I was asked by a young relative of mine in China to teach her 6-year-old English, online once a week. This makes me think of many ABCs (America-born Chinese) here in America.
The ABCs are sent by their parents to a Chinese school to learn Chinese, also once a week. Unfortunately many graduating from Chinese schools can't even speak Chinese like native Chinese.
I want to ensure my relative's daughter doesn't face the same challenges. Things are made more difficult with online teaching. I have to crack my brain to see the real learning taking place.
In the past I have worked with high school kids and in recent years with adult students, having zero experience with a 6-year-old.
I need all the help that I can get from the girl's parents, making sure the girl reviews what she learns from me.
I am going to use the same method as with older students, setting achievable goals first. Of course, I will need to explain to her what a goal is. I told her parents to prepare some visual aid like a goal board to track her goal, like adding a star for the day she does her homework.
The young child needs constant positive feedback to stay motivated and fully engaged, so by the end of the week the parents should reward her with something for her progress toward the goal.
Since they are the first time parent, there's so much to share with them, because parental involvement in the child's learning journey is crucial. I need to teach the parents how to have engaging dialogues with the girl to encourage self reflection, like asking her "How did you do?" "What did you do well?" "If not well, what can you do differently next week?"
While challenging as it seems, I am trying to make her learning journey both enjoyable and effective, using the same tools as with adult students —setting achievable goals, providing constant positive feedback, and fostering meaningful dialogue between the child and her parents, confident that this supportive learning environment is key to growth and development for all of us, young and old alike.
Here’s a Chinese saying: 十年树木，百年树人: it takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to educate a person. Be patient.