Language as a social practice
We engage in social practices in our everyday life, many of which involve language. We always listen, read, write, and speak with a purpose. We use language to construct meaning. Stories and situations that reflect children’s everyday lives contribute to the use of language as a social practice.
Multisensory approach
There are plenty of hands-on activities that involve different senses. The more senses involved, the more effective learning will be!
Involvement
Any human being learns best when they are involved. In Little Stars, students are engaged through visuals, stories, situations, and games that mix their real lives with elements of fantasy and magic. Movement is important for very young children, so Little Stars gets students moving. This keeps them involved and focused on the activity, and helps them make connections between language and meaning.
Stories
Stories are part of our everyday life. Adults come home to tell others what happened throughout their day. Anecdotes engage people. Through stories, children get to know and learn about the world, and learn how to cope with different situations. For very young learners, meaning is shown through illustrations (picture books). Language accompanies the stories. It is through stories, especially when they are dramatized, that children remember expressions that make their learning more vivid. They will be able to use these expressions in other everyday situations in the classroom.
Play
Play is essential in the pre-primary classroom since it promotes interaction between what is individual and what is social, between what is subjective and what is objective. Not every child plays in the same way or the same games as games are part of our sociocultural background. Therefore, games present a rich opportunity for children to interact meaningfully with others, learning the importance of rules, honesty, and the value of participation. Through games, children learn about values and norms. Games also promote the development of self-confidence, autonomy, solidarity, cooperation, friendship, shared work, among others.
