Colors are Everywhere!

       Teaching colors is easy! Download our simple color sheet below or just use what you have! Look around you! There are colors all over the place. Point to the floor, carpet, or chair. Point to your clothes or the clothes of your child. Have fun finding and saying colors together.

       Just teach what you know. Don’t worry if you can’t remember how to say the color of the couch. Practice other colors! Yellow, brown, pink, red, blue, green, black, white, purple, orange…! See if your child can find objects with those colors.

Have fun!

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No Failure

         No Failure is an important but very simple concept that many teachers do not grasp. It's the concept that a student can't fail. If the student tries or even listens to English, they are familiar with more than they were before. Thus they learned something and did not fail.

          In order to use the No Failure method, you must change your definition of failure. A mistake is not a failure, it is an opportunity to learn. A wrong answer is not a failure, it helps the teacher determine the child's level.
          Listening is critical in order to learn language. Even if all your child does is listen to you speak English, they will have had exposure to the language which will make it easier to learn later. Even if your child will not say any English, give them listening practice. Talk to them in English, tell them how to say things in English, and repeat your words regularly to increase familiarity. Listen to English CDs, or DVDs (preferably ones that actually repeat useful words or sentences. - Click here or visit our website to look into buying our DVDs kidswow.com/).

       The concept that we have adopted for Kidswow English is that you can't fail in our classes, but you CAN succeed!

        Look at our website to see what other helpful materials we have. kidswow.com

Teaching kids the ABCs

Watch this video with your children. Watch it several times. Say the letters with your kids as you watch. 

 

Kidswow ABCs on YouTube here

      Use the sheet below to check how much your children remember. Point to each letter and tell your them what it is. Have them repeat it after you. Then ask "where is the ...?" see if they can point to it. Do this for all of the of the letters introduced (A through J) several times. 

      If you feel that your kids might remember the word on their own, ask "what's this?" If they answer, get excited! If they don't answer or can't say it correctly, tell them the answer and see if they can repeat it. Watch the lesson again sometime this week if possible. Review and then check. You can also fill out the simple worksheet below.

      If you have our DVDs you now know a valuable secret to using them more effectively! If you don't have them, you should think about getting them! Go to the DVD page on this blog or look on our website for more information.  

     Enjoy!

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Taking Action

       Some people study best when sitting, while others learn best when moving around and doing things. It is important to use a variety of teaching methods in order to discover how each student learns best. In our classes we often use actions to teach. This encourages full body participation in the students, boosts energy and blood circulation, and creates an atmosphere of excitement and interest. All these things often radically help students learn and memorize words and sentences. (note to teachers: you must be careful when letting your students be active, sometimes it can get out of hand. It takes practice to discover how creative and active your students can be before they begin to go too far.)

      We use a variety of methods to encourage our students to fully participate. It can be as simple as pointing to the correct answer, all the way to climbing through obstacle courses to learn prepositions or verbs. At times we teach body parts by finding our own arms, ears, or feet. Sometimes we teach numbers by jumping rope. We may teach verbs by acting them out. Or we might set up some sort of obstacle course to teach directions and prepositions.  Helping students (particularly those between 3 and 10 years old) link an action with a new word or concept can help them remember those words better and longer than otherwise. Taking action is a great teaching tool!

     -kidswow.com

Counting Fun

       Jump-rope is a really fun way to practice counting in English with your child! All you need is a jump-rope!

       Have your child jump as many times as he (or she) can. Count as he jumps. “1, 2, 3, 4,…” You can take turns jumping. When you jump, make sure that your child counts with you. When he jumps you may have to count for him. See how many times you both can jump. Make sure to count in English!

Have fun!

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Intro to Vegetables and Fruits

Try this!

        If you have little kids, download the flashcard sheet below (unless you already have it off our website or with our program). With a fun and excited attitude approach your child, and introduce some of the main vegetables. Say, "This is a Tomato!" or just "Tomato, Grapes, Lettuce...". See if your child can repeat each word. After teaching the material, review the vocabulary by asking "Where is the (tomato)?" or "what is this?" (remember - your child can't fail. If they don't know the answer, tell them without an awkward silence. If they say anything, get excited! If they get it right, be like "That's right! Good job! Tomato!" if they don't say it correctly but they try, you can say, "Almost, it's a tomato." If they can't answer, just tell them the answer and see if they can repeat it.)

       Try introducing between 5 and 10 new words each time you have a session with your child. Remember to review regularly by telling them the words before asking them what it is.

       Another question you can ask is "Is this a tomato?" the answer is Yes or No. This will help you determine their level, so that you don't embarrass them.

      Have fun! It's important you have fun! Even if they don't learn any English, if they have fun trying with you, your child will be much more likely enjoy English! In the future when they have an opportunity to really learn a lot, they will be more likely to do well.

      If asking questions in English is too hard, don't let that stop you! Ask in Japanese! (in fact you probably will have to ask in Japanese sometimes, so that your child can understand what you want.)

      Set aside time to teach your child, and learn to enjoy it!

Soon you and your child may be too busy to study English together. Enjoy the time you have, while you have it!

If you have any questions, comment below.

 

Click on the pictures, save to your computer, and print. Use the basic sheet to introduce the vegetables and fruits to your child. Use the Teacher's Guide to help you think of questions. 

There are more downloadable teaching materials on our website! Have a look! kidswow.com

Value of the Person

    A key factor in teaching effectively is valuing the person. Some teachers see their students simply as an object for instruction. With Kidswow English we see each student as a person - someone with feelings, emotions, fears, talents, and abilities. We try to take into account the specialties of each student to promote a faster pace of learning. By encouraging their strengths and being aware of their weaknesses, we can help students gain confidence not only in English, but in who they are as a person.
     Value your students as people, not just as someone to teach. Ask them what they like, what they do, and what their family is like. Discover how they learn best and what they're most interested in. If you as their teacher are sincerely interested in them, they will be far more likely to be interested in you and what you teach.

   -kidswow.com

In the beginning - Listening

     Listening is the basis of every language learning experience. Although it is possible to learn a measure of a language simply by studying from a book, true proficiency comes with listening. One must spend hours of time listening. Children learn to speak after months of merely listening to those around them. Kidswow English has created 4 DVDs for the purpose of getting that invaluable listening time. Our DVDs couple listening with seeing. As students watch our DVDs, they get imput in several way, maximazing their effectiveness. In class, we are continually giving our students audible imput. Whether they respond or not, we repeat the words or sentences we are teaching multiple times to give them as much listening practice as possible. Listening is never a waste of time!

      For more information check out our website: kidswow.com
      If you wish to buy DVDs for yourself or to help teach English as a second language, find more information on our website under the 'Kidswow DVD' link.

Welcome!

      Welcome to KidsWow's new blog! We hope that you will enjoy our posts, stories, ideas, experiences, videos, pictures, and more! We intend to share some of the numerous things we have learned during our years of teaching.
       For more information check out our website: kidswow.com! Enjoy!