the challenge of teaching very young learners 1

By Grace Bertolini THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNERS: Teaching a child could be defined as “instructing him in a certain area” Educating a child, however, is enabling him to develop mentally, morally, physically and socially CHILDREN’S MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS: CHILDREN'S CHARACTERISTICS Children are energetic Children are noisy Children are quick Children like to use their senses as well as to speak Children have imagination Children are fun and enthusiastic CHILDREN ARE CHILDREN!! IMPLICATIONS They need to move a lot You can't expect a quiet class with Young Learners Quick to learn & quick to forget!! You need to constantly revise what you have taught They need to see, hear, touch, smell and taste Use it!! Have fun and be enthusiastic with them and everyone will benefit Don't expect too much…everything comes with time!! How to teach EFL YOUNG Learners: THINGS CHILDREN LOVE TO DO: CHANGE YOUR ACTIVITIES every 5-10 minutes: this is vital because young children need variety as they get bored easily and have a very short attention span VARY THE PACE DURING THE LESSONS: mixing up excitable games with quiet ones You not want your children getting bored but you not want them getting over-excited either, so vary the pace according to the mood R-R-R: Repeat, review and revise Use short games to review vocabulary and phrases you have taught If you neglect this, the children will have no recollection of the language you have covered! DO NOT BURDEN YOUR CHILDREN WITH READING & WRITING Preschoolers are still learning to write in their own language There is plenty of time for that later LANGUAGE SKILLS: Concentrate on listening and understanding, building vocabulary and the acquisition of short phrases AVOID ABSTRACT CONCEPTS and concentrate instead on concrete real items that the children understand and relate to For example start with familiar topics such as colors, numbers, greetings, animals, fruit, food and drink, families, body parts, shapes, clothing, the weather, days of the week and short everyday sentences and phrases THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar CONCENTRATE ALSO ON SPEAKING PRACTICE, starting with single words and short phrases, and gradually moving onto longer sentences and questions USE PLAY & GAMES : MAKE YOUR LESSONS PLAYFUL and full of physical movement Children will enjoy them more, be more motivated and remember the language better USE PUPPETS: Bring in puppets and have the puppet introduce the new vocabulary for the lesson If you not have a puppet you can make one from a paper bag, or by sewing a couple of buttons on a sock USE A LOT OF CHANTS RHYMES AND SONGS These are great for movement and frequent repetition of vocabulary and phrases Do not burden your children with reading and writing Preschoolers are still learning to write in their own language There is plenty of time for that later USE REALIA& PROPS: Bring in real objects when you can, such as clothes to dress up in, or props for acting out little plays or stories When you cannot bring in real items use whatever objects are available in your class, and use colorful pictures of real items in the games USE STORIES: Stories are a fabulous resource for young kids, who will want to hear the same stories told over and over again You can use games and activities to teach the key words in the story, inspire the children with colorful illustrations to help them understand, and act out parts of the stories or the whole story afterwards with role plays, games and make believe USE TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE: Include movement You can easily control the children by switching to calming games when you need to calm everyone down or throw in an exciting game when you want to pick up the pace Variety is the key!! BE PREPARED: practice telling the stories, playing games, using posters, etc… Before you go into class and have your picture flashcards and materials ready BE FLEXIBLE: If something is not working then change the game or activity INVOLVE SHY CHILDREN TOO: give them a central role and help them come out of their shell THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar SOME PROBLEMS TEACHERS MAY FACE: YOUNG LEARNERS have a VERY short attention span will forget things quickly may not be fully confident in their own language develop at very different rates can be easily overwhelmed The process of acquisition of a Foreign Language is similar to that of the Mother Tongue: it is important to look at how children have learned elements of their native language: Babies hear everyday language and songs and they begin to imitate sounds and actions Later through imitation, they sequence words together to make phrases and sentences  CONTEXTUAL CLUES: such as gestures, facial expressions, body language  CONCRETE REFERENTS such as: props, realia, visual aids, manipulative  “HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES” accompanied by oral and written language use THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar PLANNING FOR YOUNG LEARNERS: TEACHERS must be very careful when planning: a) Be prepared to adapt your plans b) Estimate how long activities may take c) Prepare your materials with time We can divide planning in stages: LONG TERM PLANNING- SHORT TERM PLANNING - LESSON PLANNING LONG TERM PLANNING SHORT TERM PLANNING ANNUAL CURRICULUM MONTHLY THEME THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES LESSON PLANNING WEEKL/DAILY LESSONS www.gracebertolini.com.ar TOPIC-BASED SYLLABUS : The syllabus is your “Course Program” THEMES- TOPICS – CENTRES OF INTEREST: ME AND MY FAMILY HOME PETS TOYS MY SCHOOL MY HOUSE MY BODY CLOTHES FOOD ZOO ANIMALS FARM ANIMALS JOBS SHOPS LEA RNING CENTE RS Art & Crafts: Dramatic MY NEIGHBOURHOOD MEANS OF TRANSPORT HOLIDAYS RESOURCES TOPIC ………………… Play: INTE RACTIVE B OARD S Chalk: Science : Flannel: _ _ _ BOOK CORNE R Reader s: Magnet: Pocket : BIG BOOKS: THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar PUPPETS / MASKS SONG S / POEMS FAMILY CONNEC TION REALIA CDs: Field trips Videos: GAMES PIC TURES OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FLASHCARDS OUTPUT WEEKLY PLAN: THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar AN ACTIVITY IS TAKING TOO LONG: - You can ask them to finish it at home - Tell them you will come back to it another day YOU HAVE EXTRA TIME LEFT OVER: Use one of your “Emergency activities” Choose one that suits the mood of the class AN ACTIVITY DOESN’T WORK: - If your CD player doesn’t work at the moment of your lesson, don’t spend time to get it work: leave it and read the text, or sing the song yourself or something else - If a game isn’t working out, finish off the activity as soon as you can and move on to something else -Don’t try to repair or change things in the middle of a lesson AN ACTIVITY IS TOO DIFFICULT: If an activity doesn’t work because the language is too difficult for your students, stop it gently and move on to an easy one which you know they can • There is nothing wrong with using L1: it can be a useful, efficient resource, especially when explaining methodology • There are situations when L1 is fastest and the most appropriate form of communication At the beginning, when setting discipline and Class Rules When you would waste too much time explaining an activity, a new game a grammar structure When introducing a particular theme When a child is upset to soothe him and demonstrate closeness THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar BEGINNING WITH CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT: ORGANIZING THE CLASSROOM: TEACHER TALK & DRAWING ATTENTION: Don't speak when children aren't listening and ready Wait Establish a signal for getting the group's attention: Turn off the lights Clap a pattern with your hands Say “Freeze!” and everyone halts right where they are, like a statue Then say “Melt!” when you are ready for them to move again Practice numbers, in the beginning, even when children are doing well, just so they get the idea of how to respond to your signals Then praise them Example: “One, two, three…eyes on me” Establish good listening habits for story time Sometimes we read and listen, and sometimes we read and discuss, but we always listen ESTABLISHING DAYLY ROUTINES ROUTINES are established patterns of behavior, and teachers should have a clear plan: - For Circle Time - To get children’s attention - To greet children and the Flag - To call the roll - To check weather’s conditions - To choose Classroom’s Helpers - To schedule activities for the lesson/day - To practice activities which involve movement (TPR / Action songs) - To give out & collect classroom materials - To start and to stop “written activities” - To tidy up “Once routines are established, children will only need a prompt to know what to do”Young children have no sense of formal time, but “routine” helps them to know what to expect and what to do, giving them a notion of “time passing” 1- BEGINNING THE LESSON: - Always begin the lesson with the same routine (a song, a chant) that make your students realize that “the English lesson” has begun Never start with something new! - Then revise a few items of vocabulary and add or new ones - Check that everybody has got all the materials needed before starting THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 2- EXTRA MATERIALS: - Have extra materials for those who always finish before the others: a child with nothing to is a potential source of trouble KEEP A BOX WITH EXTRA MATERIALS with: Extra pictures to color Easy puzzles to solve Simple colorful books to look at Crosswords Picture cards to play with Word searches Memory games Puzzles 3- BRINGING WORK TO AN END: - If children are working on something and the lesson is soon going to end, warn them 4- TIDYING UP: - It is very important that children learn to look after their things and tidy up at the end of the lesson/day - have specific shelves and boxes for different things - Create a Routine Song for this moment: SONG FOR TIDYING UP (Tune: Arroz leche) “It’s time to clean, To tidy up… Put everything in order, tomorrow we come back! MANAGING CHILDREN POSITEVELY: Behavior Management Strategies for Kindergartners Keep it positive! Praise good behavior!! Teachers should think of some positive ways to reinforce good behavior Children respond quite well to praise and verbal acknowledgement THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 10 DOT BOOKS reinforce left-to-right directional movement and support one-to-one voice-print match STEPS: 1) Place a self-sticking green dot at the beginning of the line of text to show the child where to begin reading 2) Place a black dot under each word 3) AS the child reads, have him touch each dot in turn Make sure that the word the child points, matches what the child says “This is the letter G It goes around, up, down, and then it has a hook” For children learning to form letters, and for children who experience difficulty with this skill, tracing books provide personalized, guided practice in learning the shapes of letters THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 68 Students write their story inside the shape THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 69 Allow an entire group of children to become involved in the reading process at the same time STORIES SHOULD BE: SIMPLE  AGE-APPROPRIATE  PREDICTABLE  STORIES SHOULD HAVE:  GOOD PLOT  WONDERFUL PICTURES  Rhythm & Rhyme  Repetition  Intonation  The repetition and colorful illustrations in this classic picture book by Bill Martin Jr, make it a favorite of many children  On each page, we meet a new animal who helps us discover which creature will show up next  "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what you see? I see a redbird looking at me "  This pattern is repeated over and over, until the prereader can join in with the reader, easily predicting the next lines  Giggles and raised eyebrows will accompany the story as the animals become stranger and stranger (a purple cat!?) THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 70 About the story: This book follows the ravenous caterpillar's path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage - until he is really fat and has a stomachache It is good for teaching: - nutrition, - counting, - science (stages of a butterfly) - days of the week  A cozy, attractive and inviting place, where students can read books of their own choice and at their own pace  Involve children in the organization: taking responsibilities for the care of the books  Create an Open Access to the Book Corner  Design a Lending System to Borrow Books  Keep Personal Records of books children have borrowed RECORDER COMPUTER DVD PLAYER CD PLAYER VIDEO PLAYER TV - SET PROJECTOR THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 71 READING CENTER 1- LANGUAGE ARTS CENTER WRITING CENTER 4- ARTS & CRAFTS CENTER 7- COMPUTER CENTER 2- MATHS CENTER LEARNING LEARNING CENTERS CENTERS 3- DRAMATIC PLAY CENTER 6- BLOCK CENTER 5- SCIENCE CENTER LEARNING CENTERS are areas in the classroom with interesting learning material for children to work: Alone - In couples - In small groups - With the whole class HOW CAN I USE LEARNING CENTERS? or tables would focus on different Literacy skills Children would rotate every 10 - 15 minutes to each table The teacher would work with one of the groups on a skill that requires some guiding Activities included in the LITERACY CENTER should be used for children: to be actively engaged in concepts previously introduced, to reinforce skills previously taught by the teacher Activities are all meant to help children begin the READING & WRITING PROCESS • Kids can used “blank sheets” to practice printing letters The picture cards with the words printed on them can be used for word matching Children will match the words to pictures • Teachers can provide “sheets with “traceable letters” for kids to print over themselves and then practice on their own _ THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 72 DON’ DON’T FORGET THE FAMILY!! Through open communication, communication a partnership among teachers and parents can be established to support and encourage your students learning program Give parents an article (in Spanish) describing how children acquire the 2nd language COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS: WEEKEND NOTES with on going work - Activities in the class - Future topics - Asking for materials PARENTS MEETINGS: Keep parents informed of classroom organization, group profile (after Adjustment Period), projects, routines, timetable, activities, reports and aims SCHOOL- HOME CONNECTION: - Support a “School-home connection” through open communication A partnership among teachers and parents can be established to support and encourage your students learning program - Provide parents with materials and examples describing how children acquire the 2nd language Involve parents in activities that the whole family can Invite parents to an OPEN HOUSE At the beginning of the year, it introduces parents to the different techniques so that they can understand how their child is acquiring the language THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 73 “KINDERGARTEN NEWSLETTER” NEWSLETTER”: “A CLASS PHOTO JOURNAL” JOURNAL”: take pictures of the children involved in various classroom activities and send the album home “TRAVELING - CD” CD”: with classroom songs and prepare a SONG BOOK with the lyrics “OUR BOOK OF RECIPES” RECIPES” - of poems - of puzzles - of games “A FAMILY PORTRAIT” PORTRAIT”: in a cube “FAMILY MOBILES” MOBILES”: with pictures of everyone “TAKE-HOME THEMATIC BACKPACK”:  Suggestions of activities to share with the whole family Opportunities to read together and share: - a story - child-centered activities pages THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 74 SHOW YOUR WORK!! - BOOK FAIR: Different Publishers - Involve the whole family- Choose a theme - GREEN WEEK: Planting seeds- Decorating with flowers, butterflies, bugs, making a flower pot to take home - FIELD TRIPS to a: Theatre – Zoo- Farm- Museum - END –OF-THE YEAR SHOW: CONCERTS- A musical – A Talent show – Introduce parents to children’s daily routines, activities – Show Interactive Boards, Word Banks, Big Books, etc… – Parents can see the process and procedures that take place in the class WHEN ASSESSING: • Teachers learn what students can and can’t do! • Keep a notebook to write down observations of language development Assess how they: - Play games - Follow directions - Record children’s production - Keep a Portfolio THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 75 Remember the SILENT PERIOD / years olds may remain silent for months to year Young Learners first absorb rather than produce a language Do not pressure them to talk Correct children in a way that won’t hurt their feelings – ask the whole class – not just one child Repeat correct versions many times Overemphasize to make the clear correct pronunciation Transmit your enthusiasm for learning English Give positive feedback and congratulate children on what they do, reinforcing students’ confidence Praise, Praise, Praise!! Encourage and build students up in a natural way Learning occurs when students are motivated and feel good about themselves CONCLUSIONS: Children should be actively involved in meaningful functional language experiences They progress through appropriate stages, learning in different ways and at different rates They feel comfortable “trying out” They learn by active exploration, making discoveries CHILDREN LEARN BY DOING!! THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 76 LISTEN AND MIME A STORY: Words for miming ACTIONS enormous Starting above your head, trace a big circle with your hands elephant Wave an arm in front of your nose like an elephant's trunk bored Put your head in your hand with bored expression on your face idea Point at your head with a sudden, pleased expression on your face walk Walk a few steps on the spot New York Put both hands above your head to make a skyscraper meet Turn to someone beside you and shake hands magic Hold up your hands and shimmer them down like magic dust monkey Scratch your head with one hand and under one arm with another What's the matter? Open your hands and shrug your shoulders in a questioning way OK The usual gesture in your country for OK crazy The usual gesture in your country for crazy crocodile Make snapping crocodile jaws with outstretched arms tired Sag your body sleep Put your head on your two hands THE ENORMOUS ELEPHANT: This is the story of Enormous Elephant, Magic Monkey, and Crazy Crocodile One day Enormous Elephant was bored, very, very bored Then he had an idea 'I know,' he said, 'I'll go to New York.' So he started to walk, and he walked, and he walked, and he walked On the way he met Magic Monkey 'Hello, Magic Monkey,' he said 'Hello,' said Magic Monkey 'What's the matter?' said Enormous Elephant 'I'm bored,' said Magic Monkey, 'very, very bored.' 'I've got an idea,' said Enormous Elephant, 'why don't you come to New York with me?' 'OK,' said Magic Monkey So they started to walk, and they walked, and they walked, and they walked On the way they met Crazy Crocodile 'Hello, Crazy Crocodile,' they said 'Hello,' said Crazy Crocodile 'What's the matter?' said Enormous Elephant 'I'm bored,' said Crazy Crocodile, 'very, very bored.' 'I've got an idea,' said Enormous Elephant, 'why don't you come to New York with us?' 'OK,' said Crazy Crocodile So they started to walk, and they walked, and walked, and walked And they walked, and they walked, and they walked And they walked, and they walked, and they walked 'Oh, I'm tired,' said Enormous Elephant 'Oh, I'm tired,' said Magic Monkey 'Oh, I'm tired,' said Crazy Crocodile So they all went to sleep Unknown author THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 77 REFERENCES: o Roth, Genevieve Teaching Very Young Children- Pre-school and Early Primary Richmond Publishing o House, Susan An introduction to Teaching English to children Richmond Publishing o Curtain and Pesola Languages and children – making the match Longman o Clandfield, Lindsay and Foord, Duncan The language teacher’s Survival Handbook SBS Publishing o Richards, Jack C and Rodgers, Theodore S Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching Cambridge University Press 2nd edition, 2001 o Thornbury, Scott How to teach Grammar Longman, 1999 o Amstrong, Thomas.The Multiple Intelligences of Reading and Writing: Making the Words Come Alive o Amstrong, Thomas Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, 3rd Ed o Marcia Fisk Ong Teaching English to Young Learners Compass Publishing o Goldish, Meish “Thematic Poems Songs and Fingerplays” Scholastic o Gnojewski, Carol “Music and Dramatics at Circle Time” Totline Publications o Mackie, Gill Super Songs & Activities New editions o Sheldom, Ken “Sing along and learn” Scholastic o Diane C Ohanesian – The Big Book of Pre-K Learning Centers Scholastic o Abby Barry Bergman- Learning Centers activities- Full Day Kindergarten Center for Applied Research in Education o Renee Creange- Classroom Routines that really work for Pre-K o McGlothlin, J Doug 1997 A Child's First Steps in Language Learning o Science Publishers Literacy for early childhood: learning from the learners Early Child Development and Care o House, - Susan An introduction to Teaching English to children Richmond o Curtain and Pesola Languages and children – making the match Longman o Jack C and Rodgers Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching Richards, Theodore S Cambridge University Press 2nd edition, 2001 o Thornbury, Scott How to teach Grammar Longman, 1999 o Celce-Murcia,M Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language Heinle and Heinle United States 2001 o Railsback, J Project based Instruction: Creating Exciment for Learning o Tom Hutchinson Project work in Language learning o Magdalena Říhová Project work in ELT with young learners of mixed ability classes o Hutchinson, T Introduction to Project Work Oxford University Press o Michael F Opitiz Learning Centers: Getting Them Started, Keeping Them Going (Scholastic, 1994) o Science Poems and Songs for Young Learners (Scholastic, 1996) o Gardner, Howard “Frames of mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences” Powell, James E – “Multiple Intelligences-Activating Young Minds”– McGraw- Hill o Ulrich Tobias, Cynthia “How your child learns and succeeds!” - Galahad Books o Witkin, Herman and Goodenough, Donald R “Cognitive Styles: Essence and origins”International University Press o Bromley, K- Irwin, L- Modlo, M – “50 Graphic Organizers for Reading, Writing and more” – Scholastic o Robb, A- “40 Graphic Organizers that build comprehension during Independent Reading” Scholastic o o Nickelsen L- Glasscock, S- “Main Idea & Summarizing” – Scholastic o Shaw, D- “Retelling Strategies to improve comprehension” – Scholastic o Garvie, E (1991) "An integrative approach with young learners" in Brumfit (1991) THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 78 o Williams, M (1991) "A framework for teaching English to young learners“ o Cameron, L (2003) ‘Challenges for ELT from the expansion in teaching children' in ELT Journal, April, Issue 57, Oxford University Press o Fowler, J “Quick & creative Literature response activities” -Scholastic o Emblem, Val “Learning through story” - Scholastic o Wright, Andrew “ Storytelling with children” o Muno, Licciardo “25 terrific Literature Activities” - Scholastic o Warren, Jean “Story time ideas for Circle Time”- Totline Pub o Novelli, Joan “Easy-to-make Books That target Specific Reading needs - Scholastic o Ellis, Gail “The Storytelling Handbook for Primary teachers” - Penguin o Fowler, J “Quick & creative Literature response activities” -Scholastic o Schmidt, Fran Friedman, Alice “Peacemaking skills for little kids” Pre K – o Mades, Miriam “Helping, not hurting” Teaching I-care Rules through Literature o “Peace Scholars: Learning through Literature” o “Peace Scholars: Creative Conflict Solving” o Pike, Kathy Mumper, Jean Fiske, Alice “Teaching kids to care & cooperate” SCHOLASTIC RECOMENDED STORIES: o o o o o o o o o o o o Carle, Eric “The very hungry caterpillar” Wood, Audrey “The napping house” Tabak, Simms “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly”- Caldecott Honor Book Martin, Bill Jr “Brown bear, brown bear…what you see?” Martin, Bill Jr “Polar bear, polar bear…what you hear?” Unknown author “The three little pigs”- 1840 Unknown author “The mitten” Shannon, David “David goes to school” - Scholastic Brown, Laurie “How to be a friend” - Little Brown & Company Carle, Eric “ The grouchy ladybug” - Harper Collins McBratney, Sam “ I’m sorry” -Harper Collins Vaughan, Marcia “Hands, hands, hands” - Mondo Publishing SOME VIDEO LINKS IN YOU TUBE: • • • • • • • • TEDDY BEAR, TEDDY BEAR: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMYJCyRhXao THE ITSY BITSY MONKEY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaGTAEFjyp8 TWINKLE TWINKLE TRAFFIC LIGHTS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRWSUx2j6B8 MAKE A CIRCLE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RERqAISUlt8 WALKING WALKING: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrrA9j51tQ0 HELLO SONG: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I9gz-5_h60 SONG FOR CIRCLE TIME: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iWwLTS8IDI CLEAN UP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b4gSs0KhIU RECOMMENDED WEB SITES: o www.enchantedlearning.com o www preschoollearningonline.com o www.activityschoolbus.com o www glitterfulfeltstories.com o www.teachers.net o www.kizclub.com o www.teachervision.fen.com o www.kindercrafts.com o www.sparklebox.co.uk THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 79 o o o o o o o o o o www.britishcouncil.org/kids-songs-music www.theteachersguide.com/Songs www.kididdles.com www.freekidsmusic.com www.bussongs.com www.prekinders.com www.ehow.com www.esl-galaxy.com www.jmeacham.com www.vickiblackwell.com We strongly recommend hands-on learning activities for Very Young Learners from: www.childcareland.com www.earlychildhoodprintables.com SHELLEY LOVETTS has been creating original learning activities and resources for the early childhood community since 2000 She has also been working in the field of early learning for the past sixteen years as both a licensed child care provider and a pre-k teacher www.teachingenglishgames.com SHELLEY VERNON created a method that concentrates on enhancing listening and speaking skills through Language Games which involve repetition and through fluency activities which have genuine communicative value rather than artificial conversation She created her best-selling "English Language Games for Children" www.supersimplesongs.com Teachers of Knock Knock English School for Children in Tokyo, Japan Several award-winning CDs later, Super Simple Learning materials are being used in classrooms and homes around the world to help children learn with confidence and a smile www.kinderplans.com ELAINE ENGERDAHL has taught a number of primary grades in her 26 years of teaching, specializing in the area of Reading Instruction She created the Program called Early Learning Solutions that integrates many skills within the reading content books Enter her web site and learn about her Full Year of Kindergarten and Preschool Curriculum-Based Lesson Plans and Activities THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 80 “What a child creates through playful activity is never wrong” “Tell me and I forget Teach me and I remember Involve me and I learn !” Benjamin Franklin “ Teachers should make a difference in the lives of children” “To teach is to touch a soul forever” THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 81 ENJOY YOUR TEACHING! creativeteaching@gracebertolini.com.ar Grace B www.gracebertolini.com.ar WORKSHOP: THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNERS Copyright 2013 By Graciela Bertolini www.gracebertolini.com.ar All rights reserved No part of this Workshop/ publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, computer bulletin board (BBS), Internet, or by any information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the author This legal protection not only applies to the name but also to the format and contents of this course Any copying or similar course/ handbook, will be seen a breach of copyright and legal action will be sought Please not email the Workshop HANDBOOK to anyone else, as I not want free copies being emailed all over the internet I appreciate your integrity on this point Thank you! Grace Bertolini THE CHALLENGE OF TEACHING VERY YOUNG LEARNES www.gracebertolini.com.ar 82