[hollyqk]

Hello,

I have a private class of one 4 year old and three 5 year olds but I am finding it EXTREMELY diffucult to find things to do with them. the problem is that they have very short attention spans and they are not seeming to retain much vocab.

I've done animals colours and fruit and veg with them. Usually I play some flahscard games and I try to incorporate songs into the lessons as well. However they don't always enjoy the songs because they don't know the words.i also do a lot of running around games that involve them finding and standing on the flashcard. At the end I use coouring worksheets and read them a english story book with lots of pictures.

I was just wondering if anyone had anymore ideas on how i could keep the lessons interesting enough to be able to hold their attention for an hour. im really struggling to stop them wondering off or start playing with toys every two minutes. I'm just not sure how much they are able to remember at that age or how fast i should progress with them.any advice would be appreciated so much as ive never worked with children in this age range before.

Thanks for reading!

Holly

[bread_baker]

I suggest that you use realia, and give them activities in which they handle the realia and learn to associate the word and the thing.
There are some forum threads about teaching kindergarten and other young students. Check those out.
And look at this site, which is jam-packed full of free resources:
Free Printables for Teachers - Free flashcards, printable games, free worksheets, printables, phonics, clipart, projects, ebooks and other resources
Probably they can't read in their native language, so getting them to read in English will be difficult.
Did you teach them the alphabet? Phonics? They need both.

[dk1]

That age can be so rewarding and sometimes so challenging. I teach a few classes of about 10 students per class and I have 1.5 hrs. a day. So, I will share what has worked for me...

-Have an ongoing project, like making a book of numbers or wild animals, sea animals, insects, etc...
-Make a college, your theme can be just 'red' or 'vegetables'. be creative on what and where you find 'stuff'. Kids love sticking paper and bits and its good for their little flngers
-Playdough- endless vocabulary potential and fun!
-Good music-it can make all the difference. I recommend Simple Songs and Greg&Steve
-Read a story and then act it out, practice and put on a play for the parents
-have you got technology? record your voices, make a video
-puzzles, not just the kind that comes in a box, you can draw a picture and cut it up and then paste it back on paper
-matching cards (they never tire of this one) but try making the cards yourselves-color and stick on cards and then play the game
Keep it simple keep it fun!

[mesmark]

I'd recommend a variety of activities through out the lesson. Also, don't be afraid to bring back something that didn't work so well the first time.

If you find something they like. Keep doing it. Just try to change the language or build the language within the activity. Kids love to do what they love to do, over and over and over ...

This is a podcast on teaching 2-3 year olds but the message is still the same:
ESL Teacher Talk » Blog Archive » Teaching toddlers, 2-3 year olds

Also here's a bit of advice about teaching children that might be worth reading:
MES-English.com :: View topic - Teaching young learners: What makes for good practice?

For songs, it's best to have something with actions in it. They probably won't sing along for a while so it will feel a bit like a concert, but the actions keep them involved and they join in once they feel comfortable. Here are some great free downloads:
Dream English Kids Songs, free mp3 song downloads,flashcards and lesson ideas,let's sing!

If you need ideas for more content, try the Speaking First Curriculum from MES-English.com. There are 8 units with 4 content vocabulary suggestions for each unit. You can also find handouts, worksheet, listening exercises and more for each topic.

Happy teaching!

[hollyqk]

wow guys, can I just say thank you so so much! i will definitely have a look through all the links that you've suggested. i really like the idea of doing a team project and you're right, at that age i think crafty acitivities are great for learning things.
thanks guys for all your help and advice!

[clevermae]

What can I say? dk1 has said it all. I have to say that the tips she listed in here are indeed very helpful and effective.

[vareste]

İ am also teaching English to that age group, i use this web-site
ESL-Kids - Flashcards, Worksheets, Games and Songs
i hope u like it.

[lasca]

I have a class of 4-5 year olds and am using the 'Fairyland' textbook with them - brilliant. they also love stories - The Hungry Caterpillar and We're going on a bear hunt, for example are great!