The Magical Origins Of One Little Caterpillar!

My First Experience Teaching Three Year Olds

When I began teaching English to 3,4 and 5-year-old children I had no knowledge of Spanish and was a little terrified, and didn´t know what to expect. The three-year old children were my main preoccupation.

´How will I teach 3-year-old Spanish-speaking children English?´ I thought.

I developed a strategy to basically ´survive´ being in a classroom with Spanish-speaking children and left to my own devises. Through this experience I developed my method of teaching English.

When people ask me, ´how do you communicate?´ I simply reply, ´I sing.´

The voice is a marvelous tool for communication because one can not only communicate words but express them. Songs are memorable and they are not only fun and catchy but very useful to children.

I keep the rhythm, tempo and tune the same and change the words. When I would like the children to repeat something I´ve said, I change the pitch in varying degree from low to high. This method brings the children ´alive´ and I find them using the target language when singing to themselves.

Singing is very therapeutic and children can identify with music.

As babies they listened to lullabies and soft music to go to bed, they listened to musical chimes, and musical toys. Music is thus very soothing and calming for children and in this way children are captured by it. The day in the classroom is like a musical and children find comfort and structure in the day through song.

***

After my experience in Spain, I continued my teaching career in Germany, where I taught in English in my own class. It was a class of 3-6 year old children, and this time, I didn’t know how to speak German. This was very exciting for me because I could now try out new things, and through communication again, I made up the One Little Caterpillar chant with the children.

We were learning about life cycles, and because the children couldn’t understand too much of the spoken words in books, I created my simple stories that I acted out spontaneously with them. I felt that along with better comprehension, the children’s emotional needs were met, and they felt good about their learning. The actions songs and games allowed them to feel connected, a feeling of belonging and gave them a way to express themselves.

I changed my story, ‘One Little Caterpillar’ to a game that they could play on their own or with a friend. I also made up a drama game, where the whole class could take part, and eventually into a beautiful play! I will share these experiences in more detail as I post daily on this blog. The illustrations in the book tell all. Once you read the book, you will then be able to relate to the action game more readily. You will see how simple actions can stimulate such a wonderful imagination, and turn our visions to reality! Enjoy, and thanks for reading.

Maria Grujicic (Malena)

One Little Caterpillar

by Written By Maria Grujicic & Illustrated By Radivoje Grujicic

Preview this book at FastPencil.com

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