Seek to cultivate an understanding and appreciation for Chinese dance by developing Chinese dance as an accessible art form for the larger community of all age groups and abilities, from toddlers to adults.
Learning about dance is a fine way to introduce your child to the language as well,as the instructions will point her in the right direction, literally.While we could devote hundreds of pages to Chinese cuisine, we will leave that to you and your child’s culinary pleasure.Instead, we suggest that you bring your child to authentic Chinese restaurants pertaining to different dialect groups,to enjoy delicious steamed fish with shallots,fried noodles, Hakka abacus dish and more.
To teach him the art of Chinese cuisine, you can also indulge in dim sum, from learning to use chopsticks to pick up dainty morsels to the unique way of tapping two fingers as a way of saying‘thank you'when the waiter pours the tea.
Help Your Child Develop Natural Literacy Skills
Research from Professor AE Cunningham, University of California, Berkeley shows that children who come from homes where parents have dedicated time to giving them regular,enriching reading and writing experiences have significant academic advantage over children who have not had these experiences.
It’s important to point out here that some parents believe that making their children memorise characters and isolated words (or ‘phonics’) is the way to introduce reading to their children,This
is monotonous to the child.In addition, this kind of learning simply makes children‘decoders'of what they learn, not a‘reader'who understands what he is reading or one who is excited about reading.
Here are the top natural literacy activities that create the best readers and writers:
I. Read to your children every day–this exposes him to multiple language structures,a wide vocabulary and the sheer joy of language.
II. Engage in conversation with your child frequently – this expands her spoken vocabulary.Research shows that strong verbal skills are linked to strong reading skills.
III. Point out written language in your environment – For example, point out writing on things such Chinese shop signs, packaging and posters.This connects the written word with useful and important information.
IV. Arrange play dates with friends – This encourages social interaction and will expand your child's Chinese vocabulary through negotiation,discussion and role play.
V. Ensure your child observes you reading – When you read in front of your children you are being a strong role model, communicating that you value reading.
VI. Make your home a‘literacy rich environment' – Ensure you have plenty of reading materials available at home such as a bookshelf of age appropriate books,in addition to other forms of reading materials such as magazines,newspapers,brochures and on computers,as e-books.
VII. Have a set of magnetic characters on your fridge–This encourages your child to spontaneously manipulate letters and begin forming words.
