BEST FRIEND APPROACH

Hello everyone.

Today, I would like to talk about an approach of my own which is originated from colloborative group works. I have been experiencing this approach for 6 months with youngers.

Those who follows me from social media and those who read my previous post 'How To Deal With Young Learners In 5 Steps?' certainly know that while I am studying at university, I also work part-time as an English teacher in two kindergartens. In general, we follow a TPR-based approach in education, but I have developed a system that will enable children to focus more on the lesson and feel more secure.

While using The Best Friend Approach, I basically try to create a more relaxed environment by pairing students with their best friends in team works. I detect the best friends with the technique which I will explain in the next paragraph.

First I tell the kids to close their eyes and start imagining. In an amusement park, I tell them they were together with their favorite friends walked hand in hand all day and ate ice cream with details.  After a five minute-imagination, I tell the kids to open their eyes. And I ask them the critical question; 

'Who was there in the amusement park with you?'

According to the responses I received, in conversations, hand-held dance activities, group works, etc., I am matching the children with their best friends.

Pros;
-With this approach, children are more comfortable while participating in lessons.
-Children can express themselves more easily to their close friends.

Cons;
-Children's communication with other students is broken for that activity.
-This approach is difficult and time-consuming to apply to students who are not preschoolers.

I hope I can help you.

This gif above is taken from here.

Thank you, Oğulcan Özdağ.

HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUNG LEARNERS IN 5 STEPS?

With the entry of English into our primary schools’ 2nd grade curriculum in our country English teachers began to encounter younger learners. 

In addition, there is also English at the forefront of the kindergartens’ subject courses that have become popular recently. 4, 5, and even 3 year olds students have started learning English. And it is really hard to achieve something on behalf of learning with children in this age group. 

Now I’m 19 and I am experiencing my first teaching activities in a kindergarten. I would like to tell you in 5 steps how I managed to deal with these little mischiefs as a result of many events I've been experiencing;

Step 1: Be friends with children, treat them like they are. If they do not see you as one of them, then they understand that you are trying to teach something and start to get bored. In addition, after a while they completely grow away from the course.

Step 2:  Make preparations for what you need on that day. Do not forget that they are children, their thoughts and movements are unpredictable. So, you should absolutely have B, C, D or even E plan.

Step 3: Try to keep your lessons funny. Try to teach English by singing and dancing as much as possible. Be sure that sitting all day is so boring for everyone especially children.

Step 4: There is/will be a student in your class who never obey the rules and create problems. Give these types of students responsibilities in the classroom. So, you can manage the class easily.

Step 5: There must be rules in your class belong to you and were created by you. For example, when you lift your hand into the air, it can symbolize the end of this lesson or when you chant your fingers, it can symbolize the time of dance.

I hope these tricks will help you.

The photograph above is taken from here.

Thank you, Oğulcan Özdağ.