The first class of “Hanamaru Class”, a study support class for children with international heritage, was held on Saturday, October 19th.
Long-requested by numerous foreign participants registered in OFP, we have been preparing for this project.
Since this was the first attempt by JII, we were both excited and nervous.
This time, children aged 4 to 6 participated. At first, the young children seemed nervous in a new place, but when the volunteers who came to support them sang Japanese songs together, such as “Hajimaruyo Tara-Hajimaruyo♪” and “Atama, Kata, Hiza, pon♪”, the atmosphere changed instantly, and the children jumped and bounced around and seemed to have a lot of fun.

Once they relaxed, the children worked on assignments and read picture books together, each learning Japanese at their own pace.
And at the end, everyone played “Karuta” games!
After the class, they enjoyed snack time.
In the Hanamaru Class, there is one volunteer for every one or two children, so they pay close attention to the children’s behavior and respond to them according to their age and Japanese level.
For example, this time, the volunteers interacted in Japanese with the children while playing with them, interviewed the parents in English about their daily lives, and explained the activities covered and their children’s current Japanese level.
The parents also responded to the volunteer’s questions by actively talking about things they usually struggle with, so we think we were able to offer support tailored to the needs of each family.
We realized that JII is truly supported by wonderful volunteers and we thought, “There’s no other class as amazing as this!” lol
We hope that many more children will join us in the future and that we can continue to create lively and fun environment for learning Japanese♪
※ If you want to apply for the future classes, please click the button in sky-blue above and visit the event application form. Choose “Hanamaru Class” with the date you wish to join in the “Name of Event” field and apply.