Teaching English to KidsSome Thoughts on Teaching Children English in JapanTeaching English to Kids: A page about teaching English to kids,the challenges and things to watch out for. Plus suggestionsfor activities.First Steps--In a Nutshell: Teaching Children English in 1 Minute or Less If someone said: "Kevin you have 60 seconds, tell me what I need to do to learn how to teach English to Japanese children?"
I would say: "Read books by James Asher on Total Physical Response, get "Finding Out 1 Teachers Book," by David Paul and read the first 40 pages to get the method down, practice it on your own so you know it and can do it in a class of kids, it is a great and fun way to not only teach them English but how to read. Get English Land 1 Teachers book, learn it, and be able to teach it." You can always learn more, but I basicly tell all new teachers at Kevin`s English Schools the same thing.
More advice and activities for teaching English to children.
Bring out the artist in the kids!
It is a little daunting at least at first, to be entrusted with someone`s pride and joy. Having parents drop off their six or eight year old children into your care is a big responsibility. Yet there is so much potential with these children. There future is all ahead of them. I have always felt we are more than just English teachers. We provide Japanese children with a window into another world--a foreign, exotic world of magic and possibility. We not only teach them English, we give them an idea of what Western people are like. We open their rich imagination to a world outside of these Japanese isles. No it isn`t just English that we teach. We help to lessen racism and internationalize in the best sense of that word. We help to minimize the "island mentality" that permeates so much of Japanese society. Japanese children consistently exposed to people from other countries are more open minded, and I will argue, more understanding of foreign cultures and customs. I venture that these children we teach are a little more creative as a result. Indeed they are not afraid of non-Japanese people. 
For activity ideas for teaching children and other age groups, join ETJ Activities, it`s free. Get the Children Moving in English ClassesWhen teaching children aged 5-12 it is important to realize how much energy they have. They have a lot more energy than you.Yes you! The bald guy sitting right in front of his computer monitor in Syracuse. Sorry to point you out like that, but with this new software I can now see all of our readers. It`s great!I joke! Sorry about that! Because the children have so much energy, it is very important to move them around as much as you can. They are kids. They need to move. They have been forced to sit and obeytheir teacher at school all day and then they come to yourEnglish school. Asking them to sit at the table for another hour is asking for trouble. You can have them at the table doing a drawing, writing orgame activity, then you can move them to the white board for ateam spelling contest or some other activity. Then you canhave everyone get down on the floor and do a floor puzzle activity or have them bring you things from around the room. Don`t forget you can take them outside (weather permitting).You can point out things and name them, or ask them to showyou a house, a cat, a car etc. One of the great things about teaching children is that they are so flexible, and are very willing to go outside for their lesson. They love it in fact. If the class is one hour long, try to have six different tenminute activities, and move them around the room and outside. The children will love your lessons and the Mom`s will love you too. Your boss will then love you and then the bank manager will love you as you keep getting raises. (Unless you work for my school). "Get back to work slave!" Oops, can we delete that? I didn`t really mean to put that in. We`ll delete it before it gets published on the internet right? On the Use of L1 in the English Classroom There has been much debate about allowing children or evenadults to use their native language in the classroom--someteachers preferring an English only atmosphere, however Stephen MacAtamney argues for allowing L1 usage. Teaching English to Kids About Children, the One Stop Shop for Kids has some great links for teachers and parents. Jessica has compiled some of her favorite links and they are great. Plus if you want to get something for your child or a prize for one of your students, her shop really has everything! Everything you need for babies and kids frombedding, clothing, gear, gifts, toys and more!.
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