Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids《轻松学中文》

1. Course Title

Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids 1a: Numbers & Daily Greetings Mandarin Starter Course

2. Course Description

This course is fully aligned with the content of Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids 1a Textbook (authored by Yamin Ma & Xinying Li), designed specifically to guide young non-Chinese background learners (aged 6-10) into the world of Mandarin. 

3. Course Details

1 ）Who is the course for?

• Young learners aged 6-10 years old with no prior Mandarin experience (absolute beginners), matching the textbook’s target audience.
• Parents seeking a structured, textbook-based Mandarin course for their kids (using the trusted Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids 1a).
• Homeschoolers or after-school learners who want to follow a systematic curriculum that balances fun and skill-building.
• Kids interested in learning basic Mandarin for daily interactions (e.g., greeting friends, talking about age) and simple cultural insights (like Chinese festivals).
• Learners preparing to progress to Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids 1b and higher levels in the series.

2 ） Requirements

• A copy of Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids 1a Textbook (physical or digital) to follow along with lesson content, exercises, and song lyrics.
• A computer/tablet with internet access (for live classes, watching textbook-aligned video demos, and playing interactive games).
• Basic art supplies (crayons, pencils) for textbook activities like coloring, tracing strokes, and drawing—key to developing motor skills as per the textbook’s design.
• A parent/guardian’s occasional support (for younger kids, ages 6-7) to assist with hands-on tasks (e.g., tracing characters) and practice textbook dialogues at home.
• No prior Mandarin or Chinese character knowledge—this course starts exactly where the 1a textbook begins.

3 ）What you'll learn

By the end of this course, your child will be able to:

• Master numbers 1-20 in Mandarin (the core numerical focus of 1a), including counting objects, reciting number sequences, and using numbers in simple phrases (e.g., "I’m 5 years old").
• Use 15+ daily greeting and polite phrases from the textbook (e.g., 你好 (nǐ hǎo - Hello), 谢谢你 (xiè xie nǐ - Thank you), 再见 (zài jiàn - Goodbye), 对不起 (duì bu qǐ - I’m sorry)).
• Respond to and create simple dialogues (e.g., "What’s your name? My name is Jingjing."; "How old are you? I’m 5 years old.") as presented in the textbook’s lesson dialogues.
• Recognize and trace basic Chinese strokes (héng - horizontal, shù - vertical, piě - left-fall, nà - right-fall, etc.)—the foundation for character writing, as emphasized in the 1a textbook.
• Sing 7 textbook-aligned songs (e.g., "Numbers 1-5", "Hello Song", "What’s Your Name?") to memorize new words and sentences in a playful way.
• Understand simple Chinese culture (introduced in the textbook’s "Chinese Culture" section), such as basic facts about the Mid-Autumn Festival (e.g., eating mooncakes, family gatherings).
• Complete textbook exercises independently (e.g., matching characters to pictures, coloring numbered shapes, counting objects)—building confidence in applying learned skills.

4 ） Lesson Description

Each 35-45 minute lesson strictly follows the structure of Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids 1a and caters to young learners’ attention spans, with a "Learn-Practice-Play" flow:

4. Lesson Topics (7-Lesson Outline, 100% Aligned with Easy Steps to Chinese for Kids 1a)

1. Lesson 1: Numbers (1-5) 一二三四五

• Vocabulary: 一 (yī - 1), 二 (èr - 2), 三 (sān - 3), 四 (sì - 4), 五 (wǔ - 5)
• Activities: Counting animals in the textbook, tracing "héng" (horizontal) and "shù" (vertical) strokes, singing the "1-5 Number Song".
• Game: "Clap the Number" (clap hands as many times as the number called).

1. Lesson 2: Numbers (6-10) 六七八九十

• Vocabulary: 六 (liù - 6), 七 (qī - 7), 八 (bā - 8), 九 (jiǔ - 9), 十 (shí - 10)
• Activities: Coloring "number shapes" from the textbook, tracing "piě" (left-fall) and "nà" (right-fall) strokes, singing the "6-10 Number Song".
• Game: "Clap-Stamp Numbers" (clap for 1-5, stamp feet for 6-10).

1. Lesson 3: Numbers (11-20) 十一～二十

• Vocabulary: 十一 (shí yī - 11) to 二十 (èr shí - 20)
• Activities: Joining number sequences to form a picture (textbook exercise), tracing "zhé" (turn) and "gōu" (hook) strokes, singing the "11-20 Number Song".
• Game: "Number Card Guess" (groups guess hidden 11-20 cards).

1. Lesson 4: Hello! 你好

• Vocabulary: 你 (nǐ - you), 您 (nín - you (respectful)), 好 (hǎo - good), 早 (zǎo - early), 老师 (lǎo shī - teacher), 再见 (zài jiàn - goodbye)
• Activities: Completing greeting dialogues (textbook exercise), tracing "diǎn" (dot) and "tí" (rise) strokes, singing the "Hello Song".
• Game: "Greeting Role-Play" (pretending to greet classmates/teachers).

1. Lesson 5: Thank you! 谢谢你

• Vocabulary: 谢谢你 (xiè xie nǐ - Thank you), 不客气 (bú kè qì - You’re welcome), 对不起 (duì bu qǐ - I’m sorry), 没关系 (méi guān xi - Never mind)
• Activities: Matching polite phrases to scenarios (textbook exercise), reviewing all learned strokes, singing the "Thank You Song".
• Game: "Polite Phrase Match" (match "Thank you" to "You’re welcome", etc.).

1. Lesson 6: What's your name? 你叫什么名字

• Vocabulary: 我 (wǒ - I/me), 叫 (jiào - call), 什么 (shén me - what), 名字 (míng zi - name), 京京 (Jīng jīng - name), 丁一 (Dīng Yī - name)
• Activities: Making "name dialogues" with classmates (textbook task), filling in missing strokes for simple characters, singing the "What’s Your Name? Song".
• Game: "Name Circle" (ask classmates "What’s your name?" in a circle).

1. Lesson 7: I'm 5 years old 我五岁

• Vocabulary: 岁 (suì - age), 几 (jǐ - how many), 上一年级 (shàng yī nián jí - attend Grade One), 都 (dōu - both/all), 医生 (yī shēng - doctor)
• Activities: Creating "age-grade dialogues" (textbook example with doctors), reviewing all strokes via tracing exercises, singing the "I’m 5 Years Old Song".
• Game: "Number Addition" (solve simple additions, say answers in Mandarin).
• Culture Spot: Introduce the Mid-Autumn Festival (textbook’s "Chinese Culture" section) with mooncake pictures and coloring lanterns.

Each topic contains

• pronunciation correction
• basic sentence structure
• Chinese characters introduction, strokes, and writing practice