Teaching young learners requires a knowledge of the developmental differences between children and teenagers and of the appropriate management skills.

Author
Gail Ellis, Teaching Centre Manager, Paris and Janet Leclere, Teacher, Young Learners Centre, Paris

This article concerns the personal observations and experiences of a teacher who moved from teaching teenagers to teaching young learners. It includes ideas for classroom management and teaching strategies.

  • Inside and outside the young learners classroom
  • New dimension
  • Classroom management and discipline
  • Using the board
  • Routines and activities
  • Work

Inside and outside the young learners classroom
The young learners market continues to grow amidst a decade of changing attitudes towards this sector of teaching. The teacher is now viewed as a highly skilled professional who has the knowledge, skills, flexibility and sensitivities of a teacher both of children and of language, and one who is able to balance and combine the two successfully.

The term 'young learners' in the network covers a wide age range; 4-18 years of age, and most problems encountered by teachers are due to a lack of understanding of the developmental differences between children and teenagers, and of the appropriate classroom management skills to deal with these. Differences include conceptual and cognitive variations, variations in attention spans and motor skills such as drawing and cutting, as well as social and emotional differences. An understanding of these differences can help develop the flexibility that teachers of young learners require.

New dimension
Janet Leclere joined the Paris Young Learners Centre last September, bringing with her valuable experience of teaching eight to ten-year-olds in French state primary schools. Her classes include a group of five-year-olds using Pebbles 1 (published by Longman); an age she had not taught before. 'Having been used to teaching older children, I found it difficult to accept that some children's attention would drift,' admitted Janet, who quickly realised that her classroom management skills needed to take on a new dimension to control and cater for the needs of these children.

As it was not possible to observe classes at the centre, Janet took charge of her own self-development and arranged this at a local nursery school. These are her observations, which we hope will provide the starting point for further reflection and discussion in your own centres.

Classroom management and discipline

  • When children arrive, they put their coats on pegs, bags on the floor at their table places and then join you round the board. Only books and pencil cases on the tables. Avoid clutter - very young learner classrooms need to be very organised.
  • Use two areas of the classroom. For presentation of new language, practice activities using individual children, storytelling and opening and closing of lesson, the teacher sits on a stool next to the board and half-faces the children. Children should sit on the floor at their teacher's feet, with a further row of children behind on chairs to form a closed circle. This avoids sitting on the floor and makes you feel more in charge.
  • For activities, three or four children should sit at each table. Colour-code the tables. When children move from the board to the tables, get them to move group by group, not all at once. Children keep to the same places.
  • Expect children to do what they are told, but be nice to them - even when you are feeling impatient.

Using the board

  • Present new language at the board. Use lots of flashcards. Involve all pupils - ask individuals to perform a small task: pointing to something, choosing a picture or sticking it on the board. Children like to be picked, so make it fair. Ask the whole class a question, get them to repeat or drill.
  • Explain and demonstrate tasks you want children to do at the tables at the board. If using a worksheet, stick it on the board and demonstrate.

Routines and activities

  • Establish routines: always sit round the board to begin, play a game touching heads when taking the register, sing 'hello' to characters or sing a song they know. Everyone starts the lesson feeling confident and attentive.
  • Surprise activities can help to settle a class if the children become too excited. Try a series of movements in sequence e.g. touch your head three times, then shoulders, then knees. Vary the count and see if they can follow.
  • When changing activity, try using a rattle (e.g. rice in a box) rather than raising your voice to attract attention. This becomes a signal that children recognise. Start the activity, even if not all children are attentive. They will eventually join in with the others.

Work

  • Be aware of what sort of work children are doing at school. The teacher I observed worked on the skills of matching, comparing and classifying. These are all things we can develop and adapt.
  • When children are working at tables let them finish as much as possible. Fast finishers can do another drawing, or colour in. As children finish, write on their worksheets to explain what they have drawn, stuck or classified etc. questioning them at the same time.

Many thanks to Chrystel, teacher at the Ecole Maternelle, Val Joyeux, Villepreux.

Comments

Submitted by Марія on Wed, 08/09/2023 - 10:23

Hello, everyone.
Thank you very much for the interesting and useful article.

Submitted by marwa-amin on Wed, 08/09/2023 - 08:04

Thank you for sharing your experience
the seating arrangement, Colour-code the tables, the use of the rattle (e.g. rice in a box) , touching their head three times when it becomes too excited very helpful ideas.

Submitted by Irinaglez on Sun, 08/06/2023 - 10:11

Hello.
This article like the others is indeed 'food for thought' when working with young learners.

Submitted by Irinaglez on Fri, 08/04/2023 - 11:19

Hello!
Setting clear routines help learners get ready for activities and know what may come next.
I love the idea of dividing the classroom into two areas well-differentiated for language presentation and practice activities, as well as using the rattle to call students' attention when changing activity.
Thanks again!

Submitted by Asoma on Wed, 07/19/2023 - 00:04

hello everyone..
I really enjoyed this article and it was amazing .
I learnt a new technique of how to deal with yunge learners
thank you so much for the effort that you gave for us here.

Hello everyone
I agree. This is indeed an interesting article. I've found some useful ideas to put into practice with young learners. When teaching them we need a bag full of ideas because sometimes what it is planned might need to be adapted depending on the group of students.

Submitted by Nancy Nessem on Sat, 07/15/2023 - 11:37

Hello everyone,
I really enjoyed this article because this what must done with younglearners.I did this with my learners and it is awesome not only for them, I enjoyed the session also we had a lot of fun by using songs and activities thanks alot .

Submitted by valestra22 on Tue, 11/08/2022 - 00:21

I’ve found this article quite useful and some things called my attention, one of these was the seating arrangement. But what I liked the most was the use of the rattle (e.g. rice in a box) as I think is a great way of calling students attention without having to shout when there is a change of activity. Moreover, I believe that the technique used to settle the class such as touching their head three times when it becomes too excited is an excellent way to maintain the management of the classroom which is to me the most difficult part to achieve. These ideas are of great assistance to everyone but in special for teachers to be and I will try to apply them to my primary lessons.

Submitted by Cath McLellan on Wed, 11/09/2022 - 15:14

In reply to by valestra22

Hi valestra22

Thanks for your feedback, and we are glad you found the article and ideas useful - good luck with your classes!

Cath

TeachingEnglish Team

Submitted by Ana Bela Carvalho on Sun, 11/29/2015 - 02:07

Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Just in a few minutes I learnt a lot about classrooom management and discipline.

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