You want your child to learn German and have already started teaching her at home or are thinking about it. The first step is to introduce and use the language in engaging activities she enjoys.
In my last email I talked about stories as a tool to teach German - at home or in the class room; whether you require the support of a German teacher and how illustrations and visual aids support listening and reading comprehension.
The short story (with audio) in my previous email offers an example of using stories for helping your child learn German without any further preparation on your part.
In my last email I talked about stories as a tool to teach German - at home or in the class room; whether you require the support of a German teacher and how illustrations and visual aids support listening and reading comprehension.
The short story (with audio) in my previous email offers an example of using stories for helping your child learn German without any further preparation on your part.
I have recently used this story in one of my lessons and it's proved to be an entertaining activity to picture what the alien looks like and to let it come alive on paper. There was no specific description of body shapes so all aliens looked differently. The children had no difficulties to understand what the story was about as the illustrations within the story explained the majority of the content.
This type of activity allows you to introduce, revise and practice vocabulary and phrases without having your child sit down first to study with worksheets or textbooks. The latter option is not suitable anyway for children of preschool age so we need to offer alternatives if we want to start with a new language before our children are able to read. Older children, on the other hand, are able to use this tool to acquire a new language more independently while, at the same time, become more confident that they are able to understand and make sense of a new language from the beginning. I know, as I am sure you do too, how frustrating it can be to have to go back to basics when all we want is to understand what someone is saying and be able to come up with a reply! Combined with audio support to aid with correct pronunciation short illustrated stories make for enjoyable and easy learning at every level.
I have to admit that it can be tricky to get one's hands on suitable stories for learning a language. If you are looking at stories by age, for example, even stories for 3 or 4 year old native speakers of German are much too advanced and don't offer as much visual support as one would require to comprehend the story if your child is only starting with German. Also, these books are not necessarily suitable for your 10 year old. The best option here is to select very short stories and integrate activities to enhance comprehension.
Let me show you how you can do this by using the short story from the last email which aims to teach body parts and colours as well as short sentences.
1. Read the story to your child while she looks at the images or reads along with you.
2. Ask her, in her native language, what the story is about.
3. Now offer an activity to practice listening comprehension:
a. Read the story again and ask you child to draw what she hears as you read.
b. Collect objects that reflect things from the story in your house (or classroom). Place these objects throughout the room. As you read the story your child moves around the room to find the
corresponding object.
c. Let your child show you what you are reading, e.g. in this case she would point at the different body
parts on herself or on a soft toy.
4. Move away from the story and use vocabulary and phrases in different activities:
a. Play Twister and use the German words for colours and body parts. In addition to hands and feet add
body parts from the story to be put on the Twister mat.
b. Play a round of 'Guess Who?' (Wer ist es?) either using suitable original images (aliens, people or
animals) if you already own the game or with cards put on a table such as an animal or cartoon set of
cards. Again, use the vocabulary from the story and play a few rounds with your child to practise and
revise content of the story.
c. Play a few rounds of 'I spy' (Ich sehe was, was du nicht siehst und das ist ...)
Use another picture or illustrated book or a set of cards showing animals, people or cartoon characters
and ask your child to look for the corresponding image you are describing.
d. Play these games of dice.
As you can see there are many variations for different age groups to check listening comprehension and 'test' your child's understanding of newly learned vocabulary and phrases in addition to a question section at the end of a story. Still, they are not to be neglected if they can be disguised as a multiple choice quiz, especially for younger kids who love to get the answers right! I know my kids keep asking if they can do the quiz at the end of a story even if they have done it numerous times before and know the answers by heart. Take advantage of it to repeat the language from a particular story time and again.
For now, read the story and try one or two of the above activities to see for yourself how to use the combination of story and activity. You may even get ideas of your own!
I have now shown you how to introduce and practise vocabulary, phrases and grammar. In my next email I will show you how you can proceed to the next level of language development: helping your child to speak and actively use German, plus the 3 most important factors for successful language learning.
Until next time!
This type of activity allows you to introduce, revise and practice vocabulary and phrases without having your child sit down first to study with worksheets or textbooks. The latter option is not suitable anyway for children of preschool age so we need to offer alternatives if we want to start with a new language before our children are able to read. Older children, on the other hand, are able to use this tool to acquire a new language more independently while, at the same time, become more confident that they are able to understand and make sense of a new language from the beginning. I know, as I am sure you do too, how frustrating it can be to have to go back to basics when all we want is to understand what someone is saying and be able to come up with a reply! Combined with audio support to aid with correct pronunciation short illustrated stories make for enjoyable and easy learning at every level.
I have to admit that it can be tricky to get one's hands on suitable stories for learning a language. If you are looking at stories by age, for example, even stories for 3 or 4 year old native speakers of German are much too advanced and don't offer as much visual support as one would require to comprehend the story if your child is only starting with German. Also, these books are not necessarily suitable for your 10 year old. The best option here is to select very short stories and integrate activities to enhance comprehension.
Let me show you how you can do this by using the short story from the last email which aims to teach body parts and colours as well as short sentences.
1. Read the story to your child while she looks at the images or reads along with you.
2. Ask her, in her native language, what the story is about.
3. Now offer an activity to practice listening comprehension:
a. Read the story again and ask you child to draw what she hears as you read.
b. Collect objects that reflect things from the story in your house (or classroom). Place these objects throughout the room. As you read the story your child moves around the room to find the
corresponding object.
c. Let your child show you what you are reading, e.g. in this case she would point at the different body
parts on herself or on a soft toy.
4. Move away from the story and use vocabulary and phrases in different activities:
a. Play Twister and use the German words for colours and body parts. In addition to hands and feet add
body parts from the story to be put on the Twister mat.
b. Play a round of 'Guess Who?' (Wer ist es?) either using suitable original images (aliens, people or
animals) if you already own the game or with cards put on a table such as an animal or cartoon set of
cards. Again, use the vocabulary from the story and play a few rounds with your child to practise and
revise content of the story.
c. Play a few rounds of 'I spy' (Ich sehe was, was du nicht siehst und das ist ...)
Use another picture or illustrated book or a set of cards showing animals, people or cartoon characters
and ask your child to look for the corresponding image you are describing.
d. Play these games of dice.
As you can see there are many variations for different age groups to check listening comprehension and 'test' your child's understanding of newly learned vocabulary and phrases in addition to a question section at the end of a story. Still, they are not to be neglected if they can be disguised as a multiple choice quiz, especially for younger kids who love to get the answers right! I know my kids keep asking if they can do the quiz at the end of a story even if they have done it numerous times before and know the answers by heart. Take advantage of it to repeat the language from a particular story time and again.
For now, read the story and try one or two of the above activities to see for yourself how to use the combination of story and activity. You may even get ideas of your own!
I have now shown you how to introduce and practise vocabulary, phrases and grammar. In my next email I will show you how you can proceed to the next level of language development: helping your child to speak and actively use German, plus the 3 most important factors for successful language learning.
Until next time!
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