When Teaching Toddlers - KISS

There is no better place to apply the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle than when teaching toddlers, especially ones who are ESL learners.

Whenever I think about using simple language to teach toddlers, I always remember this incident in my classroom.

The carpet in our classroom has a "Noah's Ark" theme. All around the outside there are animals. During circle time, each kid sits on an animal. It's been a very effective way of keeping them in their own space. One day, Maya and Miona were goofing off during lesson time. I had spoken to them several times but it continued. Finally I said:

"OK, if you two don't stop it, then I'm going to separate you. Do you want that to happen?"

Of course, they both shook their heads No. But let me repeat what I said do them:

"OK, if you two don't stop it, then I'm going to separate you. Do you want that to happen?"

They didn't understand that. They're only two years old and what I said was outside of the realm of their exposure to English. If you're teaching toddlers, you have to keep in mind what their level of English is.

So a few minutes later, when they were goofing off again, they were totally shocked when I said "That's it! Maya...elephant!" (indicating that she should move to the picture of an elephant which was across the carpet) Poor little Maya just froze in terror. She shook her head no as she tried to hold back her tears.

I felt so bad.

I realized that in my frustration, I had been saying things to her that she didn't understand. She didn't understand what the consequences for her actions would be. And so when I presented her with that consequence, she was shocked, confused, and understandably upset.

The story illustrates a point. If you want your kids to understand you, you have to use extremely simple language. Sometimes, when teaching toddlers, we forget this.

In the above example, it would have been much better if I had simply said "Maya, elephant??" This would have ensured that she understood what was coming if she didn't correct her behavior.

Admittedly, this can be somewhat of an artform. It's hard to talk like a child if you only hang out with adults. But here are my best three tips. Hopefully they'll help you get the ball rolling.

Three Tips for Using Simple Language when Teaching Toddlers

  • Use short sentences.Five words or less is best. If you're teaching toddlers, think about how a they speak and mimic that. A young child, even a native English speaker, wouldn't say "I am going to the pool to go swimming." They might say "I go pool, swim." Of course, you do want your kids to here more natural, proper English, but when you really want them to understand, use short sentences.
  • Use the same phrases."Clean up", "Tidy up", and "Put your things away" all mean the same thing to a native English speaker. But they seem very different to an ESL learner. When teaching toddlers ESL, pick one of those phrases and stick with it. It will help keep them from being confused.
  • Use hand movements. Hand movements are a great way to get kids to understand your meaning even if they don't understand the English. For example, a new student may not know what "Wash your hands" means, but if you point to the sink and mime washing your hands, they can understand. This makes them feel more confident.

Love,
Shannon Sensei

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