First blog post!

I'm not too sure what the point of this blog will be. Just a place to collect my thoughts on raising bilingual kids in Japan, I guess? This entire website was made without too much thought put into it as well. Maybe my kids and I will look back on this fondly when they're deciding which retirement home to put me into.

Courses and Worksheets

The impetus for this website and the course content came from my frustrations when looking for resources for my daughter to practice Eiken pre-2 writing. Other parents may relate - English writing is by far the most difficult skill to develop organically in Japan.

The rigid format and scoring criteria of Eiken presents another challenge. You must practice Eiken-style questions, so generic "Let's! Learn English!"-style materials are not good enough.

I hoped to find a magical resource that would fit my daughter's profile exactly. A way to slowly build up to Eiken-style writing exercises. Obviously I was not successful, and had to create it on my own.

Step by Step

My older daughter is currently in fourth grade. She is still just starting to learn persuasive writing, even in Japanese. Eiken pre-2's opinion writing is particularly challenging for someone who is not used to essay-style writing in the first place.

The coursework available on this website started as simple html files that I created for my daughter to work through on her own (we each have own our computer at home.. PC literacy is a big thing in our house as well).

Through iterations, we found out what works and what doesn't work for her.

Test soon!

Anyway, my older daughter will take pre-2 this Sunday. From doing mock exams, there is nothing to worry about her reading and listening. Writing, I am still concerned. From her latest worksheets, she is still making simple grammatical and spelling mistakes. Here's hoping for the best.

Z.