Hello! We hope everyone is staying cool and safe during this very hot month of June. The students in the 75th graduating class have been working hard to improve their English this year. Let’s check on their progress!

The students have recently been practicing reading sentences during every English class. These sentences have words that can be read using phonics (c. u. p. –> cup / p. e. n. –> pen) but they also include “tricky” words that usually cannot be read using phonics (the, she, or he). These tricky words are called “sight words” because students need to learn to say them on sight, without using phonics to try to read them. These words are used a lot in English, so it is important to remember them!

The kids will sometimes work in pairs and help each other read the cards. The students do a great job helping and encouraging their friends to read. Phonics is a tool that the students can use to read and learn independently by themselves and with their friends! When the students are ready, we will test them to see if they can properly read the sentences without any help.

The students are also practicing their listening skills. We have learned and studied “Days of the Week” (曜日) and “School Subjects” (教科) while preparing for our speeches. For a listening exercise, the students must listen carefully to a speech.  From the speech, they must choose the correct subject, the correct day it is on, and which subject was their favorite. This is a lot of information, but the 3rd grade students are doing an excellent job listening carefully and using their English skills!