How to teach children English using illustrated storybooks What makes illustrated storybooks such a good resource for teaching young learners of English? The British Council’s Gail Ellis, co-author of a storytelling handbook for primary English language teachers, explains. Listen to an interview with Gail in our podcast and register for her webinar taking place on Thursday, 2 October. Illustrated storybooks provide an ideal resource for helping children learn English. Why use storybooks in the classroom? Teachers can use storybooks to complement an English language course or as the main teaching resource. Storybooks can meet a variety of learner needs The expansion in the teaching of English around the world to ever younger ages, and the variation in policy from one country to another, means that teachers are finding themselves teaching classes of children with diverse learning needs and varying levels of English. Selecting the right storybook What to consider when reading a story aloud Reading a storybook aloud requires preparation.
50+ Quick & Easy Kids Crafts that ANYONE Can Make! These 50+ quick and easy kids crafts can be made in under 30 minutes using items that you probably already have around the house! No special tools or skills are required, so ANYONE can make these cute crafts for kids! Great fun for the entire family! 50+ Quick & Easy Kids Crafts One of the #1 things that people often say to me is, “I would love to make creative projects with my kids, but I’m just not crafty. Why Craft with Your Kids? A recent study by Dr. Other key findings of Dr. • Arts and crafts engage multiple brain areas simultaneously and improve bilateral coordination between the left and right sides of the brain, leading to immediate and future cognitive development. • Activities like arts and crafts accelerate the development of muscles in the hands and fingers, improving fine motor skills that are essential for school success in the earliest formal years. • Face-to-face interaction in the early years is critical for optimal social development. emotions. lasting memories.
BBC Learning English | Pronunciation Tips Music and Movement Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers Whole Child Development Is Undervalued The question is how to make such an approach both systemic and sustainable. Whole Person Socio-emotional, physical, creative, and cognitive capacities are deeply intertwined and equally important in ensuring a child's wellbeing, learning, and growth. Nobel laureate James Heckman, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, has shown that the non-cognitive skills emerging in early childhood are among the strongest predictors of adult outcomes. The development of these qualities, which rely on an individual's self-worth and self-control, critically outperform any other positive measures of children's long-term outcomes, whether academically or intellectually. The most impactful way of supporting such skills is associated with helping children feel in control of their learning process. Whole Communities The three most effective ways for educators to respond to children's need and support their connection to the surrounding environment are: Whole Societies
Practical tips By Opal Dunn, educational consultant and author Introduction Young children learn English differently from most adults. Planned English sessions You can plan regular sessions which will usually take place: at home on regular days for about ten to twenty minutes adjusted to fit your child’s increasing English ability and ability to concentrate as a planned programme that reviews and builds on known activities and introduces new ones. Short English sessions These are more informal and can take place: any place – in the car, at bathtime, in a supermarket queue any time in response to a mood or special experience. As your child’s English ability increases, short English sessions tend to occur more frequently. Planning English sessions Programmes should follow the same structure each time, as knowing what to expect lightens stress and enables children to concentrate their efforts on picking up English. Basic programme English corner or English table Ideas for activities Crafts Family activities
The Art of Control Executive function — our ability to remember and use what we know, defeat our unproductive impulses, and switch gears and adjust to new demands — is increasingly understood as a key element not just of learning but of lifelong success. Researchers at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University describe executive function as an air traffic control system for the mind — helping us manage streams of information, revise plans, stay organized, filter out distractions, cope with stress, and make healthy decisions. Children learn these skills first from their parents, through reliable routines, meaningful and responsive interactions, and play that focuses attention and stirs the beginnings of self-control. But when home is not stable, or in situations of neglect or abuse, executive function skills may be impaired, or may not develop at all, limiting a child’s success in elementary school and later life. Imaginary Play Support it by: Storytelling “Children love to tell stories.
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