Musical Spanish with Sign Language

With my red ukulele I weave education, culture and positivity into each of my stories and lessons. Teaching in Spanish with sign language, I also bring two decades of teaching, special education experience and artful musicianship to my classes. Because I love to nurture young growing minds I created a unique program which combines learning a second language while simultaneously using sign language as a visual and experiential teaching tool. I will guide you and your child to sing in Spanish, shake eggs, dance with scarves, play drums, run through tunnels, interact with puppets, move with a parachute, play games and also learn sign language. Available for preschools, homeschooling and private classes. Email betsy@redukulele.com

 Musical Jewish Culture and Hebrew with Sign Language

With my red ukulele I weave education, Jewish culture and positivity into each of my stories and lessons. Teaching in English and Hebrew with sign language, I also bring two decades of teaching, special education experience and artful musicianship to my classes. Because I love to nurture young growing minds I created a unique program which combines learning a second language while simultaneously using sign language as a visual and experiential teaching tool. I will guide you and your child to sing in Hebrew, shake eggs, dance with scarves, play drums, run through tunnels, interact with puppets, move with a parachute, play games and also learn sign language. Available for preschools, homeschooling and private classes. Email betsy@redukulele.com

Testimonials

“My kids have loved your classes over the past few years. Both boys have their own ukuleles and regularly jam together in the living room. The younger one especially loves singing and strumming and after a long medley will proclaim, "I'm Betsy!" You have certainly left your mark on our household.  THANK YOU for inspiring them!” -Rebecca

“Thank you so very much for exposing our boys to the wonder of language. Your story telling skills and introduction to language are incredible. I feel so blessed to have happened upon you and your program. Through word of mouth, nannies were chatting about” Betsy”, the Red Ukulele lady. Being in the child development field for 30 years, I can fairly say when I meet a teacher of excellence. You are one of the few that standout in my book!” -Kat

“Betsy's story time is my family's favorite. As a former preschool teacher with a BA in Early Childhood Education, I immediately noticed how intentionally she plans each experience. With each song, story, and interaction, she offers developmentally appropriate opportunities for children's brains to develop in positive ways. She combines songs and movement, which is scientifically proven to help children learn more effectively. In a culture where multiple languages are not introduced to the majority of young children, she creates a comfortable environment to expose children to many languages. Young children's brains are primed to acquire language in a way that is later lost with age, meaning this experience occurs at the time when it matters the most. The space she creates in her story time is culturally rich while promoting character development. Her ongoing presence at this story time in our community is a continual gift to those who participate.” -Emily

“We went today to Elliot Bay Book Company, an annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage. We had just settled on the floor of the kid's section, reading, when a storytime started to gather. Great, I thought, perfect timing. For the next 30 minutes, my son and niece are singing songs in Hebrew, dancing, listening to Esti the Mensch, learning the Hebrew and ASL for all kinds of words. I could practically see the gears in my son's head, making connections between home and preschool and this space. It happens that the person leading the session was extraordinary - a gift to this kind of work. Betsy Dischel offered an interactive, highly accessible, not-your-usual collection of Hebrew songs half-hour. She didn't read Esti; she acted it, incorporated "mensch" into what they sang, and added ASL and Hebrew to events in the book. There must have been 50 vocabulary words in the 30 minutes. Every community needs a Betsy.” -Beth

“I have been attending Betsy’s story times for over five years with my two daughters, and we absolutely love Betsy! She has such a gift for sharing her love of languages in a fun and engaging way. Her singing, ukulele playing, and sign language really set her story times apart. Betsy gets to know the kids and generates community among the many repeat participants. Her adaptations of the stories are clever and incredibly engaging for the kids. My kids always look forward to going to see Betsy. She is a tremendous asset to the community here in Seattle!” -Jessica

“A couple of months ago  I I took my 2 month old daughter to her first storytime at Third Place Books. I am so happy that I did.  I have since been to several story times around Seattle and no one can compare to what Betsy from Red Ukulele provides. The way that Betsy is able to keep all the children of different ages engaged while also explaining to the mothers why she's doing what she's doing is unparalleled.  Her use of movement, music and different languages as well as the text, covers all the learning styles and prepares them for learning The Sciences as well as The Humanities. Two other mothers from my PEPS group have also become regulars.  We and our children thank you for enriching our lives.” -Tina

“Thank you for being a part of our daily shelter-in-place routine! You are creating happy/cultural memories that will last. We love your energy and all the teaching you do without us realizing it.” -Rosalind