General – Motherly Notes Methods – Nurture Love Educate

故事聊一聊 – 林世仁老師的秘密 + 故事時間！

Books in the Video are not limited to: All our sessions are broadcasted in our Facebook Group FIRST and presented LIVE in group. Don’t forget to JOIN! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes
故事聊一聊：王文華老師來說故事！

We were able to invite the famous author 王文華 to come tell stories to our kids here in the United States! Whoo hoo! He’s written hundreds and thousands of stories, haha. Enjoy the video! We were so lucky to have had him come here and grace us with his recommendations. I couldn’t be thankful enough! […]
節日聊一聊：母親節的由來 The Story Behind Mother’s Day

Learn the story behind Mother’s Day. Ann Jarvis, Anna Jarvis.
Book Review: 樂讀456+ (無注音）：晴空小侍郎套書，檸檬水戰爭系列，說謊的阿大，12月的暑假，半個老大，看不見的敵人，我是好人，我是怪胎，蛋糕學校，超級乖寶寶

Age: 9+ independent if can read without Zhuyin I wanted to bring out that the 456 Collection has many variations of levels. They have the beginner levels, intermediate and now I will introduce the advanced with no Zhuyin (phonetic help). There’s a large collection of these but I’m bringing out a few to show […]
Book Review: 奇先生妙小姐典藏版 Mr. Men Little Miss Collector’s Edition Set

Age: 6+ with parent or independent with Zhuyin. Purchase link: https://glorias-bookstore.com/products/mr-men-little-miss This set is so darling. Just the illustrations should give it away that it’s a CLASSIC translated from Roger Hargreaves. My original set looked like the little books in the images below but they recently made a collectors edition of super large sized, gold […]
Book Review: 12歲之前一定要學的生活大小事 Things you should know about life before you’re 12!

Age: 9+ with parent or independent Purchase Link: 12歲之前一定要學的生活大小事 I love books that teach my kids on how to be a good person… because… what’s the point of life if you don’t know how to get along with others? You’ll have no friends and be very unsuccessful in life. This set of books is very […]
Book Review: 汪喵偵探系列

Age: 6+ independent if they know Zhuyin Purchase link: 汪喵偵探 This is a cute set of books and it really mimics our beloved 屁屁偵探系列 because they’re detective stories, gives out puzzles and mazes and little exercises. I didn’t personally do a video because my little one wanted to read the first part for our little […]
❤️🧡💛WHY ZHUYIN IS ESSENTIAL💚💙💜

Why Zhuyin is Essential for Learning Chinese.
遊戲介紹 (Games Rec)：我想聽你說 Popcorn Talks

我想聽你說 Popcorn Talks 桌遊來了!
Motherly Notes 注音班, 國小一年級班來了! Zhuyin Class, First Grade Chinese Class

To get more information on our classes, please visit their class websites: https://class.motherlynotes.com/collections?category=live Our Classes After teaching virtually and witnessing the hundreds of children we’ve have taught, we are starting a program that has worked for us and hopefully will bring Chinese joyously and effortlessly into your home. – Julie & Nancy Information about our […]
Book Review: 妖怪出租 1-4 Rent A Monster

Age：6+ Purchase link: 妖怪出租套書 1-4 This is a set by the same author as 神奇柑仔店 series. The stories are very fun and finished by my kids in record time. We love lighthearted reading. My kids alternate between these fun books as well as the heavier books for balance. Maturity wise, if your kid isn’t […]
如何用唱歌來教中文：Use Karaoke to Teach Chinese

Using karaoke to teach Chinese is very powerful. It’s how many adults learned Chinese and it’s how older children learn Chinese. I have countless friends who have learned Chinese through singing with friends. I’ve learned so many phrases in other languages from singing as well. Not only are there hard phrases and idioms in Chinese […]
Magazine Review: 新小牛頓 Newtonkids!

Age: 5-7 with parent, 7+ independent This is a neat set of science magazines fit for first to third grade level in Chinese. 99% of the magazine has zhuyin but there are a couple lines in their comics section that don’t but it won’t deter your budding reader from reading this because it’s FULL of […]
Need to Correct Your Chinese Pronunciation and Tones?

I wanted to continue discussing commonly asked topics about the Chinese journey. I’ve noticed many many many kids in my class able to speak in Chinese and some very fluently but yet do not have the proper tones down or have picked up that “ABC” accent. This may be okay for most but there are […]
Book Review: 樂讀456 系列 : 神奇柑仔店 1-8

Age: 8+ Purchase Link: 神奇柑仔店 1-4 神奇柑仔店 5-8 This is a very whimsical set for grades three and above in reading level in Chinese. It’s about a mysterious candy/snack shop opened by a supposedly old grandma who doesn’t have wrinkles. Her candies have magical powers and sometimes can give you magical powers. This candy shop […]
Book Review: 故事奇想樹系列 Whimsical Trees Set

# Title Collection 325 不偷懶小學1: 不摸魚老師不偷懶小學 328 不偷懶小學2: 不可能奇蹟不偷懶小學 334 不偷懶小學3: 不好找寶藏不偷懶小學 349 不偷懶小學4: 忍不住大師不偷懶小學 308 再來仙島小學仙島小學 331 仙島小學1: 桃花源大考驗仙島小學 345 好品格童話1: 壞脾氣的星星品格故事 346 好品格童話2: 孔雀先生的祕密品格故事 347 好品格童話3: 偷影子的小精靈品格故事 348 好品格童話4: 狐狸奶奶的魔法餅乾品格故事 355 好品格童話5: 小威愛哭哭品格故事 356 好品格童話6: 蝴蝶女王與糞金龜品格故事 357 好品格童話7：小鱷魚別開門品格故事 358 好品格童話8：大野狼咕嚕咕嚕 […]
Book Review: 小兵故事百匯 72本, 3套 (Little Soldier Stories Parfait 72 Books, 3 Sets)

Age: 6+ with parent, 7+ by self Purchase Links: 故事百匯第一輯故事百匯第二輯故事百匯第三輯 I only say you should read with a parent if your six year old isn’t mature enough to understand some content but I find a very mature six year old would love to hear these stories. I have an almost […]
Book Review: 怪傑佐羅力系列 (55 本) Zorori Series (55 Books)

Purchase Link: 怪傑佐羅力 1-40 怪傑佐羅力 41-45 怪傑佐羅力 46-50 怪傑佐羅力 51-55 Age: 5+ with parent, 7+ independent This set of books was first published in the 1980’s and now has grown to a whopping 55 books. The style in there is a mixture of bridge, comics, and picture book format. Words are easy to read, not […]
Book Review: 三采西方經典童話 20 本 Suncolor Western Classics

Age 8+ Purchase Link: 西方經典童話套書（1～20冊） I’ve been tracking down sets of classics for a while now. One that has detailed stories and close to the original zhuyin colorful illustrations excitingly written for the 3rd to 5th grade child comprehension questions in the back has 20,000 to 30,000 characters a book (Little Prince and Midsummer Night’s […]
Book Review: 中國經典童話 Chinese Folk Tales and Legend Set of 20 Books

Age: 5+ This set has CDs! You can put it in the car to listen, etc. I really love the titles in this set. Basically if you want your child to be aware of the Chinese folk tales, legends, and culture, this is a great set. The language isn’t too hard but hard enough to […]
Book Review: 皮克西隨身繪本 100本 Pixi Mini 100 Picture Books

Age 5-9 I really really really like this set of 100 little books. It’s out of print but I still felt the need to share it. It’s portable and it’s oh so cute… There are 100 little books from easy to hard. The first 50 books have zhuyin while starting book 60, there isn’t. The […]
Book Review: 艾利克與小怪獸系列 Agus and the Monsters

Age: 8+ Purchase Links: 艾利克與小怪獸1：不聽故事會死的小書怪艾利克與小怪獸2：拯救餐廳大作戰艾利克與小怪獸3：公園保衛戰 I would leave this to kids who can read without zhuyin already and knows at least 1500 characters or more. There aren’t any hard idioms in here but there are references to classics like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tarzan, etc. so it’s for the older child for […]
Book Review: 海龍號系列 Bande de Pirates Collection

Purchase Link: 海龍號1-4盒裝套書(海盜摩根的寶藏、鑽石失竊記、迷霧中的幽靈船、神祕島) Age: 6+ I think for a kid to read this on their own, they really need first grade level Chinese down to understand on their own what is happening. there are four book each with about 6000 characters and around 60 pages in length. This set is good for boys and girls […]
Book Review: 名著大家讀系列 Well Known Classics Picture Book Collection

Age: 3-6 with parent, 6+ independent Purchase links: Set 1: 伊索寓言、格林童話、安徒生童話和日本童話，共４冊 Set 2: 經典故事、偉人傳記、星座神話和知名故事，共４冊 Book Not in Above Sets: 動物趣味故事15篇 This set is full of classic stories from all over the world. It has stories from Greece, Japan, China, even Canada??? Each story is about 10-15 pages long and every single page has illustrations! These […]
Book Review: 跑跑薑餅人漫畫系列城市大逃亡，無限爆笑科學 Gingerbread Comics, Cities and Science

Book Purchase Links: 跑跑薑餅人城市大逃亡1：倫敦跑跑薑餅人城市大逃亡2：北京跑跑薑餅人1：無限爆笑的科學跑跑薑餅人2：不可思議的科學 Age 6+ At the start of first grade or a mature kindergartner, you can start with some comics to develop confidence in non-zhuyin reading. This is a new set published starting in 2019 and my kids ARE IN LOVE WITH THIS. It’s got weird story lines, monsters, adventure, […]
Book Review: 我愛瑪婷 52 本， 26張 CD. I Love Martine Series Chinese Version

Book Review: 我愛瑪婷 52 本， 26張 CD. I Love Martine Series Chinese Version Age 3-6 This is totally 1970’s style set of 52 picture books with 26 CDs. The CDs are read verbatim with the book! Those that don’t want to read with your children? Great! Have them listen to the CDs! LOL! The CDs […]
Book Review: 喜羊羊與灰太狼 Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (56 Books) Comics

Age 5+ This is a set of 56 comic books (I don’t have them all but I have enough) that I believe is out of print. You’ll be able to find these in the out of print sales sites or groups sometimes Used Chinese Book Group by Motherly Notes. It’s about a not so smart wolf […]
Book Review: 电话里的童话第2辑注音版（套装全13册）Simplified 簡體版

Age 3-6 Although the set calls itself a “bridge book” set, I find it better to call it a picture book set. It’s part of the Christian Andersen Awards series of books. Their awarded books are a hit and miss for me sometimes. Some stories are great. Others leave me with a question mark. However, […]
Book Review: 小小少年·少年励志小说馆（全六册）Simplified – 簡體

Age: 9-12 This set of books was translated from the Taiwan Set 樂讀456. It was created for the transitioning middle elementary and for the upper elementary children. In the traditional Chinese set, some have zhuyin and some don’t. In the simplified set, there’s absolutely zero pinyin. It’s for your older children who really have 2500+ […]
Book Review: 小老虎和小熊系列 (簡體 Simplified)

Age: 3-7 This is a set to read to your toddlers or have the early readers go at it themselves. It has pinyin and also has great warm stories about a bear and a tiger and their adventures together. The pages are thick and glossy. It was translated from a German set and I think […]
Book Review: 少年励志小说馆挫折万岁全套6册 (Simplified 簡體版)

Age 6-9 This is a great set of books for lower to middle elementary level reading for simplified Chinese. It’s a series of story about children’s lives and what it means to lie to see people growing old, making friends, getting good/bad grades, etc. In other words, it’s about overcoming challenges. It was translated from […]
康軒: 需要買哪些課本或練習簿來學中文? Which Books Do I Need to Buy from Kang Xuan to Practice Writing Chinese?

Many moms from our Facebook Group: Motherly Notes have seen my original post The Battle of the First Grade Chinese Textbooks: China vs. Taiwan vs. States and have asked me about what to buy in KangXuan’s website because there seems to be a million items in there. Well, the answer is… you should really buy all their workbooks […]
Book Review: 小小地球人 Little Earth 37-60 Book Set

Age: 5+ Please visit our Facebook Page to learn more! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ My beloved book set is BACK!!! Not back but MORE has been produced? I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for them to complete this set to buy and FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY IT’S COMPLETE. I feel like Gollum rubbing the ring in my hands […]
Taiwan Eats: 八月堂 Hazukido

I don’t usually eat sweets or bread. I don’t really care for bread for that matter. Usually it’s easy for me to take a bite and say “bye bye” real fast since it doesn’t do well for my weight anyway. HOWEVER… these are pretty irresistible !!!!! These are located on top of Taipei Main Station […]
Taiwan Eats: 飯 Bar Station , Funbar

This is a trendy style Chinese restaurant and it’s quite tasty! You can find many traditional dishes done nicely. My favorite is the pork belly (東坡肉) and Shanghai Bok Choi Rice (上海菜飯). The meat was tender but not oily. The sauce was just right. The rice was nice and bouncy and just the right flavor. […]
Taipei Eats: 銷魂麵舖 Spicy Noodle

I found this in 新光三越 (Shin Kong Mitsukoshi) A11 美食街 (food court basement level) … um… with a crazy line during the weekend. I vowed to come try it when it’s not as busy during the week. There’s still a line during the week! But manageable! It’s spicy but not too spicy. I don’t find […]
Taiwan Eats: Mazendo 麻膳堂

This place is supposed to be known for their spicy noodles but the GEM I found is their Hainan Chicken RICE!!!!!!!!!! Their rice has a lemongrass flavor scented through and not oily. The chicken was better than what I remembered in Singapore… chicken was warm and tender and the bones were still red inside but […]
Taiwan Eats: 晶華冠軍牛肉麵 Regent CBN Champion Beef Noodles

This place won championship in beef noodle competition in 2015. It may or may not fit your taste depending on what type of beef noodles you like. I found it kind of cheesy they have “Champion Beef Noodles” right smack on the outside but I guess it does help people realize who they while walking […]
Taiwan Eats: 一蘭拉麵 Ichiran Ramen

Noodles were great. Soup was great. Extra plate of meat wasn’t so great. Just get their traditional Char Siu. Don’t get the extra $148 plate of 燒肉. It wasn’t tender. Didn’t love that. Otherwise, everything was great! I ordered 10 times the spicy and then ordered slightly harder noodles which I thought was smart. The […]
Taiwan Fun: 華山1914創意產業園區 Wooderful Life

This is an “indoor” … “a/c filled”… “pretty place”… “with lots to do”… for kids age 3-8ish. There are easy things like go fish and harder stuff like Chinese checkers in a gated area within Wooderful Life located in 華山1914… go when they open on the weekends and wait at the door about 15 minutes […]
Taiwan Eats: 大三元 3 Coins (Michelin 1 Star)

This place was awarded Michelin one star last year. It’s very very traditional cuisine and has a Cantonese flair …. but is it really Cantonese? Not really. The taste is more like Taiwanese Cantonese fusion? The duck is crispy on the outside and I like the wrap that it came with. It’s got grains but […]
Taiwan Fun: Yilan Scallions Farm 到宜蘭拔蔥

This is an activity we did in Yilan. We went to a green scallions farm and pulled out long scallions called 三星葱. Then we made scallion pancakes. They have: rainboots so your feet don’t get dirty in the farm while stepping in mud to get the scallions. You wash the scallions in the water pool […]
Taiwan Fun: 國立傳統藝術中心 (宜蘭) National Center for Traditional Arts (Yilan)

We were craving something that’s not mud but yet cultural and fun to shop and walk and clean and pretty for our last stop in Yilan and we went here. There are a LOT … A LOT OF DIY here but we didn’t have enough time!! We thought it’s a 40 minute visit sort of […]
Taiwan Fun: Yilan Crayon Factory DIY

We went to 宜蘭 and this was one of the activities that the driver had planned for us. We went to the Crayon factory (there’s only two there and this is the one that most people with kids go to since the other one is for “better quality” art supplies). It’s a very streamlined DIY […]
Taiwan Eats: 肉割烹ゆう-Nikukappou Yuu

If you love beef and love marbled melt in your mouth beef from Japan (Omi beef)….Come here. Highly recommended. It’s about ten courses of amazing. There’s only space for about ten guests per dinner sitting. Menu is fixed but you can tell them about allergies and preferences for substitution, etc. Service is friendly and nice. […]
Taiwan Eats: Kiki Restaurant Kiki 餐廳

This is a chain opened by 藍心湄. It’s not like something that’s ultra ultra special but the taste is so good! For those that like spicy food, this is the place to come. The menu is expansive and the food is super well cooked. I really suggest 蒼蠅頭 as a must order if you like […]
Taiwan Fun: 野柳地質公園 Yeliu Geopark

This place was sooooooooooo freagin beautiful. However, it was SOOOOOOOOOOO HOT!!!! OMG, I was melting!!!! Yes, I did the whole Taiwan thing and was carrying an umbrella the whole time because my skin was burning. Kids were whining one minute into the park on how hot they were and how they feel tired cuz they’re […]
Taiwan Fun: 九份老街 JiuFen Old Street

If you love shopping for local items and walking through old styled streets, this is the place for you. This place as been used as the background for movies like “A City of Sadness” and “Spirited Away” so it’s popular for a lot of Asian to come see this place. It’s very “steep”… it was […]
Taiwan Fun: 十分 Shifen Old Street

This is the famous place where you can light up paper lanterns and let them float into the sky like the Taiwan idol dramas. The strip of shopping is about only half a mile long. You will find lantern shops all along the shopping strip with similar prices. $150 for one color and $200 for […]
Taiwan Eats: Palais De Chine (Michelin 3 Stars) 君品酒店頤宮 (米其林 3 星)

Seems like I’m always eating… but this one is a must go and repeat! Must go and repeat! Must go and repeat! Chinese Site: https://www.palaisdechinehotel.com/tw/restaurant.php English Site: https://www.palaisdechinehotel.com/en/restaurant.php Couple things to note: It’s Dim Sum on steroids. Reservations are hard… hard… did I say hard? Call in the FIRST of the month to get a […]
Taiwan Fun: 貓空纜車 MaoKong Gondola

We went on the Maokong Gondola. Some things to note: It’s a 25 minute ride up and 25 minute ride down if you want to ride down. You can take a taxi down for 75 nt a person or negotiate. There are taxis at the top of the mountain. There’s a tour shuttle to take […]
Taiwan Eats: 海底撈 Hai Di Lao Hot Pot

I love hotpot and Taiwan has the best hot pot places. This particular chain though is from China and I can’t say enough good stuff about it. First of all, the meat is delicious. Second, they have a bagillion sauces for you to choose from. Third, their service is top notch. We sat down, immediately […]
Member Post: Non-Native Mom’s Second Year Chinese Journey (5.5 Yr Old Reads Beyond Native Level) by Melissa C.

This is a follow up post. As you may recall, I started teaching my daughter characters in July 2017, when she was four. Almost 1.5 years later, she and I are reading bridge books together. We are reading 1st grade level books, and our comprehension level is roughly that of a slightly behind Kindergartner. I […]
Book Review: 我最喜愛的中國神話 (My Favorite Chinese Fairy Tales)

Age: 5+ with parent or independent 我最喜愛的中國神話 My Favorite Chinese Fairy Tales Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ I love this Chinese Fairy Tale book. It’s WELL WRITTEN!!!!! My kids love love love love love love love this book. It’s come to a point where I have to re-read stories to them. […]
Book Review: 每天一篇故事，10天學會150個成語 (10 Days, 150 Idioms)

Age: 8+ (third grade reading level) 每天一篇故事，10天學會150個成語 (1) 每天一篇故事，10天學會150個成語 (2) Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ I listed this book as age 8+ (second grade) and stated third grade reading level due to the content of the books but that doesn’t mean younger children cannot do it. With parent guidance, younger children […]
Book Review: 迪士尼系列 , 三采文化 Disney Collections by Suncolor

Ages: 2 to Adult Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ I’m going to review a large selection of Disney picture books from Suncolor, 三采文化. Disney Princess Collection Disney Movies Collection Disney Stories Collection Disney Social Emotional Collection Disney Language Collection They are, in my opinion, the best at translated picture books and […]
Book Review: 棕色的熊、棕色的熊，你在看什麼, 從頭動到腳, 變色龍捉迷藏, Brown Bear, From Head to Toe, Chameleon, Eric Carle

Age: 0-3 with parent Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase Link: 棕色的熊、棕色的熊，你在看什麼從頭動到腳變色龍捉迷藏 Everyone in the states has Eric Carle. Case closed. Ha ha… just listing a few that I found in my storage. We have the English versions too. The only thing I don’t love in these is the […]
Book Review: 蔬菜躲貓貓 Veggies Hide and Seek

Age: 0-2 Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase Link: 蔬菜躲貓貓 Tupera Tupera is an author we’ve been attracted to. For babies, the books are direct and simple and great for babies. There’s humor and cuteness. This is a lift the flap book. The only thing I wished for is for the […]
Book Review: 誰吃掉了 Who Ate It?

Age: 0-2 Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase Link: 誰吃掉了 This is by a really famous Japanese author and both my kids just loved this book because they loved finding the fruit or vegetable or food that each page introduces. The way they incorporated the look and find is super sweet […]
Game:成語接龍撲克牌 (10 盒) Idioms Playing Cards (10 Boxes)

Reading levels in Chinese is hugely dependent on how well you know idioms. The harder the books, the more idioms there are. Why? Well, it’s using four characters to describe something or a situation or feeling that could take a whole paragraph to explain! This is why the Chinese language is so beautiful. Every feeling […]
Book Review: 親愛的動物園 Dear Zoo

Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Age: 0-2 Purchase Link: 親愛的動物園 This is a popular book in English. Lift the flaps and voila! I haven’t seen any kids not like this in English or Chinese so I recommend this book for babies to two years old. It’s great to learn some words […]
Member Post: Super Speed Teaching Chinese (learn 1500-1800 characters in 6 months) 六歲半小男孩在半年內認1500-1800字的心得分享 (by Jon. Lin)

To learn more, join our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ The following is a post from our group member in our Facebook Group. She’s ONE AMAZING MOM but as all Chinese mothers are, she fails to ADMIT THAT. I will try to translate the best that I can her journey. Down below she’ll say she’s lazy and […]
國語日報周刊 vs. 國語周刊哪裏不同? Comparing Mandarin Daily News vs. MWM

Age: 6-9 Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ These are competitor newspapers. Mandarin Daily News Book Review: 國語日報周刊 Mandarin Daily News (小一 ~小三) came out first (I believe) and is like a standard the others first based themselves off of. However, with the coming of 國語周刊 MWM Book Review: 國語周刊 (基礎版, 小學版), 國語月刊 […]
Book Review: 國語日報周刊 Mandarin Daily News (小一 ~小三)

Age: 6-9 independent For more information, join our facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ This newspaper is one of the oldest and really the standard in Taiwan. I think they’re the first ones that started off newspapers for kids and it was set as the standard for outside reading for a “kid newspaper.” Over the years, many more […]
Book Review: 格林童話貼紙書 , 安徒生童話貼紙, Grimm Tales and Andersen Tales Sticker Books

Age: 2+ Purchase links: 格林童話貼紙書：三隻小豬(1套6冊) 格林童話貼紙書：小紅帽(1套6冊) 安徒生童話貼紙：醜小鴨(1套6冊) 安徒生童話貼紙：賣火柴的小女孩(1套6冊) http://www.MotherlyNotes.com Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ This is a cute set of sticker books that are open ended. You can use it for your 2 year old to play with stickers or you can use it all the way up to lower elementary […]
Book Review: 魔法校車套書 Magic School Bus Set 22 Books

Age: 6+ independent or with parent Purchase Links: 魔法校車第一輯 Magic School Bus First Set 12 Books 魔法校車第二輯 Magic School Bus Second Set 10 Books Please visit our Facebook group for more information! We’re having a sale! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ This is a set of books about science topics everything from water to electricity and nature. The story is all […]
Onyx Boox Reader Review – Tool for Teaching Reading, Writing, Etc.

Last year I had my children read from Kindle for their English books and then uploaded my own Chinese books but the problem with Kindle is the screen is so small, it’s not really Chinese compatible and Amazon doesn’t have any Chinese books that my children can read so trying to load Chinese on Kindle […]
Book Review: 國語日報孩子的第一套節日讀本！(Chinese Holidays Bridge Set – 8 Books)

Age: 3+ with parent 5+ independent (with zhuyin) Visit our Facebook Group to learn more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase link: 國語日報孩子的第一套節日讀本！(Chinese Holidays Bridge Set – 8 Books) I really love this set of books for the holidays coming up including New Years. I was never attracted to the book covers on this set but I bought […]
Book Review: 過年立體書 New Years 3D / Pop Up Books

Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Ages: 2-Adult Having Chinese New Years being known to my kids is something I will start working hard on because in the last few years, we haven’t done enough or nearly as much as I had experienced growing up. Therefore, I have purchased books about Chinese […]
Journey Step 2: Teaching Chinese Beyond First Few Hundred Characters- Learning Curriculum Before Second Grade

If you haven’t already, you should read my first post on My Journey in Teaching My Children Chinese (Teaching Children Chinese From Age 0-5) In that article, I really stopped around age three and didn’t really go into detail of what my three year old read in the last year and what my five year […]
TaoBao Agent vs. TaoBao Direct Cost Differences Example

There’s a lot of talk about the use of Taobao Agents and it was brought to many people’s attention that TaoBaoRing or (recent name change to 42 Agent) has been the best one to use. Let’s talk about what is a Taobao Agent. There are many types of TaoBao Agents and usually, you go to […]
How To Navigate 淘宝 Taobao Checkout

This article is written to help people navigate buying from Taobao directly to avoid using Agent Fees. The site will always be in Chinese only but if you follow the below screens, you may be able to save yourself a few hundred dollars in agent fees. Hopefully this will demystify all the Taobao madness. To […]
Book Review:小熊咕噜噜的冒险之旅 Little Bear’s Adventures (Simplified , 简体书)

Age: 5+ with parent or read independently if you know 1000+ characters 小熊咕噜噜的冒险之旅套书 This is a set of three books about a bear and his adventures. In 小心魔法 he wakes up from a long lazy nap and it’s spring so he goes out to find something to eat. He wants to eat a flower […]
Book Review: 爱之阅读桥梁书 Love Reading Bridge Books Simplified Set 简体书

Age: 5+ (with a few hundred characters and with parent) Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Titles: 鸭妈妈的蛋箱子最好最好的朋友皮普要去美食国蕾妮病了对不起，乖乖信乖乖和乐乐去海边泰尔，明天见罗萨想当女巫卖哥哥弗兰克老师是兔子这是个秘密广场上来了马戏团妈妈要去旅行绿眼睛给梅特的礼物在院子里露营我想写信儒尔迷路了 This is a really nice set of picture book like bridge books! There are a […]
Book Review: 企鹅机动队套书 – Marching Penguins (简体书) Simplified Chinese

Age: 3+ with parent, 5+ independent (with a couple hundred character recognition) Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ This is a set of 11 books that are so…. darn… cute. It has a box and comes with five cute little bookmarks. It’s the story of 50 little penguins marching out doing different […]
CiPu 喜舖 Kids Ergonomic Backpack (3 in 1) – It’s like Tumi for Kids!

Here’s my introduction video: I recently started using this backpack for my older child (6 years old) and she just absolutely loves it! The straps and back are researched and designed to be ergonomic for kids so it redistributes the weight for the child and they don’t feel any pressure points even after long hours […]
親子天下: 閲讀123 / Reading 123 Collection

Age: 6+ independent *note the picture above also shows 樂讀456 which is a series for upper elementary so ignore those for now. I’ll review those later. I also have 5 more sets of those that need to fit together with the others! Yikes! #NoMoreShelfSpace This is an amazing set of books with all different authors, […]
Book Review: 還要睡幾個晚上才到聖誕節? How Many Sleeps Till Christmas?

Age: 2+ with parent, 5+ independent http://www.MotherlyNotes.com Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Puchase Link: 還要睡幾個晚上才到聖誕節? – How Many Sleeps Till Christmas This is a story about a little bear who can’t wait til Christmas and wakes up Papa bear every morning for the four nights before Christmas. Every day they have […]
Book Review: 閲讀123 / Reading 123 嬉遊民間故事集 – Chinese Folk Tale Collection

Age 6+ Purchase links: 奇幻蛇郎與紅花 – Snake Lord and the Red Flower 一個傻蛋賣香屁 – The Dummy Who Sold Farts 機智白賊闖通關 – The Smart Liar 黑洞裡的神祕烏金 – The Treasure in the Dark Hole This is a set from 閲讀123, Reading 123. Previous posts on other sets are: Book Review: 閱讀123 / Reading 123 換換書 Change Change Change! , Book Review: 閱讀123 / Reading […]
C-Pen 2.0 百科掛圖 – C-Pen 2.0 Encyclopedic Picture Boards

I received C-Pen’s NEW product recently and have been holding off a review until I’ve played with it a little. Uh WOW. First of all, my daughters flipped through every page with 尖叫聲 because it’s well…. HELLO KITTY Even my very ungirly girls like Hello Kitty… so… this was a hit. There were a few […]
Book Review: 寫信給耶誕老公公 : My Penpal, Santa

Age: 3+ with parent, 5+ independent http://www.MotherlyNotes.com Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase Link: 寫信給耶誕老公公 – My Penpal, Santa This isn’t a book about adventures of Santa but a book about a little girl who writes to Santa monthly. You’ll get a feel for holidays that occur in the year and […]
Book Review: 爱悦读: 小豆包系列 (简体桥梁书) – Dumpling Series (Simplified Books)

Age: 5+ independent For more information, please visit our facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ First Set: 小豆包一路奇遇记, 小豆包在学校, 小豆包侦探记, 小豆包的好朋友, 小豆包养宠物, Second Set: 小豆包遇见童话书, 小豆包与疯狂的食物, 小豆包与奇怪小家具, 小豆包读字典, 小豆包旋转木马 I wanted to thank Meijie CG from our Motherly Notes Facebook Group for recommending this set to me! We started our journey (finally) of learning simplified and the process has […]
如何加快小孩閲讀的速度? How to Increase Reading Speed (Chinese/English/etc.)

I’m getting this question so often now. Somehow people like to gauge reading level by speed. So many parents are so in a rush to have their child reading faster. You can’t just force them to read faster. You can’t just force them to read faster. You can’t just force them to read faster. I’m […]
Book Review: 瑪德琳系列 Madeline Series

Age: 2+ with parent, 5+ independent Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase links: 瑪德琳、瑪德琳的親愛小狗、瑪德琳的耶誕節 – Madeline series of 3 books 瑪德琳+大象巴巴 Madeline and Barbar the Elephant Who doesn’t love Madeline? I don’t think I need to convince any Madeline lovers that these books are true classics. I struggled a bit to […]
C-Pen 2.0 Flash Cards 識字卡

Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ C-Pen is actively making curriculum and teaching aids for kids who are learning Chinese. This is their first take at flashcards and as always, this company is a bit nerdy and geeky just the way I like it. Just from looking at their pen, you already […]
Book Review: 國語周刊 (基礎版, 小學版), 國語月刊 (成長版), Chinese Weekly Newspaper for Kids (MWM)

Age: Varies depending on level. In this article, ages 4+, 6-8, 9-12 I have been really loving magazines and newspapers lately because when school started, we’re always on the run somewhere and sometimes do not have the concentration to just sit there and read a whole bridge book or get into the depths of a […]
Book Review: 姊弟倆 Big Sister Little Brother

Age: 5+ independent Purchase Link: 姊弟倆 Big Sister Little Brother This book is part of a set of 40 that I purchased. Yesterday my little one took it out and cracked up big time to a point where I find it worthy to just feature the book by itself. This book talks about the daily […]
Member post: Amazing Twin Boys Who Are Reading Chinese and English At Least Two Years Above Grade Level (Sin Yee T.)

Hi Members of Motherly Notes! Once in a while I find a gem in the group and I pester invite them to share their teaching methods with us because I find it truly valuable to the community to know how miracles happen. Actually, miracles don’t just “happen”… they were created by mothers who put in an […]
Book Review: 魔數小子 – Marilyn Burns Brainy Day Collection – Math Set (25 Books)

Age: 4+ with parent or independent if they know zhuyin, 5+ independent Where to Puchase: 魔數小子 – Marilyn Burns Brainy Day Collection This is a set of math picture books great for smaller kids to an introduction of “concept” of different topics in math. There’s everything from counting, addition, subtraction, to multiplication, division, measuring, time, […]
Chinese Teaching Systems: 樂樂文化聽讀套書 Le Le Chinese 300 Books, 1000 Characters (Traditional & Simplified)

Introduction Video This is a set of 300 little books ranging from 8 to 12 pages. There are three levels with 100 books a level. You can do them in any order you wish when you’re within the level and pick up characters from each book. Each level introduces a few hundred new characters as […]
Book Review: 小兵快樂讀本系列 90 本－ Little Soldier Happy Reading 90 Books

Age 5+ independent Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ 快樂讀本第一輯 Set 1 快樂讀本第二輯 Set 2 快樂讀本第三輯 Set 3 Needed more practice readers? Here you go! 90 Books, all different authors and illustrators. Great variety. There are roughly 3000 characters in each book and they are illustrated simply alternating between black/white and color pages. I like […]
Book Review: 神奇樹屋系列 52本 +小百科套書 20本－ Magic Tree House and Fact Tracker Set

Age 6+ Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase Links: 神奇樹屋 1－52 ：Magic Tree House Set 1-52 神奇樹屋小百科套書（全套20冊） :Magic Tree House Fact Tracker This is a really popular set. It’s used in the states in schools as readers. It has 52 books and grows in lexile level book after book almost. The […]
Book Review: 樂讀123 系列 44本 Happy Reading 123 － 44 Books

Age 4+ with parent or independent Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase Link: 樂讀123 系列 – Happy Reading 123 Series This was a set much loved by our Facebook group members! Each book is roughly 3000 characters and if you wanted practice reading, this is a good set to begin after the […]
Book Review: 漫畫教科書：數學益智王套書6本 Smart Math Comics Grades 1-6

Age: 6+ independent, up to 6th grade Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase Links: 漫畫教科書：數學益智王 1 漫畫教科書：數學益智王 2 漫畫教科書：數學益智王 3 漫畫教科書：數學益智王 4 漫畫教科書：數學益智王 5 漫畫教科書：數學益智王 6 I was searching for a math set that didn’t involve too much working out of problems because we follow the Singapore Match Curriculum at home […]
Using a Dictionary: 5000字多元學習國語圖典 – 5000 Character Dictionary

Age: 5+ For more information, please join our facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ Purchase link: Gloria Bookstore If you are teaching your child Chinese, you’re probably starting to wonder when to start them on using a Chinese dictionary. For me, it’s: when the child knows how to differentiate radicals, when they know pinyin/zhuyin, when they can respect a book […]
My Journey in Teaching My Children Chinese (Teaching Children Chinese From Age 0-5)

Note: The above video physically shows you some main points I listed below. I didn’t go over everything in the video but I think it’s the ideas that needed a video. Also, I’m not a professional blogger and this is written for my own records only as well as to share with friends and family. […]
Book Review:刷牙小小兵勇闖蛀牙王國 & 把飯吃光光好棒！Tooth Kingdom Invasion, Finish Your Food!

Age: 3+ with parent, 5+ independent Although there isn’t a whole bunch of technical terms, the message is very strong and clear through the crazy pictures. You should brush your teeth. This book is full of cuteness and at the same time presents disgusting facts about cavities. The illustration is to die for though. My […]
Book Review: 宮崎駿系列 Ghibli Series – 20 Books

Age: 4+ with parent, 6+ independent http://www.MotherlyNotes.com Please visit our Facebook group for more information! https://www.facebook.com/groups/motherlynotes/ ****Limited Time group discount price!!! Please join in our facebook group above to get the link and coupon code!****** Buy links below: 龍貓崖上的波妞天空之城魔女宅急便神隱少女貓的報恩借物少女艾莉緹霍爾的移動城堡來自紅花阪螢火蟲之墓歡喜碰碰狸風起風之谷（上）風之谷（下）輝耀姬物語回憶中瑪妮魔法公主（上） […]
Book Review: 喬治系列 Curious George Collection

Age: 3+ with parent, 6+ independent (with zhuyin) For more information, please visit our facebook group: MotherlyNotes 好奇猴喬治 – Curious George 好奇猴喬治上醫院 Curious George Goes to the Hospital 好奇猴喬治放風箏 – Curious George Flies a Kite 好奇猴喬治得獎牌 – Curious George Gets a Medal 好奇猴喬治騎腳踏車 – Curious George Rides a Bike 好奇猴喬治去工作 – Curious George Takes a […]
Yen 紫艷 at W Hotel －Oh My Duck…

You want duck? Go to W Hotel. Yummy duck and yummy dim sum. Not like crazy out of this world but definitely satisfying as the quality standard is there. Their duck is served wrapped by their servers. Their dim sum was very nicely done. Everything was made/steamed to order and came out perfectly. Desserts were […]