KUDOS FOR ADOPTION-SPECIFIC LANGUAGE SETS! (For Kudos about Snowflakes, A
Flurry of Adoption Stories by, for and about children and teens, please click
on 'Snowflakes' above. :-)
The Russian set has been evaluated and has gotten excellent reviews
from native Russian speakers as well as those learning Russian. It is
endorsed by the Eastern European Adoption Coalition (EEAC), Families/Friends
of Ukrainian and Russian Adoption (FRUA), and the National Adoption
Information Clearinghouse (NAIC).
Here are just a few of the many, MANY positive comments I receive regularly
from parents and agencies who have used the language sets (Russian, Spanish,
and Mandarin for adoptive parents and English for Russian-speaking children):
2008
For 13 months I listened to Adopting From Russia & thought I would never
remember it when I needed it. But when my husband & I traveled to pick up our
son & returned home with our amazing 7 year old, I impressed my Russian friend
with my command of the language!! Thank you for giving me the confidence & the
knowledge to communicate with so many people in Russia, but more importantly
with my son. (We adopted him in April 2006.) Thank you so much, too, for the
very helpful information that you provided via email one year after our return
home with our son. :-) Sue
1/08 Dear Teresa, I just wanted to let you know I have just finished reading
your guide, and it is excellent! I really loved it, and can't wait for my
wife to read it. We're already beginning to speak a little Russian together,
as well. We will be making our trip to Russia at some point in the coming
months, and I feel more prepared now. Thanks so much!!! Peter
We just gave your name and website to another couple from our town who
will be adopting twin boys from Russia within a few months. We told them
about your incredible language guide and how helpful it was for us. I LOVE
spreading word about your resources because learning some Russian before our
adoption was one of the BEST things we could have done for our children. (5
years later, and we still use our favorite Russian phrases!) As we spoke to
another couple last week about you, we also told them that taking the time to
learn some Russian at the child's level impressed everyone over there. Our
adoption agency director, the orphange workers, the Director of Education, and
especially the judge were very impressed that we took the time to do that.
They knew that we were serious about doing all we could for our new children!
We love you! Donna
Looking forward to receiving the Mandarin set...I used your Russian CD
when I adopted my son in 2004. It was a tremendous help. I even ended up
helping several other parents who hadn't learned any Russian. (What could
they have been thinking?) Amy
Just a thank you for the wonderful book 'Adopting from Russia.' We
adopted a beautiful son last year. He was 3 at the time, and your book on the
Russian language far and away the most valuable resource we had for the first
few months. We have kept the book and use it to sprinkle in some Russian
words to our bedtime stories. It has really become a family heirloom. Best
book ever! Thanks again. Mark
We adopted 5-year-old twin boys from Russia 5 months ago. It has bee a
stressful and incredibly wonderful journey. Your book 'Adopting From Russia'
was one of the most helpful pieces of information that we read. We listened
to your Russian language CD over and over and read and reread the Language and
Parenting Guide. Your information gets to the 'heart' of the matter. It is
amazing how insightful the information is. As I reread, I even see things
now, 5 months later, that are helping us. God bless! Laurie
I want to personally thank you for your superb customer service. You
went above and beyond to make sure we were satisfied. My husband and I greatly
appreciated receiving the flashcards and lovely notecards. You are a shining
light in this long, arduous process. We will recommend you and your company
to any and all we come in contact with who are adopting. Alexia
I received the language set Thursday -- it's just what I was hoping for!
It has already helped in calming my communication anxiety. :-) Thanks. Ann
I traveled with three other families and two of us had used your
program. The other two families kept asking us to help them when our
translator wasn't around. I had purchased another program prior to yours and
only became frustrated. Your program helped me and my husband form a
connection when meeting our future daughter - thank you. I'm sure you've
helped more people than you know. You've really written a terrific program!
Wendi
I just wanted to thank you for the Adopting From Russia CD / Booklet.
My wife and I are adopting a brother and sister from Russia and we just got
back from our first of two trips. I had about 80% of the material learned
before the trip and finished the rest of it while we were there and it really
came in handy...especially when we left Moscow to the south regions. We were
travelling with another couple who hadn't learned any Russian so I was able
to help them with things like ordering food, etc. Most of all, it was
helpful to communicate with our kids (age 2 and 3) at the orphanage as we had
the opportunity to spend a lot of time with them last week. Thanks. George
[Our friends]Lori and Chris suggested we purchase RUSH Into English.
They had suggested Adopting From Russia, too, which we found to be of great
help. So we will follow their advice once again. David
I just completed reading your book and we are using the accompanying
CD. I just wanted to give a note of thanks for a job well done. My wife has
brought home a number of hard back books written by psychologists and other
experts, all interesting and useful, but I feel the advice you offered was
priceless. It has given me more confidence and helped set more appropriate
expectations. Thank you. All the best, Mike
I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how valuable your
Language and Parenting Guide has been. We participated in the HUG program in
Indiana and are anticipating going to Russia this summer to bring home our
new 9-year-old son! During his visit in January your book saved us!
Throughout the first 4-5 days of his visit, about every 5 minutes, you would
hear someone in our house say, "Get the book, get the book!" With your book
we were able to communicate with our son much quicker and much easier than
with any other resource. I still study it every night before I go to
bed! ... your book has so many valuable phrases. It has been truly a life-
saver for us! Sonja
Thank you very much for your quick response. I wanted to pass on a
conversation I just had with a woman who used your CDs and books on their
adoption journey. She said they were invaluable to them on all of their trips
to Russia as well as once the children were home. Thanks again. Susan
I absolutely love the CD and it was the only CD my husband felt
comfortable with. Rose
We have your 'Adopting from Russia' CD and love it. It was great our
first trip. We will be going soon to pick up our 8 year old son. I know he
will love this new 'RUSH Into English' CD. Stephanie
We used your 'Adopting From Russia' program to prepare for our first
trip to Russia and it was wonderful. What an awesome tool! We were so
impressed, we want to order this program (RUSH Into English) for our son (8
years old). We return to Russia next month to pick him up. Thank you so much
for this blessing! Deb
I had to write to tell you thanks for your wonderful CD. I learned
everything on it easily just by listening while I walked in the mornings.
My husband has studied a professional Russian language CD set longer than I
have studied yours, and he has traveled to Russian over a dozen times on
business, but on our recent trip to adopt, I did a LOT more talking than he
did! I think it is because your method is smarter and easier to remember.
It's simple!
We just returned from our first trip to adopt our ADORABLE little
4-year-old, and we had a wonderful three days with her. I "read" a board
book with pictures of different items, with her on my lap, and we could
understand each other very well. The orphanage workers were seated nearby.
They were quite impressed, saying this was the first time they had seen a
Russian child speaking Russian to her new American mother.
As we spent time together, it was so very useful to be able to say, "Give
me your hand," "Good girl!" and "Do you want ice cream?" When I tucked her
in for her nap after our final visit, I was SO happy I knew how to say,
"Good-bye. I love you. I'll be back soon."
Being able to speak a little bit of toddler Russian just made our
experience together so much more enjoyable for all of us. Thank you so much
for your wonderful CD. I'm so glad we bought it. As soon as we returned
home, my husband assigned our 10-year-old biological daughter to listen and
learn everything on the CD. Now she's having fun with it too! Thanks, Nancy
Sandra writes,I purchased your set 3 years ago and it was awesome!
Unfortunately, we left it in a hotel room in St. Petersburg in the excitement
of getting our twin boys!! We are headed back to St. Pete to meet our
daughters, and I want to be prepared. I never thought I would be able to
pick up Russian the way I did, and it was all thanks to your set! The judge
was very impressed with our attempt at Russian, and I received lots of
compliments on my accurate accent. Even though I have not listened to
Russian in 3 years, I still remember several phrases. I can’t wait to
receive the CD and start learning again!!!!!
Forwarded to me from Morgan at IFS (a note she rec'd from Teri):
I would like to recommend a language CD to the group. There is also a small
handbook that comes with it. It's entitled 'Adopting From Russia' by Teresa
Kelleher. Past groups have had great success with this CD. In using other
CDs, I found they didn't provide me with the things that I needed to say to
children. Most (and I tried many) provided language geared more towards the
business traveler. I needed to know things like 'Time to play,' 'Do you like
to eat...?,' 'Time to sleep,' 'Do you need to go to the bathroom?,' etc.
One of the mothers from the 2002 group became fluent enough using this CD to
carry on fairly fluent conversations with her 2 daughters. I played the CD
in the car daily and was able to speak to the orphanage director, order food,
and communicate with my daughter in very (basic/broken) Russian...I was so
glad I learned what I did.
Your product is sweet! As far as adoption goes, your product is the
tops...so much so that I went from knowing ZERO Russian to being able to fool
my interpreter...apparently my pronunciation was rather good. The games
CD-ROM is the best. Love it, like it, glad I got it! Thanks again and God
bless, Todd
It was extremely helpful during our trip and the first months home with the
girls that we had learned some basic Russian phrases through the use of a
very user-friendly book and audio [CD] by Teresa Kelleher called, Adopting
from Russia. Loren and Lisa (from the Nightlight website)
Please note: This is the second copy of your language sets we are ordering.
This time for our Russian host, as he was so impressed with your language
sets! Karen
This book and audio CD were invaluable. It made learning words and phrases
appropriate to adoption and Russian children easy. A must have! Don't leave
home without it! Adopting From Russia By Teresa Kelleher adopttlc@aol.com
(on the Eckert family website)
I truly believe the Russian officials in Far East Russia viewed and treated us
differently as a result of our language preparation. I know our 2-year-old
and 5-year-old felt less fear and anxiety. Just being able to speak
comforting words in a confident tone made al the difference in their behavior,
etc. Thanks again for seeing a need and meeting it so well! Andrea
Hi Teresa, I learned of you from FRUA and they LOVE you there! We are headed
back to Russia in a few weeks to bring home our little son. Thanks so much!
Jennifer
I purchased your Adopting From Russia CD in January. It was the most
worthwhile purchase in preparing for the adoption of our daughter. The
Russian people we worked with were impressed with my ability to communicate
and I was so calm knowing that I would be able to comfort my daughter in a
languae that she was familiear with. Thank you so much for creating your
language CD. Your efforts made the international adoption process easier and
much more comfortable for my family. Therese
Wow, it's exactly what we were looking for. I couldn't believe how prompt you
were in getting the information back out to me. May God bless you. Ann-Marie
We ordered your original set 2 years ago when we adopted our 2 and 5 year
olds. It was so helpful! The Russian officials were impressed with
our effort and it really helped us communicate with our kids, easing their
transition and ours. We heard about the resource in ADOPTIVE FAMILIES
MAGAZINE. I would now like to order both Adopting From Russia and RUSH Into
English; we are returning soon to adopt 10 and 15 year olds. Thank you so
much for these valuable resources. Can't imagine how we would survive
without them! Andrea
Right before we left for Russia we ordered _RUSH Into English_. Our son (8
years old) asked our translator how he would learn English. I put your _RUSH
Into English_ CD into the player, put the headphones on him, and turned it
on...you should have seen how big his eyes got! He kept asking, 'Can she
hear me?' It was so much fun to hear him repeat the phrases. I wish I had
video-taped it. After a week I put in a different CD, thinking that he might
enjoy hearing some songs. He was upset...came running to me saying 'Mama, no
Teresa.' He told our Russian-speaking driver to please tell us that he
wanted Teresa back! :) So, thank you again!! I have recommended your
CDs and booklets to others. Thank you!' Apryl
We adopted a 2 yr. old Russian girl 10 months ago. I think my favorite
resource was your language and parenting guide. I learned over 100 Russian
words and it helped SO MUCH in those first few weeks at home. Thanks so much
for providing the material. I have a friend who is adopting a Chinese
toddler. Do you have this information for the Chinese language? Please let
me know and I will pass the information along. Thanks, Brenda (NOTE: Yes, I
have an adoption-specific set in Mandarin. Please click on China & Latin
America above. :-) Teresa)
We met a couple who were bringing home 2 children from Russia. They
were using the (RUSH Into English) CD on the plane with their kids. They
seemed to be very engrossed with their little headsets. The kids were lovin’
it! Now we are adopting 2 children from Kazakhstan…I am counting on this
(Adopting From Russia) to help me learn phrases and to help them transition
to English (with RUSH Into English). Thank you! Sally
Everything arrived on Friday afternoon-just in time for us to listen to it on
our 45-min. trip to our Russian class. I told my daughter I had ordered your
books and CD's, but she wasn't very familiar with them. As soon as she heard
the beginning of Adopting From Russia, she said, 'We each need our own.' The
books and CDs are excellent - so good that I just ordered another set.
That way I can have a CD to listen to as I walk. My daughter was so excited;
she said she used it again after she got home! We both tend to be visual
learners and need the book, but like hearing it aloud (on the CD) also. I
was surprised how fast my receptive language was starting to kick-in as you
read the words again (in Russian only) at the end of the CD. Needless to
say, we were extremely pleased! Becky
It really is a good idea to learn some Russian, even if you are adopting an
infant. A great way to learn the basic Russian that you will need to
communicate with your child and take care of yorself during your travels is
called Adopting From Russia, a Language and Parenting Guide. It is designed
for adoptive parents, so you learn what you need to know, not a lot of
extraneous language that will never be practical for you. It comes with a
handbook and CD - both are very user friendly. We kept the CD in our
van, and by the time our son came home, not only had we learned most
everything on the CD, but our 3 children did too. It was great for them to
be able to communicate with him on a basic level. And it was a constructive
way for us to spend time waiting for our referral and court date, and to feel
like we were doing something to prepare for the adoption when it seemed like
nothing was happening! The CD even teaches you the Russian you need to read
the captions to your child in Russian (from the photo book you make for
him/her about your family and home). Amy
You are probably tired of hearing how terrific your language & parenting
guides are, but at the risk of boring you, we want to thank you for making
our international adoption experience all the more positive. Your book & CD
made it possible for us to interact with our 3 year old daughter from our
very first visit to her baby home. We cannot imagine getting on the plane
next Monday without the benefit of our much-thumbed, magical, little blue
book. You are our hero! 1,000 thanks! Liza & Richard
What is so great about your book is that it is concise, to the point, and
specific to only the most important details of the experience. Eight months
after adopting, I am still referring to it. I don't know what we would have
done without the adoption-specific Russian words we learned and the info
about preparation as well as easing the transition. You did an outstanding
job! Shelly
Kelly writes, I received my cards. They're really cute and just right for
our family's needs. Thanks for finding ways to help parents and kids still
in orphanages. (She's referring to our adoption announcement cards. Please
click on 'Starfish Story' above. Thanks. Teresa)
This is a belated note to tell you how much I enjoyed your CD and book and
how useful it was during my adoption trip to Russia this past summer. My
husband and I are now the parents of 2 adorable children: a 14-month old boy
and a 26-month-old girl. Your CD contained many words and phrases that we
quickly came to rely on. The Baby Home staff were impressed by the fact that
we knew some phrases. I also extrapolated from information in your book on a
number of occasions in my interactions with adults. Just wanted to let you
know you have a very satisfied customer who will recommend your set to
everyone I talk to who is planning to adopt from Russia! Trish, parent of 2
We've made our first trip and are waiting on our court date. Being in Russia
certainly brought home to us the need to learn some of the language. Our son
is 18 months and we were not able to communicate with him. Our interpreter
spoke with him and asked him questions, and he responded to everything she
asked. I'm mailing a check to you today! Barbara
Thank you for the amazing job your did on your language CD. I have purchased
others, and yours is far easier to learn from. Anne
We are back from our second trip to Russia! Our son, who is seven years old,
is doing well, and I believe that our progress can be greatly attributed to
my using your language guide. My husband and I were shocked when we went to
the US Embassy in Moscow. We met several other parents, but no one else had
learned Russian. Their children flocked around as I spoke to our son so they
could talk too! So many problems could be avoided if the parents knew just a
few phrases. Sandy
Teresa, I wish I had known about your set sooner. I could have saved
$1,200.00 !! I spent that amount on private tutoring and didn't get very
far. I've learned so much more from your set -- very easy to use and the
phrases are very practical! Thanks. Dave
Teresa, your work on the book and CD is great! The word selection and
pronunciations are really good. The material is perfect for those adopting a
Russian child and will be extremely helpful.
Best wishes, Natasha (native speaker of Russian)
Teresa Kelleher sells a good CD with book from Arizona. Most people use it as
the standard -- saw it all over Russia in the planes & orphanages. A
surprise for us was seeing 4 & 5 yr olds sharing a pair of earphones
recognizing the Russian phrases & repeating them in time to the CD. Within a
minute, they were ignoring the Russian & saying the English equivalents
instead. So it would teach both sides of the adoption process. Phrases are
100% applicable to adoption, plus she includes general good hints, etc.
Murray (Murray sent a copy to me of what he had written to a friend.)
Eloquently composed, thoughtfully addressed...just what is needed for
families prior to traveling to Russia. If all families will read this before
going, how much easier the adjustment and plane ride home will be!
MaryLee Lane, Hand in Hand International Adoptions
Little Miracles International Adoptions endorses this program: it has been
reviewed for accuracy by one of our translators and found to be very
complete. This course is ALL an adoptive parent would need in order to
travel to Russia. Clear and concise pronunciations. A well-done, complete
package of CD and parenting book to ease new parents into the relationship
with their new child. Lori Scott, Little Miracles Internat'l. Adoption
Thank you for the fast service on the booklet and CD! I really appreciate
them! I've listened to the CD already and read the booklet. I've been
reading lots and lots of books and listening to language tapes and CDs, but
yours is the most condensed and just perfect...all in one place. Diane
I find that in comparison to Pimsleur, the vocabulary you present is much
better tailored to communicating with a child. Pimsleur is more business
oriented. When adopting an 'older' child (one who can talk -- maybe any
child over 2? 1?) a CD set like yours is a real necessity. Kevin
I got your set in the mail. It is so much more than what I was expecting!
It is worth every penny. Thanks very much for making available a much-needed
resource. Great job! Eileen -- prospective adoptive parent
I got your book and CD in the mail today. I had the best time reading
through it and listening tonight. I can see that the set will help me learn
much, much more in the way of useful words and phrases than my Russian
language class did. I also enjoyed the parenting section. There are lots of
words of wisdom for first time parents and for those who have parented
before. You offer an absolutely wonderful and much-needed product.
Janet, prospective adoptive mom
The tone is casual, matter of fact, and confident. The parenting tips
section is really, really great. You have a powerful amount of information
in a little space. I've already taken several of your pointers to heart, and
I see myself picking up the parenting guide every now and again for a
refresher. Thank you for sharing. Laura, mother of 2-year-old Ada
I really appreciate your CD, & am trying hard to learn all the words &
phrases for what will be our fourth Russian adoption in seven years. Thanks
for making it. I had long thought that it needed to be done, and had wished
for one with my other adoptions! Robin,Mom of 3 from Russia...waiting for #4
I just returned this week from adopting an 8 year old girl in Russia. Your
book and CD were a godsend to us! I don't know how we would have survived
without it! Kim, mother of 4 (one from Russia)
Here are the details ... it is well worth the price, and all that have used it
(including us) highly recommend it. Teresa does require that you pay her in
advance before she ships out the CD and book, but she is perfectly legit. We
had our set within 5 days. Craig
Teresa, WE LOVE YOU!!! Happy Valentine's Day from the B. Bunch! Love, Jim,
Lynda, Ashleigh and Katrina B. P.S. We have had the learning packet for less
than a week, and it is already helping us communicate as well as parent our
newly adopted daughter, Katrina, age 4 1/2! THANKS!!!
This Book/CD package Rocks! Teresa's book was a great resource. She gives
English-equivalent pronunciations that are quite good. The CD is easy to
follow and well-paced. Teresa and her husband are teachers so the material is
organized and well paced. The book includes 20 pages of phrases you will
need in each of your adoption travel and adjustment situations. We nailed
down the basics after a few weeks. Very easy to use. Also included are
travel tips, bonding stages and expectations, enhancing bonding and parenting
pointers. Jeff, Maia's dad
My husband and I have used your book so much it's getting tattered! Our
daughter has adjusted beautifully and so have we...thanks to your wonderful
CD and book! I'm recommending them to everyone! Blair, adoptive mom
Just wanted you to know that we are enjoying your language CD and booklet
VERY much! It definitely was money well spent! Connie :-)
THANKS! Our little blue book was a terrific help. Barry & Anita
I'm looking very forward to getting it. The APR list and the EEAC list had
very good things to say about it! Thanks! Lydia
Thanks for writing such a supportive book. It is enormously helpful. I loved
the quotes you included in it. Terry
I want to thank you for the wonderful resource you developed for families
adopting from Russia. We returned to the US three months ago with our
adopted 4 year old son, Sasha. We studied and practiced our Russian before
going to Russia and it made a tremendous difference while in Russia with our
hosts and while acclimating our son to America. Sasha is adjusting well and
we now speak a blend of English and Russian. He seemed comforted that we
spoke Russian to him during some of the trying times. Thank you very much
for developing this tool for others. It has made a difference and I refer
it often to others. All the best to you, Kathy