Teaching Chinese at Home
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porcupine12trade:
How do u instill in the child the love for reading? Is it possible for a child to still not like reading after much effort like reading to him/her, buy many kinds of books etc etc. I asked because my #1 loves reading alot and she is willing to try reading a variety of books. We did not \"try\" to make her like reading, it just came to her. We did read to her when she was young. However my #2 is not a book lover like her sister, we did the same, read to #2 etc. Both of them can read well. My #2 complains that when she reads too long, her neck ache (is it an excuse? i dont know haa), and she claims the easier books are too easy, and yet the more difficult ones, she can read but not really understand the content, I am not sure what kind of books are suitable for her. How do u cultivate the love for reading in children?
Hi porcupine12trade, my DD is like your #1 and my DS was a reluctant reader, until recently when he discovered that \"Books can be interesting too!\" (his own words).
For both kids, when they were young, DH and I read to them nightly. At home, we do not usually turn on the TV (if kid ask, at most 1hr per day and only okto channel), computer (strictly for homework, except during hols) and we don't own any handheld. So the kids play either with toys (lego, origami, drawing, play pretend with their soft-toys) or read. DH and I also read - ranging from newspapers to magazines to travel books to self-help books to story books. So maybe it is this environment that creates the reader in my DD.
With DS who is dyslexic, we are very careful not to push him to read until he's ready. So we do alot of reading to him (or reading together), even when he started Pri 1 last year.
Now that he has started to read on his own, we make reading enjoyable by observing the following:
- not comparing with DD (we wont frown on DS preference to do lego while DD chose to read)
- not testing him on his comprehension of what he has read (so reading is purely for pleasure, nothing academic about it)
- help him to search for books that is within his literacy level (eg. Magic School Bus Chapter Book series)
- borrow/buy books based on his interests (dinosaurs and transport)
With DS, I will also hang around \"Popular\" or other bookstores frequently and if he spots a book that he likes and ask me to buy, I will usually buy for him- that got him started on the \"Whimpy Kid\" series.
One other strategy that I use to get DS to read (and read aloud) is ask him to read labels/notices/school newsletters etc to me by claiming that I \"laohua\" and cannot see the small prints, especially at night. Hope the above helps. -
MyBaby:
Hi Mybaby,porcupine12trade:
How do u instill in the child the love for reading? Is it possible for a child to still not like reading after much effort like reading to him/her, buy many kinds of books etc etc. I asked because my #1 loves reading alot and she is willing to try reading a variety of books. We did not \"try\" to make her like reading, it just came to her. We did read to her when she was young. However my #2 is not a book lover like her sister, we did the same, read to #2 etc. Both of them can read well. My #2 complains that when she reads too long, her neck ache (is it an excuse? i dont know haa), and she claims the easier books are too easy, and yet the more difficult ones, she can read but not really understand the content, I am not sure what kind of books are suitable for her. How do u cultivate the love for reading in children?
Hi porcupine12trade, my DD is like your #1 and my DS was a reluctant reader, until recently when he discovered that \"Books can be interesting too!\" (his own words).
For both kids, when they were young, DH and I read to them nightly. At home, we do not usually turn on the TV (if kid ask, at most 1hr per day and only okto channel), computer (strictly for homework, except during hols) and we don't own any handheld. So the kids play either with toys (lego, origami, drawing, play pretend with their soft-toys) or read. DH and I also read - ranging from newspapers to magazines to travel books to self-help books to story books. So maybe it is this environment that creates the reader in my DD.
With DS who is dyslexic, we are very careful not to push him to read until he's ready. So we do alot of reading to him (or reading together), even when he started Pri 1 last year.
Now that he has started to read on his own, we make reading enjoyable by observing the following:
- not comparing with DD (we wont frown on DS preference to do lego while DD chose to read)
- not testing him on his comprehension of what he has read (so reading is purely for pleasure, nothing academic about it)
- help him to search for books that is within his literacy level (eg. Magic School Bus Chapter Book series)
- borrow/buy books based on his interests (dinosaurs and transport)
With DS, I will also hang around \"Popular\" or other bookstores frequently and if he spots a book that he likes and ask me to buy, I will usually buy for him- that got him started on the \"Whimpy Kid\" series.
One other strategy that I use to get DS to read (and read aloud) is ask him to read labels/notices/school newsletters etc to me by claiming that I \"laohua\" and cannot see the small prints, especially at night. Hope the above helps.
Thanks for the tips...oops i think i violated 1 of the \"rules\" on top..i like to test my #2 on what she has read :p...coz i really dont know if she read the book or just looking at pictures.
Asking them read the school newsletter to us is a great idea, i'll start doing that! As for signs, labels etc #2 loves reading them, but still it doesnt translate to her having passion for reading. She does pick up books, but will stop after reading 2 relatively thin books. I think mayb i hv subconsciously compared her to #1 and expected her to be reading the same amt of books. I should stop doing that like what you mentioned! -
porcupine12trade:
Yes normal. My first order took like 2 weeks for verification. You just need to follow up with them if they don't come back to you to confirm the order is ok for delivery. I think you can check their website for your order status.can someone help me with http://www.dangdang.com? I used an Amex card to order, i rec'd 3 emails from them total:
1. Confirmation that my order has gone thru
2. Confirmation that they can charge the amt to my Amex
3. Verification (Cardholder Name, Order number, 1st and last 4 digit of card)
I replied to number 3 and they replied to say they are looking into it, is it normal? Thanks! -
MyBaby:
This is excellent advice ! I do everything that you have written. Point number 2 is especially important. I don't test my kids. If they have questions, I answer them. If I think that certain parts are too difficult to understand, I just explain to them without them asking. My P2 girl has excellent understanding of the long Chinese novels that she is reading, I know that because she often comments on the characters and give her opinions about what they should or should not have done.
Now that he has started to read on his own, we make reading enjoyable by observing the following:
- not comparing with DD (we wont frown on DS preference to do lego while DD chose to read)
- not testing him on his comprehension of what he has read (so reading is purely for pleasure, nothing academic about it)
- help him to search for books that is within his literacy level (eg. Magic School Bus Chapter Book series)
- borrow/buy books based on his interests (dinosaurs and transport) -
porcupine12trade:
Hi porcupine12trade,
Oh 1 last thing, i notice dangdang is have a \"sale\". The 45kuaidu i ordered is slashed price from 140 to 90yuan, or is this site always on sale? Thanks!
Almost all books in dangdang are heavily discounted, all the time. They often have limited time promotion when the prices of some books are slashed even lower. That is why even when we are in China, forget about going to bookshops, just order from dangdang using cash on delivery.
露露和拉拉 is easier. Click on this page and ask your girl to try reading.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_w1nyHWTEh94/SzsHmna1m6I/AAAAAAAABf8/axHNK2gajSs/s1600-h/b1.JPG
什么都行魔女商店 is more difficult. Here is a photo of a page from the book :
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_w1nyHWTEh94/SzsG00P3QPI/AAAAAAAABfk/iwtnu_WCtjw/s1600-h/b4.JPG
Just after completing the Si Wu Kuai Du series, my girl was able to read about 80% to 90 % of words in any Chinese story books. When she was read 露露和拉拉 near the beginning of P1, I asked her read every word out loud, and I helped her whenever she encountered a word that she could not read. She improves very quickly this way. After she completed the 4 books of 露露和拉拉, she was confident to move on to the more difficult 什么都行魔女商店 . By the end of P1, she was reading 笑猫日记.
I don't use books with hanyu pinyin, because I think these books do not help in character recognition. The best way to teach is to read books without hanyu pinyin and with parental guidance, because kids will have to focus on the character and try to remember the words.
For English books, kids who have knowledge of phonics can read most words, even though they may not have seen the words before. But for Chinese, every character is a sight word, meaning that a child needs to be taught how to read and understand every word by an adult. Our primary school does not teach enough Chinese words for kids to read independently. Kids get frustrated when they see so many words that they cannot read. The Si Wu Kuai Du series is excellent because it builds confidence, there is a long passage in every lesson that kids know how to read. When they start to read story books, if parents can sit with them and help them with new words, that will further boost their confidence. If a child is left on his own, he will not be motivated to read and will give up easily.
I think that the best way to cultivate a love for reading Chinese books, is to read together with the child everyday.
The Si Wu Kuai Du series will definitely help your #2 since she likes Chinese. Since she remembers better by writing, and she likes writing, you can let her write the words in each lesson. Though this is not recommended by the author because she assumes that most kids hate to write. The instructions in the first 30 pages of the book are guidelines only, if parents find a better method that suits their kids, then you should use your own method, or even invent your own game, as long as it is effective.
Reading out loud from books everyday is a very good way of training kids to speak better mandarin. I try to let my kids read at least 1000 words out loud every day, and I see a lot of improvement within a year. -
foreverj:
You are welcome
hi tamarind,
what a coincidence! i chanced upon 露露和拉拉 in bras basah and purchased books 1 and 2 for my dd. she absolutely loves them (and this child-like mummy also find them very interesting) and could sit thru with me while i read for her. i m trying out the ???? when i receive it this week (fortunately got a good fren to bring in for me from china). it'll b my first attempt to formally teach her chinese, hope it works!
thanks for all your time n advice for all the parents here... I also like the 露露和拉拉 books very much. How I wish I had these books when I was a child !
The best thing about the 露露和拉拉 and 什么都行魔女商店 books, is that they always teach children to be polite, kind and helpful to others. Too bad they are girl books, boys will not find them interesting. -
Happy Mama:
You must try these excellent books, in this order :Hi Tamarind, I just came across this your blog and realise that you have listed some recommended Chinese books for kids between 6-10 years old.
As my DD is in Pri 3 this year, I was just wondering what books you would recommend for 9 year olds. As a gauge of her current CL standard, she is doing HCL and her grades have been around 94 to 96 since Pri 1, but I am getting a little worried for her since Pri 3 now involves much more writing. I have never bought her a CL storybook before, and have no idea what to start her off with.
Thanks so much.
1. 不一样的卡梅拉（全6册）
2. 露露和拉拉（4册）
3. 什么都行魔女商店（全四册）
4. 爱心树纯美童话1：雾中的奇妙小镇
5. 笑猫日记 (12 books)
Try to sit with her, ask her to read every word out loud to you, and help her whenever necessary. Make sure that she completes all the books in one series before going on to the next series.
However if you find that she does not know more than 50% of the words in 不一样的卡梅拉, the easiest series, then I would advise you to get 四五快读. -
tamarind:
I have used alot of correction tape just to make sure the books that \"baby\"(our now 2yo) reads has no hypy. haha. People think I *siao*.
I don't use books with hanyu pinyin, because I think these books do not help in character recognition. The best way to teach is to read books without hanyu pinyin and with parental guidance, because kids will have to focus on the character and try to remember the words. . -
phankao:
You are not siao lah. I thought of doing the same thing too.
I have used alot of correction tape just to make sure the books that \"baby\"(our now 2yo) reads has no hypy. haha. People think I *siao*.tamarind:
I don't use books with hanyu pinyin, because I think these books do not help in character recognition. The best way to teach is to read books without hanyu pinyin and with parental guidance, because kids will have to focus on the character and try to remember the words. .
The only series of hanyu pinyin books I think is absolutely worth reading is this :
二十四孝
http://tamarindvillage.blogspot.com/2010/03/books-about-filial-piety.html
Now only available in the library. I was fortunate enough to buy about 8 of the books when they were still in stock. -
tamarind:
Ok thanks so much, Tamarind
You must try these excellent books, in this order :Happy Mama:
Hi Tamarind, I just came across this your blog and realise that you have listed some recommended Chinese books for kids between 6-10 years old.
As my DD is in Pri 3 this year, I was just wondering what books you would recommend for 9 year olds. As a gauge of her current CL standard, she is doing HCL and her grades have been around 94 to 96 since Pri 1, but I am getting a little worried for her since Pri 3 now involves much more writing. I have never bought her a CL storybook before, and have no idea what to start her off with.
Thanks so much.
1. 不一样的卡梅拉（全6册）
2. 露露和拉拉（4册）
3. 什么都行魔女商店（全四册）
4. 爱心树纯美童话1：雾中的奇妙小镇
5. 笑猫日记 (12 books)
Try to sit with her, ask her to read every word out loud to you, and help her whenever necessary. Make sure that she completes all the books in one series before going on to the next series.
However if you find that she does not know more than 50% of the words in 不一样的卡梅拉, the easiest series, then I would advise you to get 四五快读.
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