When breaking down this timetable we see that, due to the way the groups are divided, each group of 3 to 4-year-olds receives two and a half hours a week while the 4 to 5-year olds get two and a quarter hours and the 5 to 6-year-olds have a full three hours. For the English teacher this implies 5, 7 and a half and 10 hours’ teaching time for each respective year group. 

Three to four-year-olds

                                               
The starting point when actually assembling the timetable was to decide when each of the three year groups should have their English class. As the 3 and 4-year-olds are the newest intake, we need to recognise that it is they who will be going through the process of adaptation to full-time schooling and who have the shortest attention span. It’s important to look at their education as a whole and make sure that the English class does not interfere with the fundamental routines they are learning at the beginning of every school day, such as greetings, putting on their batas (protective smocks), sitting down on the mat, doing the register, looking at the weather, etc. These routines are so important to establish at the start of the day in the children’s own language that we shouldn’t really impose a new language on them at this time.

A slot just after break means that the children are still relatively fresh and come back to class hopefully more ready to concentrate having just got their boisterousness out of their system! If there are two classes per year group then the fairest thing is to alternate days with the two groups, with the second group taking the period straight after the first, just before lunch. Naturally, all time slots will have their drawbacks, and this is also the time when they’re washing their hands, having a drink of water, etc. However, as all of these routines will inevitably cut into class time, we should aim eventually to turn them to our advantage and carry them out in English.

For this age group we decided not to split the class, so that each slot is for a whole-class session. The main reason for this was to increase their exposure to the language. As these are largely ‘input’ sessions, they can easily be done with the whole group. If the class tutor can be involved at the beginning, this works wonders for the children’s confidence and bridges the gap between the children and this strange, new language being taught to them by another new person in their life.

Four to five-year-olds

                       
Having already been at school a year, the four to five-year-olds are likely to have the early-morning routines well established. They are also at the age when they can first begin to work with arts and crafts. In my school we combine this with English. It gives the class a focus and a chance to use English while working with children’s creativity and developing their motor skills. Each group is divided into two in order to give all the children the chance to speak and the teacher a realistic hope of giving them all individual attention in order to develop both, English and craft skills. The other half of the group can do similar work with the tutor in their mother tongue. This will help to reinforce the language they are learning in the English classroom. However, it is still very important to retain the whole-class session alongside these. Input sessions are vital for pupils’ language development. They are our chance to introduce and recycle vocabulary and practise more complex language chunks.

Five to six-year-olds

           
The same blended approach of whole and half-group sessions applies to the five and six-year-olds.  These children are now at the stage where they are learning rudimentary reading and writing skills which they will assimilate better when they are at their freshest. This, plus the fact that their English language learning will be more involved than in the previous two years, justifies assigning the longer afternoon slots to this age group. Their level of concentration and attention span is superior to the three to five-year-olds.

Of course there are many factors which contribute to achieving an ideal learning environment at this level, but as we approach the new school year, a timetable which takes into account the needs of each age group (both developmentally and in the English classroom) and the reality for the teacher is something we should look closely at. It’s worth getting it right from the beginning.

Dr Inma Piquer is a University professor, teacher and teacher trainer.
She works at Blanquerna University, Departament d’Educació and CEIP Sant Cristofor (Begues).