Did you know that what we call the “fall colors” of leaves are actually their glorious “true” colors? The leaves don’t change to new colors in autumn, but instead revert to their original colors. I learned this years ago when my oldest daughter asked why the leaves change color. As a way to bond (and hide my ignorance), I suggested we search the internet together for information. We found that, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “the four primary pigments that produce color within a leaf are chlorophyll (green); xanthophyllis (yellow); carotenoids (orange); … [Read more...]
Raising Children to be Bilingual in Baby (Sign) Steps
Like all first time expecting parents, I knew everything. Not as much as people who don’t have kids, they’re the true experts. But one thing I knew for sure was that my children would be bilingual. My wife and I are both sign language interpreters. Her parents are deaf. On top of that, we both have backgrounds in education and linguistics. We understood language acquisition. Our kids were going to learn American Sign Language (ASL). It was a no brainer. “Oh! You should look into baby signs!” people would say to us when they found out our backgrounds. This would be the cue for my wife … [Read more...]