I know I’m a bit early with this post—since we still have over a month until the year ends—but I plan to take December off and so I’ll share this list today. It’s been a good year, but it’s also true that I’m getting weary and I need a little break from blogging. I’ll continue sending out my weekly newsletter, though, as well as mingling with my fellow “keepers” of bilingual and multilingual kids at my forum, The Bilingual Zoo.

In the five years since this blog began, there have been a total of 2,936 comments. Since comments are one measure of a blog post’s popularity among readers—and since I was curious to study this myself—today I offer a list of the 10 articles that have generated the most comments (excluding the giveaways). Along with the articles themselves, I highly recommend reading the comments, too. The truth is, I’ve learned a tremendous amount over the years from these comments and

As of today, the total number of posts at this blog—begun on September 1, 2012 with The Ten Commandments (of Raising a Bilingual Child)—has reached 325. In 2016, 51 posts were made and 11 of these were guest posts. (If you’re interested in guest posting at Bilingual Monkeys in the future, see this page.) The 10 most-seen posts at this blog for 2016—in terms of the number of page views—are listed below, from 10 to 1. (However, it’s important to

22 Fun Photos from Our Adventures in Hagi, Japan A personal post where I share pictures from our trip to an old castle town called Hagi. A Terrific Way to Get Your Bilingual Kids Talking (and Build a Closer Bond) Here’s an idea that can be a fun and useful tactic for generating conversation and engaging your children in the minority language. Are Your Bilingual Kids Writing Letters in the Minority Language? Letter-writing exchanges in the minority language can promote

The Funniest Activity I’ve Ever Done with My Bilingual Kids and Students Here’s a great game that often gets my bilingual kids and students laughing like mad chipmunks. (Free downloads, too!) Inspiring Interview with Corey Heller of “Multilingual Living” In this candid interview, Corey Heller, the founder of “Multilingual Living,” shares her personal story and her advice for parents. Guest Post: If At First You Don’t Succeed, You May Be the Minority Language Parent In this guest post, Tatyana Leskowicz

Crazy Bilingual Kids Reveal Their New Year’s Resolutions When I sat down with my kids, seeking sincere resolutions, what I got instead was this nutty discussion. Thank You Letter from a Bilingual Child: Tatyana Leskowicz In this guest post, Tatyana Leskowicz writes a lovely letter to her parents, reflecting on her upbringing as a bilingual child. How to Use Poetry with Your Bilingual Kids (And Why You Should) How much do you use poetry with your children to nurture the

Recommended Resources: Word Games in the Minority Language The regular use of word games, from an early age, can promote a child’s love of language and bilingual development. Your Efforts Today Have a Profound Impact on Tomorrow Don’t ever doubt that your small, daily efforts matter—they do, and a great deal more than we usually recognize. 56 More Inspiring Quotes for Parents Raising Bilingual Children More wise words that can help inspire parents in their quest to raise bilingual children.

What Frustrates Me About Raising Bilingual Children “Preventive medicine” can lessen the difficulties, and accompanying frustrations, of raising bilingual kids. There’s a Fine Line Between Being Firm and Being Rigid Being firm is productive, but being too firm crosses the line into being rigid, and that’s counterproductive ground. 43 Great Quotes on the Power and Importance of Reading Inspiring quotes on books and reading for parents and teachers. A Friend of Mine Died Since my friend passed away, I wake

If This Isn’t a Big Part of Your Strategy for Raising Bilingual Kids, It Really Should Be Parents seeking to raise bilingual children must make the effort to create a “print-rich environment” in the minority language. The One Way Parents of Bilingual Kids Must Be Like a Panda Bear A panda eating bamboo is the perfect symbol of a mindset needed by us all to advance steadily on this bilingual journey. 3 Good Ways to Boost a Bilingual Child’s Language

Remember the story of the shoemaker and the elves? You know, the old shoemaker puts a piece of leather on his work table each night before going to bed then some tiny elves sneak in and make a beautiful pair of shoes for him while he’s sleeping? I wish there were elves for old bloggers, too. The fact is, a blog post that can be read in minutes takes hours for me to write (and rewrite and rewrite and rewrite).

Do you know why I got an “F” in Biology in 7th grade? Before then, I even had my heart set on becoming a veterinarian. I loved animals as a child—and still do—but that “F” in Biology damaged my dream. I lost confidence as a student of science, and never really recovered from the experience. (I’m still convinced the Earth is flat.) You see, my Biology teacher assigned us the task of making an insect collection. We had to catch