After spending Monday and Tuesday getting familiar with the children and their environment, we went into super-brainstorm mode and came up with a gameplan for the next few weeks. We’ve decided that in the mornings we’ll work on English, and each week we’ll have a different theme to use with the kids and try to teach them as many different English words in that category. This week we started with beginner words, like shapes, colors, and body parts. We also asked Joy that each child have his or her own notebook to use for the summer, so that each child can see all the work he or she is doing in one place. Right now they are just using the blank pages of old notebooks that have been used by other children. On the first day of the week, they’re going to copy the new list of words into their notebooks, and then each morning we’re going to drill them with notecards of the vocab words. After notecards, we’re going to incorporate the words into different games like Pictionary, Hangman, categories, etc. We’re also going to use these notebooks as inspirational journals for the children. Each day we’re going to ask them a different question, like “What are your dreams for your future?” and have them draw or write about the subject. Later we’re going to help the children turn their journal entries into a large mural that can eventually be hung in the new shelter home. After hearing this idea Joy immediately purchased a large canvas and oil paints for us to use!
We also did a lot of brainstorming for additional fun activities for the children, and Joy’s wife Grace took us to the market in Allahabad to purchase some more materials. Everything is so cheap in India and Michelle and I decided that we wanted to make additional programming materials our gift to the children, which is an awesome feeling for us because it means we get to leave something behind that can be used after we’re gone. The first thing we bought was a set of Indian flutes for the children to learn how to play (13 of them cost a total of $18!). We’re excited about these because we both remember getting our own recorder in kindergarten. The important thing is not necessarily that the children learn how to play perfectly, but that they have something of their own to take care of and learn how to use. We also bought some rope for the children to play jumprope with, and about a kilogram of yarn for them to use to make friendship bracelets (this totaled $5!!). At home, Michelle and I put our heads together to remember as many fun songs as we could from our childhood and camps we have run before, because the children love to sing and we really want to teach them some more songs. The last thing we did was put together a short yoga routine for the children to practice. We’re really excited to put all these plans into action!
11 JUN 2009