Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

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Paola

13 episodes

4 days ago

What are the foundational, non-negotiable principles that every teacher of young learners needs to know? After exploring specific strategies from storytelling to learning centers, this episode distills decades of expert wisdom into ten powerful, practical ideas that form the bedrock of effective and joyful English teaching. Drawing from Joan Kang Shin's seminal work, we explore a "greatest hits" list of teaching principles, connecting each one to the neuroscience and linguistics that explain ...

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Episodes (13/13)

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

Ten Timeless Principles for Teaching English to Young Learners

4 days ago

19 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The Power of Stations: Creating dynamic language centers for differentiated learning.

Are you looking for a sustainable way to move beyond whole-class instruction and truly meet the diverse needs of every student in your classroom? In this essential episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we take a deep dive into one of the most effective instructional strategies: learning centers. Building on our previous discussions about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the inductive approach, and playful learning, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to t...

1 week ago

17 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The Playful Classroom: Why games are a power tool for vocabulary building

Ready to transform vocabulary lessons from tedious memorization to joyful, effective learning experiences? In this energizing episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we dive deep into the powerful role of games in language acquisition. Building on our previous discussions about storytelling, music, and inductive learning, we explore how games naturally combine all these elements to create the perfect environment for vocabulary retention. Drawing from recent academic re...

2 weeks ago

15 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The great debate: Teaching rules vs. Letting kids discover the language

Should we explicitly teach grammar rules to children, or should we let them discover patterns naturally through context and experience? This fundamental question lies at the heart of effective language teaching for young learners. In this thought-provoking episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we explore the critical differences between deductive and inductive teaching approaches. We dive deep into why cognitive science and language acquisition research strongly favo...

3 weeks ago

13 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

Designing for All: How UDL transforms your ESL classroom.

What if you could plan your lessons to reach every learner from the very start—without last-minute adjustments or feeling stretched thin? Imagine a classroom where barriers to learning are minimized, and every student has a clear path to engagement and success. In this transformative episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we dive into Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a powerful framework rooted in neuroscience that helps teachers proactively design flexible, inclu...

1 month ago

19 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

Reaching every learner: Practical strategies for mixed-ability classrooms.

Do you find yourself teaching to the "middle" of your class, leaving both advanced learners bored and beginners behind? You're not alone. Managing a classroom where students learn at different paces is one of the most common yet challenging aspects of teaching. In this essential episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we tackle the mixed-ability classroom head-on. We move beyond the frustration to reveal the neuroscience behind why children process language at differen...

1 month ago

23 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The rhythm of learning: Why music is a powerful tool for young English brains.

Ready to make English vocabulary and phrases stick in your students' minds like their favorite song? In this energizing episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we explore one of the most powerful and underutilized tools in language education: music. Discover how melodies, rhythms, and songs create superhighways to memory and fluency in young learners. We dive into the fascinating neuroscience behind why musical training enhances language processing, referencing both cl...

1 month ago

13 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The ultimate guide to choosing & using storybooks in ELT for kids

You know storytelling is powerful for language acquisition. But with so many children's books available, how can you be sure you're picking the most effective one for your students' specific level? The wrong choice can lead to frustration or boredom, but the right book can unlock a world of comprehension and vocabulary growth. In this practical, actionable episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we move beyond theory to provide your essential guide for book selection....

1 month ago

16 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The Storytelling Brain: How reading aloud unlocks language acquisition

What if one of the oldest, most joyful activities you do with your students is also the most scientifically powerful method for language learning? In this episode, we move beyond seeing storytelling as just a "fun activity" and reveal it as an essential, brain-building tool for language acquisition. We dive into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience, linguistics, and classroom practice to answer a critical question: Why does reading aloud work so well? Discover how a child's brain does...

2 months ago

15 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The power of play: How games build real language skills

Are you tired of students who know vocabulary but freeze when it's time to speak? You've drilled the words, but true confident communication still feels out of reach. What's the missing piece? Play. In this episode of Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning, we explore the powerful connection between play-based learning and English learning. We'll move beyond the theory to uncover how games and playful activities create the ideal conditions for language to become automatic and eff...

2 months ago

15 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

The child’s brain and Language Learning

Ever wondered why children can pick up a second language with such astonishing ease while adults often struggle? It’s not magic—it’s neuroscience! In this fascinating episode, host Paola Pando, a veteran teacher trainer with over 20 years of experience, delves into the powerful concepts of brain plasticity and implicit memory. Discover how a child’s brain is uniquely wired to absorb new sounds, vocabulary, and grammar through play, songs, and routines—without them even realizing they’re learn...

2 months ago

15 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

How children learn a second language (Part 1)

In this episode, we explore the foundational theories of learning that help us understand how children acquire a second language. From Behaviorism’s repetition and reinforcement, to Cognitivism’s focus on active construction of knowledge, to Vygotsky’s sociocultural perspective on interaction, and Krashen’s Input Hypothesis on comprehensible input—we look at how each approach explains the way children learn. This episode moves from the general to the specific, giving teachers a practical fram...

2 months ago

12 minutes

Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning

Why is Teaching English to Kids So Hard?

Feeling overwhelmed by fidgeting students and failed lesson plans? You're not alone. In this very first episode of "Teaching English to Kids: A Journey of Fun Learning," host Paola Pando dives into the unique challenges of teaching Young Learners. We explore the science behind short attention spans, the reality of classroom management, and the pressure to get results. This episode is a supportive nod to every teacher who has ever faced these struggles and a promise of practical solutions to c...

2 months ago

13 minutes