Some of the Kindy kids...

Two weeks a month we teach the kindergartners, or kindies. Last February, many of them came to school not knowing a lick of English. And, unfortunately, most of the teachers knew just as much Korean. But these kids are amazing. Today they know their alphabet and over 100 common words. They can form short sentences. They know the days, months, seasons, holidays, foods, and, their favorite, animals. But most importantly, these kids, after just 6 months of English school, can effectively communicate in English. I never thought I would like spending so much time with little ones--God knows they can be a handful at times--but teaching youngsters will truly make this trip worth it.
The other day one of my kids, a stubborn girl named Jennifer, was in the corner becuase she would not color with the other kids. I asked her many times if she wanted to participate (yes, they understand what the word participate means) and, being as stubborn as she is, repeatedly said no. After a few minutes, Blake, the quiet and smart one, asked me if he could talk to Jennifer. He walked over to her in the corner and, in English, said caringly, "Come color with us Jennifer. It's okay." She slowly made her way to the table and colored with the rest of the class. Blake is only 4 years old, but for some reason, he knew how to approach Jennifer better than I did. Little moments like this make kids such a joy to be around. I love it.
So here are a few photos of the kids.
-ryan