In a post at the beginning of the school term, I wrote about Miss Mason’s method for learning a foreign language. We ordered some picture books from Sweden and began our Swedish studies this year with the book En liten stund, by Anna-Clara Tidholm, a sweet little book about a little boy rabbit who makes too many pancakes. He wonders who will eat them all up, and then a little girl rabbit comes over to his house. Kom in och ät pannkakor! he invites her: Come in and eat pancakes! She later brings a little piece of pie, and ends up staying for "a little while" - en liten stund.
We read the book over a few weeks. First, I read a couple of pages, and then we translated the sentences that had been read. I drew attention to a few key words, read it again, and then asked the children to tell it back. We read only a few sentences per day, and each day we began again at the beginning of the story, with one of the children telling the story so far, and others giving the names of some of the objects in the pictures. Pannkakor (pancakes) quickly became an everyday word in our home! By the time we had worked our way to the end of the book, I was admittedly astounded to hear Katja narrate the entire book, in the style of the text, with no help whatsoever. The younger children weren’t quite as accomplished, but they all knew the most important words in the book, and could say some sentences.
As a final narration project, we made what we have come to call “Nino books.” (Click on the pictures for a larger view.)
They drew various pictures from the book on each square, and they can name everything they drew.
I am so pleased they did so well!
Book template from Making Books with Children
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