2014年12月4日木曜日

November 20 meeting

It was just the two of us last time!! Everyone is so busy these days.

Megumi and I talked about teaching weather concepts and vocabulary. We reviewed a really good song that you can use with children to sing about the weather. It's introduced in a newsletter I found online. Click HERE to view it in .pdf form online.

I can give you more materials to use for teaching weather concepts when we meet on December 4! I hope to see everyone there.

Christie

2014年11月20日木曜日

Our November 6th meeting

In this meeting we talked about building up language from one lesson to the next. We discussed the importance of reviewing vocabulary and language so that students don't forget what they learned in earlier classes.

We practiced an activity that helps students review "How are you?" and possible negative answers such as "I'm hungry", "I'm sad", etc. The activity then encourages children to continue the conversation by offering a solution to the bad feeling.

Target language:

A/ How are you?
B/ I'm ___________________ (adjective)
A/ Oh!  Here's a _____________
     Oh!  I love you!
     Oh! Relax!




The Class Game

1. Put the kids into teams (rows of desks / boys vs. girls / whatever!)
2. Put the "How are you?" answers in a box or bag.
3. Put the "solutions" in another bag or box.
4. While you play some music, the kids pass around the two bags or boxes. They have to pass it to the person next to them (not just to people on their own team).
5. When you stop the music, everyone shouts out, "How are you?"
6. The kid with the answer bag or box picks one out (without looking!) and says it in a big voice.
7. The kid with the solution bag or box picks one out (without looking!) and gives a reply.
8. If the solution matches the answer, both kids get a point for their team.
9. Start again from 4.

-----------------------------------

After this activity was introduced, we brainstormed other ways to use the cards to practice this language.

Idea 1
Divide class into big groups (8-10 students each). They play this game together within their own group. Groups that get a match get a point.

Idea 2
Question/Answer "Karuta"
1. Children ask, "How are you?"
2. Teacher draws a card and says "I'm ______"
3. Children in small groups (3-4) smack a solution card and yell the answer.

Idea 3
Like idea 2, but the children play amongst themselves, with one child becoming the "teacher"

Idea 4
Find a match (can use in a big class)
1. Divide class in 1/2 -- One 1/2 is A, one 1/2 is B.
2. As get 1 "feelings" card each and Bs get 1 "solution" card each.
3. Students move around the room and ask each other:

B/ Hi! How are you?
A/ I'm __________.
NO MATCH:  B/  That's too bad.
MATCH:         B/  Oh! Here's a _________. / ________!
                         A/  Thank you!
Then both students sit down.

2014年11月10日月曜日

\ The 2nd and 3rd meetings /

The 2nd and 3rd meetings**

We discussed how to teach vocabulary with the Body Parts song in the 2nd meeting.  And then we played the "Draw a Monster" game.  Children can gain more their vocabulary with enjoyment.

And we played the "How are you?" game.  And then we gave our opinion, and we also made arranged game. With this game, children can learn simple conversational expression.  We must teach target language again and again.  Even if we teach target language to children once, they can't learn that then.  So, I recommend we play this game at the beginning of the class as introduction.  In the use of the game in every classes, Children will become able to use this game phrase.  Target language in this game is as follows.

A/ How are you?
B/ I'm ---------.(adjective)
A/ Oh!  Here's a --------.
                I love you!
                Relax!
B/ Thank you!

PS. The first pic is took in the 2nd meeting, and the second pic is took in the 3rd meeting! ;D 

From Megumi


\ New members /

Impression**

Hi. My name is Sachie Katsuda. From fall semester, I join Child English Study. Nice to meet you. I don't speak English well, but I like English and I love children. My dream isn't teacher, bud I want to try to activity attend in this group, and I come in contact with members. I also can speak English. I wii do my best. I'm bubbling with expectation now.

From Sachie


Hello!My name is Risa.
Recentry, I joined Child English Study. My dream isn't a teacher, but I participated because I liked English with a child. And I can speak English more!!!! I'll do my best.
It is how to teach for child from Christie.
I'm going to learn a lot.

From Risa

2014年10月29日水曜日

The plan for this term

Hi everybody! It was great to see you at our last meeting, where we talked about teaching new concepts along with reviewing language that we already introduced. We discussed how to teach vocabulary with the Body Parts song. Click HERE to see a YouTube video of some teachers learning the song.

And then we played the "Draw a Monster" game. (Please review the print that I gave you at our meeting.

We also discussed a general plan for the group for the rest of this term:


  • We'll meet next month on November 6 and 20.
  • In December, the members will split into groups. Each group will begin to plan a lesson.
  • In January, the groups will present their lessons to each other.
  • In February, we'll try to find a hoikuen or youchien where the groups can practice teaching their lessons to REAL CHILDREN!!!




2014年10月14日火曜日

\ The 1st meeting /

The 1st meeting**

New school term started, so we began to work as Child English Study Group again!!!
We had 1st meeting in new term on October 9, and I will report that our working.  But before I do that, I must talk about soooooooo big news with our group!  The news is......what 2 NEW MEMBERS JOIN our group! <333  And they also took part in the meeting!  That made me so happy!! :D  I hope our group have members more and more!

This meeting is first meeting in this term, so we started to have orientation for new members.  And we talk about our working from now on too.  Our final goal is teaching English with enjoyment in actual kindergarten or nursery school!  We have much things that we should do in order to put in it into practice.
One of these things is learning SKILLS to teach English with enjoyment.  When we teach English with only desk working, children will feel it boring.  And the way may make their desire to study English lose.  So Ms.Christie says, "We should have more ACTIVITIES, SONGS, GAMES at teaching English.  It is good for children to teach English with enjoyment."
So we worked "CARD GAME" in this meeting.  This cards are written vegetable words and painted pictures.  How to play the game is below.  

1. One student (This person has task as TEACHER.) choose one word.
2. Other students ask TEACHER person what card he/she choose.  For example, "Do you like apples?"
3. The person answer the question. "Yes, I do." or "No, I don't."
4. Other students find the card, If the person answer "Yes, I do."

The game and karuta that is Japanese game are similar.  This game is exciting and effective to learn English skills.  Children must listen to words carefully and converse with person.  This activities develop their LISTENING and SPEAKING skills in English.  And We must carefully pay attention to PRONUNCIATION.  For example, we must listen whether children pronounce correctly 'APPLE' or 'APPLES,' and whether they can converse.  If a person says "Do you like apples?", answer must says "Yes, I do." or "No, I don't."  If the answer says "I like apples." or "I don't like apples", we revise the mistake.  And we let the answer pronounce correctly.