Effective English Classroom Routines and CLIL Strategies for Early Childhood Education

Understanding Classroom Routines in English Education

ROUTINE: Definition: It is the usual series of things that you do at a particular time. It is also the practice of regularly doing things in a fixed order.

WHY ARE ROUTINES IMPORTANT?: They give children a sense of security and control over the environment, allow children to be aware of the day's planning, and help them to prepare their responses.

Skills: Self-control, positive behavior, social skills.

Circle Time Dynamics and Advantages

CIRCLE TIME: Definition: It is a tool and strategy that affords the opportunity for the teacher and the children to communicate while sitting in a circle.

Advantages of Circle Time

• Raises self-esteem
• Facilitates cooperative working
• Improves listening skills
• Teaches social skills
• Increases awareness
• Builds confidence
• Promotes effective communication

The C-Wheel Pedagogical Tool

Read: C-Wheel (Tool to create optimal conditions): Take as a starting point the centrality of the child.

The 8 Principal Segments

• Context
• Connections
• Curiosity
• Coherence
• Challenge
• Care
• Community
• Creativity

CLIL and Second Language Learning

CLIL: Integrating content and language.

Reasons for Second Language Learning

1. CLIL: Acquire basic functional concepts.
2. Communicative methodology: Children using direct commands, which are the basis of routines.
3. Resource to build confidence: Fostering a secure learning environment.
4. Construct knowledge: Building knowledge from relevant tasks based on their experience (Krashen).
5. Significantly emotional context: Engaging students on a deeper level.
6. Help transference: Saving repetitive explanations.
7. Piaget's preoperational stage: Children's immediate memory requires short and repetitive tasks such as routines.
8. The materials: Provided through parents' contributions and school materials.
9. Cooperative development: Psycho-motor skills, oral language stimulation, and formal work settings.
10. Establish rules: Easing class dynamics and behavioral expectations.

Linguistic Expressions and Classroom Management

LINGUISTIC EXPRESSIONS: 6 Areas

1. Personal functions
2. Interpersonal
3. Strategic-Referential
4. Reference
5. Poetic-Imaginative
6. Metalinguistic and classroom language

Classroom Management Checklist

• Greeting and welcome
• Changing clothes
• Calling the register
• Calendar and weather
• Circle time
• Tasks time
• Personal hygiene
• Assistant duties
• Handing out materials
• Break and snacks
• Relaxation and concentration
• Recap time
• Line up

English Lesson Strategies and the 7 R's

Strategies to transform routines into dynamic activities:

• Use different tunes for the songs
• Introduce the practice of rhythm incorporating movement
• Maintain a fast pace when going through the register, calendar, etc.
• Use the unexpected as a component to generate motivation
• Provide conflict resolution
• Explore feelings
• Offer understanding
• Make learning fun

Read: The 7 R's: Relationships, Rules, Routines, Rights, Responsibilities, Respect, Rewards.

Reward Systems

• Stickers or stamps
• Singing a rewarding song
• Passports notifying the results
• Gestural response