Learning Languages with CONNETIX

By Shahnee

Not only are CONNETIX great for building, but they can be used in many other creative ways such as learning languages! Everyone knows that kids’ brains are like sponges and they soak in so much information. So why not introduce them to a language early on and make it second nature? Even if there’s not another person around who can speak another language fluently, you can always give your child the opportunity to be immersed in another culture and learn the basics of a language. Here’s how CONNETIX can help.

Numbers

Create a number line or hundreds chart, writing each number on a new tile. You might even like to write the word in your chosen language on the same tile, or on a new tile then place it underneath the numeral. Read the numbers together, focusing on pronouncing them in your new language. Firstly, you might like to focus on a small section at a time, for example, from 0-10. Then you might look at the patterns in the numbers and notice how they’re pronounced. For example, in English, all the numbers from 20-29 start with the word ‘twenty’. Does the language you’re learning have similar patterns? Next you might like to set yourself a goal to count from 0-100 in the language you’re learning.

Daily Routines and Chores

Using a single coloured tile, list the days of the week in your new language in a horizontal line, just as a calendar displays them. Next, write each family member’s name on another tile and place them vertically along the left side. Choose a list of daily routines or chores that must be completed by each person and write this in the language you’re learning. For example, brush teeth, empty dishwasher and so on. Once each item has been completed, take another tile and place it on top of the chore so that you know it’s been completed. You might even like to write the word for ‘finished’ on the tile that’s placed on top.

Weekly Timetable

Using a single coloured tile, list the days of the week in your new language in a horizontal line, just as a calendar displays them. Next, use a different coloured tile to write the events that will occur for the week in your new language. For example, dinner with Nanny and Grandad, swimming lessons and so on. Place each event in order under the correct day.

Question Words and Common Phrases

Write the translated words for ‘who, what, when, where, why and how’ on a separate tile, then place these on a whiteboard. As you begin to develop your general vocabulary, introduce basic questions such as ‘Where is the teddy?”, “What is green?’ using the question words to help build the sentence.

Write common phrases on a new tile in English and your chosen language, place them side by side so you can refer back to them. These might include ‘hello’, ‘good morning’ and ‘how was your day?’. At relevant times throughout the day, practice using your vocabulary phrases. Tick them off as you use them so you can continually practice them each day. You might also like to have a set time of the day where you practice them together, such as over breakfast or dinner so that everyone in the family can get involved.

Create Your Own Person or Character

Draw a picture of each body part on a new tile. Using the picture tiles, design your person or character. They could be human-like or fictional, like a monster. On another tile, write the word that matches each body part and place it underneath the corresponding part or label it, then draw arrows to match them.

Labelling Common Areas or Items

Using your CONNETIX tiles, take one of each colour and write the name of the colour on it in your chosen language. Go on a colour hunt around the house and garden, finding as many objects as you can for each colour tile, stating the colour each time you see it. You might even like to create a tally to see which colour you can find the most of. Keep track of your tally on the back of each coloured tile.

Colours

Pretend Play

Create a play scenario with your children. For example, set up a cafe with a set table, menus and a kitchen. Using your CONNETIX tiles as the menu, include items from your chosen culture or write the food items they love in the new language. When you begin the play scenario, ask them to practice saying the items they’d like in the language they’re learning. Then bring them cutlery, and as it’s laid on the table announce its name in the other language. Using your CONNETIX tiles to create a kitchen, have the chef prepare the food and then ask them to practice the names of foods as well as the utensils they’re using too. You could label the food in the kitchen by placing the word on a new tile next to the food it belongs to.

You could recreate this idea for any pretend play situation your child is engaged in when they’re playing with their CONNETIX.

This activity is lots of fun because children get to use their imagination and creativity to create their play scenarios, while also practicing key vocabulary words in context. It’s well known that children learn best through play and it’s takes them far less repetitions to consolidate new concepts when done in a meaningful way.

Daily Weather, Day and Date Display

Create your own visual display that shows the days of the weeks, the months of the year and the weather. For example, you could write the following in English and your other chosen language, or simply just use the new language you’re learning.

Yesterday was …

Today is …

Tomorrow will be …

The date is …

The season is …

The weather is …

Taking one coloured tile, write the above sentence starters. Using a different coloured tile for each of the following categories, write the 7 days of the week, numbers 1-31, months of the year, the 4 seasons and different weather vocabulary words such as sunny, raining, foggy etc. Keep each category in a pile of its own so that each day you can update your calendar over breakfast.

This activity is great because it not only exposes children to key vocabulary of another language but it also develops their literacy and numeracy skills.

Reading: identifying and reading words of a different language, including phonic sounds.

Writing: understanding sentence structures and grammar.

Maths: building vocabulary of days of the week and months of the year, including their order as well as number recognition and pronunciation of numerals.

Create a Family Tree

Together, write down all the members of your family on a new tile. For example, Mum, Dad, brother, sister, Nan, Pa, cousin and so on. Research the equivalent word for each family member in your chosen language and write these on another tile. Create your own family tree to see how everyone is related. As you place each person on the tree make sure to practice saying the words in English and your other language.

This activity helps to build language while also exploring your own family history and connections.

General Activities You Can Play Regardless of the Topic

Mix and Match

Choose a topic you’d like to practice learning the vocabulary of. For example, shapes, foods or stationary.

Option 1: Draw or paste a picture of each item on a tile then write the matching word on another. Mix them all up and match them together.

Option 2: Write the vocabulary word on one tile. On another tile write a clue that matches the words. For example, one tile might say ‘triangle’ and the clue might say ‘3 sides’.

Make a board game

Create a board game by using vocabulary words from any topic of your choice (animals, body parts, transport etc.). Write a new word or picture on each tile, lay them out in a board game, roll a dice, move that many spaces then read the word or state the picture that’s been shown in the language you’re learning.

Bingo

Each player will create a bingo board with different vocabulary words on each tile. Have the same words, along with some others, on another set of tiles that will be placed in a pile and used as the calling tiles. Read one tile at a time and if a player has it on their board, cross it off.

CONNETIX can be used as more than just a building tool! Being magnetic means they can be placed all around the house in visible places for everyone to see all the time, whether it be on the fridge, the washing machine or a whiteboard.

This means you can continuously expose children to new vocabulary in both engaging and FUN ways. When we combine the early years of development where children are more adaptable to new languages by playing with resources like CONNETIX, we’re giving them the best opportunity to learn!

Shahnee

Shahnee is a primary school teacher who has a passion for supporting children to develop core literary and numeracy skills. She believes in creating a love for learning and fostering children's inquisitive, creative nature. She loves open ended play and believes it brings out everyone's inner child.

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