and dancing when I’m not looking. Its super cute to see them so excited about music, dancing and Spanish! I am very impressed with how fun this CD really is for kids. I love being able to see the Spanish lyrics so I can learn them and teach them to my kids, and I love seeing the English Translations so we can learn about what we really are singing. I recommend this product for teachers, parents, Home School teachers, and well anyone who loves good music, loves to dance, and enjoys Spanish.
Pros: AWESOME
Cons: none
My Rating: Thumbs UP”
Mom’s Thumb Reviews
“My kids are slowly learning Spanish.
There isn’t a Spanish immersion school where we live, or even a good Spanish tutor, so the task of teaching has fallen mostly on my shoulders.
That’s why as was thrilled when Whistlefritz approached me to review their Sabor – Spanish Learning Songs. Sabor is the latest in Whistelfritz’s award winning Spanish for Kids series.
We decided to test the CD during a long road trip. About 3/4 of our way through our road trip, after countless stops for snacks and pee breaks, and countless gas fills, Sabor seemed like a great way to get a little education and entertainment.
Honestly, I was a little worried that the CD might start to drive me crazy after a while. After all, there aren’t many kids songs that you can take more than once.
I’m happy to say that my hubby and I enjoyed it so much we were actually singing along with the songs, and the kids would pipe in for the choruses. We must have listened to the Sabor CD at least five times on our trip, and I can say I’d do it again.
The kids especially loved some of the more basic songs like “Uno, Dos y Tres” and “Mi Día (My Day)” to “En El Rancho de MacDonald (Old MacDonald)” and “Cuando Sea Grande (When I’m Big)”.”
The Parent Spot
“Whistlefritz recently sent me their new CD of Spanish learning songs for kids. ¡Sabor! has 15 wonderful songs that will get kids dancing with actions that help them learn Spanish.
Whistlefritz has produced many award-winning language products, and ¡Sabor! has all the quality and fun of their other CDs and DVDs. You can read more about the company and purchase products on the Whistlefritz website. ¡Sabor! is also available on iTunes and Amazon.
So much to love about these Spanish learning songs!
- Fun actions. Movement has been proven to enhance language learning. These actions reinforce the meaning of the words children hear and sing.
- Patterns and repetition. These elements help kids predict and sing along. One of my favorite songs, Cuando sea grande, is cumulative. A new profession is added to the list with each verse.
- Vocabulary included in most elementary programs. Children sing about weather, animals, body parts, professions, clothing and more. Most important, these words are used in a context that provides additional language to make the vocabulary meaningful and useful.
- Natural language. These Spanish learning songs include common structures that kids should hear from the moment they start learning the language.
- Clarity. Jorge Anaya sings with perfectly clear, beautiful Spanish and kids can hear every syllable.
- Strong mental images. Many of these songs tap into a child’s ability to visualize what they are singing – a wonderful strategy to aid language learning. For example, singing En el zoológico, kids will picture a tiger dancing with a zebra and a duck dancing with a goat. This is a fun, effective way to learn.
- Culture! Several of these songs are based on traditional elements of Latino culture. For example, you will love Caminemos en el bosque, the Whistlefritz version of the traditional game juguemos en el bosque. The song No hay fiesta sin pastel includes that wonderful popular saying and manages to capture the joy of generations of family parties in a simple song. ¡Sabor! also introduces children to a variety of different styles of Latin music including cumbia, calypso, salsa and merengue.
- A range of useful vocabulary. These Spanish learning songs differ in how much vocabulary and language they use. Beginners will find plenty to sing along with immediately, but there are also songs with language to grow into.
- ¡Fiesta! These songs make kids want to sing and dance. ¡Sabor! is music for learning and celebrating!”
Spanish Playground
“Who knew learning Spanish could be so fun, and you get to sing and dance at the same time? I’m in! Handy liner notes offer English translations to the all-Spanish set of traditional and original rousing tunes performed by singer-songwriter Jorge Anaya and keyboardist Didier Prossaird. This is a family affair so just try and keep grandma in the chair. Let’s dance, ¡Sabor!”
Kidzmusic.com
“As with many language learning programs and early childhood education music I was afraid the CD was going to be too hokey or infantile for my girls to enjoy. They’ve both (almost) outgrown Mickey Mouse and Dora the Explorer. I was nervous neither they nor I would enjoy the music CD. I was very wrong.
With the first song my worries were put to rest. If you didn’t know any better you’d think you were listening to salsa or cumbia written for adult ears. The WhistleFritz Sabor Spanish Learning songs are upbeat and played in a style more conducive to enjoyment and continued listening and dancing by the whole family.
Even though the songs are upbeat they are easy to understand. It took a couple of listens for me but I was able to decipher the words and start helping my daughters sing along with the songs. I can attest that using music for language learning is most effective. Though I grew up with a Spanish speaking mother and did speak Spanish at home to a certain degree it was not until I discovered Spanish language music that my vocabulary and comprehension vastly improved. I always like to know what songs are saying so I tend to pay very close attention to the words, even in English. My daughters are the same. For them it’s not just about the beat, but also the pleasure of being able to sing along correctly. I appreciate that these age and content appropriate songs were put to rhythms that are palatable to all ages.”
We Are Earthformed
“You’ve probably heard that it’s easier for children to learn a second language than it is for adults. Young children have a “window of opportunity” where they can learn a second language naturally and with native-like fluency (research shows). Learning a second language at an early age also has many positive effects on children’s cognitive growth and development. But what’s the best way to help your little one learn a second language?
Whistlefritz was founded in 2006 by a mom who wanted to teach her children Spanish. When she couldn’t find the tools she was looking for (DVDs with engaging storylines; live speakers of the language; immersion teaching), she decided to create such a program herself. She succeeded admirably, as Whistlefritz CDs and DVDs have won 59 – yes, 59! – awards from numerous prestigious media organizations. Whistlefritz’s mission is to provide parents, teachers, and children with high-quality French and Spanish language immersion programs that enable children to learn French and Spanish in a fun, educational environment.
I was given the opportunity to review Whistlefritz’s newest Spanish CD, ¡Sabor! Spanish Learning Songs. I’ve written before about my goal to have my youngest son, Taylor, grow up bilingual. It wasn’t an option for my three older boys, unfortunately, since I only speak English. But (as I’ve also written before) my mother-in-law is a retired high school Spanish teacher, and she and my husband are able to have complete conversations solely in Spanish. This gives me high hopes that Taylor (who’s coming up on 18 months old) will be able to learn Spanish concurrently with English. Also, my 13-year-old son just started his freshman year of high school and is taking Spanish – so maybe all three of us can learn together!
In addition to early exposure to a second language, other key components of second language learning success mentioned in the article I linked to above are immersion, repetition, and a kid-friendly program. Since Taylor is also a big fan of music, ¡Sabor! Spanish Learning Songs seemed like a great way to hit all of those suggestions. The CD came out last week just in time for National Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15 to 10/15). It has 15 fun, kid-friendly songs that are upbeat and energetic – and performed in Spanish, of course!
As soon as the first song – Cuando Sea Grande (When I’m Big) – started playing, Taylor was fascinated. All of the songs are very catchy, so not only are they educational, they’re almost impossible not to dance to!
It’s too bad that not only do I not know Spanish, but I also don’t know how to dance. Taylor is too young to have figured that out yet, though, so we had a grand old time dancing around the living room. Taylor also spent some time trying to figure out the magic of my Bluetooth speaker. I think it’s now Taylor’s Bluetooth speaker.
I expected Taylor’s favorite song to be En el Rancho de MacDonald (Old MacDonald Had a Farm), since he’s familiar with the tune and gets a huge kick out of the animal sounds. (He’s also becoming quite good at making the animal sounds himself). But to my surprise, the song that really got his attention (and got his little legs just a-dancing) was Sabes Tu Sembrar la Col (Do You Know How to Plant Cabbage). It has a swing-style feel to it, with lots of horns interspersed with some 50’s style guitar riffs and even a dash of rockin’ piano. So not only is the Spanish immersion solid, the music is loads of fun as well!
One really great feature of this CD is that it comes with a Translation Guide for parents like me, who aren’t familiar with Spanish. The lyrics of each song are provided in Spanish, with a special vocabulary column that highlights the words and phrases in the song and gives the English translation for them. Many of the songs are like “Old MacDonald” in that the refrain has a different word each time – animals, occupations, weather, toys, and so forth. Taylor’s favorite song talks about planting cabbage with a different body part each time the refrain comes around (the finger, the hand, the elbow, the head…).
I’m really thrilled with this CD, and expect I’ll be hearing a lot of it over the coming months. And I’m okay with that. As an added bonus, I’ll be learning Spanish vocabulary myself, through the same techniques that work on children. With enough repetition, I’ll have the songs memorized so I can sing along with the CD as Taylor and I dance, which will teach me the words and phrases in the songs too.”
Dividing by Zero
“Whistlefrtiz’s newest language learning CD features songs that are catchy and fun to sing along to. This collection of interactive Spanish songs have been chosen and for their ability to involve listeners. There is an activity component here, whether it’s making animal noises, playing games, calling out responses, singing, or dancing the idea is to get children to become participants, not passive listeners. Parents liked that there was a translation guide included with the CD, making it much easier to understand some of the words and phrases. Testers told us that their kids especially loved some of the more basic songs like Uno, Dos y Tres and Mi Dia (My Day) to En El Rancho de MacDonald (Old MacDonald) and Cuando Sea Grande (When I’m Big). The performances by Jorge Anaya and Didier Prossaird are superb. Their mastery of all the various styles of music on display here, from cumbia to merengue, calypso and salsa makes listening to the CD a real treat.
The National Parenting Center
“Do you want your kiddies to dance? And learn? In Spanish?? I always do! I was so excited to receive a copy of Whistlefritz’s new ¡Sabor! Spanish Learning Songs CD so that I could review and post a giveaway for a lucky Mommy Maestra reader!
The minute I heard one of the songs, I was hooked. There are salsa, merengue and ballad beats in all the songs. I appreciated listening to lyrics created for children with rhythms that reminded me of growing up with my mami’s Spanish cumbias and rancheras!
The best part is that each lively song introduces appropriate Spanish vocabulary for words and phrases children use everyday. A translation guide is included, providing an easy reference for parents and teachers who are learning Spanish, too. I am thankful for the lyrics included in the inside cover of the CD. My boys are already learning new songs. Their favorite so far is En el rancho de MacDonald. It’s adorable to listen to the kids sing in the car.”
Mommy Maestra
“Where we live, we are required to know two languages to attend college (which is bilingual), work anywhere and just to get around, since our official first language is French. So whenever I have the opportunity to expose my kids to language in a fun way, I take it! For my two younger ones right now, no matter what language it is, we love to let them hear it – just to get used to hearing different languages and not thinking its strange or weird 🙂
When I was given the opportunity to review a spanish-language songs CD I took it for two good reasons. The first being that we often visit the US to see the kids’ grandparents. There being a lot of Spanish spoken there, it’s always good to be able to at least meet people halfway as far as language goes – if you know a little of theirs and they know a little of yours, you can communicate! The second reason would be that I just want them to listen to different languages as much as possible. I personally have difficulty learning other languages and if my children do too, I want them to have early exposure to as many different ones as they can.
So, one hot summer afternoon, I popped in the CD and told my kids it was time to dance! (we often take ‘dance breaks’ during the day, putting in loud music and spinning in circles – great stress relief!) My 3 year old’s first reaction to it was “Hey mom, it’s in French” Which of course made me laugh. 🙂 Any foreign sounding language must be French to her, I guess. Then I explained to her it was a different language, Spanish, like Dora speaks. She has also heard Spanish before from my mother-in-law who took Spanish courses for a few years.
SO once she knew what language it was, she got into the music! The music was fun to listen to and upbeat – it had classic children’s song lyrics – just in Spanish! I love that the CD contains a vocabulary guide that translates literally every word in the song – really great for someone who doesn’t know any of the language! My little Baby A – 9 months old – loved the songs too! She bounced on the floor in her cute baby-dance and babbled along – all the while hearing different words and absorbing different language.
I love this CD for language learning and my 3 year old still asks for it to be played – a very good sign!”
Debbie Jean’s Blog
“I have a 6-year-old daughter who is half Hispanic. Her father’s parents are natives to New Mexico with a big majority of her heritage being Hopi Indians. Her father isn’t too big into the culture himself, and after meeting my language requirement for high school graduation I surpassed him in my Spanish knowledge. Her grandparents both are fluent, and we decided that we did not want her to miss out on that part of who she was.
Besides Gaia’s interaction with her grandparents on her father’s side and her love for Dora the Explorer as a wee lass, she did not get too much of the language down in early years. We know how important childhood is for setting the basic foundation for learning. As part of her learning experiences outside the home, we registered her in a Spanish class through our local co-op. She takes three different classes each week to supplement her homeschool life and make friends with similar academic interests. Her Spanish class on Mondays is a lot of fun!
This is her very first class and so she’s learning some basics. Letters, pronunciation, numbers, greetings, etc. Here at home we review her classroom materials, print Spanish activity worksheets, and sometimes we dance to Spanish music. One of the most kid-friendly mixes I have is the Spanish Learning Songs by Whistlefritz.
¡Sabor! is a great resource for us at home. This CD has a great track list that is easy to understand. And if you aren’t fluent in Spanish, the inside booklet has all the translations for you! Children are able to follow along and really get into the songs working on pronunciation as well as really feeling the naturally upbeat heritage of Hispanic culture.
My Gaia loves to dance, and these songs offer a great way for her to both practice the language and get her groove on. As someone who hasn’t taken a Spanish class in over 10 years, I can appreciate what this Whistlefritz CD has to offer for our family. If your child is learning a new language, consider Whistlefritz musical supplements for kids!”
Atta Mama
“¡SABOR! is a fantastically fun CD geared toward introducing youngsters to Spanish. A welcome reprieve from the monotonous droning that so often results when repetitious recordings are used to introduce new languages, ¡SABOR! surrounds young listeners with joyous dancing music and easy to learn lyrics. The songs have great rhythm and easily encourage movement and attention from even our youngest (7 months). Our toddler (almost 2 years) is a huge fan of dancing and will ask for this CD again and again. As a monolingual English speaking family interested in providing our kids a chance to learn a second language, we are thrilled to have found an easy, non-television based way to expose our kids to Spanish.
This is our family’s first product from Whistlefritz, but given our kids’ enjoyment of the product, it certainly won’t be our last! Whistlefritz offers a variety of products dedicated to helping families teach their children both Spanish and French. Resources include award winning CDs, videos, and a matching game that I already have my eye on! There are also lesson plans available. If you are interested in giving your children early exposure to the Spanish or French language, I encourage you to explore Whistlefritz!”
Serenity Reviews