PSYCHOANALYTIC EDUCATION

5. Make Sure They Speak: If you are teaching vocabulary words on cards, then hold one up (the word "Flowers") and ask, "Okay, what color are the flowers?" or "Where are the flowers?" and see where the child goes with it, it reinforces the memory of the word flowers in their thoughts, but keep them focused on the task at hand, no wandering.

6. Teach numbers, addition, and subtraction: This is the easiest thing of all to teach. Go to the crayon box and take it to use in this lesson. Sit down on the floor; (all my students learn best there) face the student and take ten crayons out of any color. Then hold them in your hand, placing three on the floor. Say, "Let's count them! Ready? One...Two...Three!" sound excited and do it slowly! Then see if the student wants to try, if not, you do a different number. Keep doing math this way using crayons, toys, balls, candy (yum-yum) or other items, until it's too easy and they want more. You can teach them up to 100, really it's true! But only if you believe in them as a teacher and believe in yourself. Move off to putting five crayons down and counting them, then take two away and count them again. Let the student try. Also, if your child likes drawing, instead of items, use paper and draw the number 4, then make four circles (or apples and so on). Do this for all numbers and let the child use a finger to point at them one by one as the student counts them. Great for teaching addition and subtraction. 

7. Make Teaching A Routine: Kids fall into a routine much easier than adults and so you need to use the same time every day to teach them. Here is our class schedule for teaching three to six year olds.

9-10:00 AM: English speaking. 10-10:30: Break and play.

• 10:30-11:30: Math.
• 11:30-12:30: Lunch and play. 2:00-3:00: Writing/letters for 3 year olds, words for 4, but one page diaries for 6 year olds.
• 3:30-4:30: Reading/Vocabulary.

Making a routine is detrimental to learning! Without this key element, you will not succeed in teaching the student for long. If at home, you must discipline yourself to teaching at certain hour everyday. This allows you and your child to fall into a comfortable routine, without chaos.

• What have my students learned you ask? Well by the time they reach the age of 6-7 years old, they have been taking classes in my school for about 3 years. That means they have gained a vocabulary of over 3000+ English words (Remember they are Taiwanese so they start with not knowing any English at all), using a 1000 word picture dictionary series. Also they can add and subtract without using their fingers, but instead look at the board and answer quickly. They also start at six years old at learning writing and vocabulary in Chinese. By six, the students must write a one page diary everyday, with beautiful writing (about 50-70 words). Also they are capable of reading at a second graders level and use phonics to sound out words that they don't know.
• By taking the time to teach you child early on, it will create a positive study habit for the student and make future learning easier by already having experienced learning in a structured environment. We teach and we learn along the way, both student and teacher. It's a wonderful process of personal growth for all involved!

My name is Scott Waring and I am an American teacher in Taiwan with a BA in Elementary Education and a MS in Counseling Education. I have learned a lot about teaching, but it wasn't until I met my Taiwanese wife at Idaho State University and we moved to Taiwan where we opened a school, that I learned teaching to children from three to six was not just possible, but beyond anything I ever expected. I have also published two novels for kids, "George's Pond" and "West's Time Machine" being sold at all on-line stores. My wife and I currently own a school that has 150 students, fifty of which are ages 3-6 years' old.