In the beginning of the school year, many of my kids cried when arriving to school saying they didn’t want to come to English class. I mean can you blame them? I wouldn’t be exactly thrilled either if I had to learn a second language at five years old.
Teaching English in China is a totally different ball game. Children go to school from 7 am to 9 pm and even on the weekends. During summer vacation they are forced to endure extra classes and even complete long homework assignments which are required to be turned in at the start of the school year.
This is why I decided to come up with an action plan to get my kids excited to come to class. After many days of contemplation, I came up with the idea of having ‘Kinder Parties.’
First I place a ‘Star Chart’ on the classroom whiteboard and whenever my students receive 25 stars we can have a party. At the beginning of class everyday I tell students how they can get a star. Children are rewarded stars for being curious, exploring the natural world around them, and respecting others. Every week I also choose a student who was exemplary in one of these areas and write his/her name on one of the stars so this child can be recognized as the ‘Star Student’.
Here is an example of one of the star charts I use in my classroom.
Once the class receives 25 stars, we celebrate by having a party. On the day of the party we have many festivities. When children arrive to school I greet them with a balloon. I tell each child to take the balloon and put it in the back of the classroom. At the end of the day they are free to take it home. In the morning after all the children have arrived we celebrate by having a balloon party. My assistant teacher makes balloon hats for everyone and then we kind of play around while listening to kids bop music.
The dance activity is followed by one of my favorite activities which is a Color by Number Worksheet. My children really enjoy these and it’s a super and fun way to get children to count and recognize numbers.
After the Color by Number Worksheets, I make all of the children close their eyes while I hide toys around the room. I choose to only give away stationary items such as pens, notebooks, and erasers. I want children to have things they can use in class.
Here are some of the Color by Number Worksheets I have Created: (The links below will direct you to purchase on my TPT Store)
Unicorn Math Color by Number: Preschool
Avengers: Addition Color by Number Worksheet
Color by Number: Disney Princesses
After the treasure hunt children sit down in a circle and I give all of the students a present which usually includes something they can use in class such as pencil or pen. Parents will appreciate it as well because let’s face it, you are kind of helping them out with the school supplies.
Since Kinder Parties have become a regular thing in my classroom, children are more eager to come to school since they have something to look forward to. Not only is it a great way to extrinsically motivate students, but it creates a warm and friendly environment for students.