Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Soju808]

I teach at a public school.

For 6 classes a week, I work with 1st and 2nd grade.

However, the VP told me not to teach reading and writing to them. Only listening and speaking.

I really want to teach them all 4 areas (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking). I believe it is all important, and I want to teach them how to read because it is one my specialties.

Why is that they only start learning it from 3rd grade?

[lifeinkorea]

Cause that's the way they set it up. I don't like it either. I was told to start sentences with 5th and 6th graders. However, we do go over letters of the alphabet with 1st and 2nd graders. Just don't make it the lesson.

In some ways, I can understand. However, if they are very strict about it, it doesn't make sense. I would just ease up on the writing for the lower kids, establish trust with both them and the principal/vp/co-teacher, and then slowly bring in writing things.

Ironically, my 1st and 2nd graders don't have books yet, so the parents are giving them notebook paper to bring to school instead, lol. I was like, "Oh, they want to write?", awesome.

[refikaM]

Your 1st & 2nd graders don't have ANY books or just no English books? 1st & 2nd graders don't have English books.. at least in their regular curriculum classes... You may know this already, so sorry to state the obvious if you do...

[SHANE02]

If it's true it's insane.

[haopengyou]

Well, they are doing something similar in China - spend first and second grade teaching only oral and aural english. A friend of mine told me that the children's celta training he attended suggested doing that same thing - I have never had that training so I cannot say from my own experience. Also, the only schools in my neighborhood here in Portland only teach oral and aural spanish at the first and second grade level. So...I am not saying it is the best thing but there seems to be a school of thought that advocates this as opposed to random budget cutting or administrator stupidity.

[Jammer113]

Consider the amount of time you have to teach first and second graders. If you have only 1 or 2 hours per week, perhaps writing isn't the best use for that time.

Also, consider your other objectives in English. One of our primary objectives is to make English fun and accessable to children. It might be difficult to do if you're trying to force a first grader to sit still and write something.

Finally, look at first and second grader's other textbooks in Korea. There isn't much writing in them. You may be going against the entire educational grain in Korea by putting in a lot of reading and writing into your first grade class.

I'm not advocating any stance on the issue, just pointing out that the vice principal may have some very rational reasons for his position.

[Soju808]

There is no curriculum for the classes with my 1st and 2nd graders. I basically have to design it.

My main concern is because I have 3rd and 4th graders who can barely recognize the alphabets. Every co-teacher worked with tell me the same thing. Our students listening and speaking are ok, but many struggle with reading and writing.

From my personal experience
(I'm a phonics tutor back in the USA for kids with learning disabiites and SLS students)

Once the students I worked with learned how to write a letter or word, they were able read and understand it with ease.

With my 1st and 2nd graders, my main ogoal for the 1st graders was for them to be able to read and write all the alphaets.

My goal with the 2nd graders are for them to be able to understand the pronunciation of the alphabets.

Yes, and I also planned to make it fun. Since I have a whole year to teach them, I planned to spend like about just 10 minutes every class reading and writing, while the other 30 minutes is spent doing activities.

[lifeinkorea]