Japanese Circle Time for Preschool (Non-Immersion, Beginners Welcome!)
In this on-going class that meets twice a week, children will be introduced to hiragana and Japanese culture through song, story time, and activities. This class is taught primarily in English and is suitable for beginners.
Ai Sensei あい先生
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(152)
What's included
2 live meetings
1 in-class hours per weekClass Experience
Join us in exploring the wonderful world of Japanese language and culture! Taught by a native Japanese speaker, the class is taught primarily in English, with basic Japanese greetings, vocabulary and phrases being gradually introduced. This class is geared towards children who: * are interested in Japanese language, culture, or food * maybe has Japanese relatives/friends and want to learn more * beginners welcome! no previous Japanese experience necessary Each Week, children will be led in song, story time, and activities in Japanese as they interact with Sensei and each other. Throughout the year we will follow seasonal themes and Japanese holidays/traditions, and practice the same song(s) throughout each month to give a chance for students to remember the lyrics. We will also do a weekly origami craft. The primary objective is to introduce children to Japanese culture in a fun and positive environment. The curriculum is designed to generally repeat every year, beginning in August, but the class is taught so that students can join at any time during the year. GENERAL OUTLINE: * Greeting * Attendance * Today's date * This week's topic or origami craft * Hiragana song * This week's hiragana * Story time * Greeting AGE: Depending on your child's Japanese level, please provide parental support as needed, especially during the origami craft. CLASS SCHEDULE: Class meets twice a week, except for holidays etc. as noted below (all dates below are listed in US time zones). Although Sensei is located in Hawaii (which does NOT observe Daylight Savings Time), class times will be adjusted to align with students in US states that do observe Daylight Savings Time (DST). This means if your area does not observe DST, class time would be one hour later, during November-March. Please double check your time zone specific calendar on Outschool. JANUARY 2023: Colors & Holidays: New Years Day (Oshougatsu) & Setsubun Week 1: NO CLASS (Winter Break 12/20-1/5) Week 2: 1/10th & 12th Week 3: 1/17th & 19th Week 4: 1/24th & 26th Week 5: 1/31st & 2/1st FEBRUARY 2023: Colors & Girls Day (Hinamatsuri) Week 1: 2/7th & 9th Week 2: 2/14th &16th Week 3: 2/21st & 23rd Week 4: 2/28th & 3/2nd MARCH 2023: Shapes Week 1: 3/7th & 9th Week 2: NO CLASS (Spring Break 3/14-3/16) Week 3: 3/21st & 23rd Week 4: 3/28th & 30th APRIL 2023: Parts of the Body Week 1: 4/4th & 6th Week 2: 4/11th & 13th Week 3: 4/18th & 20th Week 4: 4/25th & 27th MAY 2023: Animals Week 1: 5/2nd & 5/4th Week 2: 5/9th & 11th Week 3: 5/16th & 18th Week 4: 5/23rd & 25th Week 5: NO CLASS
Learning Goals
Students will practice their Japanese skills through various activities:
Listening: listening to Sensei introduce vocabulary words and phrases.
Speaking: Sharing about themselves, singing, and answering problems.
Reading: Students will learn 1-2 letters of Hiragana, the Japanese alphabet, per week.
Other Details
Supply List
We typically will do an origami craft every Thursday, so I recommend purchasing an assorted color pack of origami paper. Please have these commonly used supplies available: origami paper crayons or markers scissors glue or tape
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Each week selected age-appropriate Japanese book(s)will be read aloud during story time. Stories will be read primarily in English.
Joined September, 2020
5.0
152reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
*** I am currently on a break from teaching. Thank you for your understanding. ***
こんにちは Konnichiwa! I am Ai Sensei. "Sensei" means "teacher" in Japanese.
I am a native Japanese speaker from Tokyo, Japan, and currently live in beautiful Hawaii with my husband and two children.
I was raised bilingual/bicultural and it is my passion to share my Japanese culture, not only with my own children but with all of my students. I truly believe that a multicultural education helps to develop empathetic, globally-minded children. I also believe that multilingualism or multiculturalism is one of the most valuable gifts a parent can give their child. It is sure to open up a world of new connections and opportunities, so I commend parents for encouraging your child's early interest in world cultures!
I currently work as an online teacher with children in Japan and China in addition to teaching on Outschool. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and have classroom experience in public elementary schools in Hawaii. You'll find my teaching style to be warm and enthusiastic and my classes tend to be smaller to allow for maximum interaction. I hope my students leave class feeling like they've made genuine connections with their teacher and classmates.
I teach a variety of classes on Japanese culture and language - cooking classes, conversation, games, folktales - but my goal remains the same: to make Japanese accessible and fun for learners of all levels. Whether you've recently discovered your interest in Japan, or you're already fluent, I look forward to seeing you soon in my classroom!
*** About Schedule Requests***
I currently have limited teaching availability on weekends and certain hours during the week. My teaching hours are at capacity; thus I am unlikely to be able to fulfill additional schedule requests. Apologies and thank you for your understanding.Reviews
Live Group Class
$24
weekly ($12 per class)2x per week
30 min
Completed by 8 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 3-6
3-7 learners per class
