English for very young learners

[Т А Кузнецова]

English for very young learners

From time to time people ask the same question again and again: when to start teaching a kid a foreign language.

I came across an interesting site where you can find a lot for very young learners from making bookmarks to games and activities, from pictures to story cards.

Go to www.kidzparkz.com

Create the “spark” and learning happens, you’ll be interested, motivated, curious, engaged, connected.

Here is one of the examples of the activities:

Games and Activities to Make Learning Letters and Sounds Fun

 

Most of these activities and games can be used with any letter or letters, and can also be adapted for numbers and number names. Play or do some of them every day!

 

 

1. Cut out a large letter shape; child decorates with stickers, stamps, markers or collage materials. These could be related to the letter sound, such as glitter for G, sequins for S, pompoms for P.

 

2. Write the same letter on some 2” circles or squares, and punch 2 holes in each. Child strings with yarn to make a necklace or belt.

 

3. Cut out some headlines from a newspaper or magazine. The child points out, circles or Xs a particular letter (or punctuation mark, or word).

 

4. Hide 12 to 15 letters (printed on paper) around the room (house). Have a treasure hunt.

 

5. Try to make a letter shape with your body, lying on the floor.

 

6. Tape a large written letter to the bottom of a laundry basket, and toss beanbags, balls or rolled up socks from a distance.

 

7. Sculpt a letter with playdoh, clay, bread dough, or sugar cookie dough. Bake and eat if appropriate.

 

8. Help the child form letters with thick chenilles, and hang from the ceiling.

 

9. Sing a well-known song, not with the usual words, but with only the sound of a particular letter. So Old MacDonald becomes: na na na na na na na, na na na na naa (remember to keep the sounds short). Have the written letter visible while singing.

 

10. Copy the shape of a letter using blocks on the floor.

 

11. Large dot-to-dot letter shape.

 

12. Make a 1.5’ wide strip of paper with the same letter written in a line. The children cut between the letters and say the name as they cut each one.

 

13. Crayon rubbing over a cardboard shape letter. Use different sizes and colors for an interesting design.

 

14. Teacher or child writes letters with white crayon, children wash over with watercolors and watch the letters appear.

 

15. Write large letters outdoors with chalk. Children hop, skip etc around them, chanting the name or the sound.

 

16. Play Concentration with pairs of letters.

 

17. Have a handful of foam or paper letters – throw them into the air! Find all the A’s…etc.

 

18. Draw a letter with finger in cream cheese or peanut butter on an English muffin. Line it with raisins, cereal rings, choc chips etc.

 

19. “Sing, sing, sing an F, sing it loud and clear! Tell the children everywhere the letter F is here!” Tune is Row Your Boat. Hold your F cards up and wave them. Use any letter.

 

20. Make mini puzzles with index cards. Cut them in half, mix up the pieces. Don’t use too many at once.