The importance of teaching English to children
The importance of teaching English to children
It is needed to teach English since Preschool, because at this grade the children are very receptive to knowledge. Several theorists like Montessori said that at an early age, the kids are like sponges that absorb everything from the environment. Besides Piaget and Vigotsky, highlight the influence of the external stimulation and interactios on the learning.
According to this, it is really important create an English environment for preschool and elementary students, with the purpose of get the students used to the language, making more familiar for them the English sounds and pronunciation, through words and expressions; improving gradually their interaction with the foreign language and making it more easier to be learned in the future, with the complexity that arise, like grammar structures and skills development.
Providing a "Natural" learning of the English by creating a natural environment since Preschool, with joyful and entertain English activities, motivate and get involved the students in the learning process. Those activities can have reading and speaking tasks according to the level, grade and age of the students; can be brought different and useful topics and assessments to teach English to children, through materials like storybooks, toys and many things which the kids feel attracted to.
The class’ structure.
Introducing Speaking
Introducing speaking to Preschool and Elementary.
Introducing Reading
Introducing reading to Preschool and Elementary.
Worksheets
Working with worksheets
2. Purpose: Define the purposes that you want aacomplish with the worksheet.
3. Visual: The students at young ages, are very distracful,the teacher have to get their attention with an attractive activiy, with images and colors.
4. Practical: Try to do different exercises, not all the same becauses it gets boring for the students. Have on mind the purpose, be practical with the extension of the worksheet and the distribution of the space for each exercise.
5. Clear instructions: The rules help to aacomplish the worksheet as is expected. Try to be clear , not cause troubles the students with the instructions to resolve the exercises.
6. Modeling: The grammar and writting rules in the worksheet have to be very good and without mistakes, everbody make mistakes but try to not confuse the students. Also, try to give examples , in that way the students will understand more easier what they have to do.
Fine Motor Skills
Developing Gross Motor Skills with English
Gross Motor Skills
Developing Gross Motor Skills with English
Gross motor skills are the movements that use the large muscles of the human body. Those movements can be done in activities such like running, jumping, catching and throwing , and other activities wich involved the large muscles. “Good gross motor skills are essential, because the body develops from large moments such as control of the arms and the legs, to small, isolated movements that include the hands and fingers. Without reasonable gross motor control, it can be difficult for children to move onto developing the fine motor skills...". Some gross motor activities that use English can be:
Through this activities you can involved all the students and funny and dinamic games, where they have to move a lot, jump and run to develop the Gross Motor Skills, but also use those games to teach colors, numbers and simple directions in English.
I am going to leave you some links where I got information and where you can find more examples:
http://www.getreadyforschool.com/preschool/preschool_activity.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HzlWIUmpkg