“Did you feel that?” “Me, too!” “What was that?” There was some screaming. At the same time, there was some laughter. A trip to the aquarium sitting in the 4D theater watching the dolphin movie was quite interesting.
The ocean, the playful dolphins, then there was an appearance of a shark on the screen. As the shark swimming toward the audience and opening its mouth it came along a light poke from the back of the seat. “What was that?” There was a commotion in the theater.
A young kid started wailing. It also made a few little kids worried. Some big kids started to investigate the source of the poke. So did the adults. Those who missed the poking movement were wondering what had just happened.
Soon, everyone turned their total attention to the big screen and were waiting for the next surprise from the movie.
A 4D film may include wind, water, vibration, bubbles, fragrance, and more. It is an interactive experience.
Can learning be like that, too?
Playful. Exciting. Interactive. I am talking about learning not just the Chinese language but learning in general.
Learning at home is different from learning at school. Your child can have your undivided attention at home. You can cater to your child’s interest when you plan on an hands-on activity for him/her.
We usually do this without thinking too much in our native language. It comes naturally.
It is like when we are baking cookies with our kids. We have them help us with putting the flour in the mixing bowl. They can help roll the cookie dough. The conversation we have with the kids during the cooking making process is playing and learning.
What the kids have is a learning experience with the smell, the movements, the touch, hearing, tasting, sequencing, and a visual presentation.
This baking activity is a full experience and it is a more than a 4D experience!
What children learn does not follow as an automatic result from what is taught, rather, it is in large part due to the children’s own doing, as a consequence of their activities and our resources. -Loris Malaguzzi, The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education
“Let’s learn Mandarin Chinese with Miss Panda!” CD/MP3 audio album is now streaming on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, and GooglePlay. You and your child can start with any track and experience the interactive playful and engaging Mandarin Chinese learning journey.
This album is designed for families whose native language is not Mandarin Chinese and for heritage speaker parents who have limited Chinese language proficiency. The Chinese English bilingual format of this program ensures you and your child understand everything from the beginning! The companion learning guide to the album connects the written language with the spoken words.
