AWARDS
Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera is winner of Dr. Toy Best Vacation Products
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out) is the latest release in Whistlefritz's award-winning Spanish for Kids series. It's non-stop fun as teacher Maria and the Whistlefritz kids search for the mischievous mouse Fritzi. This Spanish immersion DVD combines live action, animation, puppets, music, skits, and fun to teach children Spanish, while exploring their world—inside the house and out on the playground—learning words for everyday objects along the way. Translation Guide, which lists all words in order of appearance, provides an easy reference for first-time learners of Spanish and is perfect for the whole family!
Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera is winner of Parents’ Choice Silver Award
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
"Viewers young and old were captivated from the moment the bright-eyed, engaging and charming host, Maria, appeared on screen. Maria spends her time searching around her house for her pet mouse Fritzi. Throughout this delightful game of hide and seek, viewers hear conversational Spanish introduced by Maria, who has a special talent for speaking clearly and pronouncing words with exactness. The DVD skillfully freshens up tried and true tools such as live action with puppets, animation, children and music to teach young viewers household words in Spanish."
Spanish for Kids: Cha, Cha, Cha is winner of Parents’ Choice Recommended Award
Founded in 2006, the children's Spanish language company Whistlefritz was started by a mom who wanted to teach her own children Spanish. Frustrated by the lack of high-quality Spanish immersion programs, she decided to create her own Spanish DVDs and CDs for children. Cha, Cha, Cha is Whistlefritz's second CD for kids (there are also three DVDs), and with it, families can learn to cantar (sing), bailar (dance), and aprender (learn) Spanish. The CD is a lively collection of Spanish songs performed by the award-winning singer and songwriter Jorge Anaya. Children explore educational concepts through a plethora of Latin rhythms, as in the Samba of "Las Vocales" (The Vowels), the cha cha of "Los Números" (The Numbers), and the polka of "Que Llueva" (Let it Rain). Cha, Cha, Cha is a load of fun, and along the way it makes learning Spanish exhilarating and alive. The CD features a collection of upbeat originals, as well as popular and traditional favorites such as "La Cucaracha," "El Barco Chiquito," "Los Elefantes," and "Bingo." Children can dance and sing as they learn vocabulary words, the alphabet, and numbers in Spanish. A handy translation guide is included, which provides an easy reference for parents and teachers who may be first-time Spanish learners, themselves.
Spanish for Kids: Los Animales, Vamos a Jugar, and A Bailar! are winners of Parents’ Choice Approved Awards
Review of Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar (Let's Play):
"Featuring children from infants to age 9 or so, young viewers are introduced to the names of body parts in Spanish through a combination of play, song and dance. Our pre-K test group participated happily and repeatedly, and began to pick up on some of the frequently used words and phrases. The gentle and skilled presenter serves as a bridge between the abstract and real life examples. The printed translation guide is an added bonus."
Review of Spanish for Kids: Los Animales (Animals):
"Designed to teach the names of animals in Spanish, this enjoyable DVD combines real-life pictures and sounds, cartoons and puppets to explain the terms being taught. Examples of the animals are shown as the Spanish words are spoken. The animals are also reviewed as each new animal is taught. An added bonus is that the DVD comes with a translation sheet to assist in reviewing the terms."
About Parents’ Choice: Designed to help parents and caregivers of all achievements and backgrounds make informed decisions about which new products are right for their children, the Parents' Choice Awards is the nation's oldest nonprofit program created to recognize quality children's media. The Parents' Choice Awards program honors the best material for children: books, toys, music and storytelling, magazines, software, videogames, television and websites. Parents' Choice Foundation's panels of educators, scientists, performing artists, librarians, parents and, yes, kids themselves, identify the very best products for children of different ages and backgrounds, and of varied skill and interest levels. |
2009 iParenting Media Award Winner: Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera
2008 iParenting Media Award Winner: Spanish for Kids: A Bailar!
2007 iParenting Media Award Winner: Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar
Review of Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar (Let's Play):
“[Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar (Let’s Play)] is very well done and would be a great addition to a family’s collection. What a great way to teach your children Spanish by making it fun and exciting! This video really keeps a child’s attention the whole time while watching.”
“There were many positive characteristics of this DVD: 1. Friendly and articulate narrator. 2. Friendly and engaging children. 3. Wonderful, bright and colorful images. Overall, the movie takes a fun and simple approach to teaching Spanish to children. While it doesn’t use any English translation, the pictures and illustrations are clear and simple to understand. The movie is quick moving and therefore works to keep younger attention spans engaged, which is difficult when they don’t understand the language.”
“There are many positive characteristics of this Spanish DVD. My 5-year old twins enjoyed watching this show and watched it many times throughout the review period. The main points that they enjoyed were the songs and characters. The songs were up beat and involved lots of action, therefore appealing to their attention span. Although they didn’t know what was being said as the whole DVD was in Spanish, they continued to enjoy the show. The characters and colors were vibrant and active. My kids loved the puppets and the children the most. It was great to hear them laugh at some of the characters.
The translation guide was helpful and I think after a few more times of watching the DVD, I’ll be able to use the guide more. The guide is set up to be user friendly and the user is able to quickly find the Spanish translation. The DVD was long enough for the kids to enjoy and learn Spanish, yet short enough that they didn’t get bored. There is an excellent balance of content and time. I liked that the DVD language was in Spanish and the idea of learning the language through immersion is an excellent idea. The simplicity of the characters and songs are amazing. I hope this DVD becomes a favorite in the household and that even I learn Spanish.” -- iParenting Media Awards
Review of A Bailar!:
“I LOVED this CD and so did my children! It was very nostalgic for me. I am a Puerto Rican and most of these songs I remember singing as a child with my cousins when I’d visit them in the summer and I also learned a few with my students as a bilingual teacher.”
Review of A Bailar!:
“As a parent, I appreciated the upbeat and lively nature of the music. It was such that our two daughters quickly took to dancing with the music. Several of the melodies were common children’s songs, which allowed our children to begin to associate the lyrics that they knew with the lyrics that were being sung.”
Review of A Bailar!:
“We all loved the music and the beat. It was very clear and easy to listen to.”
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
“It is colorful. It is animated and has children in it which babies and children love! The woman speaks very clearly and slowly and she reinforces what she says. Kids love Blues Clues partially because it is a conversation between them and the main actor. The songs are fun to dance to which my sons did and for Mom to listen to as well! Lastly, some words are printed on the bottom of the screen which is great for my 3 year old.”
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
“The most positive characteristic of this product is that it teaches a wide range of Spanish words. I also liked when they flashed the words up in Spanish when showing an item or concept. The mouse is adorable and the songs are very catchy. I also really liked the information on the paper with the DVD. I think that including the words with the translations and the words to the songs is very helpful.”
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
"The music was very appealing. The colors in the program were very bright and attractive. It was presented in a positive manner and the words were easy to hear. If I could speak Spanish and translate into English, I think this would be a great tool to teach children Spanish. When there was only one object and the word for that object was said, it was easy to understand."
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About iParenting Media: "The iParenting Media Awards represent outstanding achievements in the children’s and/or juvenile product marketplaces. The iParenting Media Awards program is certified by ISO 9001:2000, the internationally recognized standard for quality assurance. [R]eviewers are a diverse set of parents, experts, licensed childcare centers and schools nationwide. The iParenting Media Awards Program provides a credible and objective method of determining the best products in the market and then honors them with the most prestigious consumer award." iParentingMedia.com. November 2007. |
Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out) receives Grandkids Gift Guide Superproduct Award
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
"By now it’s well known that the best time to learn a second language (such as Spanish) is during early childhood, and that the best method of instruction is total immersion — with no English spoken and no translation used. Developed by a mom who wanted to teach her children Spanish effectively, Whistlefritz Adentro y Afuero (Inside and Out) is the latest in a series of total immersion beginning Spanish DVD’s for kids ages 2-7. Extremely well-produced and instantly engaging, these DVD’s could compete for airtime against any existing educational TV show for young children. Whistlefritz uses a proven Blues Clues-like style, placing an engaging live host against a backdrop of simple animation, with Fritzi, a mischievous mouse, as her sidekick, and live (adorable) children to interact with them. The actors speak slowly and clearly, and, when appropriate, representations of the word or phrase being taught are shown on the screen. Your grandchild will learn the words for many common foods, the numbers 1-10, etc., not to mention the phrases that make every day simple interactions possible. For instance, Donde Esta (Where is)?, Muy Bien (Very Good), and many more. A bonus —the real children throughout the DVD, in scenes shot at a playground and eating various common foods, are familiar for kids, helping them realize that even though their native languages are different, they all enjoy the same kinds of things. And, with superbly entertaining and educational instruction such as this Whistlefritz DVD, it’s entirely possible for them to communicate with one another! In addition to Adentro y Afuera, Whistlefritz offers two other beginner DVD’s — Los Animales (Animals), and Vamos a Jugar (Let’s Play)."
2009 Seal of Approval Winner The National Parenting Center: Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out)
2008 Seal of Approval Winner The National Parenting Center: A Bailar! (Let’s Dance!)
2007 Seal of Approval Winner The National Parenting Center: Spanish for Kids: Los Animales (Animals) and Vamos a Jugar (Let’s Play)
Review of Spanish for Kids: Los Animales (Animals):
“This unique DVD offers a fun way for children to actively participate in expanding their knowledge of Spanish . . . Using characters that are whimsical and appealing, children are exposed to and encouraged to enjoy the experience. Our testers felt with repetition that their children would absorb the lessons.” -- The National Parenting Center, 2007 Fall Report
Review of Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar (Let's Play):
“Using a simple and straightforward approach to teaching young children a second language, Whistlefritz employs an easy to follow system. Bright colorful images to capture the child's attention, a clearly spoken friendly narrator, and a good assortment of characters, skits, games and songs that kids already know in their native tongue, all serve to make this a standout bilingual program. When presented on this DVD exclusively in Spanish, parents found that their kids were able to follow the story lines and pick up the vocabulary quickly.” -- The National Parenting Center, Holiday 2007 Report
Review of ¡A Bailar!:
"This wonderful CD impressed our testers with its exceptional production values, great sound and superb assortment of songs that featured many styles of music. Kids found it fun to listen to and parents loved that both the lyrics and their translations were included. Whether you want to teach your children the alphabet or entire songs you can do it with this CD. By employing performers who sing clearly and giving them lyrics that stress repetition, learning seemed to come much easier for children." -- NAPPA
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
"If you are looking for a great video to begin the introductory process to the Spanish language, look no further than this DVD. Parents reported that the methods used, including zero translation and total immersion worked wonders, despite the fact that many were skeptical at first. Kids would watch over and over, enjoying Jorge the musician responsible for the Whistlefritz music, and Fritzi the Mouse. It is the repetition that finally began to pay dividends as children would recognize, then understand and then repeat what they learned. Parents told us they were learning too!"
About The National Parenting Center: The National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval program, created in 1990 as an adjunct to TNPC's support services, identifies the finest products and services being marketed to the parent/child audience. From educational and entertainment products and equipment to travel destinations, the consumer oriented testing process solicits evaluations from parents and their children. This award signifies to other parents that their peers have acknowledged a product's quality and desirability based on a wide variety of determining factors. David Katzner |
Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out) receives Dove Foundation Family-Approved Seal of approval
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
"This educational DVD is very colorful and a delightful way to teach Spanish to your young children. Using everyday conversation is how we learn any language and this is the way this DVD teaches your youngsters Spanish. There are no translated subtitles to follow, just a wonderful and entertaining show that the children will be in awe of as they watch and learn. Dove awards their Family-Approved Seal for all ages to Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out)."
Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar, Los Animales, and Adentro y Afuera are endorsed by KIDS FIRST!
Review of Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar (Let's Play):
"Charming animations, children's involvement, interactivity coupled with playful association of words and the visual screen including music and puppet shows that make it very appealing. This title works well in a Spanish immersion format. Key character Maria, although not well known, is very engaging and has great charisma. She and the children are excellent role models, portraying good humor and fun. Helps build a child's Spanish vocabulary through skits, dance, Spanish songs and play. Children learn the Spanish words for parts of the body, clothing and numbers. This program continues to reinforce Spanish words learned in its partner DVD, Los Animales."
Review of Spanish for Kids: Los Animales (Animals):
"Very enjoyable and engaging to watch. Makes learning a language fun and easy. The playful associations of words, repetition in different scenarios, from animation to live action is natural and moves along with style and ease. Music, play and fun puppets add to the mix in an imaginative way that will capture children and adults alike. The flow of the language coupled with the visuals is very impressive and engaging - without any English translation at all."
Review of Spanish for Kids: Adentro y Afuera (Inside and Out):
"Lovely immersion video which gets right to it, without a lot of explanation. It flows nicely, the cast is engaging and it is definitely appropriate to the age group. There are sections where objects are introduced with their Spanish names and then there are fun songs to help break it up and move things along. It deals with concepts and words that the kids are already familiar with so it’s introducing vocabulary that makes sense. The mouse animations are cute. You should know that there is no English so young viewers might have a difficult time understanding what is going on."
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About KIDS FIRST!: The Coalition for Quality Children’s Media is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children’s media… KIDS FIRST! is the Coalition’s program that evaluates, rates and endorses children’s feature films, DVDs, videos, CDs and TV shows using volunteer community-based juries comprising child development professionals, teachers as well as parents and children from diverse geographic and socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. A KIDS FIRST! endorsement is given to titles that meet the KIDS FIRST! baseline criteria and are approved by both adult and child jurors. -- KIDS FIRST! / Coalition for Quality Children’s Media website |
Spanish for Kids: Los Animales (Animals) is a winner of the National Parenting Publications Awards’ 2007 Honors Award
Review of Spanish for Kids: Los Animales (Animals):
“This very interactive DVD uses the immersion method of learning which makes it downright easy for kids to pick up the Spanish language. Lots of songs sung in Spanish, play and puppet fun make for a culturally broadening experience.” -- NAPPA
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About NAPPA: NAPPA is one of the oldest, most-comprehensive and, quite likely, the most selective awards program of its kind. NAPPA recognition is more than just a seal of approval; it means that a product has been expertly judged against comparable products and been deemed "best of the best." The Children's Products division of NAPPA was designed to help parents make the best, most age-appropriate choices in children's books, toys, music, DVDs, software and spoken-word recordings for their children, from newborn to adolescents. The NAPPA judges are independent industry experts who have extensive professional experience working with children and parents, and who utilize input from parents and children both. Parenthood.com. October 2007. |
Spanish for Kids: Los Animales wins Creative Child Magazine's 2007 Seal of Excellence Award
Spanish for Kids: Vamos a Jugar wins Creative Child Magazine's 2007 Preferred Choice Award
About Creative Child Magazine: Creative Child Magazine is a national publication that focuses on providing the latest information on how to nurture creativity in children. Each year a panel of judges, which may include child psychologists, child educators and parents, monitor a pre-selected group of kids whose ages correspond to the various products that were submitted. The panel then evaluates each product based on four major factors: educational value, creative nurturing, creative play and overall value with respect to retail price.
Only one product per category (e.g. book, CD, DVD) can win a Toy of the Year award. Finalists for the Toy of the Year receive a prestigious Preferred Choice Award. The coveted Seal of Excellence Award is awarded to products that are not finalists but exceed expectations based on criteria for nurturing creativity and education in children.