Teaching English to elementary children is an engaging and rewarding experience that lays the foundation for their language development and communication skills. As an English teacher for young learners, you embark on a journey of guiding and inspiring children to explore the English language in a fun and interactive way. In this role, you create a positive and supportive classroom environment where children feel comfortable and excited to learn. You introduce them to basic vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation through interactive games, songs, stories, and handson activities. By using a variety of teaching techniques, such as flashcards, puppets, and visual aids, you capture their attention and make learning enjoyable. One of the key aspects of teaching English to elementary children is fostering their speaking and listening skills. You encourage students to participate actively in class discussions, roleplays, and pair or group activities. Through these interactive exercises, children gain confidence in using English to express themselves, ask questions, and engage in conversations with their peers. Another essential component is developing their reading and writing abilities. You introduce ageappropriate reading materials, such as storybooks and short texts, and guide students in comprehending the content and extracting key information. Moreover, you help them improve their writing skills by teaching them basic sentence structures, grammar rules, and encouraging them to write simple stories or descriptions. As an English teacher for elementary children, you also focus on building their vocabulary and language fluency. You incorporate thematic units, such as colors, animals, family, or daily routines, to enhance their word recognition and expand their vocabulary. Through repetition and practice, students learn to use new words in context, improving their overall language proficiency. In addition to language skills, teaching English to elementary children promotes cultural understanding and global awareness. You expose students to different cultures, traditions, and customs of Englishspeaking countries, fostering their curiosity and respect for diversity. This opens their minds to a broader worldview and prepares them to be global citizens. Overall, teaching English to elementary children is a dynamic and influential role. You have the opportunity to ignite a passion for language learning, nurture their linguistic abilities, and lay the groundwork for their future academic success. By creating a positive and engaging learning environment, you empower young learners to develop their English language skills while fostering their creativity, critical thinking, and confidence.
Teaching English to Elementary Children Verbal and Physical Development - Physical Development Typically, elementary children possess fluent and efficient motor abilities Their coordination (particularly eye-hand), durability, balancing, and athletic ability vary, too Similarly, fine motor abilities may differ greatly These abilities can influence a child's ability to write legibly, dress neatly, and specific activities, such as making beds or washing dishes There will be significant variations in height, weight, and physique among children in this age range It is crucial to note that a child's growth may be affected by genetics, nutrition, and activity By age 5, the majority of children are ready to begin schooling The first few years are devoted to mastering the basics In grade three, the emphasis grows more complicated With this shift, comprehension rather than word recognition becomes the primary goal of reading Both at school and at home, the ability to pay attention is essential to success A child of this age should be able to concentrate on an activity for at least 15 minutes By age 9, a youngster should be able to concentrate for around one hour It is essential that elementary students learn how to handle failure and frustration without losing self-respect There are several reasons for academic failure, including Reading disability and other learning issues, Causes of stress like bullying, and Mental health problems include anxiousness and sadness - Verbal Development: Children of elementary school age should be able to construct basic but full sentences with an average of to words During the primary school years, the child's grammar and pronunciation become standard As they become older, kids start speaking in longer, more complicated phrases Language difficulties might be caused by hearing or cognitive issues Additionally, children who have difficulty expressing themselves may be more prone to violent conduct or tantrums Typically, a 6-year-old youngster can obey three consecutive orders By age 10, most youngsters can follow five consecutive orders Children with difficulties in this area may try to hide it by backtalk or clowning about Because they worry about being taunted, kids don't often ask for assistance Use of flash cards correctly in the classroom A flashcard is a card with words, numbers, or images that is presented (as by a teacher to a class) as a help to learning This medium is considered suitable for educating young learners, beginning learners, and elementary-level students Because these three levels of schooling remain focused on vocabulary expansion Children's knowledge, comprehension, and visual memory may all be improved with the use of flashcards Due to children's relatively short attention spans, flashcards make it simpler for instructors to present small information chunks in a vivid and entertaining way Using flashcards, kids can develop connections When it comes to language learning, they can be used to match a known term with its translation in a foreign language Similarly, they can be used to correlate a phrase with its corresponding mathematical or scientific notion When you show them both the photographs and the words, their brains create connections that allow them to recognize the object afterward Flashcards are an effective means of boosting a child's learning of new concepts Because they are so successful, the flashcard method has grown popular in schools across the country and around the world Flashcards may transform the learning process into an entertaining and engaging pastime Nonetheless, there are factors for teachers to consider in order to use them effectively and productively: - Seated comfortably in front of pupils - Arrange the flashcards in the presentation sequence - Raise the flashcards card so that all kids can see them clearly Moreover, make sure the teacher's face should not be hidden by the flashcards - Require pupils to listen, teachers repeat the pronunciation of the flashcards five times - Repeat pronouncing the flashcards times and ask them to follow along - Individual and group flashcard repetition is required - The key is to keep flashcards enjoyable When young learners are having so much fun that he or she is unaware of how much they are learning, it is the ideal type of learning - If a student gives the right response, place the flash card in a pile on your left - If pupils respond incorrectly or not respond within three seconds, provide the right response and return to that flashcard later Academic development Young children enter the English classroom with a variety of challenges to overcome in order to reach their full potential Teachers work hard to assist all children in utilizing their abilities and knowledge to thrive in primary school so that they may also excel in higher education or the workplace in the future This is known as academic development Offering personalized services and activities, study sessions, language learning, and other different learning opportunities are a few examples of how to assist kids in their academic development Academic growth impacts other aspects of a person's life, including family life, job life, and the community in which they reside When a youngster begins to learn, he or she lays the foundation for future achievement However, there are some elements that may influence the academic development of primary school students - Low parental support - Inappropriate learning styles that lead to not understanding the language - School bullying - Mental and physical problems Creating an environment that stimulates learning and improves academic achievement is mainly the responsibility of instructors - Provide practical activities Incorporating many learning styles into the curriculum will encourage student engagement Because each student has a unique learning style, standard training may not engage all of them Providing hands-on learning activities and projects will provide kids with a change of pace and promote physical activity, hence reducing boredom and poor concentration - Encourage the pupils and have faith in them Having faith in children and providing them with assistance throughout the school year can help raise their accomplishment levels When kids misbehave and cause disruptions in the classroom, it may be due to a lack of confidence and support in their talents Children are more likely to achieve academically if they feel their teachers are helpful, care about their progress, and evaluate their faults and strengths genuinely It is simpler to sustain motivation when pupils get sincere feedback and assistance in overcoming their shortcomings Cognitive skills development There are main cognitive skills: reading, learning, remembering, logical reasoning, and paying attention We may use all of these to improve our capacity for acquiring new knowledge and growing as humans Children can develop cognitive abilities, such as attention, memory, and the ability to reason, through time over a process of gradual learning and practice These critical abilities allow toddlers to interpret sensory information and later learn to assess, interpret, remember, compare, and comprehend cause and consequence Some cognitive development is based on a child's genes, but most cognitive abilities are acquired via experience and practice This implies that with repetition and the correct instruction, thinking and learning skills can be positively affected - Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development: Understanding the cognitive development of elementary students would help the teacher to design better activities for improving cognitive skills According to Piaget, elementary learners are in The Concrete Operational Stage of Cognitive Development This is an important stage where kids will learn how to think more abstractly and hypothetically At this age, youngsters start to think more logically about concrete and specific topics, but they still have a hard time understanding abstract concepts Egocentrism also starts to go down during the concrete operational stage Children in the stage before this one (the preoperational stage) find it hard to see things from other people's points of view However, children in the concrete stage are able to this In other words, children can start to think about how other people see and experience the world They can also start to use this kind of decision-making or problem-solving At the concrete-operational stage, one of the most important things is being able to focus on many different parts of a problem They can pay attention to many different parts of a situation at once, which is a key part of understanding conservation - Physically active learning - Get students moving Physical activity has been shown to improve cognitive processes, including memory Regular exercise has been shown to have a profoundly positive effect on cognitive performance The most important one is that engaging in physical activities challenges your ability to think on your feet and make rapid decisions Before beginning class, it is important for teachers to have their pupils engage in some type of physical activity or brief warmup This will ensure that their brains remain active during the class - Use Brain-Training Games It is widely accepted that games are among the most effective tools for boosting pupils' cognitive skills Games like crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles and board games encourage students to think on their feet, conduct in-depth analyses, and make snap decisions This is a great opportunity for teachers to incorporate gaming into the classroom This will help make the classes more enjoyable and meet the intellectual demands of kids - Foster Students' Imagination Students are challenged to think in new and original ways by completing Englishcreative assignments The result is that students are free to experiment with their own identities English classes involving arts and crafts are the answer They encourage kids to use their imaginations and express their originality by providing a platform for doing so Activities to enhance learning The key focus of an elementary school teacher is to motivate kids to take part in learning activities that will most enhance their English learning Every learning activity should be purposeful, relevant, and applicable Teachers might wish to implement these kinds of activities in the classroom: - Content Focus Activity The term "content focus activity" refers to any activity in which students actively interact with the material, such as listening to and/or watching a videotaped lecture, reading or seeing a written or visual text, or interacting with multimedia After each or 15-minute 'chunk' of knowledge, it is helpful to ask questions, or incorporate another activity type, as this increases the likelihood that students will recall the material - Interactivity Focus Activity Every lesson should provide chances for active learning and learning activities that encourage open dialogue and group cohesiveness (as means of promoting social presence) Elementary school-aged kids would benefit greatly from these kinds of educational activities - Production Focus Activity When teachers want their students to really connect with the ideas and concepts they're presenting, requiring them to create something can help It has the potential to promote "deep" learning Teamwork and preparation in the classroom Teamwork is when students work with a group of different people to achieve a certain objective Team members know how to resolve disagreements in a positive way, how to listen attentively and express themselves articulately, how to work together, and how to ask for and give assistance Working together as a team is beneficial for children because it teaches them to appreciate and respect the unique qualities of their peers They gain skills in teamwork and social negotiation as a result of this - Working as a team is an important life skill Because it is such a crucial ability in adulthood, teaching students how to work together effectively as a team is a worthy effort Students who work together to solve an issue have a far greater chance of success In life, students will encounter a wide range of challenges, some of which will require them to work together By working together on problems, students will develop problemsolving abilities They'll learn to communicate clearly and listen attentively in order to solve problems - Teamwork is a great learning tool for improving students' English communication skills One of the keys to successful teamwork is an open and honest exchange of information Students will improve their communication skills as a byproduct of developing their collaborative skills Also, working in groups helps students learn to be good listeners Students will learn to listen carefully to one another as they collaborate on projects They need to tune in to what their partners are saying and give them feedback Good team players make their teammates feel appreciated and valued ● ● ● Steps for preparing lesson plan before class: Choose objectives for learning Plan learning activities Develop a suitable schedule: Plan for a little extra time in between each activity after you've estimated how long it will take ● Wrap up your lesson: Check students' understanding of the material, and use that information to shape future lessons Understanding Professor Rassias's methodology for children The Rassias Method, often called the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model, was created by American professor John Rassias He attended university at Bridgeport, earned his Ph.D from Dijon, and continued his education and research at the Sorbonne For the Peace Corps, he began his career as a language educator in 1964 when he accepted a role as Dartmouth's Director of Language Programs His method is meant to "make the participant feel comfortable and natural with the language in a short amount of time." It uses "teaching procedures and dramatic techniques that aim to get rid of inhibitions and create an atmosphere of free expression from the first day of class." The process broadens a person's opinion and teaches us to better interact with others in different settings It helps students learn how to behave, communicate, and educate themselves within the framework of a different culture Educators can benefit from Rassias's methods since they allow them to focus entirely on the topic at hand and put the young students in the spotlight The young student's ability to learn and grow will be stunted if they feel unsafe In order for students to feel at ease when expressing themselves in front of their peers or the entire nation, they must first feel at peace within themselves The pace and energy in the classroom are always thanks to the teachers The Rassias-drill approach emphasizes repetition and manipulation to encourage the usage of the learned language with freedom and creativity from the very first weeks of instruction onward The Rassias approach encourages instructors and students to make use of their passions and all of their senses Activity-based methodology activities for all skills In activity-based learning, students are allowed to work on their own while being supervised by a teacher while participating in a variety of types of active learning There is a greater chance for memorization and learning because of the increased interaction Speech, motor capabilities, social abilities, and coordination may all be assessed using this method It's a fun way to learn because it keeps kids' brains growing by giving them new things to think about and ask them to Exploration, experimentation, and expression are the three main pillars of activity-based learning - Kinds of Activity-Based Learning There are basically two distinct kinds of activity-based learning studentcentered teaching, where students are the main focus This encourages independent study The second form places the instructor in charge and has them guide the student through the entire procedure - Activity-based learning has many advantages One, it fosters in them a sense of curiosity and independence It encourages children to develop analytical skills They become more engaged and enthusiastic as a result of their newly piqued interest The children grow more observant The "learning by doing" approach is emphasized Two, it helps a person grow in their interpersonal abilities Aside from boosting self-assurance, this activity also strengthens students' communication abilities, group-working skills, and cooperative skills The kids get used to solving problems on their own and learning to accept challenges Three, students are more likely to remember and retain information with activity-based learning Four, to some extent, this is the most important advantage Unlike traditional classroom teaching, activity-based learning doesn't run the risk of students not paying attention The kids can't wander off since they are actively participating in every stage Five, Activity-based teaching is useful to any level of the young students As a result, activity-based learning is the optimal teaching method for reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, especially for young students This strategy has become so prevalent in English classes for children nowadays Teaching Pronunciation skill - Using phonics to help students learn how to pronounce English words: Phonics-based instruction is the most common and well-known approach to improving students' command of the English language Phonics is an approach to teaching pronunciation in which students are taught to associate a specific sound with each letter, vowel, and consonant Visual phonics is a cutting-edge method of teaching English pronunciation via the use of visual aids, including animated texts, films, and music Learning to pronounce in a second language can be challenging, but visual phonics can help students absorb what they see and hear so that they can begin to make distinctions between sounds, words, and meanings - Using the different mouth positions to teach English words correctly Vowel phonetic symbols in English may not be present in students' home language, thus it's crucial for them to learn them One teacher says, 1.) Show them what to with their mouths to make the sound 2.) Give them drills to help them build muscle memory 3.) Give them feedback along the way Teaching your children how to make a certain sound correctly requires showing them where to position their tongues and lips 10 Teaching Listening skill - Pre-listening instruction methods for elementary learners Pre listening ● Contextualization ● Teach vocabulary first ● Prediction ● Discussion (Go into detail on the topic.) ● Games While listening ● Comparing ● Filling up blanks ● Finding differences.erences ● ● ● ● Choose the right answers Transferring information Sequencing Matching Post listening ● Comprehension-checking questions and answers ● Summarizing ● Following up in writing and speaking There are three primary audio resources for the different learning styles of young students - Auditory Children: Sounds of nature (rain, automobiles, trucks, animals, vacuum cleaners, computer printers, people exercising), chants, poetry, read-aloud tales - Visual Children: Visual depictions such as those seen in drawings, sketches, photographs, paintings, posters, artwork, and infographics - Tactile children: Toys, puppets, and real-world objects that kids can interact with (it's vital to make sure the kid can really touch the item, not just look at it) 11 Teaching Speaking skill Elementary learners will probably have trouble speaking because they are "young" and their speech tools haven't fully developed yet In contrast to popular belief, younger students of English as a foreign language not go through the language acquisition process more rapidly than their older counterparts But if kids start studying English as a foreign or second language at a young age, they will have a significant edge when it comes to pronunciation - Audio-Linguistic Approach (ALM) This method is based on the idea that you can learn a language by getting used to its patterns and making them into habits Drilling with choral response and dialogues are two important aspects of ALM that can be easily adapted for the classroom of young learners - Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) 17 Music and song used appropriately in the classroom When incorporating music into a classroom setting, one of the trickiest tasks is choosing the appropriate song The following are some considerations for educators to make when selecting an appropriate tune - Think about the English level of students in the classes The classé level will not only dictate which songs may be used but also which other activities, such as games or written exercises, can be incorporated into the lesson plan Fast-delivered lyrics, for example, will drive students at lower levels crazy, while basic, repetitive songs may bore students at higher levels - Taking elementary students' ages into account Teachers working with this population should focus on selecting songs that are very repetitious and simple in their lyrics 18 Drama used appropriately in the classroom Incorporating class plays and other dramatic exercises into the ESL curriculum will serve as warm-ups and skill-builders for students - Warm-ups Teachers working on a play with their students might utilize daily warm-ups to study lines by performing short scenes or reciting individual words - Great activities for reading, vocabulary, and grammar learning Students need to read the lines, understand the content, and recognize the vocabulary and language structures before they can begin to remember them for a skit or play This is a fantastic first step into a foreign language Teachers may help students learn the proper pronunciation of new terms by having them look them up online and practice their use Keep in mind that they may need time to ask clarifying questions regarding the material or any unfamiliar grammar - Improving Memory Retention Students benefit greatly from repeated exposure to a word or phrase We adults may find it tiresome to hear pupils recite the same lines over and over again, but the more proficient they become at memorizing their lines, the more eager they will be to so - English Fluency Practice Students can improve their English fluency by repeating and practicing the lines and by playing around with the language - Writing Practice If teaching an intermediate or advanced level class, teachers may assign the students the task of writing their own play Students may gain a lot from projects that require them to collaborate and use their imaginations and creative skills 19 Using worksheets in the elementary classroom It's important to keep in mind the following while choosing or creating a worksheet A worksheet should - Be clear ● Have clearly labeled questions/tasks with numbers or letters (so they can be easily referred to orally during feedback or answers) ● Be straightforward and fit for purpose Be appropriate to the age, level, and ability of the students ● Can be typed (and stored) on a computer and thus can be edited and printed next time ● Has images sparingly and only where necessary ● Has sufficiently wide margins to prevent edges from being cut off when photocopying ● Has a descriptive title at the top and a space for the student's name ● Gives students sufficient space to write their answers ● Provides straightforward, easy-to-understand directions 20 Approaches and Methods in the Elementary classroom - Communicative language teaching (CLT) In terms of current strategies for teaching English as a second language, the communicative approach is likely at the top of the list CLT teaches students to communicate effectively in a variety of situations, including making requests, giving explanations, and sharing their thoughts and preferences It concentrates on teaching the language through authentic tasks and problem-solving CLT focuses less on grammatical correctness and more on fostering fluency - Task-based approach Although this approach sometimes falls under the umbrella of CLT, the focus is completely on the student's self-determination and individuality Elementary students will be more invested in their work and more motivated to study if they are given more responsibility for determining their own learning by asking and answering their own questions rather than depending only on the teacher - Total Physical Response(TPR) Physically responding to the language is the most effective method of learning the target language Using TPR is common practice when instructing English to low-level elementary school children It not only aids with vocabulary retention but also gives the children a way to burn off excess energy and maintain concentration during lengthy sitting times - Eclectic approach It's a great way to supplement one type of instruction with another This method enhances the class' flexibility and makes learning more engaging 21 Behavior management in the classroom - Teachers act as role models Take the time to model the kind of conduct you hope your pupils would adopt, since this strategy has been shown to be highly beneficial in the classroom - Have the children participate in the rule-making process When students are involved in establishing classroom norms and expectations, teachers are more likely to get their cooperation than when they are simply told what is not permitted - Avoid harsh punishments Instead of scolding the entire class for a few kids' misbehaviors, focus on helping those students who are disrupting the learning environment individually Instead, use a welcoming tone to point out individual kids A teacher may maintain a positive attitude while still calling out bad behavior with this simple method - Praise is highly recommended According to a recent analysis and study, kids' academic and behavioral performance increases when they are praised for their efforts Praise can motivate the class and boost a student's self-esteem when it is sincere and uses specific examples of effort or success Importantly, it motivates pupils to keep up their good work 22 Understanding students learning needs ● First and foremost, students need fun activities so as to effectively learn English ● Students should be treated respectfully and fairly at all times, just as they would be in any other classroom setting ● As students learn, they hope that their teacher will pay close attention to how they are progressing in everyday English communication and response skills ● Students should feel confident in their abilities, vocabulary, and grammar at the conclusion of the course ● Students must have more confidence in speaking English ● Their learning styles should be recognized by teachers for more effective activities ● Not only they need a lot of academic support but they also love to receive mental support, encouragement, and praise from teachers LESSON PLAN Topic: Transportation Level: Beginner Age: Length: 45 minutes Language Skills: Vocabulary, Pronunciation, Speaking, Listening, Writing… TESOL Methodology: Total Physical Response Approach, Task-Based Approach, Eclectic Approach Lesson objectives: By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to pronounce and write train, bus, car, and bike “I go to school by ” Resources: Flashcards, a white board, markers, a worksheet, stickers, and a speaker Stage Activity Description Resource Timin g Warm up Transitio n into an Vehicles song Speaker English learning environm ent https:// minute www.yout s ube.com/ watch? v=tVlcKp 3bWH8 https:// www.yout ube.com/ watch? v=66Ce3il cAz4 Pre-task Introduce the - Showing the upcoming flashcards of lesson theme transportation: Flashcards 30 sec train, bus, car, bike Teaching Teach Step 1: Show the 1.Train flashcard and minute attract the s 2.Bus student’s attention 3.Car (facial expression, 4.Bike scary noise, etc.) Step 2: The student listens to Flashcards