The story behind
Sing & Swinglish™
Hi there, nice to meet you!
I’m Stephanie, a TESOL-certified English teacher with a music degree, a background in Early Childhood Education, and the proud creator of Sing & Swinglish™.
I often say I’m not just a teacher, I’m your child’s background singer, learning buddy, and biggest fan.
In 2018, after years of teaching my own workshops, I left the Netherlands and followed my dream to Valencia, Spain. Here, I began creating what would become the Sing & Swinglish™ Method for babies and kids (8 months to 4 years). Families loved it, and what started as a few small workshops soon grew into something bigger. One thing was always clear: children learn best when they feel safe, connected, emotionally regulated, and free to be themselves.
A different kind of learner
Honestly, I’ve never believed in traditional learning. I was never the “sit still and memorize” type. My mind would drift off, I'd lose all motivation, or I’d forget everything right after the test (though luckily I've always had a knack for languages). My ADHD (aka creative brain) made me a natural out-of-the-box thinker. At school, that often felt like being the black sheep, but it also gave me a gift: the understanding that learning only sticks when it’s fun, meaningful, and alive.
What I do now
That’s the heart of my work now. I don’t just teach English, I help little ones live it from a very young age. The younger, the better. Babies are super sponges; they absorb it in no time. And some children learn best while wiggling their toes, dancing in the circle, or fidgeting with something in their hands. Movement and play aren’t distractions, they’re the key to successful learning. I’m living proof!
The missing piece
When we’re experiencing stress or intense emotions, the part of the brain responsible for learning simply switches off. That’s why emotional regulation is such an important (and often missing) piece in education. As a child, I wasn’t given those tools, so I struggled for years. It wasn’t until I learned more about the nervous system that I finally understood: we need to move the body to regulate. Simple movements can signal the brain to calm down, the key is knowing which ones. That’s why I now weave those movements and tools into my songs and activities, so we can all teach and learn from a place of connection, not frustration.
Music
With a degree in music, I know how powerful it is, not only for language skills, but for children’s overall development. Through my studies and experience, I’ve learned what really works for little ones, and how to create music that feels both engaging for kids and enjoyable for adults.
The building blocks of Sing & Swinglish™
Early Childhood Education
My TESOL certificate, training in Early Childhood Education, a short course in Play-Based Learning, and my love for psychology have taught me how little brains learn, and how deeply emotions shape that process.
Real-life English
I became fluent in English because I lived it, not because of school or grammar drills. Fun fact: I now dream and think in English about 90% of the time, and that’s the kind of natural learning I want to pass on to your little ones.
Lesson packs
After years of teaching and shaping these tools, I wanted to share them with more families and schools. That’s how my lesson packs were born: collections of original songs, multi-sensory activity guides, and videos (without the fast-paced, overstimulating stuff). Everything is flexible, adaptable to different brains and learning styles, and can even be enjoyed screen-free.
For me, this was a dream come true, bringing together all my experience into something that supports not only the kids in my classes, but also families, caregivers, teachers, and schools anywhere who want English to feel natural, playful, and stress-free.
And that’s really what it all comes down to: life with little ones is already busy enough. I don’t want English to feel like just another thing on your to-do list.
