When children are around 5 years old, they will not only be able to “speak” but will also start to see that they are trying to convey their thoughts to others in an orderly manner.
This is a time when children’s ability to think greatly develops, such as trying to explain why they think that way or trying to predict what will happen a little further into the future. This time, I would like to think about the skills we want to develop during this period and how to develop them.
1. Skills you want to develop around the age of 5
During this period, not only the basics of reading and writing, but also“Think logically”“Communicate in a way that the other person can understand”It is important to build a foundation of this power. Many families are starting to think about going to school, but first of all, accumulating experiences that make thinking fun will lead to future learning.
2. Commonly seen around the age of 5
for example,I have an idea of what I want to explain in my head, but when I try to speak in Japanese, it always switches to English.、I can answer questions, but I have trouble starting a conversation.This is a common sight at this time of year.
This is often due to not having enough opportunities to practice expressing themselves in Japanese, rather than a lack of thinking ability itself.
3. What is important in the children’s club’s 5-year-old course
In the children’s club’s 5-year-old course,“Shape composition using matchsticks”Through this process, I value the time I spend trial and error to see what shapes I can make with a limited number of matchsticks. By working on problems for which there is no single correct answer, flexible thinking skills are developed. Also“Inference from invisible building blocks”Then, we will develop the ability to think logically by having children guess the number and shape of the building blocks in the hidden part from the visible parts.
In terms of speaking ability,“Oral presentation using subject-predicate”I will work on it. By repeatedly practicing speaking by matching the subject and predicate, such as “I did 〇〇,” you will create a foundation for speaking in an easy-to-understand manner. Even for children who tend to have limited exposure to Japanese when abroad, these presentation opportunities provide valuable opportunities to practice summarizing ideas in Japanese. I also value the time I spend listening to my friends’ presentations. It is difficult to develop the ability to speak and the ability to listen to one or the other alone; by accumulating experience in both, the ability to communicate will improve.
We also work to develop children’s sense of manipulating quantities themselves, from the stage of counting numbers to thinking about how many things will come together when they are combined and what will happen when they are divided. In parallel with learning materials such as shapes and building blocks, gradually exposing children to the sense of numbers will help them build a foundation that will lead to mathematics after they enter school.
4. Tips on how to say something at home
At home, when you ask your child, “What did you do today?”, we recommend that you try talking with your child in a sequential manner, such as “First I did XX, then XX.” If you prioritize eliciting the child’s desire to speak rather than harshly correcting whether or not they are speaking correctly, your child will be able to practice using words with peace of mind.
5. Frequently asked questions
Q. It seems that you are not good at speaking in front of people. Can you keep up with the presentation practice?
A. You don’t need to be able to speak well from the beginning, as we are working in small groups so that you can get used to it little by little. You can participate with confidence.
Q. I speak English more than Japanese at home, can I still participate?
A. Of course. Since language is used in many different ways at home, the lessons are tailored to each child’s own pace.
Q. Should I set a goal to what level I want to raise my child’s level before enrolling?
A. Setting goals is not a bad thing in itself, but in the 5-year-old course, we are prioritizing “accumulating thinking experiences in a fun way.” We can also discuss specific goal settings during your individual consultation.
Q. Does it include content for future entrance exams, such as junior high school entrance exams?
A. The course for 5-year-olds is not aimed at preparing for entrance exams, but focuses on the thinking and speaking skills that children want to develop at this age. You can work on this as a foundation to expand your future options.
6. If you are interested, please contact us individually first.
Each child has their own unique way of developing verbal expression and logical thinking skills. The first step in thinking about how to get involved in the future is to get to know the current state of things, including areas that we are good at and areas that may require more time. We offer free consultations on an individual basis to discuss your current situation.