Hello, everyone!
K3、Elephant classの子ども達が集中して見ているのは子ども用英英辞典です。Elephant classでは作文レッスンの一環で辞書を引いて単語の意味を自分たちで知る活動があります。4月に初めて辞書を手にした子ども達は辞書の引き方なんて知りませんでしたが、毎月使うことで少しずつ単語を見つけ、書かれている内容を読み、その意味を知ることができるようになってきました。
みなさんの中には『就学前の子ども達が辞書を引くなんて！』とびっくりされるかもしれません。でも数か月後に卒園し英語中心から日本語中心の生活に変わり、英語で疑問が出てきても身近にすぐに解決できる環境ではなくなる子ども達が、せっかくの好奇心を『知るすべがない』という理由でしぼませてしまうのは非常に残念なことです。だからこそフォニックスのルールが理解できていて英文が読める子ども達に『知りたいことを知る術』を身につけてもらうため、dictionary timeを設けました。
就園中の英語保育はもちろんのこと、卒園後の長い人生において必要になる力を身につけるためにどのように導くか、私たちは子ども達の先を見て保育をしています。
The children in K3, Elephant class are using an English-English dictionary, which is part of the writing lesson. When the children got their dictionary for the first time in April, they didn’t know how to use a dictionary, however, by using the dictionary every month, they have gradually become able to find words, read its definitions, and learn the meaning of the words.
Some of you may be surprised to hear that preschool children can use a dictionary, but, they will graduate from preschool and change from an English-centric to a Japanese-centric lifestyle in a few months and will be no longer in an environment where they have a teacher nearby who can quickly answer the questions in English they might have.
It would be a shame for their curiosity is supperssed because there is no way to know. This is why we have established dictionary time for K3 children who understand the rules of phonics and can read English how to use a dictionary, so that they can learn “how to know what they want to know.
We are not only taking care of children in English while they are in preschool, but we are also looking ahead to see how we can guide them to acquire the skills they will need for a long time after they graduate from preschool.