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The method to learn English

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The method to learn English

Kids&Us’ method to learn English is based on the natural process followed when learning the mother tongue, it’s an educational journey which follows a logical, natural, and spontaneous order.

Listening

First step

It is evident that the language acquisition process begins long before the child starts speaking. For this reason, at Kids&Us we believe children should start learning English from the age of one through daily exposure to the new language.

Understanding

Second step

After hearing the same combinations of words at different times and in different contexts, the child eventually understands the meaning of everything they hear. Parents communicate with their children by speaking in a natural way, using a wide variety of words, expressions and phrases in different tenses. The Kids&Us method reproduces this situation with its students and exposes them to language as it is, through contexts that are easily recognisable to them.

Speaking

Third step

Talking is the natural consequence of listening and understanding.  At this point in their journey, we create situations in the classroom where the students have the opportunity to verbalise and put into context everything they have learnt up to that point.

Reading

Fourth step

Reading is a natural consequence of listening, understanding, and speaking. Starting to learn a language by reading and writing it first is unnatural; it is like trying to make a bird fly before it knows how to spread its wings. At Kids&Us our students start reading in English from the age of 8, that is to say, once they have consolidated their oral language skills and can already read in their mother tongue.

Writing

Fifth step

Writing is expressing your thoughts on paper. To reach this stage of language development, it is essential to have passed the previous stages: listening, understanding, speaking and reading. When our students begin to write in English, they already have a solid enough foundation of the language to be aware of what they are communicating in written form. In other words, at Kids&Us we introduce this skill at a time when the students are most ready to tackle it successfully.

An educational model with a quality seal

Quality and experience have always been our highest priorities and we work every day to maintain them. The constant improvement of materials, teacher training, personalised monitoring of the students, and regular communication with families form the solid base that guarantees learning.

Kids&Us teachers not only complete initial training before being able to teach, but also undergo continuous training and refresher training in accordance with their corporate training plan. They are also audited every term to ensure optimal implementation of the method.

Each and every one of our teachers must pass a selection process consisting of an oral and written level test. At the very least, we require a C1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

The pillars of the Kids&Us method

Our own method to learn English
Dynamic classes 100% in English
Small groups
Courses from 1 to 18 years
Method accessible up to the age of 7
Daily exposure to English via an audio track
Innovative and continuously improved
We perform quality controls to ensure excellent teaching and learning

Kids&Us learning method
Hear what our families have to say
The children of Kids&Us

10 unique traits of Kids&Us

How is English learnt with the Kids&Us method?

With the perfect dose of English and fun! The classes are a combination of linguistic knowledge, spiced up with songs and games, behind which there is intense grammar work to consolidate the learning objectives. Whether inside or outside the classroom, all the ingredients of the Kids&Us method are meticulously calibrated to make learning effective, dynamic, and motivating.

All the activities carried out in class have a communicational purpose and are designed to consolidate and enhance the contents and objectives of each course. In our method, nothing is done just for the sake of it; everything has a reason!

What added value does Kids&Us offer?

With our method, the children learn in a natural way by making the most of their innate resources. We want them to be in contact with real English from day one, without adaptations or omissions, so that their learning is comprehensive. In other words, we want them to be able to communicate, have good pronunciation and develop good oral and written comprehension.

What levels does Kids&Us have?

At Kids&Us we do not distinguish between levels of English, in the same way that there are no levels when acquiring the mother tongue. We use stories and characters relevant to each age group. During the classes, the children will learn that their surroundings and the things they are familiar with also have their own names in English.

With Linda, the character for 2-year-old Babies, the children will see how she stops wearing nappies and starts to use the toilet. However, in Oliver (6 to 7-year-olds) one of the character's teeth falls out. This makes it easier to pique the children's interest and keep them motivated.

How many days a week do they have class?

Up to the age of two, the children attend one 45-minute class per week. From the age of three until they begin to read and write, they come for one hour a week. And from the age of 8, the number of hours of class per week will gradually increase to 3 hours per week, spread over two days. In short, it is an effective and sustainable dose over time, in accordance with the age of the students.

Why do they have to listen to an audio track every day?

We believe that continuous exposure to language is essential for learning. By repeatedly listening to a particular audio track, it aids the children in retaining a large number of words and structures in their brains, so that when they hear them or work on them in class, they can identify and reproduce them much more easily than if they had not heard them before. At this point, it goes without saying, the importance of listening is not to be underestimated; through listening, the ear becomes accustomed to understanding English and its pronunciation.

These tracks are approximately ten minutes long. They can be listened to at any time and during any activity, as long as it is not watching television or any other type of audiovisual stimulus that may distract them. In this regard, it is important to find a time to listen to them on a daily basis, in order to integrate this habit as a routine (at breakfast, before going to bed, etc.).

 

What if a child doesn't listen to the audio track every day?

If they do not listen to the audio track then the method becomes less effective. This is because the classes are planned around activities that use vocabulary the children are familiar, so if a child does not listen to the audio track then it is more likely they will struggle to follow the class, and, as a consequence, lose motivation.

Is it necessary that the families know English?

No, it is not necessary! You, the families, are the best support for your child to learn English, by showing interest and enthusiasm for what they are learning. With your emotional support you contribute more than you can imagine to the success of the learning process.

Do the parents have to be in the classroom?

It is only necessary in the first years of the method (1 and 2 years). Your presence makes the children feel safe and comfortable in the new environment and they begin to connect emotionally with the language, generating a very special bond that will make their learning productive.

When families stop attending class, halfway through Linda, you should make sure that the children listen to the audio at home on a daily basis and, if you wish, carry out the complementary activities that we suggest.

Do they learn the same things as they do at school?

At Kids&Us, our method could not be more different from what the children learn at school. Our method is based on complete linguistic immersion and comprehensive language acquisition. Grammatical structures and vocabulary cannot be learnt in isolation but rather in real contexts. Moreover, we take full advantage of the fact that we work with smaller groups in order to promote and provide more opportunities for oral expression.

Why do they start to read and write later than at primary school?

It is not a question of starting late but of starting when the students are ready to succeed. In fact, with our mother tongue we do not start speaking, reading, and writing simultaneously, but we first learn the language and then learn to read and write it. Therefore, we believe that it is more natural and fruitful to promote listening and speaking during the first years of learning English and to introduce reading and writing later on.

 

 

Why should I enrol my child in Kids&Us?

Because our method works: your child will learn English with us, just like the other 180,000 students who attend our 600 school in ten different countries.

As leaders in teaching English to children in Spain, we believe in continuous improvement and innovation. We are the leading company in the sector thanks to our own efficient and proven method.

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