Diamond rocks out with kids at Teddy Bear fest

Diamond rocks out with kids at Teddy Bear fest After more than a quarter of a century as a children's entertainer, Charlotte Diamond takes pleasure in the unexpected. Let's educate them in that language. ". Let's get them to feel that they have more ability within that language. "He had the audience in the palm of his hand," she said during a phone interview at a home near San Francisco. Diamond said she loves nothing more than performing before local crowds - many of whom grew up learning her famous songs such as I Am A Pizza, Four Hugs A Day and Octopus (Slippery Fish) - and she also enjoys singing in French and Spanish, too. Still, vocals aren't the only method Diamond communicates in: She also incorporates American Sign Language. And Diamond has many opportunities all through the year to be entertained at her own performances. Diamond, a former school teacher, majored in biology and French at UBC and picked up Spanish through conversation with her Latin American friends on campus. At that event, she'll also work with teachers to encourage them to write their own songs. For example, last month, Diamond played a French/English concert at Dallington School in Ontario; the next week, she performed six concerts in French for the Duffering-Peel Catholic school district; and, later this month, Diamond will be part of a Spanish/English conference in Newport Beach, Calif. "Their English can only be helped by that because the more children are interested in books and reading and singing in a language, the more fluent they become in language," she said. "California is finally picking up on the fact that they have this large population that speaks Spanish and they've been cutting back part of their education out of the curriculum," she said. "Now I'm at the stage of being a grandma and wanting to be near home," said Diamond, whose five- and two-year-old grandkids live in Pitt Meadows. It is definitely part of my show," she said. Diamond rocks out with kids at Teddy Bear fest Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 07/06/2012