Does learning a second language help a child intellectually?
Oh my gosh! The research keeps pouring in about the many, many benefits derived from learning a second language early in life – before the age of five can be HUGE! Children receiving some daily bilingual fun (say a little bit of my Boca Beth CD in the car, some of the coloring book at play time, and then some of the DVD during monitored TV time) will read sooner than their monolingual peers and will score higher on standardized tests’ math and verbal sections by a noticeable margin of points. Children being raised to understand and eventually speak two languages experience advanced cognitive development, have better communication skills, demonstrate high levels of problem solving skills and open their world up for extra future opportunities! The latest, and very cool research study, shows that people who are bilingual and speak in both languages daily will experience about a four year delay in the onset of dementia and dementia like symptoms during their golden years! WOW!
