There are three writing systems that the Japanese use: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. In this class, we will learn the hiragana system. Children in Japan learn first to read hiragana and use that as a building block to learning more advanced characters. By learning hiragana, one opens the door to a wealth of material. The hiragana characters are known as syllabaries and are different from the letters we use in the English alphabet. If one knows all the hiragana syllabaries in a word, one knows how to read that word because the sounds are the characters' names. Students will study the basic 46 hiragana characters; furthermore, we will learn the additional sounds and combination characters when appropriate. Each week, we will review 2 rows of the hiragana chart. Students will start to learn to read in a combination of hiragana and alphabet letters. Once a hiragana is introduced, it will replace the alphabet combination that symbolizes its sound. While learning to read the hiragana system, students will practice writing it as well. In addition, they will be taught vocabulary in Japanese. It is vital that students feel welcome and excited about learning. While having fun, we will also practice good classroom etiquette. Let’s get ready to learn and have fun!

Week 1 Day 1: Row 1 of Hiragana Chart
Week 1 Day 2: Row 2 of Hiragana Chart 
Week 2 Day 1: Row 3 of Hiragana Chart
Week 2 Day 2: Row 4 of Hiragana Chart
Week 3 Day 1: Row 5 of Hiragana Chart
Week 3 Day 2: Row 6 of Hiragana Chart
Week 4 Day 1: Row 7 of Hiragana Chart
Week 4 Day 2: Row 8 of Hiragana Chart
Week 5 Day 1: Row 9 of Hiragana Chart
Week 5 Day 2: Row 10 of Hiragana Chart