𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 '𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱'!

For the remainder of 2023, 'In The Real Wonderland' will not be offering this group class on Outschool, and other group classes will be offered only on a limited/ occasional basis. However, one-on-one, individually tailored play-based learning sessions will continue to be offered by 'In The Real Wonderland' on Outschool for the remainder of 2023. Please see my main profile page for these options. 
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Ｃｌａｓｓ　Ｄｅｓｃｒｉｐｔｉｏｎ
Learning to read, write and spell correctly is an important goal that many parents have for their children. One of the important keys to literacy is ensuring that young children have strong speech and language skills in place 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 starting formal literacy learning. 

I am a native-English speaker and, in this class, I bring my training in specialised (Hanen) language and speech education to support one of the most important literacy foundation skills: oral segmenting and blending. This skill involves being able to segment the individual sounds in speech (so "chocolate" becomes "ch-o-k-o-l-a-t") and then blend them together again ("ch-ee-s" becomes "cheese"). 

In this ongoing class, children will be able to practice a wide variety of word segments and oral blends in a conversational, speech-focused and playful format. We will meet our (puppet) friend Sweet-Pea who wants to play with us. Oh...but Sweet-Pea comes from outer space and can't yet understand the words we are using! Children will help Sweet-Pea by breaking down words into phonemes and blending them together again so that Sweet-Pea can play too! 

This is a playful, relaxed and low-pressure class using a conversational format, and designed to support children’s confidence in their language, literacy and speech abilities. The duration of the class is shorter than my other classes to ensure children's attention does not fatigue. Extra-small class sizes ensure children receive individualised attention, and each class can be adequately personalised for each learner. 

Each week we will focus on word segments and blends relating to a different theme. Activities will include guessing games, body rhythm play and spoken-word activities. This means that children not only learn  and practice the skills of phonemic segments and blends in the context of something meaningful and interesting, but will also develop their vocabulary generally. It also ensures that the class can be inclusive of children with diverse learning needs - both simple and more complicated words can be included, so that all children can enjoy, and be included in, learning. 

Please view the "Learning Goals" section below, to read more about the underlying concepts and skills that children will gain in this class.

The class is held once a week. If you would like your child to have additional practice, you may enroll them in more than one session per week (or request an additional class time). Each week we will use a different theme to prompt our creations and spark our conversation and imagination. This is an 𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 class. Every week is a 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗘 exploration - so you can start the class in any week. Once we have worked through our themes, the class rolls over and starts again at the beginning. 

Children are welcome to bring special objects, toys, souvenirs or mementos to each class, relating to the weekly theme, and we will incorporate these into the conversation activities so that learning is meaningful, relevant and interesting for children. Our weekly explorations will include:

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀
(week starting 25th April, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 𝗪𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲
(week starting 2nd May, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱, 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹𝘀
(week starting 9th May, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗕𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀, 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝘁 (𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁)
(week starting 16th May, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀
(week starting 23rd May, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
(week starting 30th May, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘀
(week starting 6th June, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺
(week starting 13th June, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵
(week starting 20th June, 2022)

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁...𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀
(week starting 27th June, 2022)

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Ｉｎｃｌｕｓｉｖｅ　Ｐｌａｙ　＆　Ｌｅａｒｎｉｎｇ　Ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅｓ...Ｆｏｒ　Ａｌｌ　Ｌｅａｒｎｅｒｓ

All children have preferred ways of engaging with learning content. 

Typically, children learn best when they can engage with content in a way that reflects their own unique preferences. 

I endeavor to ensure that this class is inclusive of all learners (including E and 2E learners). I do this by structuring classes, activities and conversations so each child can choose to engage in the whole class, using whatever way is most appropriate, meaningful and rewarding for them.

In this class, very small class sizes allow me to ensure that we can adjust and "steer" the conversation topics in ways that reflect the individual interests of each child. All children are supported to engage in the class in whichever ways are most meaningful for them. This includes ensuring a welcoming environment for children who prefer to be "onlookers" before participating in our conversations, or who find that using their hands (e.g. to draw or fiddle) supports their attention. 

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Ｔｅａｃｈｉｎｇ　Ａｐｐｒｏａｃｈ

This information will help you decide if my approach is a "good fit" for your child.  

This class is capped at a maximum of five learners, to ensure each child has the best possible child-led, personalised learning experience. I believe that learning comes not from memorising abstract facts, but though children being able to create and make sense of new ideas. To guide this learning, we need to have immersive, two-way conversations with children. Small class sizes allow me to work personally in this way, with each child. 

Child-led learning means that your child decides how they participate and what they focus on in our class. In this class, I do not tell children what to think about, or what to focus on. Instead, my goal is to understand your child's unique internal motivation. I do this by using stories, art, creativity and conversation to spark engagement. I then support each child to respond to these ideas and to follow their interests in a way that the class content and material comes to life for them. This helps make their learning become meaningful and sustained. 

You may see some differences in my classes, from the traditional US-based pre-K/ K/ early elementary and seated classroom approach. My aim is to extend your child's learning beyond our allocated screen time, through teaching and classroom practices such as:

🦋 Child-led learning (not teacher-led instruction)

🦋 Shared understanding (not imposing meaning)

🦋 Individualised and humanising relationships (not standardised expectations)

🦋 Hands-on, authentic play (not lectures)

🦋 Deep experimentation with creative, scientific, mathematical and relational process (not factory produced products or worksheets)

🦋 Collaboration and meaning (not rote memorising)

🦋 Imaginative resourcefulness (not mundane replication) 

🦋 Growing children's passions (not their performance)

🦋 Reading and responding to children’s cues, behaviours and signals (not managing, pathologising or fixing them)

🦋 Being an adult who is in calm control (not an adult who is battling for control and compliance)

My teaching approach tends to suit families who are seeking a humanising and wholistic learning experience for their young child.