Cover Picture: Craft "Rabbits Gathering to Watch the Harvest Moon"

Expanding future possibilities

As the Harvest Moon rose in the night sky, many rabbits gathered together.
It seems these rabbits were born from the footprints of Kinder Kids students!
The perfectly round moon is so big that it looks as if you can reach up and touch it.

29

The other surrounding stars are also shining brightly.
All the rabbits seem to be enjoying the arrival of autumn
as they listen to the sound of the susuki grass swaying in the wind.

We look forward to
your ideas!
“Hiraku” provides useful informationand the latest news related toEnglish and childhood education.

・Your recent interests
・Topics you want us to cover
・New content etc etc…
If you have ideas to contribute,please share these with us!
“Hiraku” Editorial Department
TEL：06-6135-0150
Mail： hiraku@kinderkids.ed.jp

Published in
September 2023 Vol.29
Next issue isplanned to comeat the end of November

Kinder Kids Inc.
TEL：06-6135-0150
Pulala Tenma 2F, 3-1 Ikeda-cho,
Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka. 530-0033★Interview with Mitsuyo Tanzawa, English Teacher at Nigawa-Gakuin Elementary School★Coding Lessons at Kinder Kids
★A Graduate of Ibaraki Saito School Studies at New York University★Grad Club Summer Event 2023
★The Streaming Service of The Phonics Island Song Has Been Started!
★Phonics Gardenʼs Classic Picture Books Now Available for Sale

www.kinderkids.com

日本の心と、英語の力。Kinder Kids inc.

Q What were the children s reactions to the lesson?
■
Students in the lower grades found it exciting to wear headsets and speak while looking at the screen. The
ﬁrst graders began by learning the basic skills for using the iPad, such as tapping the buttons, and learned
they could use other languages besides Japanese. The students in the ﬁfth and sixth grades are becoming

Nigawa-Gakuin
Elementary School has
Started Taking Kinder Kids
Online Lessons!

An Interview with Ms. Mitsuyo Tanzawa,
an English Teacher at
Nigawa-Gakuin Elementary School

more aware of the important points in each lesson and commenting about things like "We shouldmemorize this section”.Many students not only enjoyed the English games but also greatly appreciatedthat they were wholeheartedly praised when they gave the correct answers, and when they mademistakes, they were given detailed explanations about what was wrong to help them better understand.

Q As the grade level gets higher, the lessons■

also become more challenging. Is the monthly
lesson of 30-35 minutes suﬃcient?

The lessons have certainly become more challenging, but that is at
the level that Nigawa-Gakuin Elementary School's English Course
aims for.
The enjoyment and excitement of online lessons with native
Since April of this year, Nigawa-Gakuin Elementary School has been taking Kinder Kids Online

instructors are different from the regular lessons, so the students

English lessons. We spoke with Ms. Mitsuyo Tanzawa, the English teacher at NIgawa-Gakuin, tohave come to value their limited online time and focus on their studies. Moreover, because regularlearn about the changes in English education at Nigawa-Gakuin and the studentsʼ reactions to thelessons and online lessons are linked, students have become more diligent in their regular class studies

online lessons.

to better understand the online lessons. It also stimulates all teachers to plan lessons for the students.

Q Why did Nigawa-Gakuin decide■

to use Kinder Kids Online Lessons?

Until the previous academic year, we were taking online lessons from anothercompany. I had heard a lot about "Grad Chat" from students who were Kinder
Kids graduates, so I thought about introducing "Grad Chat" lessons for ourstudents. I made up my mind and contacted Kinder Kids, then I was invited tovisit the facility and had the opportunity to see Online Chat in action. The
quality of the lessons did not vary by the providing instructors, and the
Nigawa-Gakuin
Elementary School
Mitsuyo Tanzawa

lessons were mainly focused on English conversation, without relying on

One upper-grade student was very shy and didnʼt feel comfortable speaking in English. At ﬁrst, she
couldnʼt speak with the online English Instructors.
However, with the support of her instructors, she gradually became more conﬁdent in speaking English.
After being praised in one of the lessons, she came to me and said excitedly,"I could answer the question! Did you see me?"
She has since become more interested and enthusiastic about English,
and now she often asks when the next online lesson will be.

unnecessary visual effects that are often common in online lessons for

Q Please tell us about your future plans.
■children. This approach matched our desire to expose children to beautiful

ome students ﬁnd English difﬁcult at ﬁrst. Our target is to help

English pronunciation, so I felt, "This is it!” When we had a trial lesson at our school, the students

make those students think, "English is fun!" by the end of thenaturally focused on the instructor and enthusiastically participated in the lesson.

second term. I believe that online lessons have expanded the

Q What is your impression after actually taking the Kinder Kids Online lesson?
■

possibility of English learning, so I am considering letting children

The problems we had before had been resolved! The online lessons are provided from Japan, so theconnection is excellent and stable. The teachers encouraged the students to speak English in whole1

Q What memorable experiences do you have from the online lessons?
■take online lessons during long vacations such as summer holidays.
It would be a waste not to have lessons during the summer holidays!

Promising a strong partnershipfrom here on out.
(Right) Ryan Lopes,
Head of the Education Dept.

sentences by instructing them on the grammar and pronunciation of the English as they spoke. For

Q Lastly...
■example, when a student answered in the present tense when the answer should have been answered

We greatly appreciate the consistently high-quality English lessons that Kinder Kids provides. Students

in the past tense, the teacher asks the student again while emphasizing "What "DID" you---?” toare also excited by the effective teaching methods and the teachersʼ wonderful support.

make the child naturally aware of the correct tense and grammar.

We are deeply grateful that we can conﬁdently entrust our students to Kinder Kids.
2

◆Why is the curriculum called "coding" instead of “programming” at Kinder Kids?

The Coding Classes
at Kinder Kids

“Programming” and “Coding” are very closely
related

and

for

a

long

time

were

programmingusedinterchangeably. Today the term “Coding” refers
to ʻtelling a computer what to doʼ, and “Program-

DesigningtheProgramming” refers to ʻmaking a complete computer

Since 2020, Programming Education has become

program.ʼ You can think of Coding as a key part ofcompulsory in elementary schools. Kinder Kids has
curriculum will be revamped from the 2024 academic

DebuggingCompleted
Program↑coding◆“Scratch Jr” as the Teaching Material for Coding

year. What kind of lessons will be provided, and what

Scratch Jr is an introductory coding language designed forskills will the students acquire? We interviewed thechildren aged 5-7 years old to create their own interactive

Coding Curriculum Supervisor for some answers.

stories and games. By snapping together the graphical◆The Reasons and Aims of Teaching “Computer Coding”.

programming blocks, children can make characters move,

Our world heavily relies on technology and computers, and learning coding gives students a better

jump, dance, and sing. They can also modify characters using

understanding of what is happening around them.The best part of coding is that it is so much fun! It
enables students to bring their ideas and creations to life. In addition to that, it also helps them

the paint editor, add their own voices and sounds, and eveninsert photos of themselves to bring their creations to life.

develop essential skills such as creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Scratch Jr serves as a stepping stone to Scratch, a high-level◆How to proceed with the basic lessons and the expected abilities
to be acquired after one year of study.

old. The Scratch commu-

coding program designed for children between 8 to 16 years
nity is the largest coding

At the beginning of K3, there will be Unplugged Activities to introduce

community of children inchildren to coding concepts. Unplugged activities are fun and do nottherequire the use of a computer. These activities serve as a hands-on

childrenthe students will use printed programming blocks to control their

Testing

Programming.

also been teaching 'Coding' in K3 classes and theapproach and an engaging way to introduce the topic. For example,

WritingtheComputer
Program

The code blocks are used to givevarious instructions to the teachers.

teacher. The children will enjoy making their teachers walk, jump, and turnworld.

Whenthegraduate

K3

they will be ready to join
any coding community
with conﬁdence.

Scratch Jr User Interface

About Scratch Jr

ScratchJr, a simpliﬁed version of
Scratch, is an introductory programming language developed by the
MIT Media Lab in collaboration
with Tufts University and The
Playful Invention Company. The
main feature of Scratch Jr is thatit allows programming without
typing any text. It offers an
intuitive user interface thatenables users to manipulatecharacters and create games justby using their ﬁngers on a tablet.
Scratch is used in educationalsettings worldwide, with over
100 million registered users (asof April 2023).

around as the teacher follows the code they lay down. After that, the children
will move on to coding on their iPads. The Coding Curriculum will be taught

Message from the Coding Curriculum Supervisor

through short video lessons. After the video, the classroom teachers will

The students at Kinder Kids will have a ton of fun learning thisprovide support to help the students and answer any questions as the students

important skill that is becoming a mandatory part of elementa-

make their programs. To help the students achieve success, they will also get ary school education around the world. At Kinder Kids, we haveworkbook to accompany the lessons. By the end of the school year, thestudents will be able to make their own computer animations and games.

The workbook is illustrated
with the Phonics Characters※What is the Unplugged Coding?
Unplugged Coding is a method of learning the fundamentals of programming without using computers orelectronic devices. It allows beginners and children to learn algorithmic and programming concepts by3

always strived to be at the forefront of Education. We arededicated to innovating, creating, and designing educational
programs that let students show their true potential.
These coding lessons will open up wonderful new possibilities

using paper, cards, or blocks in hands-on activities. It is introduced to school education as a means to fosterfor your child and I am excited to see what the students will

logical thinking skills necessary to approach programming before actually working with computers.

create in K3 and beyond.

The Coding Curriculum
Supervisor
for the coding lessons

Ian Vadas

4

My
Stepping
Stone〈File5〉

Kinder Kids was the start.
Introduction of graduateswho throughtheir efforts opened new doors.

39th) and ranked 2nd in the ﬁeld of law. The university
has produced world-famous politicians, business leaders,artists, and ﬁlm directors, including Alan Greenspan (theformer Chairman of the Federal Reserve) and Martin

I began studying the violin at the age of 7, and during myaccepted to New York Universityʼs Music Department. We

elementary school years, I frequently participated in music

had the opportunity to talk with her. She has been

competitions and earned several awards at the Fukuyama Music

passionate about music since her early childhood and has

Competition, where I received a total of three awards in mynow seized the chance to continue studying at a world-class

6th-grade and the ﬁrst year in junior high school, holds auniversity.

particularly special place in my memories. It is also a cherishedmemory that I was able to engage in volunteer activities through my
She proudly posed with her
handmade violin when she
was a Kinder Kids student.

violin playing. When I was in my ﬁrst year of junior high school, I
participated in an English singing competition called the English
also have a strong passion for dance. I achieved 3rd place in thesinging also played a signiﬁcant role in my continuing study in English.

"TEAM FINAL" category of the 2019 World of Dance Championship,"After graduating from Kinder Kids, I attended an international school from elementary to higha global competition. I had the opportunity to teach dance toschool and also attended Grad Club until G3, which allowed me to maintain a high level of English

children before, and I discovered the joy of teaching, which

proﬁciency. I was able to achieve a TOEFL score that allowed me to apply to prestigious

motivated me to work part-time at Grad Club's Saturday classes."

Since I was a child, it has been my dream to live in the U.S. So I not only focused on improving myEnglish but also worked hard to improve my school grades and engaged in extracurricular activities,
which are highly valued for admission to American universities. All that effort paid off when I was
accepted not only to New York University but also to schools like the University of California,
Berkeley, and the University of California, Irvine.
New York University is an internationally prestigious institution, with an especially highreputation in the ﬁeld of music and arts. The minimum TOEFL score required forinternational students is 100 or above. In addition to a high TOEFL score, students musthave high school grades and strong portfolios.

Ibaraki Saito School
Graduate

H.N.
New York
University
Freshman

Vocal Election (EVE) and won the EVE Creative Partners Award. I

voice. I loved the English songs she sang, and that's how I became interested in music. The teacher's

universities."

5

University Rankings” (the University of Tokyo is ranked

Days Spent With Music

2011 and recently graduated from high school, has beenteacher who used to be a musician and had a beautiful singing

Greenwich Village, New York City, and is a leading private
ranked 24th in the “Times Higher Education World

H.N., who graduated from Kinder Kids Ibaraki Saito School in

When I was at Kinder Kids, there was an incredibly talented

New York University, founded in 1831, is located inresearch institution, along with Boston University. NYU is

She Has Been Devoted to Music Since Childhood,and Accepted to New York University to Study Music.
Her Goal Is To Compose Music That Will be Loved
by People Around the World

She ﬁrst encountered Music and English" at Kinder Kids

New York University［NYU］

I Want To Study In a Town Where The Arts are
Thriving and Become a Composer That People Love.
I decided to study in New York because it is the cultural and artistic
center of the world. Manhattan has many art and cultural

H.N. showed her versatility in dance!
The 3rd place in TEAM FINAL ofthe World of Dance Championship 2019!

institutions, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The New
York Public Library, and The Morgan Library & Museum. I thought
I could gain a lot of knowledge and inspiration there. I was
attracted to the New York Universityʼs composition program
because internationally renowned composers teach students
various music genres. I will study music very hard at New York
University, and in the future, I hope to compose music that is loved
by many people, like Joe Hisaishi and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Supporting the junior staﬀ
in Grad Club's Saturday classes.

6

20 2 3ain

ing a Do

lph

er

p

Tr

in

Kansai/Nagoya/Fukuoka

Kansai Grad Club held thier summer school andone-day excursions, including the popular annual

joint

schoolwithseaside camp and a one-day ﬁeld trip.

each other. During the one-day excursion, students

Throughout this summer school, the students

We also held summer schools over a two-week period in
Nagoya and Fukuoka. During the second week, the themewas "Heroes & Villains," where we made masks and capesto transform into our very own heroes. Just like in Kansai,
on our day trip in Nagoya, we conducted English interviews
Studying about Ancient Romeand making their own Roman armor
Nagoyaat Nagoya Castle, and it was exciting to see our students
conﬁdently approach tourists and talk to them.
By staying overnight at the camp, the students could
interact with students from other schools, and throughtaking on new challenges, they signiﬁcantly matured. The
staff members were really happy to see how much they
grew by the end of the camp.

Conducting English
interviews withforeign tourists andwriting a newspaper
in English.

had the opportunity to delve into topics ofParagliding!
(Hachi-Kita Camp)

experienced many ways to use English outside the classroom, such as learning

Kansaiis

SakuraKansai summer school, students learned about

interviewing foreign tourists at Osaka Castle.

7

summerInternational School, in addition to having aheartwarming to see them show their creations toFnet

As a new project, Kanto Grad Club held a

関西

how to professionally cook takoyaki in English, an English soccer lesson, andKansaiing Drag

Dolphin Camp and Hachi-Kita Camp. During themade their own creative piece, and it was
Yui Sekiguchi

nc

Kanto

ancient Rome and made related crafts. Each student
Kansai Grad Club

ie

hi

Ex

ng

Summer Events

We believe that through such diverse experiences during
excursions and camps, our students were able to create
wonderful summer memories. We hope that many more
Grad students will continue to participate in similar eventsand gain even more memorable experiences in the future.

their own choice for a full week. They
attendedDragnet Fishingat Nunohiki Coast in Chiba!

every

day

ﬁlled

anticipation.

with

eager

Kanto Grad Club
Yuki Tanma

A total of 42 students participated in the camp. Under
good weather conditions, the students were able toexperience pulling in a large net ﬁlled with fresh ﬁsh in
Chiba and then enjoying a BBQ right on the beach. This
ﬁlled the students with great excitement! It washeartwarming to see the students from different schools
making new friends.
We visited the Tokyo Global Gateway for a one-day ﬁeld

Simulated overseas experienceat Tokyo Global Gateway

trip. The booths, which recreated landscapes and culturesof foreign countries, attracted the studentsʼ interest, andit was impressive to see their eyes sparkle as they engaged
in the experiences at each booth. Through the various
experiences during the ﬁeld trip and at the camp, we wereable to observe their growth ﬁrsthand. It was a summer
ﬁlled with wonderful memories for all of us, including thestaff members.

The ﬁrst joint summer schoolwith Sakura International School8Phonics Garden’s

The Phonics Island Songs are now available

on various music streaming services!

Classic Picture Books Now On Sale
We are pleased to announce that our beloved Phonics Garden picture books
are now available for purchase through the SmartyED online shop!

Starting from August 10th, the Phonics Island Songs, which are also available on the(*SmartyED is a Kinder Kids group company that produces educational materials and products.)

Kinder+ contents page, are now available as the "Phonics Friends Collection" on music
platforms like "Apple Music," "Amazon Music," "YouTube Music," and "Spotify."
Whether you're in your car, relaxing at home, or out for a walk, you can enjoy the Phonics
Friends Collection with your children anytime, anywhere. Singing along repeatedly as
part of your daily routine is an effective way to practice pronunciation and do tongue
exercises!

Starting in September, we will gradually add Kinder+
original songs to the music streaming services.

Please enjoy the Phonics Friends Collection with your family.
※Please check each streaming site for availability and settings.
You can access eachstreaming service fromthe Kinder Kids page
on
・
・
・
・
・
・
>
Linktree is also on the oﬃcial Kinder Kids
Instagram! Be sure to follow us andstay updated on the latest news!
oﬃcial Kinder Kids
Instagram@kinderkids.japan

9

From the book listings above,

When you select your favorite

After reviewing your cart,

selecting "Classic" from thetitle, you will be directed toclick Proceed to Purchase

dropdown menu will take you

the purchase page.

and the registration page
will open.

to the next page.

You can also
connect tovarious musicstreaming

services from✅ Payment … Credit Card
✅ Delivery … Home Delivery✅ Shipping Costs … Depends on the weightof the order.

Kinder+.

You can accessthe online shop
here ・
・
・
・
・
・
・
・
・
・》

Please checkit out!

Please visit

for more detailed information.

10