Category: Chinese Resources

Chinese Resources, Reviews

Chinese Resources: Sticker Books

McG

There are so many things to consider when buying Chinese materials for your child:

  • Chronological age
  • Language age
  • Interests and personality
  • Laziness level of parent 😝

If you’re a lazy parent like me then I have just the thing for you: Sticker books!

The only thing you need to do is cut the sticker sheets out with a craft knife:

And read them to your child, of course. Personally I much prefer reading than thinking of what to say. Because thinking in Chinese 💭 is TOO MUCH WORK.

Here’s what I like about this particular set.

#1. Cheap

TEN sticker books (24 pages each) cost less than $4 USD! IKR?! I think I paid more for each English sticker book when Little Man was a toddler.

#2. Covers a wide variety of topics and age range

Some books have age ranges on them 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years, 5-6 years and others are based on topics like Science, Math, Logic, Language.

It goes from simple stories and vocabulary (animals, clothing, occupations) to more advanced concepts like food chains, telling time, character recognition and 成语 (idioms).

#3. Vocabulary and comprehension

Overall they are a good fit for Little Man (age 5) and are great for Chinese language bonding time. It helps me realize the gaps in his vocabulary because sometimes he doesn’t understand when I read him the instructions. Actually I don’t know the meanings of half the idioms shown above so it’s educational for me as well. 😛

Dislikes:

The books don’t lay flat because of the binding. Most of the time I have to hold it flat for Little Man while he sticks the stickers on. GAH. Same problem with many English sticker books that I’ve bought from Amazon so it’s not just these ones.

Also I find it hard to believe a 2-year-old would have the fine motor dexterity to manipulate the teensy stickers. Use your parental judgement on that one!

Buy from:

Taobao link here. Like most items I buy from TB, the shipping costs more than the items.

img_1558

Other sticker books I’m eyeing:

{Like and Follow me on Facebook and Instagram!}

Chinese Resources

Chinese Resources: Twinkl Review {GIVEAWAY}

McG

3/7/2018: This giveaway contest has ended.

I came across Twinkl by chance when browsing online for Chinese coloring sheets. They are a UK-based company so most of their resources are in English, but they also have a huge variety of resources in Simplified Chinese and many other languages.

A Twinkl subscription gives you unlimited access to all their high quality printables in every imaginable topic. In my work as a speech pathologist, I help students of all ages across all subjects from Chinese, English, Social Skills, Math, Science, Social Studies, and even PE. Sometimes the kids want to color pictures or do crafts. I can find almost everything I need on Twinkl!

 

Many of my students with special needs have difficulty writing and cutting worksheets, so I often turn the printables into file folder games which are fun, hands on, and reusable. 🙂

The other thing I like to do is turn printables into Montessori-style cards by adjusting the printer settings to print 6 of them on a page:

image1 (3)

The Twinkl search engine accepts English and Chinese searches, e.g. typing in “形状” yielded a mind-blowing FIFTY-TWO shapes printables in Chinese:

They also have a nice variety of real photos and more cartoon-type illustrations so you can choose what you like based on your preference:

fruit

I also like to browse all the Chinese resources available by scrolling to the bottom of the page and clicking “中国 China”. Look at all the different languages available!

They frequently have new printables based on current holidays or events. Here’s a sampling of the materials for Winter Olympics and Chinese New Year:

winterolympics.PNG

Every time I browse around, I end up finding yet another super cool thing. The other day I randomly discovered Singapore (my homeland) coloring sheets and National Day printables and about fell out of my chair. AMAZING!

How does Twinkl work?

You get unlimited access to all their materials with a flat fee of $6.99 USD per month ($78 annual). They have great customer service and are responsive to emails/feedback in a few days. The printables are often available in a variety of options like English, Chinese/English, Chinese/Pinyin or Chinese only so you can select what you prefer.

If there is a printable that you like that is not yet available in Chinese, you can contact them to translate it. So far I’ve requested for a handful of printables to be translated and they have been so obliging each time and email me when it’s ready. 😀

img_1266

Downsides:

Twinkl has a huge array of materials for teaching vocabulary, language, and themes and you can find most of the units covered in school like body parts, colors, weather, seasons, holidays, etc. However there is not much for teaching the more technical aspects of Chinese like strokes, radicals, and character writing.

weather.PNG

The other con is that some materials are only available in UK English and when I use them with my American students, I get comments that things are “spelled wrong”. I do not mind this really as it gives me an opportunity to discuss with them that there are variations in English around the world.

Is it worth it?

You’re probably wondering if the subscription fee is worth it and the answer is… it depends on how often you use it. If you use it almost every single day like me, then of course it is 100% worth it for the high quality materials AND time saved AND convenience of downloading what you need immediately.

The best way for you to decide is to browse around and try the free Chinese sample pack (link below), which includes the printables shown here and more:

Download the absolutely free Chinese Resource Pack here! You don’t even need to give them your email.

Giveaway Details (This contest has ended)

  • This contest will run from Feb 26, 2018 – Mar 5, 2018, 7pm CST. One winner will be selected at random.
  • The winner will receive a 12-month Core Twinkl Subscription sponsored by Twinkl. Since this is an online subscription, this contest is open to anyone from any country! Click here to read Twinkl Terms & Conditions
  • Each person can have a maximum of three entries, as listed below.
  • The winner will be contacted via Facebook Messenger after the contest ends to claim his/her prize directly from Twinkl.

To enter the contest:

  • Must like and follow both Hands-On Chinese Fun and Twinkl USA Facebook pages.
  • Must comment on this Facebook post with the country you are residing in.
  • (Optional) For an extra entry, share this Facebook post. Remember to set the post to public.
  • (Optional) For an extra entry, follow both @handsonchinesefun and @twinklusa on Instagram and comment on this Instagram post with the country you are residing in.

Share this post with your friends and family!