Little Reader Chinese

Remember I wrote about Little Reader sometime back. And this time I was offered to try out the Little Reader Chinese (LRC). And of course I was excited and decided to take it on. Thanks, Brillkids for giving me the chance.




I have planned to send AIR1 to a kindergarten where Chinese is also taught. In whatever available time I have with him, I try to speak to him in as many languages as I can. However, when I try to speak to him in Chinese, he keeps quiet. I know he is absorbing, but I just wonder how much and if it is correct. I have used flash cards too, but he will say the 'item/animal/object' he sees in English or Malay but not in Chinese.




Then one day when I tried LRC with him, I was surprised that he responded and followed every word which was recited. And of course I translated it to him too. He especially like the 'Multisensory' animation with the baby or the kids. He enjoyed it and wanted more.







It would show the baby moving to lie down on the bed.

I was surprised by the reaction of AIR1 and how such a simple animation could attract a respond from a young child. Now I am hopeful he is actually learning the correct thing and pronounciation. He has managed to repeat clearly and even wanted to learn more. That was an almost-3-year-old.

Then it managed to exicte AIR2, who is now 17 months old. She too loved the 'Multisensory' segment. And both of them can just watch it repeatedly as AIR1 taps the mouse.

It has the same level of 'interactiveness' as the Little Reader, but of course I hope in due time, the Chinese words can be recognized by both of them. The pronunciation is clear and easily understood and repeated by AIR1. I gather AIR2 is listening and waiting for the right time before she too can 'read' and repeat what she hears correctly!!

Now, to another 255 days of lessons and more exciting things to come!! Can't wait as it is not a daily thing yet for us. Weekends and certain weekday nights for now. Two days to go till the next session!! Yipee!!

Little Reader

It’s almost the end of the year so what’s new?

Same time last year, I was contemplating sending AIR1 to kindergarten (kindy). Too young – my conclusion. Between then and now, I did go around searching for more info on kindy nearby my workplace.

With the arrival of AIR2, I find it more difficult to find time to sit and read to AIR1. There is always the ‘jealousy-factor’ and the ‘no-time-factor’. And at one point (like now), it’s both at the same time.

I realized the importance of reading to a young child, even before he knows how to speak/read with AIR1. I read a lot to him and we (hub & I) noticed his strong growing interests for books. But of course, not many parents today think of introducing ‘reading’ to their kids at very young age. Even people I know sometimes say that their kids don’t even respond or understand, so why read to them. And that’s the misconception. The kids actually absorb what is read to them and they remember.

We would read almost every night (not bed time stories though). But throughout the process, he will not repeat after me. Then one fine day, out of the blue, he can recite almost exact, (actually he made it seem to sound like what he hears), the things he heard many months ago. For instance, a nursery rhyme which I’ve not ‘read’ with him recently (or thought him the hand gestures which was done many months ago.

And I was glad I read to him. Flash cards, books, picture books and even just simple ABC.

Then I chanced upon ‘BrillKids’. Down loaded some trial programmes and found them useful.

One of those is ‘Little Reader’.
It’s sort of like a read-with-me programme which I personally thought was very engaging. AIR2 (at 15months old) can stand and watch the whole thing, while AIR1 (33 months) will follow the whole programme and follow/respond to what is asked for.


What I enjoyed most about the programme is the multisensory section of it (see the photo above). This part is also both the AIRs’ favourite as it draws reactions from these kids. The sound from the animal keeps them glued.

BrillKids has few programmes which can be downloaded and used for a trial period – 2 weeks, I believe. There’s even a Math programme, Littlw Musician and Little Reader (photo shows the interface of this programme).

And after I tried it once on AIR1, he’s been asking for more daily. And he even wants to have control over the slides/programme on his own. Although at times we don’t get to do it daily, I find that he has started to recognize words and read. Not from memory but from mere recognition.

Hop on to BrillKids and learn what it has in store for you. I can’t wait to go through Little Reader daily with him!

Disclaimer - I was provided this product in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion. I was not paid for this review, nor required to write a positive review.