TEYL - Characteristics of Young Learners

TEYL Channel

4 Oct 201704:47

Summary

TLDRThis video script discusses the challenges and rewards of teaching young learners, emphasizing the importance of understanding their characteristics. It highlights that children are active, energetic, and kinesthetic learners who benefit from movement and tactile experiences. The script encourages educators to adapt their teaching methods to be developmentally appropriate, using activities like Simon Says to engage kinesthetic learners and incorporating stories or outdoor exploration for imaginative and curious students. It also addresses the need for quick-paced, varied activities to cater to young learners' short attention spans and susceptibility to distractions.

Takeaways

🏫 Teaching young learners is both challenging and rewarding, requiring energy and patience.
💦 Instructors often find themselves physically active, using big gestures and movement to maintain student engagement.
📝 It's beneficial to understand the characteristics of young learners to tailor teaching methods effectively.
✍️ Encouraging teachers to write down descriptors of young learners helps in identifying their learning styles and needs.
🌐 The speaker uses a 'word web' to visually organize and share characteristics like 'active', 'energetic', and 'tactile'.
🧍‍♂️ Young learners are kinesthetic learners, preferring to learn through movement and physical interaction.
🤲 They are also tactile, enjoying the act of touching and manipulating objects as part of their learning process.
🎯 Understanding these characteristics allows for the creation of developmentally appropriate activities that match the learners' styles.
🤹‍♂️ Activities like 'Simon Says' can be used to engage kinesthetic learners by incorporating movement.
🧐 Recognizing that young learners can be 'imaginative' and 'curious' suggests using stories and exploration in teaching.
🚫 Acknowledging that young learners can be 'easily distracted' or have 'short attention spans' calls for varied and engaging classroom activities.
🔄 Keeping the pace of the class quick and exciting, with a variety of activities, can help maintain young learners' interest.

Q & A

What challenges do English teachers face when teaching young learners?
-English teachers face challenges such as maintaining the energy and patience required to engage young learners, who are often active and require constant movement and interaction.
Why does teaching children require a lot of energy according to the speaker?
-Teaching children requires a lot of energy because teachers often have to move around, sing songs, and play games to keep the children's attention and teach them effectively.
What is the speaker's strategy for keeping young learners' attention during class?
-The speaker uses big gestures and engages in activities like singing songs and playing games to keep young learners' attention.
What is a 'word web' as mentioned in the script?
-A 'word web' is a visual tool used by the speaker to organize and display words that describe young learners, helping to brainstorm and remember key characteristics.
What are some characteristics of young learners that the speaker suggests writing down?
-The speaker suggests writing down characteristics such as being active, energetic, spontaneous, and kinesthetic learners who like to move and touch things.
How do young learners typically learn best according to the script?
-Young learners typically learn best through movement and gestures, as they are often kinesthetic and tactile learners who benefit from interacting with objects and their environment.
What is the importance of understanding children's characteristics in teaching?
-Understanding children's characteristics is important because it helps teachers create effective classroom activities and approaches that are developmentally appropriate for the children's learning styles.
What is an example of a kinesthetic activity the speaker suggests for young learners?
-The speaker suggests playing 'Simon Says' as an example of a kinesthetic activity that encourages young learners to get out of their seats and move around.
How can teachers adapt their teaching to accommodate young learners who are easily distracted or have short attention spans?
-Teachers can adapt their teaching by using games, videos, and other engaging activities that the learners enjoy, and by keeping the pace of the class quick and exciting to maintain their interest.
What is the goal of the teaching approach described in the script?
-The goal of the teaching approach is to facilitate effective learning in the classroom by matching the activities and teaching methods to the characteristics of the young learners.
Why are stories like fairy tales or outdoor activities beneficial for young learners?
-Stories like fairy tales and outdoor activities are beneficial for young learners because they cater to their imagination and curiosity, making learning more engaging and enjoyable.

Outlines

00:00

🎶 Engaging Young Learners: Strategies for Teaching Children

The introduction emphasizes the challenges and rewards of teaching young learners, highlighting the need for energy and patience. The speaker shares their own experience of teaching children, which involves a lot of physical movement, singing, and games to keep the students engaged. The importance of using big gestures to maintain attention and convey meaning is also discussed.

✍️ Characteristics of Young Learners: A Quick Exercise

The speaker prompts the audience to think about and write down words that describe young learners. They suggest taking 15 seconds to jot down as many descriptive words as possible in a word web format. This exercise is designed to help teachers reflect on the traits of their students and better understand their needs.

🤹 Understanding Kinesthetic Learners

The discussion moves to the specific characteristics of young learners, particularly their kinesthetic learning style. Young children are active, energetic, and often can't sit still. They learn well through movement and touch, making it important for teachers to incorporate physical activities and objects in their lessons to facilitate learning.

📚 Adapting Teaching Methods to Developmental Stages

Effective teaching involves tailoring activities to the developmental stages of children. By understanding how children develop and learn, teachers can create developmentally appropriate activities that match their students' characteristics. The goal is to ensure effective learning by engaging children in ways that align with their natural tendencies and interests.

🧒 Creating a Kinesthetic-Friendly Classroom

The speaker provides an example of how to cater to kinesthetic learners by using activities that encourage movement, such as playing 'Simon Says.' This approach helps children stay engaged and makes learning more effective. Teachers are encouraged to prepare similar activities that allow young learners to move around and interact with their environment.

🌟 Leveraging Imagination and Curiosity in Young Learners

Imaginative and curious young learners benefit from activities that stimulate their creativity and inquisitiveness. Using stories, fairy tales, and outdoor explorations can capture their interest and enhance their learning experience. The speaker emphasizes the importance of aligning activities with the children's natural curiosity and imaginative capabilities.

🎮 Keeping Young Learners Engaged: Tips and Techniques

To address the short attention spans of young learners, teachers should use activities they enjoy, such as games or videos, and maintain a quick and exciting pace in the classroom. The speaker advises against spending too long on any single activity, suggesting that a varied and dynamic approach can help keep young learners focused and engaged.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡young learners

Young learners refer to children who are in the process of acquiring knowledge and skills. In the context of the video, teaching young learners is highlighted as both challenging and rewarding. The speaker emphasizes the unique characteristics and needs of young learners, such as their high energy levels and short attention spans, and the importance of tailoring teaching methods to suit these traits.

💡energy and patience

Energy and patience are essential qualities for teaching children. The speaker notes that teaching young learners requires a lot of physical movement and emotional endurance. Examples from the script include the teacher moving around, singing songs, and playing games to keep the children engaged and focused.

💡kinesthetic learners

Kinesthetic learners are individuals who learn best through physical activities rather than passive methods like listening to a lecture. The video explains that young learners often fall into this category, as they prefer moving, wiggling, and using gestures. The speaker suggests using activities that incorporate movement to effectively teach these students.

💡developmentally appropriate

Developmentally appropriate refers to teaching methods and activities that are suitable for the age and developmental stage of the learners. The video emphasizes that understanding children's characteristics and developmental stages can help create an effective classroom environment. For example, using stories and games that match the imaginative and curious nature of young learners.

💡active and energetic

Active and energetic describe the typical behavior of young learners. The video mentions that children are often full of energy and cannot sit still for long periods. Teachers need to channel this energy into productive activities, such as playing games or using big gestures to maintain their attention.

💡spontaneous

Spontaneous means acting on impulse without prior planning. The video highlights that young learners are often spontaneous, making it challenging for teachers to keep them engaged. This characteristic requires teachers to be flexible and ready to adapt their teaching strategies on the fly.

💡tactile learning

Tactile learning is a learning style where individuals learn best through touching and manipulating objects. The video points out that young learners are tactile learners who benefit from handling physical objects, such as a ball, to understand concepts. This hands-on approach helps them grasp new information more effectively.

💡imaginative

Imaginative refers to having a creative and inventive mind. The video suggests using stories like fairy tales to cater to the imaginative nature of young learners. By engaging their imagination, teachers can make lessons more interesting and memorable for children.

💡curious

Curious describes a strong desire to learn or know something. The video recommends taking curious young learners on walks outside to explore and learn about their environment. This approach leverages their natural curiosity to enhance learning experiences.

💡short attention span

Short attention span means the limited period that young learners can stay focused on a task. The video advises using quick-paced activities and varying them frequently to keep children engaged. Examples include incorporating games and videos to maintain their interest.

Highlights

Teaching young learners is both challenging and rewarding.

Young learners require a lot of energy and patience from teachers.

Teachers often use big gestures to maintain students' attention and demonstrate word meanings.

Characteristics of young learners include being active, energetic, and spontaneous.

Young learners are kinesthetic learners, preferring to move and wiggle while learning.

Tactile learning is common among young learners who enjoy touching and playing with objects.

Understanding children's characteristics helps in creating an effective classroom.

Teaching should be developmentally appropriate, matching children's development and learning styles.

Activities for kinesthetic learners should encourage movement out of their seats.

Games like Simon Says can be used to engage kinesthetic learners.

Young learners are imaginative and curious, responding well to stories and exploration.

Activities should be varied to cater to young learners' easily distracted and short attention spans.

Keeping the pace of the class quick and exciting can help maintain young learners' interest.

Teachers should consider the characteristics of their young learners when planning activities and approaches.

Incorporating movement and gestures in teaching can enhance learning for young learners.