For the Teacher

       We uploaded a video on our youtube channel to help people see how we teach. One of the main things we try to do when teaching is to not embarrass our students in anyway. Learning a language can be very difficult and learning without a gracious teacher can almost scar the student. We use lots of repetition. One of our secrets is to use pauses. We often pause in order to see how much the student remembers.

 

   We hope this video will help you! Enjoy!

Importance of Listening

Keep listening! 

        Listening is one of the most important things for learning English! Listen and practice saying what you hear. Babies learn to speak a language by LISTENING! For over a year they just listen to whoever is speaking around them. Then they start making noises, trying to repeat what they heard. This process takes several years. Listening, speaking, listening, speaking... Reading and writing come much later. Thankfully with focus and diligence many people can learn a second language more quickly than they learned as a baby. But the principles are the same. Start with listening. Familiarize yourself with the sounds of the language. Begin to recognize words and phrases. Try to repeat those words.
       If you haven't looked into buying our DVDs, I would recommend checking them out! We have free example videos on our youtube channel. With our video lessons you can listen, speak, and practice naturally. We selected the foundational English sentence patterns and developed our program so that you can learn them quickly and naturally. With our program you can learn basic English and help your friends or family learn it too!

    DVD page

    Kidswow website

    Youtube channel

Listening, Reading, Speaking

Here is a video we recently uploaded onto our YouTube channel. With it you can listen to correct English pronunciation. You can also practice reading. Watch it several times or pause the video and try to repeat the sentences.
このビデオを使って、英語の正しい発音を練習して下さい！ 聞いたり，読んだり、言ったり、習ったりしてください。
ぜひ、何回も見てください！＾－＾　

More at Kidswow.com! Enjoy!
Kidswow.com でもっとありますよ！ＥＮＪＯＹ してください！　

Lesson: Basic Sentences

      Do you want to begin to teach your child basic sentences? Well, it's easy!
あなたの子供たちに　かんたんの　英語を　教えませんか？
A great way is to start with this sentence pattern: The elephant is walking. このベイシック 文書パターンを使ってください。Now if we change the underlined words, we can get these sentences:

The zebra is walking. 

The boy is walking. 

The boy is running. 

The boy is standing.

The girl is running.

The kangaroo is jumping.
The hippo is eating.

These are easy sentences to teach and use. Try using the verbs: walking, running, eating, standing, and swimming. Those five verbs are easy to explain. As you and your child become more comfortable with those sentences, you can begin using other verbs like: playing, sitting down, hopping, or cooking.

    You can download flashcard sheets at Kidswow.com! Go to Downloads -> Flashcards. There are lots of helpful teaching materials! Below are two examples!
     Kidswow.com で無料の材料があります！ぜひ、見てください！

Word for Today: Honest

Today's Word: Honest

Definition:
      truthful, not false, sincere

Pronunciation:
      ON ist  (listen here)

Variations:
     Honesty (adjective), honestly (adverb)

Example Sentences:
      I believed the man because I knew he was honest.
      An honest answer was what the business man wanted.
      "It was an honest mistake! I didn't mean to do it!" the boy cried.
      The new employee seemed honest and responsible.

      The boy's honesty was impressive.
      The girl honestly had no idea where to go.
      Honestly? Do you really mean it?
     

Want to learn more English? Check out our website: Kidswow.com

Recognize the Signs

       Knowing how to recognize what your child is feeling is a valuable ability when teaching. It is important to notice when your child is overwhelmed, tired, embarrassed, not able to concentrate, rebellious, bored, or ready for harder material.
        It takes time and practice to be able to recognize the signs. Is your child yawning? Is he misbehaving? Is he having trouble focusing? Is he constantly glancing at the TV? Does she have too much energy and can't stay seated? Can she not remember any English words and seems distracted? Does she seem hesitant to answer even if she knows it?

There are lots of little signs that children give that can help us know what they are feeling. If we can interpret the signs correctly, we can also try to come up with a solution that will help.

     For example, what if your 5 year old boy is practicing English with you, but is constantly moving and often looks out the window at the sunny outside?
     Perhaps he is wanting to go outside? Maybe he was hoping to play with a friend at the park. Perhaps he has too much energy and is wanting to run around, jump, and play. So you must decide if today you want to continue studying as you are or if you should do something different. Perhaps you decide to continue to study as you are until the 15 - 30 minute session is over. Maybe you'd say, "If you sit down and concentrate we can be done in 7 minutes. If not we may have to go longer." or maybe you would give him a challenge and say, "Once you can remember three flashcards you can go play." Another option might be to go outside and study. Maybe you could kick a soccer ball back and forth while saying English words. Or you could toss a baseball and have him repeat what you say. Perhaps you decide to teach English numbers by having him jump-rope. Or maybe you go on a walk and try to find object that you know the English words for.
There isn't a right or wrong way to do things. You begin to learn what worked and what didn't. What was helpful and what wasn't. What your child wanted or needed. And when to give him what he wants and when not to. It's a learning process. So next time you teach, begin to notice what your child does. Try to figure out what he needs by how he's acting. And begin experimenting with how to react. Sometimes you give him what he wants and sometimes you don't.

      Learning to recognize the signs in your child can be difficult, but it can also almost be like a game. Being aware of what your child wants can help you figure out a plan that will also get you what you want (for example: for him to learn English).

       More materials at kidswow.com. If you need more teaching materials to help teach your child, look on our website or contact us.

Handling Lack of Focus

      What do you do if your child can't concentrate?   
      If a child isn't paying attention, often I lightly touch him so that he remembers that it's time to study. Depending on why the child is not paying attention, there are many different ways to handle it. Sometimes he is bored, sometimes he is tired, sometimes he is distracted by the TV, conversations, or memories, sometimes he purposely is not concentrating, and sometimes he is trying to get attention by not studying. It takes practice to be able to guess accurately at the child's reasoning and figure out a solution. 
      If the child is not concentrating because of a lack of focus, we often try to change something so that he can focus. It might be turning off the TV, studying in a different room, teaching a different lesson, or trying a different style. If he is getting bored, I might try making the lesson more exciting. Maybe we'll stand up as we learn. Or maybe we will teach by playing a game. Maybe I will use a different tone of voice to make things sound more interesting.

People have amazing capabilities to focus on something interesting. The hard part is to teach English in a way that is interesting to the child. When you find your child or student losing focus, you know that it is time to try something different. Look at this blog post to get some ideas on a variety of ways to teach a lesson.
      Have fun! And enjoy using variety when your child can't concentrate. 

      More materials on our website kidswow.com

Lesson ideas: Dice

       Need a new idea for teaching numbers? Try using dice!
Depending on the child's level, you can use 1 or more dice. To teach the numbers 1 through 6, use one die. If you use two, you can teach 1 through 12! With three dice you can practice up to 18! With small kids we often count the dots on the dice. 1, 2, 3, 4...
       Counting with dice can be a lot of fun! Try it!


More materials on our website: kidswow.com

Word for Today: RECENTLY

Today's Word: Recently

Definition:
          lately, occurring not long before

Pronunciation:
          REE sent lee  (listen to the pronunciation here)

Example Sentences:
          She graduated from college recently.
          Recently designed buildings have been very unique.
          Several businessmen recently went to the small cafe.
          Have you watched any movies recently?
          Recently, the monkey has been acting strangely.


What to learn more English? Check out our website: Kidswow.com

How you learn

     Figuring out how your child learns best is important. Some kids like to be active, while others prefer to sit. Knowing how your child likes to learn can improve results. Sometimes a child likes to be consistent. They may learn best when you teach them in a certain way, at a certain place, at a specific time. Other kids must have variety! They get bored quickly and cannot stay in one place for very long. You must use more creativity, but it isn't too difficult to teach them either. You may have to change the time at which you teach or the location or the style, but you won't necessarily have to change everything. Often a small change will help the child regain interest and concentration. 

     Try a variety of teaching methods to determine how your child learns best. Click here to get 10 ideas of different ways to teach simple lessons. 
      For more teaching material check out our website: kidswow.com 

Lesson Ideas: Using Variety

       We use a variety of lesson styles so that we limit boredom in our classes.   If your child is finding it hard to concentrate, it may be time to switch styles.  
       Sometimes we teach with actions (like jumping, sitting, walking...), or we may play a game to boost motivation.  Sometimes we read books, sometimes we sit in chairs at a table, and other times we sit on the floor.  Having a variety of ways to teach a lesson is important.  Not only does it help the students stay interested, it also keeps the teacher from getting bored. 

        If I was teaching a child simple colors, here are 10 examples of how I could teach. 
1. Use flashcards. Say the color and have the child repeat it.
2. Use a paper with several colored squares on it and ask the child, "Where is the Blue?"
3. Point to objects in a room and name the colors.
4. Have the child search for something 'Green'. 
5. Use colored objects. Ask the child which color he wants.
6. Give the child some colored objects, ask him "What do you have?".
7. Put flashcards in a circle on the floor. Walk on the circle humming. Stop humming and say "stop!". Have the child say the color he is standing on.
8. Use UNO cards (colored numbers). Play Go Fish by asking "Do you have a yellow card?" Make pairs of cards and put them in front of you (two yellow or two greens etc.). Once someone runs out of cards, count your pairs. Whoever has more pairs is the winner!   
9. Put some colored balls in the corner of the room. Sit several meters away and tell the child, "Go get a Purple ball". Have a basket near you to collect the balls he brings back. 
10. Lay flashcards on the floor in a long line. Stand at one end of the line and have the child stand at the other. When you say 'Go!' walk towards each other saying each color. When you reach each other somewhere in the middle, Janken (Rock, Paper, Scissors). Whoever loses returns to the beginning and starts over. Play until someone reaches the opposite side. 

       There are lots of ways you can teach simple English lessons. Have fun! Explore! Be creative! Teaching is all about being with your kids and using English words. It is not hard.
      More teaching materials at kidswow.com