The plan for the schools here is to teach “Jolly Phonics”, following on to a more advanced phonics program for reading, then Genki English for speaking and a host of intensive reading stories etc. for fluency and vocab. It should make for a great combination.

As the phonics workshops and my workshops will be held together this week I sat in on one of the preliminary workshops. Jolly Phonics is really good, the kids love it and it’s probably the best programme out there, but it was a little strange for me as I’m quite used to a more American approach for the more complex sounds. The Indian teachers were better than I was! But you quickly figure it out, and it fitted in very nicely with the Genki Phonics materials. Using the gestures for each sound really makes a big difference.

I also had a demo workshop for the people in charge, and they loved it, which was reassuring to hear.

Then more meetings and some gorgeous Indian food before bed.