English Workshop (short duration) for 4-6 year old children - The 22nd, 23rd and 24th of July 2013

The enterprise I work for has recently launched a series of short duration English Courses for the children of their staff members, in an attempt not only to take advantage of the premises of the Training Centre (I work at) but also have children "occupied" during their Summer holidays, similarly to other "ventures" that have been carried out in the past.

I have had eight 4-6 year old children for the last three days and it has proved to be a rather different challenge from the ones I am used to, firstly because the objectives of the "workshop" have had to be based on the fact that most children attending it can't read yet and because of their young ages get them interested in the English Language learning without having them "bored" after the first few minutes.

Julia, João, Henrique, Tomas, Clara, Salvador, Sara and Inês (from left to right).

The main theme selected for this workshop has been the farm and its animals. Irrespective of the way this theme has been approached I have been doing everything I can to have them memorise the names of several animals in English, whether it is by identifying plastic "replicas" taken out of a bag and have the children individually say the name of the withdrawn animal; playing  a memory card game with animals on the various cards and have them say their names in English every time they select a card with a particular animal on or even have them carry out some artistic activities with those animals (decorating them with stickers, building them in paper, folding them "Origami" style, making puzzles in which they are to be identified or singing "Old McDonald had a farm").


The Simple tenses of some of the verbs used to construct very basic phrases have been taught and so has the  concept of "in" and "on" in the most appropriate way following doubts and questions prompted by the children.


We have been having a great time and although they'll be leaving me next Friday after what could be considered a very basic approach to the English Language learning I am almost sure they will not forget these fifteen hours of English Language learning and neither will I.  

Decorating cats with coloured paper strips and stickers.

Decorating dogs and ducks with colourful stickers following some previously handed out designs.

Colouring  pictures with a farm and several farm animals on them.

Making puzzles with some of the  farm animals on them.

Saying the names of the plastic animals as they took them out of the bag (in English).

Out in the garden during the morning break.

During and after decorating "a girl" (soon after having learned the word in English).

 With their completed "origami" aircraft after having learned the concept of "in" and "on".

During and after the correct identification of the animals  (memory card game).

During the construction of the "origami" paper animals with Ana helping them glue the loose parts (above) and after their completion (below).

 

Using stamps to make pictures with several girls dancing around a tree (left). After having their pictures completed (right).

Some of the material used and made in the classroom (left). After having placed the correct stickers on a book page (right).

(to be continued)

Note: 

My special thanks goes out to my colleague Ana who has been helping me with some of the activities. 
The siblings Julia, Sara and João haven't been able to come on the 24th of July this being the reason why they can't be seen in all of the "group"photographs.