Author: Abigail Zenko (Editor-in-Chief, HELLO Trust Hong Kong-Shenzhen)
Editor: Isaac Zenko (Editor, HELLO Trust Hong Kong-Shenzhen)
Date Published: 16th February, 2024
Overview
Participants: Casso, Artemis, Apollo, Simon, Dorothy, Kristie
Kindergarten supported: 香港怡寶幼稚園
Engaging Young Minds: Teaching English Through Games and Music in Hong Kong Kindergarten
Photography by Teachers in Kindergarten
On February 6, 2024, HELLO Trust volunteers gathered in Hong Kong to teach English to kindergarten students in 香港怡寶幼稚園. Generously, they had sacrificed a day from their Chinese New Year break for the event.
The volunteers came with a passion for young children. They wanted the kids to enjoy the lessons. It wasn’t going to be a textbook bore. There will be games, music, and fun!
And as such, commence the day, split into two.
Volunteers first host activities for K3 students. Then they did the same for a combined class of K1 & K2 children.
Propping up a prepared PPT, they introduced themselves to the children and started the lesson with an inspiring activity.
Papers were passed around. Markers followed close behind.
“Write your passion on the paper!” said the PPT in bold.
Volunteers encouraged the children to put thought into their answer. Think! Who do you want to become in the future? What do you want to do? And most importantly—Why is that?
As the kids pondered and scribbled down their answers, Trust volunteers used this moment to assess their English abilities and aid them in writing their answers in English.
Following this writing exercise, children partook in a game similar to Pictionary. As they guessed their peers’ desires for the future through actions or drawings, they also practiced their English vocabulary. Throughout the activity, volunteers encouraged the kids to be confident about their dreams. To reach for the stars. And to not shy away from their ambitions.
What better way to learn a language than to use it to talk about what you’re passionate about?
After all this talking, it’s time to test the kids’ listening comprehension in a game of Simon Says!
The kids were rounded up into a circle. For reference, a diagram on the PPT displayed multiple actions and their respective verbal cues:
The volunteers and the kids further bonded through this game. And the children learned new vocabulary to add to their list of action words.
But that wasn’t all! Because next up was a sing-along song, teaching the basics of musical notes: Do-Re-Mi.
What a classic. Debuted in a musical, The Sound of Music (1959), the song was sung by the protagonist Maria to a group of seven children. It seems fit that it’s sang this day for the kindergarteners.
To help the children as they sang with the volunteers, the PPT displayed the lyrics with helpful emojis.
Originally, the lesson would end with another activity. Volunteers wanted to let the children build on what they learned in Simon Says by creating their very own dance moves. Pretty interesting, right? Though they tried this idea, it didn’t catch on. It would be terrible if they had to force the kids to do something they didn’t like. So, they dropped it.
After two rounds of such activities with the K1, K2, and K3 students of 香港怡寶幼稚園, the day’s events finally came to an end.
The aim of the day went beyond simply teaching a language. Through every activity, HELLO Trust volunteers intended to inspire the children and provide them with opportunities for growth. If nothing else, the interactive games and music created memorable experiences for all parties involved.
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