Teaching Chinese at Home

[tamarind]

hot:

\"Do u mean, we have to 1st introduce kids by recognising the word马, then proceed to introduce more of the related 偏旁, 部首 ? and not introduce偏旁, 部首 1st , then the word to form varieties? \"

It is better to let young kids practice writing the 偏旁, 部首 first, just learn the common ones will do.

You can get books like these from Popular :
https://www.popular.com.sg/images/product/book/70341.jpg


Teach kids to remember the names of the 部首.

Then progress to write simple words :
https://www.popular.com.sg/images/product/book/70342.jpg

Then later when kids learn to write more complex words, teach them to remember by joining the 偏旁, 部首 to words that they already know.

Note that what I wrote above is with regards to learning how to write Chinese words. Also, it is not advisable to make a young child practice writing many words every day.
The focus should be on learning to read.


Learning how to read Chinese words is very different and a lot simpler. Just point to the word and read. There is no need to break each up into simpler parts, and there is no need to practice writing each word.

Using the methods described in the first 30 pages of 四五快读 book 1, kids will be able to recognize enough words in order to read 80% of the Chinese newspapers after they completed all the books in the series.

It does not mean that they can write every word, but that is perfectly fine. A child who can read Chinese books confidently at a young age, will find Chinese very easy in school. There is a lot of time to practice writing Chinese words in school.

Just to clarify again, when using the 四五快读, do not let the child practice writing every word. So long as he can remember how to read the word, you can move on.

[quote]But do I remember from you that book 7 is more for upper primary? [/quote]Yes book 7 includes many words that kids will probably encounter only when they are in upper primary.
Like I wrote above, there is no need to learn how to write these, just show the child and teach him the technique of how to remember the words as a group.

I wrote earlier that book 7 may be too tough for kids below the age of 7. But then again, some kids may be interested to learn more after completing the first 6 books, then it is fine to teach them more advance words in book 7.

[tamarind]

laughingcat:

Hi Tamarind sensei :politebleah: ,


In your blog, you mentioned that book 6 is equivalent of Pri 3. Can you advise what about book 4 and 5? Coz my boys are reading book 4 of 四五快读 and would like to know at which book level is sufficiently enough for kids reaching Pri 1?

Hi laughingcat,
Personally I think that completing book 4 is sufficient to prepare for P1. But then it depends on how well the child can remember all the words in the first 4 books. He is very likely to forget many words if he stops practising. So it is important to continue to read and learn everyday, either from books 5 and 6, or by reading story books.

[allcc6]

Found 2 versions of the 四五快读 (第一册) on dangdang.



Anyone knows the difference between these 2?


http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=21014454&ref=product_page-recobar-dp


http://product.dangdang.com/product.aspx?product_id=20645179&ref=shopping-0-C

[tamarind]

allcc,

I am not sure about the difference between the 2 books. The new book is more expensive, personally I will just go for the older(cheaper) one.

[tamarind]

Just to share with all parents, I found the blog of the author of the 四五快读 series, 杨其铎教授.


She answers questions here :
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/profile_1256725320.html#write

I just read from the blog :

四五快读 第三版中有一本“故事集”（很快就会上市），是在《四五快读》的基础上，后续的50篇故事。

There is a new book of stories, which I think will be excellent for kids to practice reading. Do look out for it.

[Brenda10]

Hi Tamarind,


Hi , to share with you one interesting information that I had read through one book at Popular. The book said VP (visual picturing) is the best way to capture information in our mind for long term memory. They quoted 百闻不如一见 that seeing is more effective than listening.

Just like we meet someone in the street, we would say you look familiar but I can’t remember your name AND NOT your name is XXXXX but I can’t remember your face.

[phankao]

Brenda10:

They quoted 百闻不如一见 that seeing is more effective than listening.
.

Definitely seeing the word will help you remember it even better than listening to it.

[tamarind]

Brenda10:

Hi Tamarind,


Hi , to share with you one interesting information that I had read through one book at Popular. The book said VP (visual picturing) is the best way to capture information in our mind for long term memory. They quoted 百闻不如一见 that seeing is more effective than listening.

Just like we meet someone in the street, we would say you look familiar but I can’t remember your name AND NOT your name is XXXXX but I can’t remember your face.

Brenda,
You mean seeing a picture that explains the word, right ?

百闻不如一见 means actually seeing the real object or the real scenery.

I definitely agree that this is the best way to learn.

[Brenda10]

tamarind:

Brenda10:

Hi Tamarind,


Hi , to share with you one interesting information that I had read through one book at Popular. The book said VP (visual picturing) is the best way to capture information in our mind for long term memory. They quoted 百闻不如一见 that seeing is more effective than listening.

Just like we meet someone in the street, we would say you look familiar but I can’t remember your name AND NOT your name is XXXXX but I can’t remember your face.

Brenda,
You mean seeing a picture that explains the word, right ?

百闻不如一见 means actually seeing the real object or the real scenery.

I definitely agree that this is the best way to learn.

Yes, something like that.

[hot]

hi Tamarind,



Please correct me:

You have emphasized that we should read with the child and not read to the child.

Do you mean:
1. we read together at the same timing / frequency or parent read then the child follow next? Or…

Whenever I asked my boy to read together (read at same timing) with me eg. tang shi. He tends to just recite with me without paying much attention of the words. So in most time, I will ask him to read aloud and I help him the difficult words on the way, means I do not read with him.

Which method is more effective in term of his understanding and recognition of words?

Another question is:

1.. Is there a difference for him to point at the word as we read and I do the pointing as we read?

thks