In our last post, we introduced a home education language-learning resource called Hiragana at Home.
You can read the introduction post here (which has been updated with some of the new information featured in this follow-up post), and additional details on the program and its 2023 spring release below.
What Is Hiragana at Home?
Hiragana at Home is a home education resource designed to expose preschool-aged children to the Japanese language in a way that is gentle, simple, and play-based. It can be used with children whether they live in Japan or elsewhere, and whether or not their parents are native speakers of the Japanese language.
The program features a detailed daily schedule of language-learning activities and ideas, and is offered in a digital file “pdf” format that can be downloaded and printed from home.
Currently the instructions are offered only in English, but we are considering offering a Japanese-only language version in the future.
Teaching a child a language can be challenging when you are a non-native speaker. Or, if you are a native speaker living in a country where the majority language is different, this can present hurdles as well.
When it comes to learning languages, it is best to expose children to a language from as early as possible.. yet, you may wonder how to teach language from a young age in a way that is engaging and entertaining, without being inappropriately formal or heavy.
If you want a schedule that is fun, flexible, targets young children, and is easy to implement even for non-native speakers, Hiragana at Home provides simple, fun activities that can help you to feel confident home educating your child to learn some of the basics of the Japanese language.
Hiragana at Home will guide you through how to expose your child to hiragana characters (similar to the alphabet in English), and the program includes links to songs in Japanese, Japanese language book suggestions, seasonal, theme-inspired, and cultural activities and crafts, and suggested field trips.
How Does the Hiragana at Home Program Work?
With Hiragana at Home, you can be confident that your child will gain a good foundation in Japanese language from an early age.
You will be provided with a daily schedule of suggested activities, and weekly notes to help you plan and know exactly what you need to prepare for each set of lessons. Our program also implements a lot of free resources, saving you money and making bilingual home education affordable and accessible for people on a variety of incomes.
Hiragana at Home includes reference pages to address specific needs, help with troubleshooting, and provide tips for teaching. Parents without a background in the Japanese language will benefit from the “Tips for Non-Native Speakers” and those new to home educating will appreciate the more general “Tips for Teaching”.
There is also a supply list of suggested craft supplies and learning tools, and a booklist of suggested books to purchase or borrow from the library.
If you have struggled in the past with finding an early education language curriculum that fits your child, Hiragana at Home can put your fears at ease, because it is highly flexible, and includes a variety of activities for every type of learner.
Spring Release Update:
Creating Hiragana at Home has been a very large undertaking, and as a result we decided to split its release into sections.
Rather than releasing the program all at once, we will release it in sections starting with a 2023 Spring Release, coming very soon!!
We plan to release Hiragana at Home in 3 sections adding up to a full year of lessons. The schedule follows the Japanese school year that starts in April (Hiragana at Home starts from April 6th). You do NOT have to follow the Japanese school year to use this program, and it is flexible to adjust however you like!
Each section that releases will be available as a digital “pdf” file download that you can save and read on your computer, or print from home if you prefer. If you purchase Hiragana at Home, you will receive a digital “pdf” file product, NOT a physical product, and it is your responsibility to print the file if you prefer.
We are currently considering the method of releasing Part 1 (of 3) this spring, and might offer a subscription service, where you can commit to purchasing all 3 parts of the 1 year program, and receive them as they release throughout the year.
We still do not have a set date for the 2023 Spring Release of Hiragana at Home, but plan to release Part 1 (of 3) BEFORE April 6th, 2023.
If you are ready to take the next steps to support your child’s bilingual journey, please make sure to subscribe to this blog for updates on the Spring 2023 Release coming soon!!
Do you have questions about Hiragana at Home, or its upcoming release?
Please leave a comment below, or contact us via our Instagram!
Photo credits: (c) theharunafamily.com
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