Teaching Kindergarten ages 3-5
 

Hi,
This week I will be starting to teach a kindergarten class ages 3 -5. There are a total of 8 in the class. It is the first time I have taught children that are so young. I normally teach upper elementary, middle school and adults. I would be grateful for any suggestions. The native language is Italian. I have them for a total of 6 hours Monday - Friday by myself. I am worried about keeping them interested and also a little bit about discipline in the classroom.
I appreciate any help and suggestions :D

Thanks in Advance,
Katherine

Re: Teaching Kindergarten ages 3-5
 

Hey there! Congrats on taking the opportunity to teach the younglings! I really enjoy teaching the younger students the most.

As for your questions...

Definitely get some flashcards printed and ready. Students respond very well to them and they can be used for a LOT of different games. You can find some great games at Dave's ESL Cafe. You can find some flashcards at the link in my sig or at Free Printables for Teachers | flashcards, printable games, worksheets templates, phonics materials, ESL printables, conversational activities.

TPR is also a must with younger students. Think of TPR like a massive game of charades always taking place in your class...only, when you do the actions, you say what you are doing (unlike charades). When you are talking about animals, do an action for that animal (like having your arms or hands becoming an elephant when you say the word elephant). Having the students do the same actions are also very entertaining for them and it helps them learn better.

As for discipline...establish your rules in the beginning of class and make them easy to understand. In my lessons I have converted all my rules into four simple ones. On the board I draw eyes, ears, a mouth, and a heart. These pictures mean look at me, listen to me, don't talk, and be good and happy. (The don't talk part is really just not to talk when I'm talking or others are talking).

Another thing I do with my young classes is to write my students' names on the board. Every time they do something well I will give them a point (maybe a star...should be something that can be drawn quickly). If a student can accumulate a predetermined amount of points in class he or she can get a treat (maybe a small candy). If a student misbehaves, I will erase a point....making it harder for them to get the treat.

Also, songs and games should be used often. Young kids have a shorter attention span than older ones and switching up activities every so often will keep them interested in your lessons.

If you have any other questions or need any more help just let me know.

You can also check out my blog at Keep Up With Richard

I focus on teaching younger students mostly so there should be some things of interest to you there (you can check this link for a TPR post Keep Up With Richard » Blog Archive » TPR (Total Physical Response) in the classroom)

Good luck. :D

Re: Teaching Kindergarten ages 3-5
 

Thanks so much for the info. I will look into everything you have given me. I am excited.:D I have also bought a puppet. I thought it would be a great way of getting their attention. Have you ever used one? What are your thoughts?

Thanks again,

Katherine

Re: Teaching Kindergarten ages 3-5
 

Puppets are pretty fun to use. I have two actually. I have a turtle and a bug. While they aren't puppets per say...I do use them as such (they are just stuffed animals). They are great for practicing colors, body parts, and actions...as well as just getting the kids to talk.

There are also some times in which I will let students use both puppets to talk to each other. Students can be shy and the puppets can bring down some barriers pretty quick. You could even let them act out a little conversation (suitable for their level).

Re: Teaching Kindergarten ages 3-5
 

I know this is an older thread but when I searched google it came up when I typed in "teaching ESL kindergarten." I was not able to find a lot of resources about how to teach this age group since I started working as an ESL kindergarten teacher two months ago. Fortunately I found a helpful book that covers a lot of the ins and outs of teaching English to 3-5 year olds. I would encourage others to check out How to Teach ESL Kindergarten by Stephanie Anderson available on amazon. This book has been a great help for me and I thought it could also help other teachers!

Re: Teaching Kindergarten ages 3-5
 

Dear Katherine,

Hello there. I can definitely help you.

MANAGING THE KIDS

Firstly check out these two blog posts that I did on managing preschoolers and also grabbing their attention. Just because they are only 3-5 doesn't mean they won't try to take over as soon as the initial awe of being in your presence is over!

https://teachingenglishgames.com/lar...ol-activities/

https://teachingenglishgames.com/cla...oung-children/

LESSON PLAN

Please download this story with lesson plan. This lays out in steps a fun and engaging lesson from start to finish. It includes introducing new vocabulary with games, consolidating that vocab with more games, then using short phrases and finally a story that contains all the language you have been working on. There is enough for several lessons in this pack.

It's a hit with most preschoolers and you'll be able to use the ideas to teach any vocab and sentences, not just the ones in this particular lesson plan and story.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me via my site, or here.

lesson plan and story:
https://teachingenglishgames.com/eal...lish-learners/


All the best
Shelley Ann Vernon