BOCA BETH: One Song at a Time

What a terrific celebration of young children!  All week long there is this real focus on children, on books and on the positive things that happen when you put those two together, and it’s called Day of the Child/Day of the Book/El día de los niños.  I have been so fortunate to have been invited to several locations around our Tampa Bay Area to bring bilingual music to the toddlers and preschoolers in attendance at these celebrations held at local libraries.

We have danced with our Boca Beth beats, we have played fun games with Spanish and English mixed together and we have made an educational moment a very fun moment for all families in attendance.  Today I was at the downtown Tampa library with a festival right across the street going on celebrating the people and culture of Puerto Rico.  It was rewarding to be inside the library teaching children words from their country to children from this country.

In fact, a little boy named Aaron (almost 4) was front row and center with his BOCA puppet during the bilingual book time with the library specialists conducting this session.  His BOCA puppet gave away the fact that he was one of my ‘groupies!’  To most everyone’s amazement, little Aaron was belting out the answers in Spanish as prompted.  (Where is the commercial camera when you need it?!?!)

These children (ages 2 years to 14) were introduced to my Boca Beth fun way of learning Spanish right alongside English.  Many times people ask me the cut-off age for my materials.  I try to say that we target children ages birth - about eight.  But can I tell you that a young girl, 9th grader Nicole, made a point of saying to me at the end of my 30 minute children’s bilingual learning class, “Miss Beth, you have inspired me to learn Spanish!  I am part Spanish and I know un poquito.  I am so embarassed I don’t know more.”  To which I asked her, “But don’t you have to have the two years before the end of high school?”  To which she replied with some embarassment, “I haven’t bothered to take it, and my Mom is from Cuba.  You have really made me want to.”

Man!  I mean, Man!  Isn’t THAT what it’s all about?!?!?!  Sure, I got paid for my appearance today with a check, but Nicole paid me in ways more meaningful than that check will ever mean once deposited into our business account.  Her words, the hugs from many of the children in attendance today, the smiles of the parents as they witnessed their little children learning Spanish with my Boca Beth bilingual beats - all of those things add up to the support and love I feel as I give this dream of mine a real college try!

Thanks to all of you who continue to realize that this society of ours warrants a 2nd (and even 3rd or 4th if possible!) language learned - and for choosing Boca Beth as the springboard to jump start your children’s interest, love and enthusiasm for a fun second language journey!

Happy Educating!  ¡Sea feliz educando!

Boca Beth