Teaching Young Learners "Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world."
- Maria Montessori

compare and contrast strategies for teaching different age groups By the end of this workshop, you will…. identify characteristics of young learners identify and develop activities that are appropriate for different ages of young learners and justify your answers compare and contrast strategies for teaching different age groups identify strategies for young learners and determine their efficacy based on age Today we’re going to talk about the characteristics of young learners. You probably already know some things about teaching young learners from your teaching experience, but we’re going to look at some details. It’s very important for teachers to have a good understanding of the characteristics of young learners in order to teach them effectively. Then we are going to look at some strategies for teaching young learners that will help them become effective learners. …the power to learn languages is so great in the young child that it doesn’t matter how many languages you seem to throw their way…Children can learn as many languages as you can allow them to hear systematically and regularly at the same time --Dr. Susan Curtiss, Professor of Linguistics at UCLA

K-W-L So what do you know about teaching young learners? So what do you want know about teaching young learners? What the experts know is that since a child’s ability to communicate orally in his/her first language takes place before learning how to read and write, an effective EFL program for young learners should go through the natural stages of learning a language…. Emergent Literacy: Print Motivation : Being interested in and enjoying books. Vocabulary : Knowing the names of things. Print Awareness : Noticing print, knowing how to handle a book, and knowing how to follow words on a page. Narrative Skills : Being able to describe things and events and to tell stories. Letter Knowledge : Understanding letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds, and recognizing letters everywhere. Phonological Awareness : Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words. Basic oral/aural developmentEmergent literacy skills Reading & writing

Preview: Characteristics of Young Learners Think-Pair-Share In thinking back to your teaching experiences: What ways are 5-8 year olds the same as 9-10 year olds? 2. How are they different? In general 5-8 and 9-10 year olds are quite different. However, both 5-8 and 9-10 year olds prefer to learn new information in a context that is connected with their lives. VS.

Group Activity 1 For a minute, close your eyes and imagine you are teaching a class of…. five-year-olds eight-year-olds ten-year-olds 1. With your designated, group describe your students in these areas: emotional development social development physical development thinking development 2. Now compare your answers with those from the chart (handout) 2) Give out handout

Characteristics of young learners

1.Ways of learning : Age 5-8 Prefers to learn by touching or holding things or moving Age 9-10 Learners begin to develop the ability to learn by seeing or listening

2. Reasons for learning: Age 5-8 Enjoys new experiences Begins to be interested in specific themes or topics. Likes fun and adventure. Likes praise and have attention of adults. Wants to please adults. Age 9-10 Is motivated to learn things that are interesting to them. Likes to memorize and learn new information. Wants to understand why things happen.

3. Physical development: Age 5-8 Has lots of energy and is very active. Is developing but may have difficulty with tasks like writing. Age 9-10 Can do precise tasks and has developed the ability to do physical activities like sports or game.

4. Emotional development: Age 5-8 Feeling change frequently. Has difficulty controlling his/her behavior Age 9-10 Is independent and likes to do things for himself/herself . Will do things without being asked.

5.Social development: Age 5-8 Thinks more about himself/herself than others. Likes to work in groups but needs supervision. May have difficulty expressing or understanding feelings Age 9-10 Begins to think about and understand relationships with others. Likes to work with other learners.

6.Thinking ability: Age 5-8 Has difficulty understanding consequences. Can understand the main idea but has difficulty identifying steps or details. Has difficulty planning ahead. Age 9-10 Can classify things using simple characteristics. Understands cause and effects. Knows strategies that can be used to solve problems or learn (for example, asking for help, taking notes). Can identify similarities and differences.

7.Attention span: Age 5-8 10-15 minutes Age 9-10 20-30 minutes

8.Study skills: Age 5-8 Somewhat passive. May not look for opportunities to learn. Age 9-10 Active learners; want to know more about the world

9. World knowledge: Age 5-8 Limited; may have difficulty understanding things outside of their experience or beyond their community. Age 9-10 Learners are curious about the world and are developing a greater understanding of things beyond their family and community.

10.Ability to learn abstract ideas. Age 5-8 Learns best when new information is presented in a context and connected something that is familiar for them. Age 9-10 Begins to understand things, which s/he can’t see. Can understand abstract ideas.

The child’s learning Children perceive the world holistically Child should get the integral picture of the world The learning content should be contextualized, communicative and meaningful and reflect cross-cultural perspectives.

Why? 1.Difficult for 5-6 because it requires ability to identify details 2.Simple tests can be used with older learners 3.Use poems appropriate to lg. competency

Why? 4.Young learners can tell or listen to story; older, can tell stories (historical or scientific) 5.Use songs appropriate to lg. competency 6.Difficult for 5-6 without reading skills

Why? 7.Difficult for 5-6 because of difficulty planning 8. 9.5-6 may have difficulty identifying categories 10.Younger learners may have difficulty identifying a sequence of events

Why? 11.Best for older learners; they can plan 12. 13.Younger learners may have trouble identifying sequence of events

Why? 14.Older learners can plan and work with others 15.Can be boring for older students 16.Too abstract for children

Tasks 5-6 7-8 9-10 Why? Compare 2 things - ✓ 2. Take a test Difficult for 5-6 because it requires ability to identify details 2. Take a test Simple tests can be used with older learners 3. Recite a poem Use poems appropriate to lg. competency 4. Tell a story Young learners can tell or listen to story; older, can tell stories (historical or scientific) 5. Sing a song Use songs appropriate to lg. competency 6. Do individual reading Difficult for 5-6 without reading skills 7. Role play or drama Difficult for 5-6 because of difficulty planning 8. Read aloud 9. Make a list 5-6 may have difficulty identifying categories 10. Put a list in order Younger learners may have difficulty identifying a sequence of events 11. Make a poster Best for older learners; they can plan 12. Draw a picture 13. Fill in table with info. Younger learners may have trouble identifying sequence of events 14. Do a group project Older learners can plan and work with others 15. Copy from chalkboard Can be boring for older students 16. Do grammar exercises Too abstract for children

Strategies for Teaching Young Learners What happens when teachers use inappropriate activities with their students? Why? Group Activity 3- In your groups answer the following questions: 1. Use teaching aids: chalkboard picture, big books, puppets, realia Why is this good for young learners? 2. Use short and varied activities How can the teacher vary activities? Name a few…. 3. Present new information in contexts that are connected with learners’ lives Why is this important? 4. Teach in themes Why? Young learners respond well to tactile. They can connect better to things that they can see, touch, and smell. The teacher should match the length of activities to learners’ age. The teacher should also vary the activities: individual work, pair work, group work, whole class work, listening, reading, writing, speaking, learner-centered, teacher-centered, quiet or noisy… Young learners have difficulty understanding abstract concepts and they don’t have a lot of knowledge about the world. Presenting new information in a familiar context helps them understand. This means that the teacher connects many activities with one theme. For example, if the theme is food, then the teacher can use a song about food, a poem about food, a role play about food, do math problems with food, talk about science and food. Because it will help minimize classroom behavior issues. For example, every Friday the learners learn a new song or play a learning game. Or the teacher stats at the door to greet all the student when they come to class. Or every day the teacher has a student assistant who helps him/her collect homework or pass out materials. it’s hard for young learners to sit still. Remember the 10-15 minute attention span that 5-8 year olds have. The teacher should plan ways to let learner move that will work in her classroom. If s/he doesn’t have many students, then the students can switch places for group work. If she has a large group, then s/he can let students stand up in their places and do a movement activity. Learners can learn by seeing things and making a classroom interesting means that they can learn just by looking around. Pictures and student work on the walls also make the classroom more comfortable and interesting for the learners. 5. Establish classroom routines Why? 6. Give learners the opportunity to move Why? 7. Make the classroom rich and interesting Why is this important?

Group Activity 4 In your small groups, develop an activity according to various themes and determine why they are appropriate for young learners Report out to the group Themes: Zoo, Mind the child’s learning strategies, next slide

The Child's Learning Strategies The child in NOT INTERESTED IN LANGUAGE for its own sake. The child is NOT DISTURBED by the language he does not understand. The child ENJOYS THE REPETITIVE events of his life, and uses this enjoyment to help him learn. The child USES HIS PRIMARY INTERESTS to help him learn. The child directs his attention to things that are EASY TO UNDERSTAND. The child possesses a natural desire TO CALL AN OBJECT BY ITS NAME. The child uses his natural desire TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LIFE AROUND HIM to help him learn new language. The child adds words to his speaking vocabulary more easily IF HE ALREADY KNOWS HOW TO PRONOUNCE THEM. The child IMMEDIATELY USES the language, and his SUCCESS IN COMMUNICATION BUILDS CONFIDENCE. The child brings TREMENDOUS INGENUITY to the task of learning. Child should get the INTEGRAL picture of the world The learning content should be CONTEXTUALIZED, COMMUNICATIVE and MEANINGFUL and reflect cross-cultural perspectives. Which of these strategies your activity matches? YOU TUBE: Speech of Ken Robinson ‘Do schools kill creativity’ at TED talks. STARRT 3:47-4:10 to give an idea about child’s creativity and meaningful world or any notion perception

Teaching YL with ICT Expert on colors Toys game How would you adapt these versions on paper?

L So what have you learned? So what will you take away from this workshop? Yay, we’re finished… Thanks!!