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kirchara(Originally posted on July 2, 2017)
Even though they're 4.5 years apart, I have been teaching River and Brooks Mandarin at the same time. Ideally, I should have had Brooks learn Mandarin the moment he turned four, but I started teaching him reading (in English) instead.
We use Better Chinese's My First Chinese Words because they are targeted to non-Mandarin speakers. In contrast, SageBooks (Hong Kong publisher) require the students to be Mandarin/Chinese speakers. (SageBooks are like BOB books in that they teach children how to read).
I try to do Mandarin two, three times a week. I read one sentence and each child repeat after me. We do two 8-page picture books each session. Brooks usually has the attention span for one picture book but not two.
So far we have done six sessions. In between sessions, I have J independently listen and repeat after the included CD.
Brooks often acts silly and intentionally gives the wrong answers (e.g. "This is my grandfather" instead of "This is my father.") Usually I end up focusing on River when Brooks has the sillies.
As expected, Brooks' pronunciation is just beautiful. Being older, River has a harder time with pronunciation. (When River was four, his Mandarin accent was practically perfect too. Once he started kindergarten, we got busy with reading/writing/spelling/poetry/etc. and stopped doing Mandarin).
I was afraid that River, who just turned nine, would find the books boring because they’re a bit childish, but he has been motivated so far. Earlier today, he asked me to do Mandarin.
☆ 06/100 moments in multiples of 50 words
If we do this three times a week, we should be done in a year; two times a week, a year and a half.
My tentative lesson map:
Session 1: Book 1
Session 2: Books 1,2
Session 3: Books 1,3
Session 4: Books 1,4
Session 5: Books 2,3
Session 6: Books 2,4 <-- We just did this today (July 2, 2017).
Session 7: Books 2,5
3,4
3,5
3,6
4,5
4,6
4,7
5,6
5,7
5,8
6,7
6,8
6,9
7,8,9
7,1,2
8,9,3
9,4,5
~~~
9,10
10,6,7
10,8
10,11
11,9
11,12
11,19,12
4,11,12,13
12,13
12,14,15
13,14,15 <-- Here we are on April 7, 2019. River & Brooks have had three weeks of semi-private lessons.
13,16
25,33 <-- May 7, 2019. Started to jump around following the vocabulary/theme that River & Brooks are currently learning.
14,15,25,33
15,16,25,33
14,15,17,33
15,18
17,21,29
21
17,29
16,29
16,18,10
10,17,18
11,17
12,18
16,25
~~~
13,18,19
8,16
2
2,14
2,15,19
19,20
16,17,20
20,21
18,21 <-- Summer 2020.
8,20,24
8,21,22,24 <-- September 7, 2020.
ETA 9/7/20: They now know enough Chinese characters that I need to cover some of the pinyin in the books with washi tape.
21,22,23
22,23
8,20,24
8,21,24
18,22,24,25
18,22,25
23,24,25 <-- October 22, 2020.
23,24,26
24,25,26,27
19,25
26,27
20,26
21,26
22,27
23,27
27,28
24,28
25,28
28,29
26,29
27,29
29,30
30,31
30,32
30,33
31,32
31,33
31,34
32,33
32,34
32,35
33,34
33,35
28,33
34,35
35,36
29,34
35,36
30,35
31,35
32,36
33,36
34,36
List of the 36 book titles:
Chapter
1. I Love My Family 我爱我的家
2. Who Is This? 这是谁？
3. What Is Your Name? 你叫什么名字？
4. How Old Are You? 你几岁？
5. The Balloon Flew Away 气球飞了
6. What Is in The School Bag? 书包里有什么？
7. What Is Your Nationality? 你是哪国人？
8. I Am Hungry 我饿了
9. Buying Stuff 买东西
10. At School 在学校
11. Putting Clothes On 穿上衣服
12. What Is That? 那是什么？
13. What Is in There? 里面有什么？
14. Sports Meet 运动会
15. What Time Is It, Old Wolf? 老狼老狼几点了？
16. When Will the Red Flower Bloom? 红花红花几月开？
17. My Family 我的一家人
18. My Home 我的家
19. Animals’ Homes 动物的家
20. Where Do You Live? 你住在哪里？
21. Where Are You From? 你从哪里來？
22. Drawing 画画
23. Is This Yours? 这是你的吗？
24. Where Is the Banana? 香蕉在哪里？
25. What Are You Doing? 你在做什么？
26. I Can Crawl 我会爬
27. Mirror 镜子
28. Whose Mittens Are These? 这是谁的手套？
29. I Go to School 我去上学
30. I Want Friends 我要朋友
31. School Is Fun 在学校真快乐
32. What Is the Monkey Doing? 猴子做什么？
33. Big and Small 大和小
34. It Is Raining 下雨了
35. Where Is the Kitten? 小猫在哪里？
36. Going to the Supermarket 去超市
Even though they're 4.5 years apart, I have been teaching River and Brooks Mandarin at the same time. Ideally, I should have had Brooks learn Mandarin the moment he turned four, but I started teaching him reading (in English) instead.
We use Better Chinese's My First Chinese Words because they are targeted to non-Mandarin speakers. In contrast, SageBooks (Hong Kong publisher) require the students to be Mandarin/Chinese speakers. (SageBooks are like BOB books in that they teach children how to read).
I try to do Mandarin two, three times a week. I read one sentence and each child repeat after me. We do two 8-page picture books each session. Brooks usually has the attention span for one picture book but not two.
So far we have done six sessions. In between sessions, I have J independently listen and repeat after the included CD.
Brooks often acts silly and intentionally gives the wrong answers (e.g. "This is my grandfather" instead of "This is my father.") Usually I end up focusing on River when Brooks has the sillies.
As expected, Brooks' pronunciation is just beautiful. Being older, River has a harder time with pronunciation. (When River was four, his Mandarin accent was practically perfect too. Once he started kindergarten, we got busy with reading/writing/spelling/poetry/etc. and stopped doing Mandarin).
I was afraid that River, who just turned nine, would find the books boring because they’re a bit childish, but he has been motivated so far. Earlier today, he asked me to do Mandarin.
☆ 06/100 moments in multiples of 50 words
My tentative lesson map:
Session 1: Book 1
Session 2: Books 1,2
Session 3: Books 1,3
Session 4: Books 1,4
Session 5: Books 2,3
Session 6: Books 2,4 <-- We just did this today (July 2, 2017).
Session 7: Books 2,5
3,4
3,5
3,6
4,5
4,6
4,7
5,6
5,7
5,8
6,7
6,8
6,9
7,8,9
7,1,2
8,9,3
9,4,5
~~~
9,10
10,6,7
10,8
10,11
11,9
11,12
11,19,12
4,11,12,13
12,13
12,14,15
13,14,15 <-- Here we are on April 7, 2019. River & Brooks have had three weeks of semi-private lessons.
13,16
25,33 <-- May 7, 2019. Started to jump around following the vocabulary/theme that River & Brooks are currently learning.
14,15,25,33
15,16,25,33
14,15,17,33
15,18
17,21,29
21
17,29
16,29
16,18,10
10,17,18
11,17
12,18
16,25
~~~
13,18,19
8,16
2
2,14
2,15,19
19,20
16,17,20
20,21
18,21 <-- Summer 2020.
8,20,24
8,21,22,24 <-- September 7, 2020.
ETA 9/7/20: They now know enough Chinese characters that I need to cover some of the pinyin in the books with washi tape.
21,22,23
22,23
8,20,24
8,21,24
18,22,24,25
18,22,25
23,24,25 <-- October 22, 2020.
23,24,26
24,25,26,27
19,25
26,27
20,26
21,26
22,27
23,27
27,28
24,28
25,28
28,29
26,29
27,29
29,30
30,31
30,32
30,33
31,32
31,33
31,34
32,33
32,34
32,35
33,34
33,35
28,33
34,35
35,36
29,34
35,36
30,35
31,35
32,36
33,36
34,36
List of the 36 book titles:
Chapter
1. I Love My Family 我爱我的家
2. Who Is This? 这是谁？
3. What Is Your Name? 你叫什么名字？
4. How Old Are You? 你几岁？
5. The Balloon Flew Away 气球飞了
6. What Is in The School Bag? 书包里有什么？
7. What Is Your Nationality? 你是哪国人？
8. I Am Hungry 我饿了
9. Buying Stuff 买东西
10. At School 在学校
11. Putting Clothes On 穿上衣服
12. What Is That? 那是什么？
13. What Is in There? 里面有什么？
14. Sports Meet 运动会
15. What Time Is It, Old Wolf? 老狼老狼几点了？
16. When Will the Red Flower Bloom? 红花红花几月开？
17. My Family 我的一家人
18. My Home 我的家
19. Animals’ Homes 动物的家
20. Where Do You Live? 你住在哪里？
21. Where Are You From? 你从哪里來？
22. Drawing 画画
23. Is This Yours? 这是你的吗？
24. Where Is the Banana? 香蕉在哪里？
25. What Are You Doing? 你在做什么？
26. I Can Crawl 我会爬
27. Mirror 镜子
28. Whose Mittens Are These? 这是谁的手套？
29. I Go to School 我去上学
30. I Want Friends 我要朋友
31. School Is Fun 在学校真快乐
32. What Is the Monkey Doing? 猴子做什么？
33. Big and Small 大和小
34. It Is Raining 下雨了
35. Where Is the Kitten? 小猫在哪里？
36. Going to the Supermarket 去超市
