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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