KEEPING IT SIMPLE

Working with kindergarteners has been an interesting experience. It has made me reflect upon basic communication skills that we adults make take for granted. While working with the five and six year olds these past two months I've developed a different set of communication skills. Speaking slowly is key. You have to use very basic vocabulary. I think these two concepts can be applied to anyone teaching a language to beginners, but it's very important when working with young children.

I've been able to incorporate music into our time together and it seems to be very helpful. The children respond well to songs and even keep up with the paired hand gestures as choreography. It's fun and easy for them to remember. Animated videos on YouTube have come to my aid quite a bit. Super Simple Songs and GoGo's Adventures English Lessons have been my favorites. 

Together, with the help of the bilingual teacher, the children have learned songs in English about how to introduce themselves, the weather, families, holidays, numbers, animals, and more. Father's Day is celebrated on March 19th in Portugal, which is a few months earlier than Americans are used to. We've been preparing Father's Day songs and invited the dads to school so that we can present to them on their special day.