Kids' World

The Student Baby

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

The classroom environment
Why not make the 'classroom' a home from home? Day care centers have used this concept with success for years. It's just as feasible for language schools. Babies need several things. These have to be considered when setting up a room. They include:

* Comfort
* Food
* Relaxation
* Stimulation
* Safety

One of the things that new parents appreciate most is the chance to relax and enjoy their offspring without the outside pressures that inevitably form part of their everyday life. It follows, therefore that the 'classroom' should be presented as a place that is both restful and relaxing. A comfortable chair or cushion for the caregiver (who will need to be present for the very young), brightly colored rugs on the floor and lots of interesting looking and SAFE toys. The room itself should be as 'baby proof' as possible.

Next, the teacher needs to be relaxed and not expect too much at first. If they haven't seen the baby before then he/she will probably scream and create a big fuss. This is normal of course! The other important thing to remember is that the caregiver needs to be comfortable too. Not just physically, but mentally. Obviously, the teacher needs to have a natural empathy with babies, but they have to relate to the adult in the room too. There are two ways to look at this:

1. The caregiver is grateful for any time you can give their child and appreciate you 'taking over' and letting them relax.
or
2. The caregiver is quite keen to learn the language too and wants to be actively involved in the process.

It's important to recognize what is wanted. Sometimes their feelings may alter, depending on levels of tiredness etc.

Methods of teaching
Dealing with a baby is totally different to dealing with an older student. For a start, the baby's temperament can change on a minute by minute basis. You cannot exactly 'plan' a lesson. At first, the challenge is to get the baby to accept you. Remember that you are a stranger to them and they won't be at all interested in anything you have to show them unless they have overcome their apprehension. If they can see that their caregiver is happy with you and that you seem to be relaxed with them then they should start to unwind and relax.

This may take longer than you think, especially if you don't see them very often! A big disadvantage of teaching a baby in a formal situation is that you don't have continuous contact. This can be used to your advantage though if the parent is prepared to work with the child themselves at home in between times, using the words you have given them.

After that, it's a question of trying to decide how to get them to start recognizing some simple words. In reality, this is actually quite easy! The first things that are learned in a language program are usually:

* Colors
* Body parts
* Numbers
* Objects
* Phrases

If you can find a way of teaching these to the child via a method that is stimulating and understandable to them, then you are on the way to success!

Teaching tools
Whatever interests the baby. If this is a cardboard box and a plastic mat then so be it. Teaching babies can make you very creative… However, there are some things that can be introduced. It's best to do this in stages as a small child can be overwhelmed by the sight of a big pile of toys or a laughing, all singing, all dancing, teacher. Much better to produce something incredibly interesting, such as a brightly colored activity toy and to sit there playing with it and talking about it's virtues. Nothing so stimulating as curiosity! Some suggestions for teaching aids include:

Toys
These are a wonderful way to teach colors and numbers. They can also be used to introduce phrases e.g. "Open the door, close the door", "where is it?" etc. Baby toys are often produced in bright, primary colors that catch the eye and are very distinctive. With such a variety of toys to choose from there is no end to the opportunities they provide. Good toys include:

* Activity boxes with colorful shapes.
* Colored blocks - especially ones that make noise
* Items with recognizable characters. It's amazing how young children can identify people like Mickey Mouse.
* Balls - great for rolling backwards and forward
* Plastic skittles - fun to knock down and perfect for counting practice. The very young like to throw them about.
* Soft toys - animals, characters etc. Good for naming objects.

At this stage we are just looking at baby type toys. Boxed games are not so suitable for them. They prefer games that you invent such as "peek a boo" and hiding things.

NB: Always remember that any toy used has to be carefully checked to ensure that it is suitable for the age range you are teaching. Babies will put things in their mouth even if you tell them not to.

Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3

Top