Many multilinguals at ISB will observe special days this week, from Yom Kippur to Respect for the Aged Day. Students in ES morning Japanese enrichment, an activity led by parent volunteers twice weekly, wrote letters to older relatives recently for Respect for the Aged Day. Parents mailed the letters from the ISB Bookstore afterward, and the letters arrived in time for the holiday today, September 17. My children in the program got a big thank-you on Skype last night from a grandparent, who also conveyed thanks from a great-grandparent.

Using language for authentic purposes is a great way to keep multilingual children motivated. Kudos to all parents at ISB who find ways to help kids read, write, and speak with real people in their lives, using language for love. 

Photo above: Notes and envelopes prepared during ES morning Japanese enrichment. The note at upper left says, “Dear Grandma Satoko, Happy Respect for the Aged Day. How are you? Always be well.”