Kindergarten: Simple commands

Next week the topic is Simple commands. The only way I can think of doing this so far is by playing Simon says. In my class, I often get children to follow instructions, but often rely on the Thai assistant teacher to explain what I want of the children. What I could do would be to make use of games I've already introduced but this time give the instructions in English and only English.

Common instructions I use:

Hold hands.

Make a line.

This is the instruction for the "What's the time Mr Wolf?" game but on its own could be used for making a queue to shoot at the goal for football in the sports lesson.

Face the whiteboard.

Face the wall.

Make a circle

I've used this in the shapes lesson and generally when the children hold hands they make a circle - try to use this with hold hands.

Stand up, please

I don't use this as often since the children are mostly already standing up.

Sit down, please

The constant refrain of both me and the Thai assistant in the classroom

Hold shoulders

I've used this to get children to make a train but "train" is quicker.

Go

Ready

Stop

These three are from the traffic lights game and I started the lesson with them last week.

Spin

I've demonstrated this for tie and for (spinning) top

Hop

I've demonstrated this for "What's the time Mr Wolf?"

Props I'll need:

Clock from "What's the time Mr Wolf?"

Circle from the shapes lesson

A piece of string to symbolise the line

Spinning top from the toys lesson.

Train from the transport lesson or kite from the toys lesson

Red, yellow and green traffic lights from the traffic signs lesson.

Pre-entry level writing

Finally, I would like to help a friend to begin to learn to write in English -- the best book for this in my opinion will be the ESOL Activities Pre-Entry sections on reading and writing as it is aimed at adults.

Jeopardy for my private student

The other thing I've been trying to get around to doing is to re-organise the Jeopardy game Eve had from her previous job when she used to teach EFL.

I have been using ESOL Activities Entry 2 with my student who is at an intermediate level and I think the game is really for elementary level students. Another possiblility is that I change around the "Who want's to be a TEFLaire?" powerpoint using multiple choice questions from the self-study exercises I have not yet given to my student.

Planning for tomorrow

I've noticed that I'm quite prolific on the computer and that I'm quite procrastinatory off it. So here's hoping I can sit down and prepare on my blog if nowhere else.

Tomorrow the topic is Toys.

My flash cards are:

A doll;

A teddy bear;

A kite;

A skateboard;

Four different types of balls - basketball, (soccer) football, baseball and tennis ball;

A spinning top;

A drum;

and, last but definitely not least, a robot.

I have a sense that tomorrow will be much as usual -- I will go into the class with an idea that I'll get the children to repeat the name of the object after me and then get them to perform an action related to the object after me.

For the doll -- cradling like a baby.

The teddy bear -- begin by cuddling it and then pretend to be a real bear and walk roaring towards the children with arms outstretched like a zombie.

The kite -- take out the flashcard with it's still attached strip of futureboard and pretend to be fly it and then be pulled about by it laughing whenever the wind catches the kite, as in laughter yoga with the dog on the lead.

The skateboard -- pretend to ride it around the room and do ollies on it, falling off a couple of times for the children's amusement.

Four balls - can use the basketball to recap "sports" using futureboard as racquets again and bring along hoop.

For the spinning top -- spin around quickly and then slow down and start swinging in broader arc before falling to the floor.

Drum -- use tummy as an impromptu drum and get children to repeat rhythms you beat out.

Robot -- walk around like a robot all around class room getting children to follow you and perhaps turning to walk towards children in bad robot mode.

This is all I have for the moment but I'll give it some more thought and perhaps come and re-edit this post some time in the next hour.