Read our advices about how to set an English language environment while making crafts
Making a tree
Let`s make a tree. It`s simple, looks good and your child can play with it after. You can mold the whole forest if you want. Making useful crafts and learn English.
Flashcards
Follow our plan to bring this idea to life:
Part 1: the beginning
Part 2: preparations
Part 3: craft
Part 4: sum up
Key words: brown, green, a knife, a tree, a leaf.
Key sentences: It`s a ...(knife). This is a tree. I like my tree.
Extra words: mold, make..., take... .
If you need clay you can have a look at our craft idea about how to do it together at home.
Part 1: the beginning
Start your lesson in a friendly way, don`t sit opposite to your child but near, be patient and manage your lessons according to children`s abilities and willingness. If you began to teach your child recently he might have some difficulties but following our plans and ideas will help you to handle all the problems. You can contact us anytime if you have any questions about teaching and will try to help you.
Below you will read the phrases you can use during your lesson, you can use all of them or choose the most suitable for you and your child`s level. If you are new to that combine English language with your native. It will help your child to get used to a new situation.
Parent/Teacher: "Good morning, dear! Today we will mold a tree. (You can say only "Good morning, dear" in English, the rest in your native language. Take flashcards with colors, show them and ask in your language: "What are these? Your child will answer that he sees colors but if he or she can`t answer ask him/her about colors you show and after that tell your child you are going to learn colors today and make a craft.)
P/T: "Today I will tell you how people who live in the other countries name these colors. They live in different place and they did not know how to call these colors and decided to name them in their own way. But if we want to understand them we should learn about it as well. And as you noticed I also know how these people speak. (Show the flashcards with the colors you are going to learn)
P/T: "Look at these colors! Today we will learn "brown" and "green"(while saying show the flashcard). And we will mold a tree(show flashcard).
Ask your child about trees. Find out that all trees have leaves and this is another word to learn for today. Show flashcard and say:
P/T: "That`s great! Repeat after me. Leaf! Leaf! Leaf! Very good!"
P/T: “Very well! And it`s time to play on a computer/Ipad/phone."
(Let your child to complete 2 lessons about the colors: brown and green. After he or she finishes show flashcard and ask to repeat after you)
P/T: “Nice! Did you like it? Yes or no?”
Child: gives an answer.
P/T: if Yes: “Super!” If no:”That`s ok! Next time it will be more interesting!”
P/T: “Now repeat after me: it`s brown! It`s green!
P/T: “Perfect! And it`s time to watch a video how to make a tree!”
You are watching a video and while the video is playing put all necessary things on the table near both of you. The video is on the bottom.
Part 2: preparations
P/T: “Let`s check if we have everything we need!”
Point and say
P/T: “Do we have enough clay? Yes or No?”
C: “Yes”
Ask about the colors of the clay.
P/T: “What color is it?”
C: 1. “It`s brown.” 2. “It`s green.”
P/T: “Fantastic! Let`s check if we have a knife! Can you show me?”
Stress out the word “knife” and ask to find it on the table. Don`t translate this word, if your child needs help show him a flashcard with the word. It`s recommended to do because children can memorize words faster in this way.
P/T: “Good job! Repeat after me: “Knife!” and one more time.”
P/T: “and one more thing. Do we have toothpicks? Yes or no?
Ask to find toothpicks on the table, no need to ask to repeat this word and learn but if your child can say it then you add it as an extra word.
Part 3: craft
P/T: “Now let`s start. Listen to me and follow my instructions.”
It`s better if you will do it together. Be an example to your child. When you give an instruction do the step and show how to do it. It will be much easier to understand what to do and how to do it. In this case you don`t need to translate your child your words, he will understand you and will be involved much faster. If your child still can not understand you explain everything in your native language. It`s fine especially if you just started to learn English. In a couple of lessons he or she will get used to it and will understand you very well. Do not tell him that it`s a foreign language, that you have to learn it and so on. You can tell your child that some people name different things in different way, because they live in different cities and countries. Explain it using examples. Tell them in the following way: Show a ball and say it in your language: Look! This is a “ball”. We call it in our way but some people say it in another way “ball”. You can use any other object as an example depending on the topic you are learning now.
P/T: “Take a brown piece of clay and follow me.”
We are making the first step. You should roll a tree trunk.
P/T: “Good! Take a knife to cut it into 2 pieces. Look and do the same.”
Cut your trunk as it`s shown on the photo. Insert toothpicks inside the trunk in order your trunk could keep a shape. Help your child to do it if he can`t. 3 years old children can`t do it well for example.
P/T: “You are on a rock! Let`s keep doing that. Now take some brown clay and roll it. Look at me”
Make stick for your tree as shown on the photo. Do it first and let your child do it after you. Insert toothpicks inside.
P/T: “Perfect! Now stick all parts together. And we will get our tree without leaves.”
After you finish it ask your child what grows on a tree: “Tell me please what is green and grows on a tree?” After you get an answer tell: “That`s right! We need to make some leaves. Look at flashcard and repeat after me:
P/T: “Leaf…. Leaf….leaf. Very well. Let`s make it. Take some green clay and follow me.”
You are making leaves for your tree. Look at the photo and do the same.
P/T: “Fantastic! Now put them on your tree.”
Stick your leaves on a tree as shown on the photo and you can sum up your lesson. After that make some incisions and your tree will look more realistic.
P/T: Super! And one last step. Take a knife, look at me and do the same.
Part 4: Sum up
P/T: “How wonderful! Our tree is finished! Do you like your tree? Yes or no?”
Ask some more questions about the tree:
“Is it big or small?”
When you ask show what is big and small.
“What color is it?”
Ask and point.
P/T: “You did a great job today! Hope that you enjoy it very much!”
The last part is very important. It shows whether your child likes it or not, which words memorizes, he or she can express his or her feelings about all that and you can see if your child is motivated to keep learning or not.
If he answers using a only a word you can correct carefully. Don`t pay much attention and don`t show if there is something wrong. He will definitely start making sentences in a while. Just don`t push too much in the beginning. Don`t forget to praise your child, do it as much as you can! If he can`t answer the word you can say the first sound of the word. In this case children usually answer immediately. But don`t worry if he or she did not start speaking on the first lesson, everyone can start speaking but everyone needs a certain time to get used to it.
This is one of the lessons you can teach your child on your own! The first advantage of these lessons is for both parent and child. While teaching you can learn English both as well. The second is - your child develops not only language skills such as listening and speaking but also creativity, imagination, ability to think and other mental process. He learns to do lots of things and English at the same time and all the children will be easily involved in the process of learning language doing these exciting lessons. All the children will easily memorize new words and sentences because it`s interesting and unusual, they don`t think that somebody pushing them to learn something, because it`s just a game for them and we know it very well that all the children learn by playing games!
Review all the words for the lesson one more time and you can also discuss your lesson together speaking your native language.
Thank you for reading! To keep learning press HERE!