This is the way Zech learns Mandarin.

 Zech has his regular Mandarin lessons with me and I'm using this set of books, 'Basic Chinese 500' to teach him.

 

 

The Mandarin lessons I've planned for Zech has basically no frills. Simple and traditional, this methodology seems to be really effective. By the time Zech completed the second book, he can read the third book in the series independently. What I like about the books is the teaching and learning of Chinese characters in context.  Unlike flashcards which teach words in isolation, 'Basic Chinese 500' introduces the Chinese characters with a storyline. This enhances understanding of usage. Repetition of the words ensures learning too. If you've heard of the leveled readers, 'Peter and Jane' (Ladybird series), 'Basic Chinese 500' is similar. At the beginning of each chapter, the strokes of the new Chinese character is shown with numbers to guide the learner. That's really a plus point as it encourages and allows a child to practise writing independently.

After going through the books, Zech practises writing on the word boards with a 'pen'. These boards are very useful but I can't find them at Popular anymore.

Next, I'll go through a Chinese book on colours with Zech. It sure wasn't easy for him to learn his colours in Chinese. I'm glad he knows them by now. For all his books, I usually paste a sticker on each page for successful word recognition. This reward system works very well for him.

Recently, I took out the magnetic Chinese spelling set purchased some time ago. Using the guide book, Zech could form the characters with a little help from me.

Zech also uses one other workbook as a supplement. I'm no expert but with trial and error, books recommendation from friends and some teaching knowledge as an English teacher in the past, I found some great ways to teach Mandarin. Most importantly, the child needs to be provided with opportunities to practise and speak the language.

An effective way to get kids to remember and recognize the Chinese characters is to use them daily in their speech. For example 来 is frequently used in Zech's daily interaction with my mum, so it was very easy for him to remember and recognize it. Building connections work too. For instance, 是 may not be easy for some kids to remember. I told Zech every time we encounter this word, "我是林宣义。” That aids in memory. 

Another powerful resource for learning Mandarin is reading. Enjoyment is important. If the child resists and doesn't like Mandarin, you know it's time to build the interest and not continue to force a child to learn by rote. Consistency is the key.

Personally, I feel there's a lot more I can do with my 3 year old going on 4 but these should suffice for now.