Summary

Utilizing the tales of children's favorite author Eric Carle, we will cultivate “The love of reading” and in a creative way we will promote the learning of the English language in kindergarten through STEAM activities. We will achieve this by participating in playful collaborative activities using  ICT Tools, setting easy goals and creating communication and collaboration situations. Through this  project we will create a multilingual environment and children will develop a positive attitude towards languages ​​and cultures different from their own and will experience the key role that English plays in communication between people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Also children will develop empathy, will approach basic mathematical concepts, will be introduced to algorithmic and computational thinking through robotic activities, will acquire social and communication skills, digital literacy skills and will acquire a first basic vocabulary in English.

Objectives

The main goal of the project is children to acquire a basic vocabulary of the English language, to use it in real communication situations and to develop a positive attitude towards a foreign language.At the same time, the “love of reading” of our students will be cultivated.

Also through playful STEAM activities we will try to connect different learning areas of the curriculum (mathematics, language, arts, natural sciences, socio-emotional development, ICT).

Working Procedures

Firstly, the partners will meet through the presentation of their school and their’s favorite Eric Carle tale.

Then every month we will choose a different story and through collaborative activities we will try to achieve the goals we set (learn numbers, colors, animals, time greetings etc.). For example through the “Brown Bear” story we will learn colors, through “The very hungry caterpillar” story we’ll learn the days of the week, fruits and the life circle of insects. Also each partner will propose a STEAM challenge for a fairy tale of his choice. We’ll make Beebot maps, common stories and a radio show.

 At the end the whole project will be evaluated by the children and their teachers too and all the co-produced products of the project will be presented on Twinspace.

The communication between partners will be made through Twinspace and social network such as facebook.

Expecting results

Through their participation in this project children will get to know an author and his work, will acquire basic vocabulary (colors, animals, numbers, days of the week, seasons, greetings) in English, will communicate and interact with students from different countries. They will use New Technologies to create digital books, posters, games, digital exhibitions and share them on the twinspace and on school blogs. They will participate in Code Week and make their own radio show dedicated to Eric Carle so as to dessimate their project.

We hope that this project will motivate children to learn another language and teachers to include “whole language practice” in their teaching methods.

We also hope that STEAM activities will help kids to acquire new Knowlwdge in a more meaningful way.