Target Audience(Age): Preschool
Target Audience(Language): Beginner
“EasySteps to Chinese for Preschool and Kindergarten” is specifically designedfor non-Chinese background children, who are learning Chinese as asecond/foreign language. The series is suitable for preschool children aged 4 to 6.
This series serves as an “enlightenment course”for the children who use “Easy Steps toChinese”. It aims to plant the seeds of the idea that “Chinese is notdifficult” and “I like learning Chinese” in the minds of young children, layingthe foundation for their systematic learning of Chinese in primary andsecondary schools.
The goal of this series is to help childrennaturally acquire Chinese pronunciation, become familiar with Chinese characterwriting, and master the most basic words and sentence patterns in a relaxed andenjoyable environment. Furthermore, this series also focuses on cultivatingtheir interest in learning Chinese, fostering a positive attitude, anddeveloping good writing habits.
This series consists of two levels, with eachlevel including a textbook and a workbook. In addition, it comes withPowerPoint slides, word cards, downloadable worksheets for tracing characters,and various digital teaching resources.
Keeping the characteristics of young childrenlearning languages in mind, the series integrates materials and resources, suchas word cards, picture cards, and interactive game cards, with their functionswhile compiling the textbooks and workbooks, making it convenient for teachersto plan and organize classroom activities.
The textbook focuses on teaching basic languageknowledge of Chinese, such as Chinese numbers, simple characters, simple words,and short sentences, while the workbook provides diverse, age-appropriate, andinteresting exercises and activities in order to consolidate the content of thetextbook. The recurrence of words and repetitive exercises are designed accordingly.
There are four units in each book: numbers, my family,daily life and school life. The course progresses gradually, helping childrenunderstand and master vocabulary and short sentences while cultivating theirability to communicate using the Chinese they have learned on the topics in thecourse.
About the Author
Ms. Yamin Ma has an M.Ed. in Curriculum Design andInstruction from Queen’s University, Canada. She used to teach English at bothsecondary and university levels in Shanghai (China), Hong Kong (China) andKingston (Canada) for over 10 years and has taught Chinese at primary andsecondary levels in Hong Kong (China) for more than 20 years. Ms. Ma has beenthe Head of the Chinese Department in Island School (located in Hong Kong,China) for over two decades and has taught IGCSE, AS/A-Levels and IB Language Bcourses.
Editorial Review
After years of studying relevant second language acquisitiontheories and gaining insight from the experiments and results of teaching youngchildren Chinese and English, the author has developed a new approach toteaching Chinese as a second/foreign language to young children.
Based on the results of the successful teaching experiments,this series has been developed, ensuring that the teaching materials arescientific, systematic, and practical, while aligning with classroom teaching principles.
The course is designed with reference to the preschool educationguidelines of China and other countries. It covers five themes: language,mathematics, society, science and art, with the hope to inspire children’scuriosity about the world around them, guiding them to explore confidently andexposing them to learn some basic knowledge. The course also aims to cultivatechildren’s observation skills, hands-on skills, and develop their independentand logical thinking abilities.
Starting with simple characters is an easy and effective way tolearn Chinese for young children. Mastering a certain number of simplecharacters will pave the way for learning compound characters in later stages.
The rhymes, created with the newly learned simple characters andnew words from each lesson, not only can strengthen the repetition and practiceof vocabulary and language points but also cultivate children’s sense of Chinese language and rhythm.
Systematic study and repeated practice of Chinese numbers willlay a solid foundation for memorizing the times table in elementary school.
The course also emphasizes the importance of cultivatingchildren’s correct pen-holding posture and promotes the development of arm,wrist, and finger muscles through activities such as connecting dots to formstraight lines, zigzag lines and arcs, as well as tracing and writing Chinesecharacters. This approach ensures that children can write Chinese characters neatlyfrom the very beginning.
Considering thatchildren have small hands which would find it hard to hold big and heavy books,textbooks and workbooks are bound into booklets by unit, making it easier forthe children to carry, write, and colour in.
Suggestion
This series is specifically designed for preschool children.Generally speaking, a four-year old child can use Book 1 and a five-year oldchild can use Book 2.
If there is a 30-minute Chinese lesson every day, most childrencan finish one book in one academic year.
After completing “Easy Steps to Chinese for Preschool &Kindergarten” of this series, children can continue with “Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids” (2nd Edition).
Since the content ofthis series is continuous and ongoing, teachers can flexibly adjust theteaching pace according to children’s Chinese proficiency.
