Best way for children to learn kanji?

Best way for children to learn kanji? - Printable Version

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Best way for children to learn kanji? - ktcgx - 2013-10-22

Sorry that the title doesn't really explain the situation very well. This is a different question to the guy who posted here before about his daughter, so I'm creating a new topic for it.

Here goes... I have a half Filipino student who arrived at one of my schools in April. Actually, now that I think about it, they might have arrived in April last year, wow, have they really been here so long?! I have a terrible memory... Anyway, they're about 11 years old, and their English comprehension is very high (I'd say about the equivalent of a Japanese senior high school year 1 student, though their maturity level is obviously not there), Japanese comprehension is ok, either upper beginner or low intermediate. Conversational Japanese is ok, but their written Japanese production and comprehension is is poor, owing to lack of Kanji.

Now, what I'm asking for is: Does anyone have a way to maybe short cut the rote learning that Japanese students do, to catch them up fairly quickly? It can't be too time intensive, because the student is also keeping up with at least 3 Philippine languages at home, on top of their ordinary homework, on top of also trying to learn Japanese.
I did try to explain Heisig, but the student wasn't really able to understand what I meant by visualising the stories etc (and yes, they did understand me, English comprehension is high, but even though I hoped they might be near to the age where this method would do wonders, it seems like they're not quite there enough yet).

Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful! (Also, the family is kinda poor, so nothing that costs anything, please)

Best way for children to learn kanji? - ashman63 - 2013-10-22

It's a pity about Heisig not working. But maybe you could still set the student up with anki or similar SRS with a deck of the joyo kanji (even if not in heisig order). It won't be as easy-going as Heisig, but in my humble opinion:

heisig with SRS > SRS flashcards > normal flashcards > rote learning.

So you could maybe get the student SRS-ing with cards like follows:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
FRONT

Definition in English/Tagalog/etc (e.g. "sun")

(Optional: a word in hiragana that uses this kanji)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
BACK
The kanji
------------------------------------------------------------------------

The student must write the kanji based on the definition.

Or if writing is too hard, flip the cards and let them look at the kanji and try to remember the definition.

It WILL be a bit time-intensive though, and longer than Heisig, but surely more efficient than rote-learning. SRS is pretty awesome even without Heisig.

Best way for children to learn kanji? - undead_saif - 2013-10-22

Maybe show by example of Heisig method would do it.

Best way for children to learn kanji? - ktcgx - 2013-10-22

I've asked their mother to come in next time I'm at that school, and I am sure she will benefit from Heisig no problem, so I will show it and this site to her (I know for sure they have internet, wahoo!), so I am hoping that when their mother understands, she can help to engage her child in the method.

I'd rather not try to get them to make their own anki cards (and I'm not going to do that for them), because it is too time consuming on top of everything else they have to do.

I might show them anki though, we'll see how it goes, I won't be able to spend as much time with them as I'd like, unfortunately.

Thanks for the suggestions!

(Any others are always welcome!)

Best way for children to learn kanji? - Aspiring - 2013-10-22

Allow him to learn at his own pace. (For heisig / lazy kanji, any pace would be fair e.g. if he learned 4 or 5 kanji a day he'd be done in a year or two). If it doesn't work out he could use traditional methods.

Quote:The language learning process involves the use and memorization of words, structures, and sounds; however, emotions, colors, images, and memories are also involved and contribute to what I call a “language core.”

source [emphasis from author]

Because kids are responsive to "emotions, colors, and images", he may benefit just as much from reading comic books or watching television.