Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

Thinking: Why learn bilingualism? What is a true bilingual?

The benefits of learning bilingualism are obvious, especially being able to communicate with more people using language and writing (we are currently talking about Chinese and English). However, becoming bilingual also comes with a price. After all, everyone only has 24 hours in a day, and children especially need time to play.

When a child divides his language learning time between two languages, can both languages ​​reach native level proficiency? Is this possible?

Explore this question:

Learning bilingualism has obvious advantages. In addition to being able to communicate with more people, you can also obtain more sources of knowledge, increase your own inclusiveness, and even become more competitive in the future workplace. However, we also caution bilinguals against developing a sense of superiority, as those who choose to be monolingual may have more time to develop other skills and enhance their advantages in other areas.

Bilingual children need to spend a lot of time learning and practicing spoken and written language in two languages. Do they have the ability to reach native level in both languages? We think this is possible. On the one hand, it depends on whether the learning of these two languages ​​​​uses methods similar to mother tongue learning to achieve the goal. On the other hand, we expect that both mother tongues can reach the standards of "we recognize".

What is native language proficiency?

Generally speaking, mother tongue proficiency is assessed in four aspects: listening, speaking, reading and writing. If you can only listen and listen, you are not considered bilingual. Take a standardized test to know your level, or do a simple self-assessment to get a rough answer. For example, under the full score standard of 5 points/100 points, the "loose" standard for native speakers in these four aspects should be at least 3.5 points/70 points in each item, so as to be considered qualified.

而要被認可為雙語者，兩種語言的總分數必須符合這一最低標準。例如，3.5+3.5、3.5+4、4+4、5+5等組合才符合我們對雙語者的要求。

Balancing time between two languages:

Because children need to divide their language learning time between two languages, we should avoid unfairly comparing bilingual children with monolingual children. However, we must also ensure that bilingual children do not become "semi-linguals" who are "substandard" in both languages. This will cause the children to lose their advantage and become a disadvantage in not being up to standard in any language. This is not worth the gain. . It would be better for the child to achieve a 4+2 combination in which one language is up to standard than two languages ​​are "not up to standard".

Note:

Listening, speaking, reading, typing and writing are now encouraged. In other words, Chinese typing can be used instead of writing to achieve the purpose of "written expression and communication". This point of view varies from person to person and will not be debated here. Of course I support children learning to write, but I do not deny that practicing writing requires a lot of time, and I personally accept the changes brought about by modern technology.

Q: Should children recite "Tang Poems", "Three Character Classic", "Disciple Rules", etc.?

We will not object to these traditional Chinese "recitation" materials, but due to lack of personal experience, we cannot explain the various benefits of such "recitation". On the contrary, because of my poor "innate memory", "recitation" has always been something that I find particularly difficult on the way to study.

This is a controversial issue, and I can only give an ambiguous answer, that is, if your child can accept it and do it after you try it, of course you can encourage him in this way. If it is difficult to do it, don't force it.

This topic of recitation reminds me of the role of "children's songs". I found that if I properly "create" children's songs related to life, or buy some ready-made children's song books, make them catchy to children, and then write or print out the children's songs, Posting it where children can often see it will have unexpected effects. Children who are new to Chinese will learn some Chinese characters inadvertently.

Children's songs are more closely related to life than "Tang poetry, the Three Character Classic", etc. (to use today's parlance, they are down to earth), and are easy for children to remember. In addition, anyone can create children's songs, and any theme of children's songs can be used. No professional knowledge is required. Anyone who can speak Chinese can create their own children's songs. What's more, "no one will review your work" and no one requires "perfect". The work "is purely fun, just like rap, and achieves the goal of children liking to imitate reading aloud, and learn words by the way. Why not?" (If you really don’t want to compose children’s songs, there are many children’s song books in bookstores. Choose the ones you think your children will like and read them to them.)

Random examples that come to mind:

What I have to do every morning, make up a nursery rhyme/rhyme:

• "Brush your teeth, rinse your mouth, wash your face, have breakfast and go to school" (you can post it in the bathroom or next to the dining table, and after a while, change it to a children's song)
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• "Put on your shirt, trousers, socks, and shoes. Don't go barefoot and torso. Go to school with your schoolbag on your back." (Children will especially like the funny ones. Post them on the wall so they can read aloud and read the words.)
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Most of the children's songs in the "Children's Rhymes Book" do not have any copyright issues. What's more, you are teaching children and it is not a commercial activity. You can draw materials from the book at any time. For example:

• "The moon is crescent like a boat. I want to get on the boat and go to the sky to play."
• "When the moon goes, I go too. The moon and I go together. There are two eggs in the bag and I give them to the moon for breakfast."

General principles:

Children's songs should be short, close to the children's interests, and easy to catch up. Children can sometimes be encouraged to create their own songs, replace old ones with new ones at any time, and learn to read and write by the way.

Without [input], there is no [output]

Don't expect your children to "speak" without a certain amount of "listening". Let your children listen to Chinese more first, and then slowly guide them to speak Chinese.

In the same way, word recognition should come before writing. It requires the input of "reading" so that in the future, you can "use text" output to express yourself.

The importance of "warming up" in spoken language

Be sure to give the spoken language "warm-up" time first, and avoid reading at the beginning. Through common expressions in daily life, or common expressions in the classroom, etc., repeated every day, let the children often hear these languages ​​​​in the "natural environment".

For example:

• Brush teeth, dress, eat, wash hands, etc. every day.
• You, me, him, family names, etc.
• Common animal names and more.

Use body languageHelp children understand, children are very smart and will understand quickly.

If your child starts imitating, don't worry about their pronunciation. You repeatedly say that if a child hears the correct sound, he will produce the correct sound in the future.

Exposure to language through activities

Don't speak dryly. Through various static and dynamic activities such as singing, children's songs, listening to stories, games, action performances, handicrafts, simple baking or cooking activities, etc., the target language environment is created so that children can hear a large number of key points in a "natural context" Learn the language and complete the process of natural "input" of the language.

Try to avoid using your child’s native language

Whenever possible, avoid using the child’s native language (e.g. English, French, etc.) for explanations. Expert studies agree that when children learn a foreign language, it is best not to use their mother tongue to translate or explain. Children have a talent for language learning and should make good use of it. Use more body language to help them understand, and you can also give more examples to help them understand. Don’t take it too seriously if your children don’t fully understand it, but don’t let them get into the habit of relying on native language translations.

transition from hearing to speaking

After a lot of spoken input, there will naturally be time to "output" the language (begin to speak Chinese) in small or large amounts. This process varies from child to child and depends on how much they listen and how much they play with other Chinese-speaking children. How long.

Generally speaking, it is "at least" necessary to give children a few months of hearing time, and sometimes as long as a year is very common.

Entering the reading and literacy stage

Only when children have some basic listening and speaking skills can they begin to "read" and become literate. "Fluent" oral language is not "a prerequisite" for children to start reading. The above oral language training process is only to familiarize children with this new language and prepare for future reading and literacy activities. It does not require children to reach a high level first. Oral level. With basic simple oral skills, parents who can read Chinese can start reading Chinese storybooks to their children. The Lele book series has a reading pen, and children can freely select and "enter" the words and sentences they hear. This not only helps with listening, but also allows children to naturally transition to reading and experience the fun of words.

Language learning: a balance between spoken and written skills

Speaking skills

Regardless of the language, as long as the child has the opportunity to listen to this language, the child will "naturally" learn to listen. After accumulating for a period of time, he will naturally speak it, although each child opens his mouth to speak sooner or later. As long as the child has no physical defects, every child has the talent to learn spoken language.

writing skills

Besides learning spoken language, the most important thing is reading, reading, reading, reading. "Don't be in a hurry to write." This writing includes both writing and creation.

• Separation of reading and writing:

• In terms of writing, you must read first, and don't slow down the progress of reading because of writing. Children's small muscles are underdeveloped, so writing early is half the effort, but literacy and reading can be started early.

• Fully realize that "reading" (recognizing words) is more important than writing, especially with the support of modern technology. The voice input method, Pinyin or Zhuyin input method can replace writing, but you must know how to read words to choose the correct word.

• Read a lot and become literate:

• Parents of bilingual families all know that it is much easier for children to understand English books than Chinese books. Even a simple Chinese picture book with only one line of text per page will not be readable if the child does not know hundreds to nearly a thousand Chinese characters because there are too many new characters. They can only read with adults, but cannot read independently. They can only flip through the book and look at the pictures.

• Possible challenges in understanding and slowly recognizing words:

• There is certainly nothing wrong with learning to read slowly, especially for monolingual children who will eventually learn to read.

• However, for children who learn English and Chinese at the same time, if their Chinese reading ability and literacy accumulate too slowly, as the children grow older, they may only be able to read some infantile books that are below their own cognitive level. Relatively speaking, they can already read very complex English stories. This is because English has a fluent speaking foundation, and the transition to reading text is easier and faster than Chinese. It does take more time to transition from speaking to reading in Chinese.

• Faced with this situation, children may gradually tend to "abandon the middle and choose the best", and naturally choose easy-to-read storybooks to satisfy their desire to read, right?

• Therefore, it is necessary to let children start reading Chinese books as early as possible and learn a lot of characters early on:

• Our purpose in publishing the Lele series of books is also the same. We hope to attract children to learn literacy early through "reading" and to conduct many interesting "non-writing" literacy activities to consolidate the words they know. I will discuss these text activity methods further in another section.

Writing writing

For children who are bilingual in Chinese and English, I recommend teaching them after they can read simple English storybooksChinese Pinyin. The pronunciations of Chinese Pinyin and English letters are very similar (only a few pronunciations are significantly different). As long as they use the right method, they can learn Pinyin "effortlessly". Don't put too much emphasis on the Pinyin system, but make use of the English pronunciation they have already learned. With a few adjustments, they can use the computer Pinyin input method to learn with half the effort.

With the tools to input Chinese in Hanyu Pinyin, children can start writing Chinese letters to family and friends, or even create their own works. This will make them feel very proud, because they can communicate with others in Chinese, and the words will become more meaningful, opening another door to communicate with others!

Once a child has read enough, writing comes naturally and does not need to be forced. At this time, their written expression will be very smooth, and their creative content will be richer and deeper due to extensive reading.

Phonetic symbols and Chinese pinyin: two different phonetic notation systems

(1) Different phonetic notation systems have their own advantages and disadvantages

Zhuyin (used in Taiwan) and Hanyu Pinyin (used in mainland China) are two phonetic notation systems used to aid pronunciation and reading. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages:

• advantage:
• Memory aid: Both systems help reinforce and remind learners of correct word sounds.
• Reading aid: When encountering unknown words, these phonetic notation systems can guide learners on how to read them aloud, thereby helping to understand the meaning of the words.
• note: This requires learners to have a good foundation in spoken language, so that they can understand the text after mastering the correct pronunciation.

• Disadvantages:
• Study time: It takes several months to learn and practice these phonetic systems.
• Dependencies: Learners may develop a habit of relying on these systems when reading, distracting from the text itself.

(2) Ultimate goal: mastering words

No matter which phonetic notation system is used, the ultimate goal is to return to the text itself.

• phonetic symbols Used in Taiwan,Chinese Pinyin Used in mainland China, while inHong Kong, children learn to recognize characters directly without using any phonetic notation system.
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Reports I saw a few years ago showed that some educational development trends in mainland China have begun to pay attention to children's "golden reading time". They no longer teach Chinese Pinyin first, but use the few months originally spent on learning Pinyin to Learn to read and write.

The true meaning of words is communication. In other words, recognizing words is not about writing. The sooner children learn to read and accumulate literacy, the sooner they can experience the joy of reading, so that they can better reflect the meaning and charm of words. Through the mutually reinforcing effect of "reading" and "literacy", continuous long-term investment will surely continuously improve the language level and achieve better language communication effects.

• Note to parents: If your child is learning bilingual language, they only have the same 24 hours in a day as a monolingual child. Outside of play/games, they also need to invest more time in learning two languages ​​(e.g. Chinese and English, two languages ​​from different language families). Therefore, parents should try not to deprive their children of play time. Instead, when conducting reading and literacy activities, they should try to make these activities as interesting as possible so that children can participate "unknowingly" and actively engage with words. Only in this way can the best results be achieved. learning effect.

(3) Children’s “golden learning period” is limited. Do they need to spend several months learning Pinyin?

Since a child's "golden learning period" is limited, is it necessary to spend a few months to half a year learning the pinyin system?

The learning results of Hong Kong children prove that even without any phonetic assistance, they can still read Chinese happily and learn Chinese well. In Taiwan and mainland China, most primary schools only learn Chinese and there is no pressure to learn a second language, so the decision of whether to learn the pinyin system is a matter of opinion.

For bilingual children, both languages ​​are competing for the "golden period" and time is even more precious. Therefore, we tend toNo needLearn any phonetic notation system and go directly to literacy learning. Especially with the assistance of modern technology, tools such as "clicking pens" can easily complete the task of "prompting/showing" pronunciation, so there is no need to learn the pinyin system.

Supplement: When should I learn computer input method?

Children who know English can start learning the "Chinese Pinyin Input Method" when they can read simple English books (or are familiar with the pronunciation of English letters). The difference between the pronunciation of the 26 English letters and the Chinese pinyin is limited. The best way to learn is to "learn by using". You can use the Chinese Pinyin input method on your computer to type "Chinese text messages or short texts" to communicate with relatives and friends. Once children can express their thoughts in Chinese, they will definitely feel a great sense of accomplishment.

Challenges and methods for children to learn to write Chinese characters

For children who have never written Chinese characters, when they see Chinese characters and want to "copy" them, their writing process is all kinds of weird. Whether it is the order and direction of the strokes, or the connection between the strokes, it will be an "eye-opener" for parents who can already write.

Additionally, when I was teaching, teachers would often argue about the correct stroke order and discuss why children’s “typos” kept appearing. These debates make us realize that even adults may not be completely consistent when writing certain words. Some of the so-called typos may not even be typos (for example, the word "全", the upper part is "人" or "人"), and the printed and written characters are sometimes inconsistent. It is really difficult to clarify these issues.

Here, I just want to share some experiences, hoping to give some guidance to adults who teach children to write, so that children can develop basic writing habits and avoid being at a loss. I have never encouraged children to learn to write before entering elementary school. I think it is more important to read more. Of course, there are a few children who are very interested in writing, so I hope adults can have a basic understanding of how to teach children to write Chinese characters. As for how to "practice" writing and remember how to write each word, it is not our focus. I suggest that parents wait until their children are 5 years old and their small muscles are more mature/developed before they start teaching writing. This would be ideal.

Basic knowledge of Chinese writing

• Strokes have names and directionality

• Multi-stroke characters have a relationship between stroke order and strokes

• Many Chinese characters are composed of different components according to certain rules.

These names, sequences, relationships and rules are generally used by teachers and parents to teach children to write. However, when children learn to write, they may not be able to fully understand or remember the direction, order and relationship between each stroke, and may not have a clear understanding of the structure of the entire character. Therefore, "errors/disobedience" situations often occur.

Tips for teaching children to write

• Adults don’t have to overanalyze: Adults do not need to over-analyze each word before teaching children to write, because children may not remember all the details when they first write. It is best to "remind" these stroke names, patterns and component combinations at any time during the writing process. Encourage children to observe the details between the strokes and then simply let them practice writing.

• Avoid excessive repetition: Avoid asking children to write the same word more than 10 times at a time. It is recommended to write no more than 5 times at a time and consolidate memory through multiple exercises. Let children input text as a whole. As the number of words they accumulate increases and they grow older, they will gradually learn to analyze, classify and find patterns, thereby reducing errors.

Common causes of typos

When children practice writing, adults often see some "transitional" errors. Adults do not need to over-correct these mistakes. Children should be given time and opportunities to correct their own mistakes through observation and awareness. In addition, some errors are temporary and will disappear naturally with age.

Transition typoGenerally divided into two categories, here are their causes:

1. Wrong relationship between strokes/missing or confusing parts/reversal of the entire word(see typo type 1)

• For example: when the strokes are close, two separate strokes may be regarded as connected; or the connection relationship between strokes may be wrong.
• For example: tiny strokes (like "a dot") are often missed.
• For example: flip the entire word.
• Cause: These errors are often a manifestation of the child's development stage, usually caused by the influence of "visual tendency". As the child grows up, such errors will disappear automatically.

2. Wrong position of components, resulting in false characters and non-characters(see typo types 2 and 3)

• Fake words: Putting the text components in the positions they usually occupy (that is, in compliance with the principles of character creation) is not wrong in theory, but it constitutes "non-existent" Chinese characters, which we call "fake characters". This situation has a high occurrence rate, especially when the word input is unstable, and the matching/migration of different components can easily lead to such errors.
• non-character: Placing text components in positions that are "not" in the positions they usually occupy (that is, they do not comply with the rules of character creation), forming "non-existent" Chinese characters, which we call "non-characters". This is less likely to occur, but can still occur.

Basic principles of Chinese writing

• Recognize stroke names, directions and sequences

• For example, the 8 basic stroke names of the character "永".

• Stroke order principle

• For example: from left to right, from top to bottom, horizontal first and then vertical, first left and then straight, symmetrical parts first middle and then both sides, enclosing structures first outer then inner, etc.

• relationship between strokes

• No contact at all, perfect contact, perfect passing, half contact, etc.

• Part combination/structure of Chinese characters

• Single characters (such as "I", "人") account for 20%, left and right structures (such as "Mom", "好") account for 50%, upper and lower structures (such as "胡", "雪") account for 15%, and Other surrounding and divided structures.

Conclusion

I often use "camera" is a metaphor to describe how children learn Chinese characters with their eyes. Therefore, some people say that learning to read and write Chinese characters is like "taking in" pictures. But whether Chinese characters are equivalent to pictures, I am not sure. I only know that when children read and write, their brains are "taken into" their brains "as a whole" at the same time. The detailed relationship between strokes is not stable and needs to be continuously strengthened and consolidated. That's why children need to see words multiple times and write them multiple times to remember them.

I am not opposed to writing, but I prefer that preschool children can spend their "golden time" in learning on "reading and literacy" instead of writing.

Bilingual standard: both languages ​​reach native level level

Bilingualism is defined as native language proficiency in both languages. The critical tipping point for learning a first language (native language) is around 11 to 12 years old. This means that most people learn their mother tongue from an early age and experience comprehensive learning in the four aspects of listening, speaking, reading and writing. By the age of 11 or 12, they can reach the so-called "native language level". If you want your children to have a second mother tongue, they must also study for about 11 years before the age of 12 or 10. Families need to try to "provide and create" a learning environment similar to the mother tongue, including speaking and reading environments, so that the children have the opportunity "Immerse" in it to achieve the goal of mother tongue learning.

During this 10-year period, once the provision of a native-like environment ceases, children may lose the language skills they have learned. This is because mother tongue learning must continue until around the age of 12. Children learn languages ​​quickly, but they also forget them quickly. Unless the family and the child make "extra" efforts, if input is interrupted during this 10-year period, the child is very likely to lose most of the abilities he has acquired. The younger the child, the easier it is to lose it completely.

real case scenario

A 10-year-old child who immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong is already fluent in Cantonese and can read and write simple Chinese. The mother was worried that her child would not be able to integrate into American society, so she decided not to speak Chinese to her child. As a result, this child completely loses the opportunity to input Chinese in the "small environment" of the family, and there is no opportunity to learn Chinese in the "big environment" of school and society. By the time this child turns 18, he cannot speak Cantonese at all (he can only listen a little), and his reading and writing have naturally been lost. Being monolingual in such an environment is a very natural consequence.

Challenges of learning a new language after 11/12 years old

Starting to learn a new non-native language after the age of 11/12 (e.g. moving to a country where the new language is spoken), because the "native language learning threshold" has been exceeded, usually requires "second language learning" way to master the language. Even if the language proficiency improves with the increase of learning time, except for a few people who are talented in language, or those who put in "extra" effort to learn, it is difficult for most people to reach the native level of the new language. The learning method is also mostly a second language learning model. If we want our children to become bilingual, we must start bilingual learning "before the critical age" in order to achieve twice the result with half the effort and achieve the goal of bilingualism.

Early versus late immersion: the Canadian model of bilingual education

In Canada, bilingual schools often use "early immersion" and "late immersion" teaching methods (mainly for English and French):

• Early Immersion: Starting from the first grade of primary school, the school provides 100% teaching in the second language (French). As the grades increase, the use of the second language is gradually reduced and the proportion of the first language (English) is increased until the sixth and seventh grades. Completely converted to 100% first language (English).

• Late Immersion: From the first grade to the sixth grade of primary school, the school provides 100% teaching in the first language (English), and then starts learning the second language (French) in the sixth and seventh grades, increasing the learning time every year until it is completely converted to the last year of secondary school. 100% instruction in second language (French).

Personal Observations and Conclusions

I have asked several young people (who are native English speakers) who have experienced both teaching models, and they generally believe that the "early immersion" students are more proficient in French than the "late immersion" students. This observation once again proves that if one wishes to achieve bilingual mother-tongue proficiency, it is easier to start learning a second language as early as 2 or 3 years old than to wait until 11/12 years old (first grade of secondary school). Doing so will make it more likely that you will improve your second language to native level and become a true bilingual.

Summary

In schools with an English-speaking environment, even if English is not used at all at home, parents do not have to worry that their children's English skills will fall behind and they will not be able to integrate into society. Children's language learning ability is very strong, but the time to integrate into society may vary sooner or later.

All people who start learning a second language in middle school usually learn a "foreign language" in the same way as second language learning. If this kind of learning does not use the "late immersion method", but only language courses at a fixed time every year, and all other courses and extracurricular activities are not taught in the second language (there is no "immersion" environment), then to achieve this The language is very difficult to native level.

Q: How to insist on letting children learn Chinese in an English-speaking environment?

In an English-dominated environment, it is indeed a difficult task for children to persist in learning Chinese. The mother mentioned that her child was 5 years old. As the child's English ability improved, the child responded to his parents' questions in English more and more. Eventually, the mother felt very tired and decided to give up using Chinese.

This situation is very common, especially after the child becomes more fluent in English. Children grow up in an English-speaking environment. When they are exposed to a lot of English with classmates and teachers at school, their English ability will improve rapidly, and they will feel that using English is more natural and convenient. What's more, they will soon realize that their parents can understand English, even if their English level is not native.

Children will not take the initiative to learn Chinese

As parents, you first need to realize that from the perspective of your children, they do not take the initiative to learn Chinese. Expecting them to become bilingual is actually the wish of parents, not the instinctive needs of children. In my observation, many children's language development goes through three stages:"Can listen and speak", "Can listen but not speak", "Can't listen but not speak". This is a very common phenomenon. Therefore, parents should not be too surprised or disappointed when their children refuse or even resent speaking Chinese.

The importance of persistence

Before the age of 5 or 6, children spend most of their time with their families. At this time, the language input they receive may be mainly Chinese, so communicating in Chinese is relatively natural and easy. However, as they enter school, whether it is kindergarten or primary school, the amount of English input increases rapidly. During their time at school, most of the children's communication is in English. As a result, their English listening and speaking skills have been greatly improved, and they gradually began to express themselves in English.

The "dilemma" this mother encountered was precisely the challenge at this stage: the child began to use English more frequently, while the use of Chinese gradually decreased or was even replaced. Faced with this situation, parents often struggle with whether they should give up speaking Chinese.

My suggestion is,Persistence, and "gentle" persistence.

The strategy of gentleness and perseverance

At this age, explaining to children the long-term benefits of learning Chinese (such as future prospects, job opportunities, etc.) may be too abstract for them. They may not be able to understand these "distant" benefits. Therefore, some "gentle" methods can be adopted to make children feel that learning Chinese is meaningful.

For example, parents can directly tell their children that they want them to speak Chinese because this can help them communicate better with their parents and maintain contact and affection with relatives who do not speak English. This kind of gentle persistence needs to be achieved through "good words and persuasion" and creating "various real life experiences", such as often telling Chinese stories to children, letting children participate in Chinese gatherings of relatives and friends, or taking children to mainland China or Taiwan. Travel and let them experience the benefits and joy of speaking Chinese.

The Challenge of Persistence and the Parent-Child Relationship

Admittedly, the process has not been easy. Some children accept it easily, while others require parents to put more effort into achieving this goal. anyway,Parents’ persistence is a key factor. Not only do you need to listen patiently to your children's expressions in Chinese, but you also need to provide appropriate assistance and encouragement when they encounter difficulties. Behind many successful examples are the results of long-term patience and perseverance of parents and children. There is no other shortcut.

Finally, if after trying various methods, the child still refuses to learn Chinese, I will emphasize,Don’t sacrifice parent-child relationship for language learning, so the gain outweighs the loss. Of course, if your persistence is successful and the children can communicate with their parents in their native language, the parent-child relationship will definitely become closer.

Q: How to teach children to learn Mandarin in a multilingual environment?

The challenge this Cantonese-speaking mother faced was that her children already communicated in English and Cantonese at home, and she wanted to teach her children Mandarin but didn't know where to start. In this case, the children are used to talking in English and are familiar with Cantonese, but their understanding of Mandarin has not yet developed, causing them to show resistance when exposed to Mandarin, especially when they cannot understand when watching TV programs. Will ask to switch back to the language they are familiar with.

preliminary suggestions

First of all, if a child can speak English to his father and Cantonese to his mother, it is already a quite successful bilingual environment. This means that they already have strong language learning abilities. Now adding Mandarin as a third language needs to be introduced gradually and naturally without affecting their existing language abilities.

How to introduce Mandarin

1. Increase opportunities to listen to Mandarin :

Mandarin Storybook: Choose some Mandarin storybooks with reading pens so that children can read at any time and listen to the stories at their own pace. This can effectively improve their Mandarin listening and imitate correct pronunciation, tone and intonation.

Audiobooks and Audio: Many picture books and storybooks have online audiobook versions, which is a great way to expose children to Mandarin in their daily lives without stress.

Mandarin nursery rhymes and songs: Let children listen to and sing more Mandarin nursery rhymes and songs, which not only allows them to learn the language, but also increases the fun of learning.

2. Choose age-appropriate Mandarin media content :

Movies & Cartoons: Select age-appropriate Mandarin movies, cartoons or children's TV shows. Although it may be difficult at first, as long as children are interested in the content, they will gradually adapt. Some children will even watch their favorite movies repeatedly, which can subtly improve their Mandarin skills.

3. Participate in activities in a Mandarin-speaking environment :

Extracurricular activities: Children can be allowed to participate in extracurricular activities that teach Mandarin, such as sports classes, art classes, dance classes or cooking classes, so that they can naturally come into contact with Mandarin through their interests.

cultural experience: If financial conditions permit, you can take your children to travel to mainland China or Taiwan during the holidays so that they can be completely "immersed" in the Mandarin environment. This is an ideal learning and application opportunity.

4. Establish a natural learning environment :

keep patient: Don’t rush to get your children to speak Mandarin at the beginning, because forcing them may cause resistance. As their familiarity with Mandarin increases, they will naturally begin to use Mandarin to express themselves.

Comparison between Cantonese and Mandarin

• hearing: Cantonese and Mandarin are very close in grammar, so as long as they listen to Mandarin regularly and continuously, children will soon be able to understand Mandarin. This is an advantage for children learning Mandarin.

• Spoken: Cantonese and Mandarin are very different in pronunciation and intonation. For adults, it can be more difficult to grasp these differences, but for children, they can easily imitate and pronounce words correctly, which is why it is better to learn a language from an early age.

Balance in a multilingual environment

If parents have different native languages, and these languages ​​are not the main language of the place of residence (such as English), children usually do not have much problem learning the local language at school. However, the situation is more complicated if the parents' native languages ​​are from two different language families. Although children have the ability to learn multiple languages, their play and rest time may be affected due to limited time.

If parents can insist on using their mother tongue to communicate with their children in daily life until they are 11 or 12 years old, the children will usually be able to maintain their speaking abilities in both mother tongues. As for reading and writing, the requirements do not need to be too high unless both parents and children are very involved and enjoy it, because it requires a lot of reading and writing practice to improve to the level of their native language.

Summary

Teaching children to learn Mandarin requires patience and consistent effort on the part of parents. By creating a natural Mandarin learning environment, children will gradually become familiar with and accept Mandarin, and eventually they will naturally use the language when needed. The important thing is to keep learning fun and avoid force, so that children can truly fall in love with Mandarin and thrive in a multilingual environment.

The difference between radicals and parts

Radicals can often be used as parts, but parts are not necessarily all radicals. Radicals are parts of Chinese characters used to classify and identify them, often helping to understand the meaning, pronunciation or stroke structure of the character. In contrast, components are the basic components of Chinese characters and do not necessarily have a classification function. For example: the left side of the word "Yi" is the component, and the right side is the radical.

Function of radical

Radicals have many functions in Chinese characters, but these functions are not achieved in all cases.

• Image reminder function :
• There are hints: For example, "pine" and "cypress" are both words with the word "wood" next to them, which implies that they are related to trees.
• No prompt: For example, "Go" and "Zhi" both have the radical "Tu", but the meanings of these words have no obvious connection with "Tu".

• Pronunciation prompting function(The probability of being correct if you read while reading is about half):
• There are hints: For example, "花" and "化" have similar pronunciations, thanks to the sound and shape cues of "化".
• No prompt: For example, "bend" and "change", although the first half of the two characters are the same, their pronunciation is completely different.

• word meaning reminder :
• There are hints: For example, "flower" and "grass" both have the radical "艸", indicating that these words are related to plants.
• No prompt: For example, although "Ci" and "Zi" both have the component "Ci", this is not helpful in understanding the meaning of the words.

• The role of word search tools :
• Help looking up words: Traditional dictionaries rely on radicals to find the pronunciation and meaning of Chinese characters. However, sometimes children may misunderstand radicals. For example, when looking for the word "foot", they may mistakenly think that they should look for the radical "月" instead of the radical "肉".

The evolution of word search methods

In the early days, dictionaries used the fanqie method to indicate pronunciation, and later gradually adopted phonetic symbols or Chinese pinyin. Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, we can find the pronunciation and meaning of complete Chinese characters by handwriting, which reduces the reliance on radicals. Therefore, when modern learners learn to read, the function of radicals is no longer as important as in the past.

The relationship between radicals and literacy

In the process of children learning to read, they usually learn to read "as a whole" instead of analyzing the radicals first and then reading. Children's brains have strong inductive abilities. As their learning progresses, they will naturally discover and understand the parts of words. These do not need to be specifically taught. For example, children may confuse different words because their parts are similar, which is a natural part of the learning process.

In the LeLe book series, we focus more on literacy through reading rather than intensive literacy. Even if you focus on literacy, you should not introduce too many similar words at once, as this will lead to confusion.

The relationship between radicals and writing

When writing Chinese characters, adults may rely on radicals or components to aid memory, but children generally do not rely on these analyzes to write. They write the whole word more in their own way. Therefore, when teaching children to write, they should be allowed to write directly and gradually become familiar with the rules of radicals and components.

A simple classification of Chinese character structure types

According to the more than 1000 words in the Lele series of stories, the structure of Chinese characters can be roughly divided into the following categories:

1. single character(About 20%): For example, "I", "person".
2. words with left and right structure(About 50%): For example, "Mom", "Okay".
3. Words with upper and lower structures(About 15%): For example, "Sudden" and "Snow".
4. Other structures(About 15%): including characters with complex structures such as left and right structures, surrounded by three sides, and upper and lower structures.

Conclusion

When children learn Chinese characters, it is more like using a "camera" to input the glyphs into their brain as a whole. Although radicals and parts are helpful to understand and memorize Chinese characters, it is more important to consolidate the memory of glyphs through repeated observation and writing. In general, for preschool children, more "golden" time should be spent on "reading and literacy" rather than early writing training.

Q: I decided to let my children learn traditional Chinese characters because I learned traditional Chinese characters myself and was not familiar with simplified characters and was afraid of teaching them wrongly. However, many schools abroad currently teach simplified Chinese characters. I plan for my children to learn simplified Chinese characters in the future. Is this the right decision?

A:

Such a decision is understandable. Whether learning traditional Chinese characters or simplified Chinese characters, the most important thing is to provide children with a stable and consistent learning environment, and to make them interested and confident in learning Chinese characters.

Literacy:

When children learn traditional Chinese characters and simplified Chinese characters, there is actually not much difference in nature, because when children learn characters, they usually memorize the character shapes as a whole. Because traditional Chinese characters have more strokes, they can sometimes provide more visual information, which may be beneficial for character recognition.

Your child may be exposed to traditional and simplified Chinese characters throughout their lives, especially in a multilingual or multicultural environment. Therefore, it is better to encourage children to naturally come into contact with and try to "guess" books with different fonts than to completely resist or reject them.

Of course, consistency is very important in your child's early years of learning. You can choose textbooks that use traditional Chinese characters to reduce confusion among them. But if your child happens to be exposed to another font (such as a storybook in simplified Chinese), you can encourage them to try reading instead of avoiding it completely. In this way, children will be more flexible and confident when reading materials in different fonts in the future.

In terms of writing:

When teaching children to write, it is wise to choose a font that is familiar to them to avoid teaching mistakes. There are some structural differences between traditional and simplified characters, but this won't be a big problem if your child needs to learn simplified characters later on. Just tell your kids how these fonts are different and they will adapt quickly.

If the fonts taught in school are inconsistent with the ones taught to you, don’t worry. You can learn another font with your child, which is also a way to enhance parent-child interaction.

Considerations for the future:

In the future, children may be exposed to two fonts, especially when using electronic devices. Conversion between traditional and simplified characters becomes very convenient. Whether traditional Chinese or simplified Chinese, both are usually accepted in many formal language tests. So no matter which font your child learns, they will have flexibility in the future.

In summary, it is understandable that you choose to let your children learn traditional Chinese characters. As long as children feel comfortable and confident in the learning process, it will not be too difficult for them to switch to Simplified Chinese in the future.

1) In an English-speaking environment, teachers require children to speak English at home because their English is not good.

In this case, there is generally no need to enforce the use of English at home, especially if the parents do not speak English at a native level. If parents use non-standard English to communicate with their children, they may set a bad language example for their children. In school, children usually have enough opportunities to learn and practice English by being in contact with English-speaking classmates and teachers. Each child masters the language at a different speed. Parents can provide their children with more opportunities to listen and speak English by participating in English extracurricular activities and watching cartoon videos after school, instead of communicating with their children in their own substandard English.

If a child really has difficulty learning English, only one parent needs to communicate with the child in English, and the other parent can still communicate with the child in Chinese. Such a compromise allows children to improve their English skills while retaining the use of Chinese, thereby ensuring that children can communicate with their parents in a language that they can express freely, which is very important for children's physical and mental development.

2) When teaching children to learn the target language, avoid over-reliance on native language explanations.

When children learn a new language, the least ideal thing to do is to constantly explain the new language in their native language (e.g., explain English in Chinese, or explain Chinese in English). Children have a talent for learning languages, especially listening and speaking. As long as they are provided with enough opportunities to listen and speak, they will naturally learn it. Constantly explaining in another language is not only detrimental to their target language learning, but sometimes makes them more confused and even leads to misunderstandings.

3) Avoid sitting and listening for long periods of time in language teaching.

Children generally don't have long attention spans, and generally speaking, they can focus twice as long as their age. For example, a 2-year-old child can focus for about 4 minutes. Therefore, when teaching children, especially when learning a new language, they should not be expected to "sit" for too long. The ideal teaching method is to alternate static and dynamic activities to better capture the child's attention. This kind of "quietness brings movement, movement brings stillness" method, such as Total Body Response (TPR), can effectively improve the teaching effect and prevent children from being distracted by sitting for too long.

4) Choose “age-appropriate” activities.

Whether it is oral activities or written activities, the child's cognitive development level must be taken into consideration. If the activity is beyond their ability, it will cause frustration to the child, which is something we need to avoid. Not only should the activity itself be age-appropriate, but it should also be as relevant as possible to their interests or real life, so the effect will be better.

Adults often unconsciously have too high expectations for children and give them too difficult tasks without realizing it. If you find that your child is not enthusiastic about participating in the activity, or the activity is not going smoothly, you should adjust or stop the activity in time.

5) Don’t deprive your children of play time because of excessive language learning.

Bilingual children do need to spend more time on language learning, but parents should try not to deprive their children of play time. Play or game itself is also one of the important ways for children to learn. In games, children will learn a lot of knowledge that may not be directly taught by parents or teachers through language. Although children may not be able to verbalize or write what they learn, that does not mean they are not learning.

This is why some schools of education now disapprove of children sitting in classrooms for long periods of time, but instead encourage children to freely choose to participate in various indoor or outdoor activities. They believe that teachers and educators should be facilitators rather than mandatory. Instill knowledge into children.

The relationship between parental letting go and children's literacy and reading ability

The point at which parents let go in the education process has a strong correlation with their children's literacy or reading ability. To understand this, first recognize the scientific basis for language learning: There is a critical point in native language proficiency, usually before the age of 11 to 12 years. Only languages ​​acquired before this age are likely to reach native level. Languages ​​that are learned after this age, even if a lot of effort is put in, can often only reach the level of a second language, unless the child has particularly excellent language talent.

The importance of literacy

In regions such as China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, primary school students usually have mastered about 11 to 12 Chinese characters by the time they graduate from 2500 to 3000 years old. This amount of literacy is enough to support them in reading a large number of Chinese books independently, and has the foundation for further learning and improving their Chinese proficiency. If parents can help their children reach this literacy level before this age, the children will be able to read independently, and this is also the point when parents can safely let go.

There is no age limit for literacy. Children can reach this level of literacy at a younger age and even read a large number of Chinese books at the same time. Many adults have this experience. As long as children use the right methods and cooperate with the "time, place, and people", they often achieve this goal before graduating from primary school.

Independent reading and when parents let go

When children can read Chinese books independently, parents can consider letting go. This means that although early communication in Chinese is helpful for children's reading ability, as children become able to read Chinese independently, parents can intervene less in their language learning. Even if children later tend to use English to communicate with their parents, as long as they still read Chinese books regularly, the language will not be "lost" and will always belong to them.

This is why I emphasize that "reading" is the most important thing. As long as children are helped to establish a foundation of 12 to 2500 Chinese characters before they are 3000 years old, they will be able to be independent in language learning, and parents can let go.

Long-term investment and sustainability in literacy

Some parents may think that starting to learn from the age of two requires "ten years" of effort, which is too long, but in fact, such an investment is worth it, because the children will benefit from it throughout their lives. Just like learning the piano, this is not only a test of the child's perseverance, but also a test of the parents' perseverance. Bilingual learning also requires continuous efforts from parents, especially in the first five years, which may be difficult and requires parents to accompany their children in their studies. The second five years are mainly to urge children to continue reading and consolidate the literacy skills they have learned. Ten years later, even if a child only occasionally reads Chinese books, his Chinese ability can be maintained.

Reality 10 years from now

As children enter middle school and study more subjects and extracurricular activities, parents' control over their children's study time will gradually weaken. After entering adolescence, children's language learning mainly relies on the foundation they laid in primary school. That's why I think after 10 years, parents will eventually have to let it go whether they want it or not.

In summary, parents should actively help their children achieve the ability to read independently before the age of 12. This will not only benefit their children's language development, but also allow parents to let go and let their children grow independently on the road to language learning.

When parents let their children learn independently is closely related to their children's reading ability and literacy. Understanding this is crucial to home education.

The critical point of mother tongue learning

Linguists point out that there is a critical point in mother tongue learning, usually before the age of 11 to 12 years. If the child has mastered a language before this, it is possible for the language to reach native level. After this age, learning a new language usually only reaches a second language level, unless the child has particularly outstanding language talent. Therefore, Chinese education in primary school is very important.

The importance of literacy

In China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, primary school students usually have mastered about 11 to 12 Chinese characters by the time they graduate from 2500 to 3000 years old. This amount of literacy is enough to support them in reading a large number of Chinese books independently and lay a solid foundation for further improving their Chinese proficiency. If parents can help their children master this amount of literacy before the age of 11 to 12, the children will have the basic ability to read independently, and parents can let go with confidence.

This accumulation of literacy does not need to wait until the age of 11 to 12 to complete. As long as the method is appropriate and enough study time is invested, many children can complete this literacy level by reading a lot of Chinese books at a younger age.

importance of reading

As long as children have a certain amount of literacy and can take the initiative to continue reading some Chinese books, this language will not be forgotten even if it is no longer used in oral communication. At this point, parents can start to let go and don't have to worry too much even if their children use English to communicate with their parents more. This is why we have always emphasized the importance of "reading". It is crucial to help children reach the level of independent reading before they are 11 to 12 years old. Reading not only helps children consolidate the Chinese characters they have learned, but also continuously expands their vocabulary and improves their reading skills, thus stimulating continued interest and motivation in reading, making Chinese truly a lifelong asset for children.

Time investment and persistence

If a child's reading ability is developed from the age of two, it usually takes about 10 years to reach a basic reading level. While this time is certainly testing for parents, it also has long-term benefits for children. In a monolingual environment, the responsibility for language learning is mainly borne by the school; in a bilingual environment, parents need to provide additional support and investment for their children to learn a second language in order to approach their native language proficiency.

This process is similar to having a child learn piano, requiring perseverance and continued investment from parents. Many children who learn piano rely on their parents to pick them up, supervise and accompany them to practice. After 10 years of hard work, they can reach a certain level of performance. By the same token, learning a second language requires similar persistence and perseverance.

two five-year phases

To better understand this 10-year process, we can divide it into two five-year phases:

A: The first 5 years (parents’ company is crucial)

At this stage, children need a lot of companionship and support from their parents. By reading the Lele Listening and Reading series and other picture books, children can gradually increase their literacy to about 1800 words. The main task of parents at this stage is to accompany their children in reading, help them expand their vocabulary and improve their reading skills.

B: The next 5 years (gradually reducing companionship)

Entering the second five-year stage, parents can gradually reduce their companionship and let their children read more independently. Parents need to urge their children to read a short article or short story every day to help them continuously improve their reading skills. At this stage, children may no longer be willing to read aloud with their parents and may be more likely to read text-heavy articles or books alone. Parents need to respect their children's interests and not limit their reading scope. As long as they are willing to read, even if it is martial arts novels, romance novels, news or comics, they should be encouraged.

C: Higher attainments

After entering middle school, children's academic load increases, extracurricular activities increase, and parents' control over their children's study time gradually weakens. At this time, children's Chinese learning mainly relies on the foundation they laid in primary school. Parents often have to let go at this point. Even if children occasionally listen to Chinese and read Chinese books, their Chinese ability will not be lost as long as they have laid a solid foundation in the first 10 years. If children develop a strong motivation to learn at the university level, relying on the early foundation, they will quickly improve their Chinese proficiency and reach the level of their mother tongue.

Conclusion

Through systematic and continuous reading and literacy training, children will not only be able to reach the level of independent reading before the age of 12, but Chinese will also become a part of their lives. Although this process requires a lot of time and energy from parents, it lays a solid foundation for the child's future and is worth the effort.

Foreword:

Although Chinese children who have emigrated or were born overseas do not know the local native language at first, their parents are usually in no rush to teach them. This is because parents understand that as their children are "immersed" in the local language environment every day, over time, they will naturally acquire the local language and reach native level proficiency. However, when it comes to asking children to learn a language that is "non-native" and expect to reach native level, both theories and methods are still in full bloom, and there is no unified conclusion on the effectiveness and efficiency. Different environments and teaching methods vary from person to person, and successful cases and results are not based on a large amount of data and statistics.

Recently, how to teach overseas children to learn Chinese has become a hot topic because more and more parents have strong needs:

• Overseas Chinese parents: Especially those families whose grandparents themselves or those who help take care of their children are very good at Chinese. They strongly hope that their children can learn Chinese well.

• Second or third generation Chinese parents: Their own Chinese is limited, but they hope their children can master this language.

• non-chinese parents: With the rise of China or interest in Chinese culture, they also hope that their children can learn Chinese well.

Although these parents have such expectations, they often suffer from the lack of standard methods and teaching materials, and do not know how to help their children "successfully" learn Chinese and reach native level proficiency. Among them, there are many examples of failure or giving up halfway.

Analyze and share:

Based on my many years of experience in teaching Chinese to children overseas, here are some insights for the reference of concerned parents and teachers, hoping to help them achieve their goals "successfully".

1. Define success criteria

• Listen, speak, read, type, write: You must reach 75 points in each of the first four items (listening, speaking, reading, and typing) (the full score for each item is 100 points) to be considered qualified.

• not only hear about: Even if your listening and speaking ability reaches 100 points, but you cannot read or read, it still does not meet the standard. If any of the four necessary conditions does not reach 75 points, it will not be considered as meeting the standard.

• No need to be able to write: But you must be able to use the computer Pinyin or Zhuyin input method to "type" words and reach the written expression standard of 75 points to be considered qualified. (Children can be encouraged to learn to write, but writing is not a necessary condition for reaching the standard)

2. Three related factors that affect the success or failure of overseas children learning Chinese:

(A) The first factor: parents’ attitude

• Parents’ long-term support, encouragement, affirmation, attention and appreciation are crucial for children to learn Chinese. Children can keenly feel their parents' expectations and attitudes. If parents cannot devote enough time and energy, it is best not to force their children to learn. There is no right or wrong choice, just different choices.
• Learning Chinese is similar to learning piano, both require long-term practice and the company of parents. It is difficult to see results in the short term, but as time goes by, improvements will gradually occur. Both require long-term persistence to achieve goals. Parents should make the best choice based on their child's interests and talents.

(B) The second factor: Provide a natural speaking environment and create conditions for hearing Chinese every day

• Creation of natural speaking environment: Parents should strive to create a native-like speaking environment so that children can naturally acquire Chinese in daily life.
• Keep communicating in Chinese: Parents or grandparents who speak Chinese should insist on using Chinese to communicate with their children. As time goes by, the child will naturally respond in Chinese.
• seek outside help: If parents do not speak Chinese, they can consider hiring a Chinese teacher or nanny to communicate with their children, or they can enhance their sense of language by watching Chinese cartoons or electronic picture storybooks.

(C) The third factor: providing effective methods and interesting and age-appropriate reading materials

• Appropriate methods and teaching materials: Appropriate methods and teaching materials are crucial to Chinese language learning. For example, we have produced 300 books in the Lele series and matching reading pens, which are a set of reading and literacy teaching materials specially designed for children.
• Features of the LeLe Book Series : Happy reading and literacy: Learn 1000 Chinese characters by reading story books, allowing children to naturally recognize words while reading.
• Step-by-step reading experience: From simple phrases to complete sentences to paragraphs, children can gradually improve their reading ability and eventually transition to reading pure text books.

Compare other methods and textbooks:

• Recite ancient texts and poems: These traditional learning methods may be effective for some children, but most children will find them boring and uninteresting, lacking connection with life.

• Character card recognition method: This method may allow children to recognize many words, but they may not be able to understand sentences or paragraphs.

• Phonetic symbols or Chinese pinyin: Learning phonetic symbols may take time and may easily lead to dependence, affecting children's reading ability.

• emphasis on writing: Although practicing writing is important, it may take up a lot of time, cut into children's play and reading time, and thus slow down the improvement of reading ability.

Conclusion:

The goal of Lele Book Series is to cultivate children's "Chinese reading ability" before "local language reading ability", so as to better ensure that children become "successful" bilinguals and meet the standards.

Language learning in a monolingual society where Chinese is the mother tongue

OnA monolingual society where Chinese is the mother tongue, such as China and Taiwan, most children will not face the challenge of learning a second language and do not need to allocate time to language learning. Because they grew up in their native language environment,Naturally, you can learn spoken Chinese wellpart. As for the written part, once you enter primary school and middle school, the school has established Chinese textbooks.

However, inBefore entering school at age 6, these children are fully capable of passing "read” Lele series of 300 books, learn to read, and get to know each other happily “by the way”1000 commonly used words.

The role of parents: providing a comfortable learning environment

As a parent, you just need to remember to provide your child with aComfortable environment or corner, place LeLe books where they can see them every day. Here are a few simple ways to do it:

• You can place books of different levels inThree clear plastic boxesinside.

• Or just like drying clothes, hang a few ropes on the wall and hang many Lele books on the ropes so that children can see these books every day.

In this way, children will often pick up "reading pen”, feel free to choose the books you like, listen to and read freely. These books are like "alternative"listening and reading toys. As time goes by, through this process of "playing with books", quantitative changes will lead to qualitative changes.

natural learning outcomes

Parents will be pleasantly surprised to find that thesepreschool childrenNot only did I learn to read, but I also recognized many Chinese characters. This natural learning method can not only cultivate children'sReading interest, and can unconsciously improve theirLiteracy.

Lay a solid foundation

In this way, children can prepare themselves for future learning before entering primary school.solid foundation, giving them a head start in reading and literacy.

Tips for telling stories to children

1. Start with picture books
2. When telling stories to children, most people start withpicture bookstart. Can discuss firstCover, see if the child can guess the content of the story.
3. attract attention
4. Ask the children to draw the story on the whiteboard or eraser board.protagonist, which can attract their attention. If it is a picture book, you can also discuss itpictureitself.
5. Questions and associations
6. Teacher or parent questions should be related to the child’sLife experience related, to stimulate their associations and imagination. propose age-appropriate1 to 2 questions, the purpose is to engage children, especially those who are easily distracted.
7. Voice and body language
8. along with the storyChanges in role, adjust the voice and intonation, the effect will be very good. When necessary, usebody languageHelp children understand the content and add interest.
9. Literacy and guessing games
10. If you want your child to recognize characters at the same time, you can usesmall note or fingerCover important or recurring words and let your child guess the words.
11. Don't rush to tell the ending of the story, you can let the children guess first, because they all like guessing games.
12. Encourage children to tell stories
13. For older children, encourage them totell the story, whether you have a book or not, you can share it with you or the whole class.
14. Simplify esoteric content
15. Some picture storybooks may have illustrations that appeal to children, but the content is deeper. At this point, the storyteller canSimplify content, use age-appropriate language and emotional methods to tell, without having to read the book word for word.

These methods can effectively guide children into the story world and cultivate theirunderstanding, creativity和expressive ability.

1. Utilization of online resources :

It's easy to find allusions to idioms online, including stories, videos, or animations. These resources are lively and interesting, which can attract children's attention and help them understand the meaning of idioms more easily. If some stories are too complex or difficult to understand, teachers and parents can simplify or slightly modify them so that children can understand them more easily.

2. Focus on using idioms :

• Learning an idiom is not only about understanding its allusions, but more importantly, using it in appropriate situations. When given the opportunity, you should actively use the idioms you have learned. Parents and teachers can help children understand how to apply idioms in life by giving examples or creating situations to use idioms appropriately. Stories that use idioms usually provide situations in which the idiom is used. You can learn from these examples and try to connect them with children's daily life so that they can truly understand the meaning and usage of the idiom.

This method can not only deepen children's understanding of idioms, but also allow them to use idioms more flexibly in daily communication and avoid the situation of learning idioms but not using them.

Word card literacy method vs. Lele reading literacy method

Criteria and measurement of bilingualism in children

1. Four key skills for bilingual learning:

Listening, speaking, reading, writing/typing

These four aspects are indispensable, and all should reach a certain standard (3.5/5 or 70/100). Computer typing can be used as an alternative to writing.

2. Chinese Standard Test:

The current Chinese Standard Test is aimed atAdults over 12 years old, and there are no testing standards specifically for children.

Speaking testRelatively easy, but inreading and writingIn terms of teaching, you can refer to the content in primary school textbooks in mainland China and Taiwan for testing and practice.

3. Assessment of children’s Chinese language ability:

The assessment criterion is whether the child canTake the initiative to pick up Chinese reading materials, try to understand the content, andEnjoy reading Chinese books. This reading interest and initiative is a very good indicator of a child's bilingual learning.

Based on many years of teaching experience, I have some understanding and understanding of the process of children whose native language is English learning Chinese, and the process of children whose native language is Chinese learning English. These observations do not represent academic research but are hopefully helpful to parents and teachers.

Learning listening and speaking skills

For children, no matter which language they are learning, the ability to listen and speak is acquired naturally. As long as children are placed in a certain language environment, they can unconsciously learn to speak this language by listening. Different children may master these abilities at slightly different speeds, but overall there is no significant difference in difficulty.

Reading skills learning

However, when it comes to reading and writing, Chinese and English, two different language families, present different challenges.

1. English reading :

• There are 26 letters in English, and there are certain rules for how each letter is pronounced in a word. This allows English words to be learned through phonics, and children can easily spell out the words based on the sounds of the letters.

2. Chinese reading :

• Chinese is different. Each character is an independent symbol, and the pronunciation cannot usually be inferred from the glyphs. This means that children must master the pronunciation and meaning of each character through repeated memorization. In addition, the semantic meaning of Chinese often changes when combined into words. For example, the word "zai" has different meanings in the three contexts of "where are you", "now" and "what are you doing", which increases understanding. difficulty.

Learning of writing skills

1. Writing in English :

• Writing English is relatively simple because it only requires the combination of 26 letters. Even if they can't spell a word, children can guess the spelling from the sounds of the letters.

2. Chinese writing :

• Writing Chinese is much more complicated. Not only does each character consist of multiple strokes, but the rules for combining the strokes are also very important. Children cannot predict writing by pronunciation, which means that learning Chinese writing must memorize the glyphs through repeated practice. Of course, with the advancement of technology, children can type using pinyin or phonetic symbols and choose the correct glyphs, but this still requires children to have certain literacy skills.

Challenges of bilingual learning

For children learning two languages ​​at the same time, competition between reading abilities may arise. If children have better English reading skills than Chinese, they may choose to read more English books and ignore Chinese books. Once this habit is formed, it will be difficult for children to catch up with their Chinese reading ability, and they may even gradually lose interest in reading Chinese.

Suggest

1. Give priority to cultivating Chinese reading ability: Let your children learn to read Chinese first as much as possible, and then develop their English reading ability. This can avoid children's bias in bilingual learning.

2. Avoid read and write synchronization: Unless your child particularly likes writing, it is recommended to focus on letting them learn literacy through reading instead of requiring simultaneous writing from the beginning. This speeds up the process of literacy and reading.

Hopefully these suggestions will help parents and teachers better guide their children to be successful in bilingual learning.

There are 3 levels of LeLe books. Our suggestions for users are as follows:

(1) Start with the primary story

There are a total of 12 themed storybooks in Primary Stories. You can let your children choose the first themed storybook to start reading, or you can decide as an adult. If adults decide, we would recommend themes such as numbers, colors, clothing, family, etc., because these themes have fewer new words and concrete objects, making them easy to understand. However, Lele's "Reading" series of books are picture books, and the illustrations will help understand the text.

(2) After selecting the theme storybook, let the children choose the order of reading.

There are many books on the same topic. There is no order of priority. Children have the right to choose.

(3) Let the children read the text on the cover and inside pages of the story

Let your children click to read individual words or entire pages of text. Let your children click and "play" with these books anytime and anywhere without interfering as much as possible.

We adopted a slow pace for the junior booklet, allowing children to imitate the pronunciation of Chinese characters and the intonation of phrases.

---The pronunciation of our elementary stories is deliberately slowed down so that beginners can hear the pronunciation clearly and make it easier for them to imitate.

---Children are very "powerful" and will imitate correctly when they hear it. Adults don't have to rush to teach. Children will correct themselves after hearing it a few times.

---It is also important to click and read the whole page, because when the words are connected with each other, the intonation of some words will change subtly. Encourage the children to repeat the pronunciation.

---After children have read a book, if they want to listen to it read one or more times, we will naturally respect their wishes. Some children will be impatient and want to read another book. Of course, you can, but don’t spoil their interest!

---》After the children gradually read all the storybooks with the same theme, "please don't" immediately change to another theme storybook, because we can "strike while the iron is hot" to review the words learned on this theme. "Reading" itself is to let children taste the "sweetness" of reading first, and have a preliminary "fuzzy" understanding and familiarity with the meanings of these theme words. Some children are born with particularly strong memories and can quickly remember these after reading them once or twice. The pronunciation of the theme words has changed, "For these children, word cards are redundant tools." However, if you feel that "most" of the theme words (more than half) cannot be read by the child, you can use theme word cards to review and strengthen them.

(4a) Cooperation of character cards

We have always emphasized that character recognition includes the mastery of three aspects: "font form, word pronunciation, and word meaning." We "should not expect" the children to get it right in one step. After listening to and reading the story once or twice and seeing the illustrations a few times, the children will "already" fully grasp the shape, sound and meaning of these words.

Word cards can help us achieve the "review" function and are an excessive learning tool. Don't rely on word cards in the long run, because the meaning of Chinese words often changes when combined with different words, but we hope that children Remember the pronunciation of single words, so "borrow" word cards and quickly review the combination of "glyphs and pronunciation". Don't expect to understand the meaning of the word unless it is a physical word. 

---》How to review with word cards? If a child cannot remember it, he or she can open our book, find the word, read it, and remember the pronunciation, or an adult can prompt the pronunciation. We also provide various activity suggestions for "dynamic and static text" (please refer to the relevant Q&A), so that children can remember pronunciation through these interesting activities. It is not necessary to do every activity. Adults observe that children have memorized Once you have mastered pronunciation, there is no need to continue other activities, but the purpose of these activities is to help children remember pronunciation, so the word cards used in the activities should preferably have "no pronunciation marks" on them.

(4b) After completing the word card review activity 

When the adult feels that the child has almost mastered the pronunciation of this theme word card (that is, seeing the word card/glyph shape, he can read it quickly) ---> At this time, put all the theme word cards into a stack to detect how many words the child is " Just look at the card and you can read it out.” Put a stack of cards that you successfully remember and another stack that you can’t remember.

---" Also don't think of getting it right in one step, requiring you to memorize all the word cards: (A) If there are a few words that you can't remember, it doesn't matter, just keep them, and you can review other theme story words next time When stuck, intersperse to review. The word cards whose pronunciations have been memorized can be "discarded"! 😊 (B) If there are a lot of words and you still can’t remember them, we don’t want to rush to start the next themed storybook, and do a few more “dynamic and static text” activities we proposed, and combine the “glyphs and pronunciation” Combine to strengthen and consolidate.

(5) Go back and read the storybook one or more times

The focus of reading literacy is to read multiple times. Whether using word cards or not, we must encourage children to read our books again. When children can read out the text of the story "smoothly" without using a reading pen, they can start another chapter. A themed storybook too.

We emphasize again that you must not be too demanding when listening to your children's reading aloud. When they encounter areas where they cannot read, parents can help, and children can also use reading pens, because with the help of "external forces", children are also reading. They One more time to learn Chinese characters "by the way", why not? The method of "Lele Reading and Literacy" always attaches great importance to children's pleasure in reading, hoping that they will like reading and enjoy the process of reading, so that they can learn a lot of words subconsciously.

(6) When will it be upgraded to an intermediate story?

Repeat the above steps 1-5 of reading the red book over and over again. All the themed storybooks are completed. That is, most of the 100 storybooks (don’t be strict about 100) can be "selected and read" without using click-to-read. With a pen, children can "upgrade" to intermediate-level stories, which means they have mastered nearly 500 Chinese characters.

(7)Upgrade to Premium Storybook

After completing the intermediate story, the child starts reading the advanced story book. Although Lele Advanced Story has 6 themes, one story can actually belong to several different themes at the same time, so the child does not necessarily choose books according to the theme. They can choose from 100 books. Free choice. In addition, the total number of new words added in advanced storybooks is very small. On average, only about 2 or 3 new words appear in each story (new words are green). Children can basically read independently, fully enjoy reading, and improve their reading skills. and ability, and at the same time, he also learned 230 new words, which is a great achievement in one fell swoop!

Q: In the suggestions on how to use the series of books, we advocate a step-by-step approach. First, read the red books, recognize and understand all the red books, and then start reading the yellow books. Finally started the green book. Readers asked, should we adhere to such a principle?

***Assuming that each book is "looked through" instead of reading the text - "There is no big difference between 100 books being displayed in front of the child at the same time and 300 books being displayed in front of the child at the same time. Both options are fine, because the child has They are naturally curious, like to look at pictures, and have a strong motivation to see new things and understand pictures and plots. If a lot of visual "stimulation" is provided, it will also increase their space and opportunities to "receive" stimulation and imagination.

***However, the guide to our book series recommends "step by step", which refers to "reading and clicking on the text":

(A) In other words, we expect children to try to "decode" words, that is, to learn words. We expect them to try to see the word shapes, pronounce the pronunciation of the words, and further understand the meaning of the words through pictures and context.

(B) We also consider the probability and frequency of each word being "read" at will, because the higher the probability and frequency of a word being clicked and seen, the more conducive it is to their "literacy". If it is only 500 words for the primary level, the probability and frequency of the limited number of words being read repeatedly will be higher than that of 300 words for 1000 words. This concentrated and repeated listening and reading of a relatively small amount of text makes it easier for them to achieve the goal of "incidental literacy".

(C) At the same time, we also want to prevent children from reading or reading picture books with "too many words" from the beginning. This is why our "Reading Literacy Series" is divided into three levels of stepped series (elementary stories per page Phrases or short sentences, long sentences for intermediate, paragraphs for advanced), not 300 picture books of the same level. Even if there are 100 books of the same level of stories, about 7% of the words in each book are repeated. Try to put the same words in different contexts and stories, which will not only help children grasp the different meanings of the same word, but also enhance their understanding of the same word. improve reading skills and increase children's interest in understanding different stories.

***Of course, we are not saying that you must not "read" yellow books and green books to your children when they are reading red books (especially if your children have older brothers or sisters who are already reading yellow books and green books). Why don’t we let our children “see” other books? This is an unreasonable request! We are a "reading book series". If the children read the red books and see our yellow books, green books or other books, as long as they don't care about reading or following the longer text, they can try to "click" with the reading pen. "Read" or try to "read" or "read along" (read aloud with adults) some words in the book, indicating that they are trying to "read". This is literacy "by the way". It's too late for us to be happy, so why not do it? Even if they don't read our pornographic and green books, as long as they have any Chinese books at home, they will be exposed to many other Chinese books! The difference is that they are not just "flicking through" and completely ignoring the text, but are trying to read the "text". Just doing literacy activities.

***Even though the "Book Series Guide" recommends a step-by-step approach, we also recommend "not" waiting for every word in the red book to be read aloud before starting to read the yellow and green books, as long as there is about 7% "familiarity" That's it. Remember: Even if your child has started reading advanced storybooks, they may always come back to elementary and middle-grade stories. They may also try to read other simple picture books, instruction manuals, advertisements, leaflets, etc. at any time. That is when they are "using their own reading skills and literacy skills" to understand the newly encountered text. As long as they try to read, any reading material All can become materials for them to consolidate the "form, sound, and meaning" of the words they already have in their minds. This is the process of the perfect combination of reading and literacy "complementing each other." We will definitely encourage, support and appreciate, and will not limit any reading materials. of.

Yao Nddy

Q1: What is the LeLe Listening and Reading children’s book series?

It is a picture story set with 3 books in three levels: 100 books for beginners, 100 books for intermediate and 100 books for advanced. It uses about 300 Chinese characters, allowing each character to appear repeatedly in different contexts, step by step, from single words, phrases to sentences, forming 1000 short stories of different levels, allowing children to read happily and lay down basic reading skills. .

Q2: Why choose Lele Listening and Reading children’s book series?

We have a "reading pen" specially designed for our books. Using the reading pen, you can read word by word or page by page and listen as you click. This helps children remember the pronunciation and correct their pronunciation. It not only satisfies their Feel free to repeat the need to listen to multiple words or whole pages of text, and allow them to listen and read flexibly at their own speed, independently, to build confidence and interest in reading, and to learn 1000 commonly used Chinese characters.

Question 3: Who is suitable to use our listening and reading series?

*4Children aged 8 to XNUMX years old who are learning Chinese for the first time

*Parents who do not know or have a little knowledge of Chinese can use this series of books to learn simultaneously with their children.

*Chinese teachers in schools can use our series of books as teaching materials and readers.

*Anyone interested in learning Chinese.       

Why don't our books have phonetic symbols or Chinese pinyin?

(1) The necessity of phonetic notation

advantage:

First understand why phonetic notation is needed? It includes different phonetic notation systems including Taiwan’s phonetic symbols and Mainland China’s Hanyu Pinyin. The main functions are 2. The 1st is to help prompt and remember the pronunciation of single words, and the 2nd is to help reading. When reading, if you encounter a word you don’t recognize, you can read it with the help of phonetic symbols. Children who can speak Chinese can be "illiterate". Able to read and understand.

Disadvantages:

There are two reasons. 1. It takes several months to learn this phonetic notation system. 2. It is easy to develop dependence. That is, children cannot read without phonetic symbols, which reduces the ability to read Chinese characters themselves. In addition, when learning the phonetic notation system of Chinese Pinyin, it is also necessary to avoid the period when children are learning English phonics to avoid confusion between the two.

What we firmly believe in is "reading literacy". This method has two main meanings:

The first is to read, read, and read again, to "understand" the meaning of words through reading, and to enhance the ability of "reading comprehension", not just to identify individual words.

Second, through reading, reading, and reading again, look at the word more and "recognize" the word itself directly. It emphasizes that children should focus their "visual attention" on the Chinese character itself and not be disturbed by any phonetic symbols. "Look at the glyphs" of attention.

(2) Advantages of “Reading Pen”:

There is no "phonetic notation system" that indicates pronunciation. How can we help children pronounce correctly, prompt pronunciation, and remember pronunciation?

This is the advantage of the reading pen. Our matching reading pen is easy to use. Children can click and listen as often as they want. There is no pressure and they can listen and read happily.

(3) Make better use of the golden learning period

Because there is no need to "spend time" learning "any phonetic system", it means that a few months of pre-school "literacy" are gained. This time is very precious, and children can make good use of it to read a lot of literacy, improve their reading ability early, and let the children "Feel" the charm and meaning of words early, "enjoy" the pleasure brought by reading, and learn to read without knowing it.

Some people say that if you have a red book bag, you will be able to recognize 500 characters, and you can connect to the bridge books without buying intermediate and advanced book bags.

(1) What we emphasize is reading literacy, in other words, not recognizing "single character" word cards.

The 500 words that appear in primary stories are mostly combined with other "single words" to form phrases. The chance of a single word appearing repeatedly is very high, but there are not many opportunities to put it in a longer sentence.

In our yellow intermediate storybooks, there are many opportunities to place words in longer sentences, which not only gives the words a chance to "review" again, but also places them in different "contexts", which invisibly "strengthens" reading ability. This is a reading skill that cannot be ignored. After all, the main purpose of literacy is to "read"! In addition, there are 300 stories for the intermediate level, and on the basis of the red book, you can also learn more than 300 new words in a "sentence with word" method. Why not?

Our green advanced stories not only lengthen the stories, but also because these 100 storybooks only add more than 200 new words, the children begin to feel that they can read "easily", which not only further improves their reading ability, but also enables them to understand the story after reading. Their sense of accomplishment is also very high. They feel that they can read, and their reading confidence has also increased dramatically!

(2) It is easier to connect to other picture storybooks

There are many kinds of bridge books on the market, and they also have differences in difficulty and ease. Personally, I feel that there are more bridge books that are more difficult. After reading the red book, I learned 500 words. Reading these bridge books directly can easily cause " The frustration caused by the "failure to connect", if you continue to read our 200 yellow and green storybooks, the child will not only have 1000 Chinese characters, but also have better reading ability. On this basis, the child can connect to other picture books It becomes smoother and virtually enhances children's "motivation" to read hard. We will be happy to see children read more different bridge books, continue to expand their vocabulary, and build better reading comprehension and reading confidence.

Responding to readers’ comments on the reading speed of elementary stories

We received feedback from several readers that ourprimary storyReading speed is too slow. In this regard, we put forward the following opinions for your reference. As for whether users accept it, it is a matter of opinion.

(1) The original intention of the listening and reading series

Our book series is the **"Listening and Reading" Series**, which aims to help beginners hear the correct pronunciation, imitate it, and master it.Correct pronunciation, pitch and intonation. We believe that reading aloud at a slightly slower speed can help children hear more clearly, especially children who have never been exposed to Chinese. Such a speaking speed will make their learning easier.relaxed and easy.

(2) Applicability to early literacy

Although our book series recommendations apply toChildren aged 4-8 years, but because this isRecognize wordsRather than writing, we encourageThe earlier you learn literacy, the better. In fact, many parents learn from their children3 years oldGuide them to literacy from the beginning. we believereading penIt can meet the needs of young children. They often "play" with reading pens and Lele books and unconsciouslyListening, reading and literacy. Since the reading speed is not fast, they can hear more clearly and imitate easily. This way of children learning and playing on their own, "as long as the child likes it", is not only worthy of encouragement, but will also bringUnexpected learning effect.

(3) Cultivate concentration on written words

Speaking slowly and clearly allows children toClick to read words, have more time to focus on "written text” and to “Matching of sounds and words” have longer memory and understanding times, especially ourprimary storyWith less text per page, this speaking speed can provide a better learning experience.

(4) Transition to independent reading

when a childthe first timeAfter reading our book, they mayWord CardsWait for word activities to review words in elementary stories. After going through this process, when a childonce againWhen reading Lele Little Books, they may find that they can read aloud faster than listening and reading. At this time, our goal has been achieved: they no longer rely on the reading pen, butRead aloud independently, a smooth transition toMiddle grade story.

(5) Intermediate story learning stage

In middle grade stories, the text per page has increased a lot, but the number of new words has decreased. The child is hereFirst readingWhen , it is no longer necessary to read word by word, but only to readunpronounceable words, practice the pronunciation of the word. Since the sentences on each page are longer and the reading speed is kept moderate, children can become better familiar with the intonation and enable themselves toRead aloud smoothlyA whole sentence of text.

(6) The learning process of advanced stories

ArrivedAdvanced StoriesAt this stage, the child has mastered the normal speaking speed, and the main function of the reading pen is to readNew words encountered for the first time(That is, green words, usually only two or three appear in each story). At this point, the child can basicallyRead the whole story with ease and pleasure.

Let’s first talk about what is the function of word cards? What are the limitations of word cards?

Word cards are generally used to teach children to read, but what is literacy?Recognize wordsContainsFont form, pronunciation, meaningMastery of three aspects. However, word cards can usually only complete the first two tasks, that is, correctly matching the word shapes and pronunciations, allowing children to see the word cards and read the correct pronunciation.

As for the third task,Mastery of word meaning, this is the limitation of character cards. It is easier for some physical characters to express the meaning of a single word through physical objects or pictures, but the "meaning" of many words needs to be relied on.readTo understand, especially abstract words such as adjectives and prepositions. Even for solid words, the meaning may change when two or more words are combined. For example: "water" and "hand" have clear meanings, but "sailor" has a different meaning. Therefore, you should not rely too much on word cards to understand the meaning of a word or phrase.

Many words cannot be understood correctly by explaining them (sometimes the more explanations, the easier it is to lead to misunderstandings). Children are very smart and can often quickly grasp the meaning of words from reading.Words are not separated from words, words are not separated from sentences, this is the best way to understand, which is why we have always emphasized the meaning of literacy through reading.

Based on the characteristics of Chinese characters, explore how to use character cards more effectively

Chinese is different from the Latin language. Unlike English, you can't guess the pronunciation of a single word from letter hints. Seeing the Chinese characters on the word card, the child can only continue toRepeat exerciseto remember the pronunciation of the word. Although pictophonetic characters account for a large proportion of Chinese characters, the error rate of "reading while reading" is as high as 50%. Children who are just learning Chinese do not have this ability. Therefore, the correct combination of "form and sound" of Chinese characters can only rely onWatch more, read more, review more, there are no shortcuts.

Compared with just looking at word cards,Read simple picture booksIt’s even more interesting because reading can incorporate the “meaning” of a word. With the help of illustrations, the “form, sound, and meaning” of each word are perfectly combined, allowing the text to convey meaning and create the so-called “reading fun.” In contrast, the reading of single-character flashcards seems dry, especially for abstract words such as "好, in, and ke", where it is more difficult to combine the shape and pronunciation of the characters, and it is also more difficult to understand the meaning of the characters.

Therefore, we have always emphasized the need toRead simple picture books first, then use word cards. This kind of cross-use of reading and word cards can make the literacy effect better. Children who are new to learning Chinese, especially overseas children, may not feel the benefits of learning Chinese and feel that learning Chinese will take up their play time. In order to prevent children from having the emotion of "not liking Chinese", we must let them experience the meaning and fun of the language through reading instead of memorizing boring word cards from the beginning. After reading simple picture books, use word cards to review, enhance memory through various word card games, and use flash word cards to understand your child's literacy level.

Provide some fun and simple ways to use word cards

(I believe many parents and teachers also have innovative methods)

(A) "Character Card" static game

1. Bingo or Tic Tac Toe game
2. Make a nine-square grid cardboard, stick the 9 word cards/word cards you just read on the grid with clay, and then play Bingo or Tic Tac Toe games.
3. charades
4. Use paper to cover part of the card and let the children guess the words on the card. You can also use a sticky note to cover a certain word while reading the red book, and let the child guess the covered word, especially the abstract word.
5. Find the hidden word or sentence game
6. Make your own 3x3 or 4x4 grid paper, with a word in each grid, and let the children find the words or sentences hidden in the grid.
7. Word Card Sorting Game
8. Sort the word cards into categories, such as food, animal names, actions, etc.
9. Contest pronunciation speed game
10. In a multiplayer game, a stack of word cards is placed in the middle. Whoever reads the words on the card first gets that word card. In the end, it is a competition to see who has more word cards.

(B) "Word Card" dynamic game

1. Walk or run to the right word card
2. Spread the word cards on the ground. When one person says a certain word, everyone must run to the word card.
3. That's wrong?
4. Put the word cards next to the real objects, deliberately put one or two wrong, and let the children find the wrong word cards.
5. action show
6. Choose a verb card or word card, have one child look at it and perform the action, and the other children will guess the word.
7. You are.../You will...
8. Use the east, west, north and west paper games you folded when you were a kid, and paste 8 interesting phrases inside, such as "You are a dog/You are a pig" or "You can skate/you can eat grass" etc. The child randomly selects directions and numbers and then acts out the chosen action or phrase.

(C) Flash card test

Flash through a stack of word cards and filter out the word cards that “can read” and “can’t read”. You can collect the word cards that you can read and focus on reviewing the words that you can't read. This test method is simple and easy to implement. When reading, you can pay more attention to the words you don't know.

A simple way to organize word cards

1. Sort by topic
2. Our primary story contains 500 new words, about 65% of which appear repeatedly in different themes, so the total number of word cards is well over 500. The word cards produced by our company are classified according to themes, and buckles are provided to facilitate buyers to fasten the word cards with the same theme together for easy selection.
3. Sort by pronunciation order
4. Like a dictionary, you can use buckles to fasten words with the same initial consonants together for easy search.
5. Classified by part of speech
6. For example, nouns, verbs, adjectives, prepositions, etc. can be classified. Nouns can also be subdivided into fruits, food, furniture, animal names, etc.

remind:

When reviewing word cards, you need to pay attention tomemory curve：通常在學習後的第1、2天記得很清楚，但第3、4天會迅速忘記。因此，第3、4天應趕緊複習。如果等太久再複習，可能完全忘記。總原則是Would rather spend 5 minutes every day or every other day reviewing word cards, better than reviewing after a long time.

More importantly, remember that the word cards are only auxiliary tools. We will not require children to memorize all the word cards before starting reading on the next topic. Children only need to remember about 70% of the flashcards and encourage them toRead each storybook on the topic multiple times, which can not only consolidate what they have learned, but also help them have a deeper understanding and mastery of the form, sound, and meaning of words.

Let children act out stories: Combining oral practice with literacy

Children especially like the show, this is a good oneSpeaking practice opportunities, can also be combined with text, especially with our book series stories, because these stories already have "plot"with"Lines”, that is, the manuscript for each page. (It is recommended to print out the text on each page in advance as a line reminder.)

(1) Flexibility in performing stories

Whether it isshort storyOrlong story, all can be performed by children. The content of the performance can be simple or complex, and teachers or parents can adjust it according to the age and time of the child.

(2) Performances involving multiple people

The ideal situation is to have multiple children participate in the performance, with different children playing different roles. If desired, one can be setnarrator, he/she can hold the script card and read aloud, or memorize the lines. If there are only two mothers and children, they can also take turns performing different roles. Additionally, allow children to role-play different roles with their toy animals or characters.

(3) Simple application of props and costumes

Of course there can be performancesprops and costumes, but children are not too demanding, they like "pretend” game. Teachers or parents don’t have to spend too much time preparing props. They can use simple things around them instead. For example, if you want to playTaiki, you can wrap a piece of green cloth over your child, or hold a big-letter card with "Big Tree" written on it. Once the roles are assigned, even if the performance doesn't go smoothly, just repeat it a few times. When there are few people, you can also let the children take turns playing different roles.

(4) Children’s fun in the performance

performanceFunIt allows children to learn languages ​​and review texts unconsciously. Their attention is focused on the "performance" itself, and even if the performance goes wrong, they still enjoy it.

Example: Junior Story #81 "By the Sea"

Here's a simple story that could also be acted out:

• child 1: Stand up and say "seaside" (then spread a blue cloth on the ground).
• child 2: Say "There is the sun" (you can hold a sun picture in your hand, or make a big sun with your hand, or take a sun word card).
• child 3: Say "There is sand" (children can grab a handful of sand or get word cards).
• child 4: Say "There are waves" (pick up the blue cloth on the ground and shake it).
• child 5: Say "There is a boat" (hold a word card or a toy boat).
• child 6: Say "There are seabirds" (hold the word card, or take a few toy birds and place them on the ground or "sea surface").
• child 7: Say "There's still me" (lie down under the blue cloth first, and then reveal your head from under the blue cloth).

A performance with few attendees

If there are only two or three children, you can also perform like this:

• Children 1, 2 Take turns saying the words on pages 2 to 6 and taking out the corresponding objects.
• number 3 Say the words on page 8 while peeking out your head from under the blue cloth.

If no one is involved, the child canone man showShow it to mom and dad.

Performance flexibility

No matter how the performance is performed or how many people participate, it can beFlexible use, and even extend the story. No one dictates how to perform, as long as the childHappy to participate, review the words and sentences in the story, and the goal has been achieved.

The simplest story is chosen here. If such a story can be performed, other more complex stories can naturally be performed as well. Teachers or parents can also enlarge the manuscript and place it in a prominent position to remind the children of the lines, or let the children read it directly.

simple tabletop game

(1) Bingo word game

• with childrenHomemade nine-square grid cardboard card.
• The content of each grid can be ready-madesingle word card, words on the back of word cards, or even short sentences. You can also write it yourself, or copy the text from the story book, cut it into word cards, and try to use existing cards, because this is "review"The words in the story.
• 使用Slime glueAttach the card to the big card in the nine-square grid so it can be used multiple times. You can choose the text of a different story each time to play the Bingo game to review the text.

(2) Origami: southeast, northwest

• After the origami is done, adults can help write theSoutheast, NorthwestFour words, 8 words are pasted in the 8 spaces inside.
• For example, words appear according to different themes: 8 actions for the other party to perform.
• There are 8 names of foods that children want to eat, and each other can "eat" one piece.
• 8 animal names, the other party performs the animal's walking way/action/sound, etc.

(3) Ladder game

• with childrenHomemade Ladder Game Cardand a dice.
• Ladders can be set up horizontally, vertically, straight or curved, from the starting point to the end point. The number of grids can be arbitrary.
• The content in the grid can be based on the content in our series of booksSingle word/word/sentence cards. If you can read it, take one step forward. If you can't read it, take one step back. The reward method can be designed by yourself to see who reaches the finish line first.

(4) A card with B card game

• It is best to use different colors for the words on card A and card B, or use different colors of paper to distinguish them. Don’t give too many at one time, just a few A cards and a few B cards and let the children match them.
• E.g,food themed stories:A card: West/Grass/Apple
• B card: fruit/melon/berry
• Story #8:
• A card: candles/cake/singing
• B card: song/cut/blow

(5) Rush reading game

• No preparation is required, just place a stack of word cards face down among the participants, turn over a word card, and whoever reads it first will get the word card. In the end, the person with the most word cards is the winner.

(6) Word/word card classification game

• Use word cards with different story themes and ask children to helpSort. Decide how many cards to give at a time according to the child's level.
• Examples of classification: food/play/use/color/clothing
• What can be eaten VS what cannot be eaten
• Moving vs. immobile
• What you have at home VS what you don’t have at home
• Flying vs. unable to fly

(7) Word Card Sentence Arrangement Game (Sentence Reorganization)

• Homemade reorganized character cards: Just photocopy the text on a certain page of Lele’s story and cut it into 2 to 3 parts.
• Reminder: Just start with 2 to 3 cards. The difficulty can gradually increase, and the number of words on each card can also be increased, but the total number of cards should be controlled at about 4. This adds to the sense of language without chopping up the sentence too much.

(8) Word guessing game while reading

• When reading, usesmall noteCover a certain word/word on a certain page and let the children guess the covered word/word.

(9) Word-finding and sentence-finding games

• set on a piece of paper3x3、4x4、5x5等格子, there is a Chinese character in each grid. One or several words, or a sentence, are hidden in these grids. These words and sentences can be connected into a line (curved or straight), allowing children to find these words or sentences.

Encourage children to participate in tabletop game making

Any tabletop game should be made in such a way that childrenparticipate. If children or adults have other self-created games, they should be encouraged and assisted in completing them.

Literacy activities combining art and children's songs

Hands-on art workIt is an activity that children like very much. If it can be combined with the text of children's songs or phrases, it will be more fun.Artwork and children's song literacyThe process is more interesting.

Although there are ready-made children's songs to choose from, we can also compile simple children's songs at any time by combining them with theme word cards. Children's songs just need to be short and catchy, they don't have to be perfect, and they don't need to rhyme. Even if you add one or two new words, it doesn't matter. The purpose is to combine art and crafts so that children canReview literacy. When composing children's songs, you can use already learned words to introduce new words, but be careful not to include too many new words. It’s also a great way to get children involved in creation.

example:

(A) Children’s songs come first, and arts and crafts come later

Example 1: Elementary Story

Children's songs:

I have two hands,

One on the left and one on the right.

left hand and right hand,

All have 5 fingers.

(Although the word "refers" does not appear in the primary story, there is no problem in adding a new word.)

Simple art work:

Take two pieces of paper and a pen, ask the child to open his left and right hands, place them on the paper, trace the hands with the pen, then cut them out, and paste the cut hands on the printed nursery rhyme paper. (Or do the opposite and paste the cut out children’s songs on the two traced hands or in the middle.)

Example 2: Intermediate story

Children's songs:

The plane flies high,

The plane flies low,

The plane flies far,

The plane flies close,

My paper airplane,

Didn't get first place.

(Although the word "low" does not appear in the series of books, mixing old words with new ones can help with learning.)

Simple art work:

Children can make origami airplanes, write children's songs on the whiteboard, and then have a paper airplane competition after reading. Finally, attach the printed nursery rhyme to the paper airplane for your child to take home.

(B) Arts and crafts come first, children’s songs come later

example 1:

Artwork:

Children can cut out or draw abig turtleand onelittle turtle(You can also use clay to make a three-dimensional turtle).

Children's songs: (Written based on the primary story text)

Little turtle, crawl and crawl,

When you are tired of climbing, stop for a moment.

Crawling forward, chasing mom.

(Type out the children's song and stick it on the turtle's belly, or stick it on the turtle's tail with thin thread.)

example 2:

Artwork:

Have your children draw a picture of their little brother or sister (or make a three-dimensional figure out of clay).

Children's songs:

My little brother is short,

Small mouth, loves to drink milk,

The round face is so cute.

(Type out the children’s song and paste it on the front or back of the picture.)

These activities can enhance children's literacy through art and children's songs, and add fun and learning effects.

Food making: combining the fun of words and games

The “food” mentioned here refers toChinese traditional pasta和Western baked snacks, both types of food involve dough, and children like to play with dough, and can learn by combining words.

Involve children as much as possible in every step (including card making).

1. Preparation of ingredients

Combined with real objects, children will be able to recognize these words after doing it a few times. After preparing the ingredients, place them next to eachChinese name card,E.g:

• Flour, water, salt, butter, soy sauce, sugar, etc.

You can also hold up the card and ask the child to bring you the corresponding object.

2. Take out the necessary props

The names of these props might beVery unusual words, but if food-making activities are carried out regularly, children will have the opportunity to see these words many times. You can put the name card of the prop next to it, for example:

• Large bowl, spoon, teaspoon, whisk, pin, measuring cup, etc.
•  

Similarly, you can hold up the cards and ask the children to get the corresponding props.

3. Common words and phrases used in the production steps

introduced in the production processCommonly used words and phrases(You can make long sentence cards since there aren’t many of these terms), for example:

• first/first/first/second/third, then, again, last, etc.
• Add --- to ---, pour --- into ---, put --- in.
• Use --- to stir, knead with hands, knead with hands, use --- to roll, and use small molds to --- cut.
• Roll out, spread ---, roll ---, wrap ---, etc.

4. Phrases for the final step of changing from “raw food to cooked food”

These terms will vary depending on the food, making them easy to find. You can make a "from raw food to cooked food" plan based on different delicacies.Standard phrase cards,E.g:

• Finally, it needs to be baked in the oven, boiled in water, and fried in oil.
• How much time is required: hours/minutes.
• Float and become --- color.
• Use a heat probe to measure the temperature, how much to preheat, boil water, and smoke.
• Temperature words: hot, cold, cool, warm, etc.

5. Taste the finished product

After the production is completed, children can use cards to learn to express the color, taste and feeling of food. Each type of word can be made into a separate card.

• color words: Brown, brown, gold.
• taste words:ups and downs.
• Words for how you feel when you eat: Soft, hard, crisp, crispy, sticky, elastic.
• smell words: Fragrant, smelly, strange smell, mint smell, fishy smell.
• express preferenceWords of: super delicious, unpleasant, too sweet, eaten a lot, dare not eat again.

6. Write down the process and results

This part allowsAdults and children complete it together.

If your children can use Chinese Pinyin, they can work together to type on the computer and record it.The process and results of making delicious food. If the child cannot use Chinese pinyin or phonetic symbols, the adult can talk to the child while typing to complete the manuscript, and then encourage the child to read it once. You can also add small illustrations and hang them in the kitchen. Next time you make the same dish, you can read it once to understand all the steps.

extended learning

Our book series containsfood themed stories, covering many food names. In the food theme of intermediate stories, there are two stories about the process of making delicious food, which include manyCommonly used terms for production steps.

(A) Children recreate our primary storybook and extend the ending of the story

Graphic book + Extend our story

1. Photocopy and split graphics and text

• Make photocopies of our book covers and inside pages.
• Cut out the pictures and text and keep them separately.

2. Match pictures and texts with each other

• Let the children re-match the pictures and words and paste them on the white paper.
• Encourage children to be creative. It doesn't have to be exactly the same as the original book, as long as the sentences are correct.

3. Extend the story

• Add 1 to 2 blank sheets of paper at the end of the finished book.
• Let your children extend the story by adding their own drawings or stickers.
• The text part is written or printed with adult assistance to ensure that it matches the child's narrative.

4. Encourage sharing

• Encourage children to read their own works to their younger brothers and sisters.
• You can make a video and share it with your grandparents or parents-in-law to enhance your child's expression ability and self-confidence.

(B) Children create their own books

Suitable for children with certain speaking ability

1. Prepare materials

• Prepare a few sheets of white paper for book pages.
• The drawing section allows children to cut and paste, use stickers or draw pictures on their own.

2. Text creation

• The adult listens to the child and helps with typing or writing.
• If there are too many words, adults can modify them appropriately to bring them close to the child's literacy level.
• Avoid criticizing or judging your child's story, and respect and faithfully express your child's original meaning.

B-1: Children’s Fictional Stories

1. If children take the initiative to discuss creation, adults can lead questions, such as:What is the story about?(People, animals, nature, aliens, etc.)
2. Where does the story take place?
3. What happened in the story? How was the process?
4. What was the result? Is the problem solved? How do the characters feel?

B-2: Real events seen by children

• It could be something happening at home, such as family or pet activity.
• Or things you see in public places such as parks, markets, schools, etc.

3. Completion and sharing

• After children are finished, they will be very happy to "read" their own works.
• You can record your own stories and share them with others.
• Children love to show their "books" and this is a very popular activity among children.

Encourage creativity and language learning

By recreating storybooks and creating their own books, children not only deepen their understanding of the content of the story, but also improve theirlanguage expression ability和creative thinking. These activities combineVisual, auditory and hands-on activities, making learning more diverse and interesting.

How these activities help children:

1. language skills: Enhance vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure through reading, writing, and speaking.
2. creativity: Allow children to create stories freely and cultivate their imagination and creative thinking.
3. Self-confidence: Complete your own work and share it with others to improve your self-confidence and expression skills.
4. Parent-child interaction: Promote cooperation and communication between adults and children, and strengthen parent-child relationships.

These activities can be flexibly adjusted and modified appropriately according to the age and language level of the child, ensuring that every child can have fun and grow while participating.

Explore the role of recitation and comprehension in learning Chinese

When we discuss this issue, we are really "overestimating our capabilities" because this is an "issue" that many experts and scholars are debating. How can we answer it? However, we can share our thoughts on this issue, especially for young children learning Chinese.

In terms of recitation:

When we see some children who can recite Tang poetry, Di Zigui and the Three-Character Classic, we are envious. In addition to admiration, we hope that our own children can do the same. Some "experienced people" recited these poems and songs "again" when they were older, and they all felt "infinite aftertaste" and admired the artistic conception of these poems. They felt that although they had worked hard to "memorize" them when they were young, they felt "beneficial" a lot in the future. Therefore, I feel that although children may not understand the recited content, but they have good memory, they should recite these teaching materials. There needs to be a little distinction here. If someone proposes to recite Tang poetry, ancient poetry, disciple rules, three-character classic, etc., without touching the text. Since it is not for literacy, but purely for recitation, it is a different matter and is outside the scope of our discussion. If your child is Chinese as his mother tongue and has a strong memory, reciting can be easily completed, and we would be happy to see success.

Literacy:

We don’t have “big data” to know how many children have learned literacy through this learning method, or we don’t know the relationship between the two, that is, how closely reading and reciting these text materials are related to their future “reading” abilities. Children must read and recite these teaching materials, which is the best way to learn to read Chinese.

Our understanding is:

1. Traditional textbooks emphasize "recitation" first and "understanding" later.: The focus of this type of textbook is on memorization, and understanding usually comes later.

2. The Lele book series attaches great importance to "understanding" first: The purpose of the Lele book series is to allow children to read/memorize words through understanding without having to memorize any content.

two different roads

1. Recite first

Some people would say that children in the past learned about a string of words by learning "ancient prose and poetry." Our reservation is: How many of today’s children can use this method to learn Chinese, become literate, and successfully transition to being able to read independently and enjoy reading?

2. The Lele book series puts “understanding” first

The purpose of the Lele book series is to hope that children can taste the "sweetness" of reading as early as possible. With our reading pen, they can "listen and read" repeatedly, observe the character shapes, listen to the pronunciation, and see the meaning of the pictures, so that literacy and reading can complement each other, so as to cultivate children. The purpose of basic reading ability is to become literate by the way.

The above are two different paths. Strictly speaking, the two are not contradictory and can be pursued simultaneously. It’s just that children’s time and energy are limited, and in reality sometimes they need to make trade-offs. We provide these opinions for your reference. The ultimate goal is the same. We hope that children can start reading early and enjoy reading.

+

Q: Some readers have raised issues with the pronunciation of the words "和", "garbage" and "snail".

A:

If we were to trace the pronunciation origins of many words, it would be beyond our ability. Readers’ online search results will definitely be richer than what we can provide, and of course, they may also find many unexpected answers. For example: I think "和" should be pronounced "hé", but the result can also be seen online: before there was "Mandarin", "和 hàn" was the standard pronunciation.

Generally, the answer we hear is: "This is how my teacher taught me to read." This indeed reflects the real situation, indicating that the "proper pronunciation" and "different pronunciation" (not incorrect pronunciation) of many words are common in the adult world. exist, or are prevalent in different regions. In other words, since the two exist at the same time, we feel that instead of "discussing and arguing" about what standard pronunciation is, it is better to encourage "tolerance and acceptance", instead of looking at "different pronunciations" with wrong attitudes and perspectives, and instead respect differences. "Groups" have habitually different pronunciations of certain words.

English in the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and other places also have different pronunciations, and even some English words for "New Yorkers" have their own unique pronunciation. I think when teaching children English, English teachers will not emphasize these different pronunciations, but let the children be naturally exposed to the pronunciation of different regions. I believe that the "adaptability" of the children's ears will be stronger in this way.

In the same way, there are many differences in wording, such as "koala/koala", "roller coaster/roller coaster", "panda/cat bear", etc., which I won't go into details. Recently, a friend passed along a long list of "new buzzwords". Many of them are not only expressive and appropriate, but also quite creative. They have never appeared before, which is eye-opening. Over time, language is constantly evolving. When you see these new words, will you embrace them or reject them?

Many countries around the world use Chinese, and different regions have different usages.

Sometimes the same thing may have different names.

Welcome to the Lele Study Group to share the different names or usages you have found in Lele books, and note the region. Thanks

How to deal with the challenge of "how to read if you can't read"?

The problem/problem that Lele Reading and Literacy Series has been facing all along is that many people say, "How can I read if I don't know how to read?" These people insist on learning to read first and then reading. This "idea" has been common for a long time. The direction of our efforts is to put reading first, relying on parents/teachers to read together, or using technology products such as reading pens, reading robots, e-books, etc. to help children complete independent reading. After repeated reading, you can "incidentally" learn the words (if you don't remember the pronunciation of some words, you can consolidate them through word card activities). In other words, literacy is not just seeing the word and being able to read the pronunciation of the word, but more importantly, understanding the meaning of the word. This is the result of reading.

1. Discussion of traditional teaching methods

First, take a closer look at primary school textbooks. Usually, you read the text first and then learn the words:

• (a) In each lesson, the text appears first, and the teacher will lead everyone to read it aloud.
• (B) Then a row of "new words" appears below the text, and the teacher gradually introduces and explains the new words and how to write them.
• (C) Finally, you have to go back and "reread" the text, and the teacher will analyze and explain it carefully.

This process is actually the same as our trilogy:

Read, understand, and then read.

But why do people have the impression that learning Chinese requires literacy first and then reading?

2. Reflection on traditional learning methods

This three-step process has been implemented in textbooks for the 6th year of primary school. However, due to past constraints, schools must rely on teachers to teach texts and new words, ignoring children's ability to learn words on their own through multiple readings. If there are private school teachers or parents who accompany one-on-one reading like in the past, they always have reading materials first, such as the Three Character Classic, Disciple Rules, poems and songs, etc. They are not always reading materials with context "first" (for the first time) Reading aloud does not require understanding of the content), but "shouldn't" first carry out single-word literacy activities? This also shows that traditional literacy is not about "seeing the characters and being able to read the pronunciation of the characters", that is, literacy, but about understanding the meaning of the individual characters and the meaning produced by the combination of the individual characters. (Many people now misunderstand: literacy means being able to read words when you see them)

3. Advantages of modern technology

Compared with the past, now that society has technological support, it is easier and more feasible to read first and then learn to read. The use of e-books, reading pens and other readers solves the problem of pronunciation. Children do not necessarily need to rely on others to solve the dilemma of pronunciation (of course we are more happy to see one-on-one "parent-child reading"), and children "read independently" It is easier to achieve it by yourself. By reading more and reading repeatedly, you can learn a lot of words (some children do not use word cards to review at all). This process of starting Chinese by reading first can easily attract them to love reading, which not only allows them to gain a lot of literacy results, but also establishes the habit of enjoying reading for life. Parents support and appreciate the achievements and joy of their children's "independent reading". It is truly a win-win situation!

4. The importance of reading widely

In general, in addition to textbooks containing "intensive reading" materials (I hope teachers will not over-analyse the texts and try to let the children experience it themselves), they often also have "extensive reading" materials for each grade. In fact, the meaning behind this is to hope that through reading a large amount of extensive reading materials, we can better consolidate and improve reading skills, while continuing to accumulate new vocabulary. In other words, reading itself is a means of literacy, which coincides with the direction of our Lele series of "reading and literacy".

Lele Point Reading Pen can recognizeLe Le Chinese Reading SystemThe text and symbols inside allow children to touchSingle words, full page stories or sound wave markersCome and listen to standard pronunciation to help learn Chinese pronunciation and literacy.

No, Lele Point Reading PenCan only be used for Lele Listening and Reading Series, because these books have built-in exclusive point-reading technology that matches the system of the point-reading pen.

However, the reading pen300 books that can be read on the Lele reading system,includeThere are three levels: red (beginner), yellow (intermediate), and green (advanced)., AndBoth the Traditional and Simplified Chinese versions can be read with the same pen, to meet the needs of different families!

Suitable 2-10 years oldChildren, especially those who have just started learning Chinese and need a lot of listening and reading experience to improve their literacy skills.

Can! The design of the reading pen is simple and intuitive, and children canChoose a word, sentence or a whole page of storyCome and read, review at any time, and improve your independent learning ability.

The reading speed of elementary stories is slow, which is a deliberate design of Lele.Help children learn pronunciation and intonation clearly, the speech speed cannot be adjusted at present, but throughRepeated reading, children can gradually get used to normal speaking speed [refer to QA 5].

unnecessary! Point reading penNo Wi-Fi or additional apps required, built-in voice files, can be used after charging, allowing children to learn easily anytime and anywhere.

Lele Point Reading Pen built-inStandard Mandarin Pronunciation, but there is no Cantonese or English translation. If you need to learnStrategy of using Cantonese, Mandarin and English in parallel, please refer to the suggestions in [QA 9].

Currently, Lele is preparing for the Cantonese version of the reading pen and the Taiwanese version of the Lele listening and reading series.
You can subscribe to the following newsletter and get the latest news first-hand! 

The Lele reading pen uses a lithium battery.

After fully charged, the reading penCan be used continuously for about 5-6 hours, the specific time depends on the frequency of use. It takes about 2 hours to fully charge.

• Confirm whether the device is powered on(Press and hold the power button to turn on).
• Check whether the pen tip is correctly aligned with the dot reading area(You need to click on the text or sound wave mark built into the book).
• Check if the volume is turned on(Press the volume button on the pen to adjust).
• If the problem persists, please contact customer service for testing.

Very suitable! Lele Point Reading Pen can help👨‍👩‍👧 Non-Native Speaking FamiliesProvides standard Mandarin voice input, children canNot dependent on parents’ Chinese proficiency, throughListen more, read moreCome and learn correct pronunciation and literacy [refer to non-native family suggestions].

Lele Word Cards is designed forLiteracy and reading assistanceDesigned learning tools, including1000 Common Chinese Characters, synchronized with the stories in the Lele Book Series, helping children consolidate their learning and strengthen their literacy skills.

Lele word cardsSuitable for children who are already very familiar with Leleshu, through the matching booksReview and Games, help children strengthen their memory, consolidate their literacy skills, and increase their confidence in independent reading.

📌 Remark : Don’t use the traditional “flash card” method, it is recommended to first understand Lele "Reading and Literacy"The concept ofLet children learn to read naturally when they fall in love with reading.

✅ Listen and read a lot Their favorite happy stories, build language sense and interest
✅ Use Lele Word Cards Do some light review to strengthen the words you already know
✅ Go back to read Lele Book, increase familiarity and confidence

This way of learning can help childrenLearn to read through joyful reading, truly enjoy the process of learning Chinese! 📖✨

can pass throughFlexible use of different methods,Such as:
✅ Matching Game(Match the word cards with the words or pictures in the Lele book)
✅ Bingo(Take out the word card and the child finds the corresponding word)
✅ Word puzzle activities(Use flashcards to form phrases or simple sentences)
✅ Reading and spelling(Read words aloud to strengthen phonetic memory)

Because literacy is not just about memorizingGlyphs and pronunciation, we also need to understandPractical usage of words. Lele word cards are synchronized with Lele storybooks, so children canLearning vocabulary in a specific context, naturally grasp the meaning of words, rather than just mechanically memorizing them [refer to QA 6].

Lele word cards cannot be used with the reading pen, but can be matched withLeleshu, let the children find the same words in the book, learn the correct pronunciation through the context of the story, and then review with word cards. We also offeronline resources, assisting parents to find corresponding books and vocabulary cards to help children learn more smoothly.

📌 This is intentionally designed to not be clickable!
We hope that childrenDevelop independent reading skills, rather than relying too much on the reading pen. Lele's literacy sequence follows the **"sentence → word → character"** learning method, allowing children to learn literacy naturally through reading rather than memorizing individual words.

✅ The point is not whether the children can read, but whether they are willing to continue reading!
✅ The role of word cards is to "help" children, not to "test" or "control" their literacy.

When children are repeatedly exposed to words in their favorite stories, they will naturallyUnderstand, remember and truly learn to read, this is our learning goal! 📖✨

No, Lele Word CardsNo pinyin or Zhuyin providedBecause we emphasize ** "direct literacy"I hope my children canReading and Context**Learn characters naturally and avoid over-reliance on auxiliary symbols, which will affect long-term Chinese reading ability [Refer to QA 3].

Why is Pinyin or Zhuyin not conducive to children’s learning?

🔹 Let children "read pinyin" instead of "read characters"
When children are accustomed to relying on pinyin or Zhuyin, their eyes will prioritize scanning these symbols rather than the Chinese characters themselves, resulting in slow development of literacy and difficulty in achieving true independent reading.

🔹 Reduce literacy efficiency and affect fluent reading
Children who have long relied on pinyin/zhuyin often find it difficult to read texts without pinyin, because they do not really remember the shape and meaning of the characters. Instead, they need to "spell" and are unable to understand the content of the article smoothly.

🔹 Affects language sense and comprehension ability
Pinyin and Zhuyin cannot be expressedThe structure and meaning of Chinese charactersFor example, the word "行" can be pronounced "háng (bank)" or "xíng (walk)" in different contexts - if children rely too much on pinyin, they may use the wrong pronunciation, affecting their understanding of the meaning.

🔹 Interfere with English learning and increase confusion
Pinyin is similar to English pronunciation, but the rules are different, which can easily confuse children who are learning two languages. For example, "he" is pronounced like "喝" in pinyin, but it is "他" in English. This confusion affects the child's ability to recognize language.

Lele’s approach: Learning words naturally through reading

✅ Expose children to text multiple times in stories, without the help of auxiliary symbols, directly build the ability to "see the meaning of words"
✅ Use the reading pen to assist pronunciationHowever, we do not emphasize spelling, but let children master words through listening and reading more.
✅ Encourage your child to read familiar stories over and over again, allowing literacy to occur naturally and enhancing fluency

📌 Conclusion: Pinyin/Zhuyin are only auxiliary, the real key to literacy is "reading"!
ThroughLele System's "Reading and Literacy" Method, children can recognize words more easily, develop fluent Chinese reading skills, and truly fall in love with reading!

Non-native families can learn through games and multi-sensory learningTo improve children's literacy, for example:
🔹 Match word cards with pictures or objects, helping to understand the meaning of words
🔹 Integrate into daily conversations(For example: when using the "Drink Water" card, actually drink water)
🔹 Create simple sentences with flashcards, encourage children to speak Chinese [refer to non-native family]

can pass throughGamified learningTo add interest, for example:
(I.e. competition game – Let your child quickly recognize the flashcards and see who can recognize more.
???? Mysterious Word Cards - Randomly draw a word card and guess what the word means
???? Create a story – Let your child draw a few flashcards and create their own short story

🚫 No need! Lele emphasizes **"learning words through reading" rather than memorizing them by rote. ** Children shouldLele Story BookLearn words naturally through reading, and then review them easily with word cards, and strengthen the impression through games.Avoid study stress and make learning easy and fun.

Why is rote memorization of vocabulary cards ineffective?

🔹 Without context, children cannot understand the true meaning of words
Children quickly forget words if they are simply memorized because they are unable to connect these words to actual language usage. For example, if a child memorizes the word "fly" but has never seen the sentence "birds can fly" in a story, it will be difficult for him to truly understand the usage of this word.

🔹 Short-term memory, no long-term literacy effect
Rote memorization is short-term memory and will soon be forgotten if children do not continually review or apply the words. And throughRead lots of stories, children can encounter the same words repeatedly, build long-term memory, and even recognize and understand new words naturally.

🔹 Affects learning interest and causes children to resist Chinese
Many children from overseas families eventually give up learning Chinese becauseTraditional Chinese schools only focus on recitation and dictation, children have a negative impression of Chinese since childhood, and it becomes "Chinese = pressure",Finally choose to resist learning.