How to teach English to a 6-year-old?

Question

I'm in Italy working as an English teacher and I recently got a private lesson...my student is a six-year-old girl...she can't read or write yet...I have lots of experience teaching adolescents and adults but this is my first time teaching a child this age...if you have any tips, activities, books or websites I can look at I would really appreciate it...Thanks!

Answer 1

I've been teaching for more than half my life. My students prior to moving to Thailand with my Thai wife were all adults and I taught more technical skills involving aerodynamics, math, physics, etc. concerning air combat. Now I teach English to primary grade students in all six of the grades. The 5th and 6th graders are my primary interest because many of them will not continue with a 7th grade. The community the school in is on a lower budget and many can't pay for more school. It's important that the children have a basic grasp on all subjects taught. My subject is easily English because I come from America.

I too am somewhat inexperienced teaching young children and had mental difficulties convincing myself to go ahead and try to do it anyway. The upper half of primary school children was easy. They're old enough to understand when to 'shut-up and listen' when the teacher is teaching. The easiest ones to teach in a group are the smarter ones who want to learn and don't really think about playing with each other when the teacher is speaking. The more difficult ones to teach (in a group) are the slower learners. They'd rather goof off. They need more one-on-one tutoring. If they're alone with the teacher they listen better and show more interest. Each grade in my school has one English teacher. I'm an extra teacher hired to help each of them so my schedule now entails all six grades. Since my native language is English, it helps the children hear English and learn it easier from someone without an accent associated with the country. Thailand of course has an asian accent and even the best Thai teacher speaks English with an accent.

A conflict with the 4th grade teacher prior to mid-term forced me to stop working with him and change my schedule to include 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. 1st grade is the age you're looking at. Teaching them is not difficult yet because the children are still learning what it means to be going to school. The teacher for 1st grade is more than 90% baby-sitter and less than 10% teacher.

Most of the day's English hour involves coloring the pictures in the text book and copying the words printed in dashed lines. The words in the book are pronounced for them. Again, and again and again. They are also told what that word means in their language. For you it would be an Italian translation. At this age, I'd give the children only about ten minutes of full concentration before they get bored with it. The rest of the time is fun time coloring the pictures or the teacher could play a simple game with them.

A 1st and 2nd grade student will mostly be only memorizing what they're taught. It won't be until about the 3rd grade until they start learning how to put these words together for themselves.

Keep in mind that at home, these young children have been hearing the Italian language since the day they were born. Full-time. They learned to speak for themselves quickly. English is something they are learning for a few minutes of one hour each day and half of what they just learned will be forgotten until the next day when it's repeated to them again.

Answer 2

I suggest going to http://www.pearsoncanada.ca/index.html . They supply almost ALL of the textbooks in Canada and have great activity and text books for english for all grades. Try those out. They will also suggest lesson plans in all of the teachers guides.