Teaching English to children may not be as simple as it seems, but it is not impossible. The great challenge of any teacher is to make sure; as educators; they are able to keep them captivated. Once you do that you have 70% of the battle won. Thanks to the internet, most English material can be found online for teachers and students. New media has added value to teaching from images to audio to video. English lessons for children can be found online, with readily available lesson plans for teachers to follow. You can find English songs for children to sing and chant in class which makes classes lively and exciting for students. There are even many types of English dictionaries online which range from American to British English.
The 4 simple ways of mastering the art of teaching English to children are listed below:
1. Establish a Bond, the closer you are to the children, the more they will be interested in learning from you. Speak more in English and only English. Pronunciation is important; so don’t take it lightly. When you introduce new vocabulary to the students. First, write it out on the whiteboard. Pronounce each word clearly. Then get them to repeat the words out loud and tell them to look it up in a dictionary to find out what it means. At first, they might be reluctant. Once you get them to do it, it will become a part of their routine. As educators, the most important thing would be to ensure the children can identify, read and most importantly pronounce the word clearly and learn the meaning of the new words. When they come back for the next class. Reinforce by playing vocabulary games, on who can spell and remember the meaning of the word. For every word spelled right give them a star. That would make their day.
2. Identify the way each child learns, be sensitive to their style. It is definitely not easy to teach and control a class of 20 to 30 students. There are different types of learners if a particular kid learns fast through ‘audio’. It means that the particular kid is an ‘audio’ learner. Try teaching them through music by making them practice a song in a sing-along. If you have the facilities why not use movie clips or even animation. You can even get interesting English songs for kids from CDs, from the music or book stores. For instance, if your kids like Barney, then get your kids to participate in a Barney sing-along.
3. You can also let your kid mix with kids who are their age who are native speakers of the English language. How to do so? Well, during play hours, you may let your kids meet this group of children who will always be at the park. Have your kid bring a toy along which he can share with those kids too. Please keep on checking that your kid is comfortable being around those kids.
4. For children who are more hands-on, you are advised to get activities that involve movements and all. Make them dance shake their body in English. Barney’s sing-along songs are very good examples. This is because, usually, by watching the movements that Barney makes, most kids are attracted to follow and sing along too. You can also have your kids write out things they see or maybe an interesting short story. Make it seem like a game so that they feel more interested to play along with you. Praise your kid when they do it right and encourage them.
Learn English online for free? Are you interested to read more about the Simple ways available out there on how to improve your children’s English? If you are, then get more information at Kid’s space
