Korean Job Discussion Forums

brianthestrider · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Location: Seoul

Hey all,

I must be honest - I'm struggling teaching the very youngest kids (especially aged 4-7 or so). I am a trained secondary school kid and find the older kids fine, good even. But I'm finding the youngest really tough to settle, get ideas across to, etc.

I'm figuring out that pictures, simple copying, reading and repeating, etc work best. Any hints/tips/suggestions/pointers would be really helpful. I hate feeling as though I'm teaching a rubbish lesson but a few today I'm far from proud of...

Brian

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

songs songs songs songs songs.

Nothing could be more important than songs....
oh and the odd chant.

brianthestrider · Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Location: Seoul

Ah yeah songs with actions - I could get them into that. Barney type stuff, maybe a few Christmassy numbers. Yes! Good call? Anything else to offer?

Brian

frankly speaking · Joined: 23 Oct 2005

The 6 and 7 year olds shouldn't be too bad but I do understand how difficult 3,4,5 year olds are. I had one who always peed his pants and one time he actually wipped it out and peed in the trash can. I tried talking to the director but they just gently side stepped the issue. Eventually he grew out of it.

Depends what curriculum you are using. I take certain vocabulary or whatever we are trying to focus on that month and work it into a story book. Just take a few pieces of paper and fold them into 4 squares, cut the edges that you need to so you have a flip book and staple one side. If you are teaching some alphabet, write the words out on the board have them copy the words and draw a picture. My family book, or My friends book.

For those just begining the alphabet, a 5 minute energy burner is alphabet board. Draw each letter of the alphabet upper and lower case, randomly place them so that they are not near each other. Have the students in teams take turns finding both the lower and upper case of each letter.

Make sure that the letters are in reaching distance.

Story time, read them stories and act out the funny parts.

Mimic game is a good energy burner but not much for english. Tell them an action and have them mimic it. Brush your teeth. They all brush their teeth.

Follow the leader: Line them all up. You start. say an action like jump up and down. Then they all jump up and down. Walk around the room singing follow the leader, follow the leader, 1,2,3,4 follow the leader, jump up and down (do the action while saying it), the next kid in line states an action, turn around, go around the room chanting the song again jump up and down and turn around.

These will often burn your energy faster than theirs but they can be fun. Think back to that old tv show romper room. That stuff still works wonders.

poet13 · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 12:42 am Post subject:

Dont listen to them.
I have found immeasurable benefit in the KPS strategem. The kids respond very quickly, classroom discipline problems are near zero, and classroom participation is BEYOND enthusiastic.

KPS, learn it. Love it.

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

KPS system??

I'd also suggest actions and songs and storybooks. Also, active games in which they have to slap flashcards on a table; match up letters on the board; feel for mystery objects in a bag. Remember to give lots of sticker rewards.

At the 6-7 yr stage, they should be learning phonics. Try and outline a phonics program which your class can aim towards.

There are lots of ideas out there, but not everyone has the willpower for kindy!

Also check my link below: scroll to 'k' for 'kindy' - lots of great online support material for your classes if you have a computer in the classroom.

spyro25 · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

use my schedule - and never deviate - kindy's love repitition and predicatability

monday - phonics
tuesday - show and tell (you bring the stuff) and story
wednesday - music (to be repeated at the start of every class for the next week) and phonics
thursday - science (find something simple of the net, we have science kits delivered) and story
friday - phonics and test

also a good idea is to have a 'bad book' instead of the three stripes rule for discipline. three stripes simply doesnt work after a while, so get a simple notebook and if someone is bad write it in the book exactly what they did (serious infractions only). at the end of the lesson take the book and the student to the supervisor for punishment. if the supervisor knows whats going on he/she should make an EXAMPLE of that kid immediately, like pretending to call the school bus to take the kid to another hagwon, or pretending to call parents. after each class knows the power of the book, a simple 'ill get the bad book' usually reduces the offender to tears in a matter of second. sorted my kindys out no problem!

poet13 · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:25 am Post subject:

KPS. Yes, it's the most effective instructional methodology I've ever tried. The best thing is, it works for all levels up to university.

spyro25 · Joined: 23 Nov 2004

care to share that KPS poet>?

poet13 · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 1:44 am Post subject:

Well, <drum roll please> Kick Punch Slap of course.

Sorry, I really couldn't resist.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

What in the Christ are you talking about?

poet13 · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 2:20 am Post subject:

It was a joke dude. Like fishing. Float something tempting, and see who bites.

I had to chum the water a little with, "KPS. Yes, it's the most effective instructional methodology I've ever tried. The best thing is, it works for all levels up to university." Just too tempting. LOL

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Ah!

frankly speaking · Joined: 23 Oct 2005

spyro, you have some good ideas but abhorant conditioning is not an effective way of teaching students. Reward and punishment systems do seem to work but there can be a long term breakdown. For example if a kid just doesn't back down at all. You keep pushing and he/she pushes back. You will eventually have to back down and the kid wins. Then the other kids notice that the system is in their control and utter chaos insues. I think that you should do a little research into early child development. BF Skinner and those behavorialist methodolgies are not always a good thing in the classroom.

Pro-act. don't react to things. Create the environment where the students don't have time or the impulse to do what is natural for them. PS don't ever leave the classroom unattended not even for 2 sec. The door will be locked and kids will be hanging out naked under the table faster than you can blink your eyes. A few years ago, I worked for a kindergarten and the girl next to me walked out to help another student. As soon as she left, they locked her out. A couple of boys decided to re-enact what they saw mommy and daddy doing.

poet13 · Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:33 am Post subject:

I agree almost completely with frankly speaking. Negative conditioning might work this afternoon, or tomorrow afternoon, but over the long run, it is fundamentally unsound.
The only part where I disagree with you FS, is, "You will eventually have to back down and the kid wins." I just disagree that ultimately YOU have to back down. The child may not back down, but that doesn't mean you as a teacher, don't have other resources, outside the classroom, to resolve the conflict.