Overcoming Difficulty in Teaching English To Young Learners in Runner Class at Kids2Success.

ABSTRACT
Tugas Akhir ini membahas permasalahan yang saya temui selama
menjalankan program magang di Kids2Success. Selama saya
melaksanakan magang di Kids2Success, saya sebagai guru
mendapatkan kesulitan dalam mengajar anak-anak pra-sekolah usia 3
sampai 6 tahun sehingga tidak dapat menyampaikan materi dengan
baik. Hal ini disebabkan oleh dua hal, yaitu saya tidak mempunyai
cukup pengalaman dalam mengajar anak-anak pra-sekolah dan
karena adanya anak nakal di dalam kelas. Kesulitan itu membuat saya
saya tidak dapat menyelesaikan pelajaran tepat waktu dan anak-anak
tidak menerima materi pelajaran dengan baik.
Saya mengajukan tiga solusi yaitu pertama guru diberikan lebih
banyak kesempatan untuk mengajar anak-anak, kedua guru
memberikan pendisiplinan kepada anak nakal, ketiga guru
memberikan aktivitas-aktivitas menarik berdasarkan topik. Solusi yang
saya ambil merupakan gabungan dari dua solusi yaitu guru harus bisa
lebih menerapkan aktivitas-aktivitas yang menarik dan berguna bagi
anak-anak. Guru diberikan lebih banyak kesempatan untuk mengajar
anak-anak sehingga dapat mengetahui karakter dan kesukaan anakanak dalam belajar Bahasa Inggris.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT.................................................................................... i
DECLARATION OF ORIGINALITY................................................ ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................. iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................. iv
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION..................................................... 1-6
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.

Background of the Study
Identification of the Problem

Objectives and Benefits of the Study
Description of the Institution
Method of the Study
Limitation of the Study
Organization of the Term Paper

CHAPTER II. PROBLEM ANALYSIS......................................... 7-9
CHAPTER III. POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS................................ 10-17
CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION.................................................. 18-20
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX:
A. FLOWCHART

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FLOWCHART

CAUSES

- The teacher has no
experience in teaching
children.
- There is a naughty
child in class who
disturbs other children
in class.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
- it might make the
teacher feel tired.
- It will consume the
teacher’s time.
NEGATIVE
EFFECTS
- The child might hate
the teacher and will
not want to study
anymore .
- The child could be
angry or cry and

disturb the learning
process.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
- It might make the
children not want to
study seriously.
- it might make the
children feel bored if
the teacher cannot
give different
activities.

PROBLEM
The teacher had
difficulty in teaching
children in Runner
Class at K2S.

POTENTIAL
SOLUTION 1

The teacher should be
given more teaching
practice by the
institution.
POTENTIAL
SOLUTION 2
The teacher gives the
naughty child
penalties and
rewards.
POTENTIAL
SOLUTION 3
The teacher gives fun
activities in the
learning process
based on the topic.

EFFECTS
- The children do not
understand the

material well.
-The teacher cannot
finish the lesson on
time.
POSITIVE EFFECTS
- The teacher can get
closer with the
children.
- The teacher will
know how to make the
teaching – learning
process more fun for
the children.
POSITIVE EFFECTS
- The child might
listen to the teacher.
- The child might not
disturb other children
in class.
POSITIVE EFFECTS

- The teacher can
teach and handle the
children well in class.
- The activities will
make the children
feel enthusiastic and
motivated to study in
class.

CHOSEN SOLUTION
- The teacher should be given more teaching practice.
- The teacher gives fun activities in the learning
process based on the topics.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study
Teacher holds an important role in the process of teaching and
learning, especially for children or young learners under 7 year old

because children must receive the best knowledge to support their
knowledge development from an early age. In the article “What is The
Role of a Teacher” it is said that “the reason why the first years of
school are so critical is because kids learn the base of their educational
life” (1). Because of that a teacher must know his or her students and
be well prepared as to make the children understand and receive the
material well in their first year of learning English. Still in the same
article, it is stated that:
A teacher needs to be well prepared in order that the students
receive the best treat. It is essential and crucial for teachers to be
prepared because the first years of study are very important for the

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students. The future education success of the students depends on
their first years. (par. 1)
Furthermore, the teacher of small children should have some skills,
abilities, and knowledge, such as handling and teaching children or

young learners.
Children’s behaviour is also important to support the learning
process. Eric Digest states that “the atmosphere of the classroom has
much to do with student behaviour” (1). For example, if there is a
naughty child who likes disturbing other children in class, like grabbing
other children’s pencils or books, his action could disturb other children.
This disturbs the learning process because it might make other children
not able to concentrate and receive the material well from the teacher.
During my internship programme at Kids 2 Success (henceforth,
K2S), I taught 5 children in Runner Class, aged 3 – 5 year old for 90
minutes. I found out that I, as a teacher in Runner Class, had difficulty
in teaching children. I could not explain and teach the English lesson
well and when teaching the children, often I was too serious and clumsy
because I really did not have any experience of teaching them. As a
result, the children did not receive the material well. Another thing that I
have to deal with is I could not handle a naughty child. The child’s name
was Farrell. He was hard to stay calm, liked moving around and
disturbing other children in class. Furthermore, he was easily bored and
did not pay attention to me during the explanation of the material, when

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I tried to warn him, he became angry. His behaviour distracted the
learning process and my concentration so that I could not teach well in
class. Having the situation as stated above, I would like to solve the
problem which could be further explained in the identification of the
problem part below.

B. Identification of the Problem
In this term paper I will discuss these questions:
1. Why can the teacher not teach the Runner Class at K2S well?
2. How should I, as a teacher, teach in Runner Class?
3. What is the best solution for me as a teacher who has difficulty in
teaching children in Runner Class?

C. Objectives and Benefits of the Study
There are some objectives and benefits that I want to reach at the
end of my Term Paper. The objectives of the study are to identify the

causes and the effects of the problem of my difficulty in teaching
children in Runner Class at K2S and also to give some potential
solutions to the problem. The last objective is to find the best solution to
the problem.
Besides the objectives of the study, there are also the benefits of
the study. The benefits are for the teachers in K2S, for the readers, and
also for me. The benefit for the teachers in K2S is they could know how
to teach and handle children. Furthermore, they could prepare and use

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suitable activities to help the children understand the material. For the
readers who want to be a teacher, they could get knowledge on how to
teach the lesson well in class. They can also know how to teach
children by developing some skills to teach children. The benefits for
me are I could know how to teach children in class and if someday I
work as a teacher in play group or kindergarten, I will know what I
should do to teach children and handle naughty children in class.

D. Description of the Institution
K2S is a franchise institution from America. The curriculum is
licensed from America. The logo of K2S is a kangaroo named
Blackfoot Wallaby. K2S uses two languages as the medium of
instruction in class, namely, Indonesian and English.
K2S branch office in Kopo was first established by Mrs. Erni
Kosasih in 2006 and now the owner is Mrs. Ivon. K2S is an academic
course for Preschool, Play Group, Kindergarten, and Primary School
children. The address is at Ruko Taman Kopo Indah II 2a No. 55,
Bandung
The motto of K2S is “Learning is a Process” while the vision is to
make children like English from an early age. K2S has its own modules,
depending on the level and grade of the children. The modules are
divided into three levels, namely, Runners, Jumpers, and Sprinters.

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There is only a maximum of five students in each class, in order to
make the lessons run effectively.
E. Method of the Study
The problem that I discuss in this term paper is based on my
experience during my internship programme in K2S for three months
(January-March 2010). I found out that I as a teacher had difficulty in
teaching children in Runner Class at K2S. The data that I use for this
Term Paper is taken from my internship journal as a teacher in K2S, I
also take references from book and the Internet.

F. Limitation of the Study
The analysis focuses on me, as a teacher, who had difficulty in
teaching children in Runner Class at K2S in Bandung. There are five
children in my Runner Class aged three until six years old. I have to
teach them Runner One Module: this includes topics such as Alphabet
and At the Supermarket. In each meeting, the length of the lesson is 90
minutes. The data for this analysis is taken from my internship
programme in Runner Class at K2S.

G. Organization of the Term Paper
There are four chapters in my Term Paper. Chapter One is the
Introduction, which has seven parts. These parts are Background of the
Study, Identification of the Study, Objectives and Benefits of the Study,
Description of the Institution, Method of the Study, Limitation of the

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Study, and Organization of the Term Paper. In Chapter Two, I describe
the analysis of the problem and also the causes and effects of the
problem. In Chapter Three I discuss the Potential Solutions of the
problem as well as the positive and negative effects. In Chapter Four, I
choose the best solution for the problem. At the end I put the
Bibliography and the Appendix.

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CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION

In this chapter, I would like to present the best solution for the
problem that I have during my internship at K2S. The problem is as a
teacher, I have difficulty in teaching children in Runner Class at K2S. I
have analyzed three causes of the problem. The first cause is the
teacher has no experience in teaching children. The second cause is
there is a naughty child in the class who disturbs other children in class.
There are also two effects of the problem. The first effect is the teacher
cannot finish the lesson on time. The second effect is the children do
not receive the material well. There are also three potential solutions to
solve the problem. The first is the teacher should be given more
teaching practice. The second is the teacher gives the naughty child
punishment and reward. The third is the teacher gives fun activities in
the learning process, based on the topic.
Now, I would like to discuss the best solution to solve the problem. I
choose to combine the first and the third potential solution as the best
solution, which are the teacher should be given more teaching practice

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and the teacher gives fun activities in the learning process, based on the topics.
As a teacher who had no experience in teaching children, I need more teaching
practice to observe the children’s behaviour, character and also their interest in
learning. I believe by having more teaching practice I could know children’s
characteristics and their interests in learning. Dr Veronica Mc Cue states that
“teacher preparation, professional, knowledge, experience, enthusiasm, flexibility
and perseverance, along with many specific teaching practises, make a difference in
student achievement” (2). In my opinion, teacher’s experience and practice support a
teacher’s perfomance in class.
I gave the children fun activities in the learning process based on the topic. I
believe by giving them fun activities it can make them feel they are having fun and
can enjoy learning. Benito Vacio also states that “activities for language learners
must be interesting” (1). In this way the teacher could get a good feedback from the
children in learning process and it gives confidence to the teacher to teach children
because they listen and give respect. Furthermore, children are easily bored and
have a lot of energy and move a lot. They need fun activities which allow them to
have physical movement in learning. Stephanie Kelley states that “most children will
not be able to sit still as long as the average adult, therefore a teacher should
schedule time for physical movement for children” (1). In my experience, fun
activities make the children have fun and enjoy the lesson.
These solutions can give benefits for the teacher and the student. The teacher
could know how to teach and handle children well in class. The children will be
motivated and enthusiastic to study in class because the teacher could adjust the
material and give fun activities based on the topic. Therefore, the children will
receive and understand the material well.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Printed Source
Cleveland, Bernard F Ph.D., Master Teaching Techniques. Lawrenceville:
The Connecting Link Press,1987.

Electronic Sources
Case, Alex. “15 Punishment for Pre-School English Classes.” Tefl.net.
July 2008. 25 June 2011
.
“Disciplining Your Child.” Kids Health Nemours Foundation. 2011. 25
June 2011 .
“Discipline.” Cambridge University Press: English Language Teaching.
2011. 25 June 2011
.
Digest, Eric. “Managing inappropriate Behaviour in the Classroom.” 2005.
08 June 2011 .

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Jablon, Judy R., and Michael Wilkinson.”Using Engagement Strategies to
Facilitate Children’s Learning and Success.” 2006. 07 March 2011
.
Kelley, Stephanie. “The Differences in Teaching Adults and Children.”
ehowFamily. 12 June 2011 .
McAvoy, Lisa. “Definition of Corporal Punishment and Children Abuse.”
National Association of School Nurses: Corporal Punishment in
Schools. 31 March 2011. 23 August 2011.
.
Mc Cue, Dr. Veronica. “Effective Teachers and Teaching-What Principals
Need to Know to Impact Student Achievement.” Socyberty. 14 April
2011. 12 June 2011 .
Read, Carol. ”Teaching Young Learners-Introduction.” Teaching English.
British Council. 2003. 12 March 2011
.
Stein, John. “Reading for Child and Youth Care people.” 12 March 2011
.
Vacio, Benito.”How to handle a Classroom Full of Badly-Behaved
Children.” Ajarn. 13 September 2010. 25 June 2011
.
Vernon, Shelley Ann. ”Discover How Your Pupils Can Learn to Speak
English 2x As Fast When They’re Excited About Learning Using

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Hundreds of FUN ENGLISH GAMES.” Teaching English Games.
2006- 2009. 07 March 2011
.
“What is The Role of a Teacher.” csun.edu. 25 June 2011
.

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