German for Kids

It might seem a bit early to think of summer just yet. But hey, we are already at the end of February and I remember 2014 just having started!!

For everyone planning for summer 2014, and especially looking into summer activities for their children, here is a great camp for kids. Organized by The German American School Association of SoCal this year’s camp will be at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange. Having taken place in Big Bear last year, this camp has become very popular since its inception three years ago. For 6 days and 5 nights the children will be immersed in a complete German language environment. They will visit a geode, gold and coal mine under the guidance of a geologist; can experience special activities such as zip lining and archery, or just swim and slide down a 136 ft. water slide!

Activities such as crafting, baking, fishing and nature hikes will all be conducted in German. So if you don’t plan on going to visit family in Germany, Austria or Switzerland this year, have your children participate in a German Immersion Camp instead, and let them make German friends over cosy campfires right here in California.

The GASA German Immersion Outdoor Science Camp is for ages 7-16 and will take place at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center in Orange, CA, from June 29-July4, 2014.

Cost for the Camp is $575.00. Sign up by March 15, to receive an early bird discount!

To sign up or find out more about it please call the GASA office at (562) 693-0223 or email at office@GASAschool.org

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Photo: GASA German American School Association

German Camp in Big Bear: http://californiagermans.com/2013/09/24/memories-of-a-fun-german-summer-camp-at-big-bear-lake/

German Summer Camps in 2013: http://californiagermans.com/2013/05/27/german-immersion-summer-camps-in-california-for-summer-2013/

The official school year has started for so many children in California and for some of them this new year means also learning a new language and getting involved with a different culture. Learning another language and being able to converse with people from another country in their mother tongue helps opening doors to an understanding and to experiences that mere traveling to these countries alone won’t do. In a world that grows closer every day communicating with each other and understanding each other’s customs is important.

The German Saturday schools in Southern California have started their academic year last Saturday and the many young students will not only learn German but also get immersed into the German culture, music and literature. Observing all traditional festivals of German speaking countries throughout the entire school year lets the children experience German culture in a fun educational way.

The German American School Association (GASA) of Southern California was founded in 1954 and since then has offered Saturday classes throughout the Southland. Please read the following interview with Konstanze Alvarez, the director of the German school in Costa Mesa to learn more about the GASA German Schools.

How many GASA German schools are there in Southern California?

Mrs. Alvarez: “There are 10 schools here in the Southern California area and then we have the “Kinderland” Projects in Glendale and Pasadena. All the addresses of the various school locations can be found at www.Germanschool4kids.org.”

Are the teachers German natives?

Mrs. Alvarez: “At our school all the teachers are German and assistants need to have a very good knowledge of the German language. Every year the GASA organizes a full day seminar with special training for the teachers. It’s a day that is also very valuable for us in the sense that we exchange experiences with the other GASA teachers.

All our staff is very engaged and you certainly find a great idealism for the German language and culture among all of us teachers.”

How many children are usually in a class?

Mrs. Alvarez: “There are 10 children per class and students will be placed in their appropriate class level regarding their German skills and age aspects. At the Pre-school level children are 4 years old. At the Kindergarten level the ages are 5-6. At the Beginner level there are children with the ages of 6-10. The Advanced level has children with the ages of 7-11.”

What about the general interest in learning German? Do you also get requests from families who have no immediate connection to Germany and its language?

Mrs. Alvarez: “Most of the families who send their kids here have at least one parent who speaks German. Unfortunately many of them don’t speak enough or very little German to their children at home. Once the children are older they are programmed on English and it is very hard for us to break this language pattern. Very interested in our classes are also Asian and Hispanic families. It is very popular these days to introduce a child to a second language early. A common misconception I am encountering often, is that many parents, German or of another nationality, think that children learn a new language as easy as 123. But I cannot confirm that. Yes, children do learn a language much easier, but they need consistency and need to be actively involved in the language and use it regularly. With just 3 hours once a week, one cannot expect fluency right away.”

What is your curriculum like and what do you focus on at the different levels?

Mrs. Alvarez: “The curriculum varies with the age of the children. In Pre-School children are still very playful and classes follow a guideline I had put together. Focus is definitely on the verbal aspect of the German language. Therefore all our Saturdays usually have a motto like: “That’s me”, colors, numbers, clothing, “The seasons” or “This is my family” or “This is where I live” and so forth. We talk about animals and the senses and even taste foods like fruits and typical German foods together. What we try to achieve is to set the foundation for a certain base-vocabulary. We “read books”, play a lot of Bingo, Domino, Memory and other games and sing the classical Children songs. Honestly, every walk to the bathroom or even washing hands itself becomes an educational experience, since we try to explain everything only in German. And of course we do a lot of crafts and this on all levels.

GASA-KindergartenCrafts — GASA - Kindergarten Class

In Kindergarten we additionally introduce the German alphabet and continue strengthening the vocabulary and we start the first exercises in reading and writing. The Beginner and Advanced classes work with actual school material from Germany. Here the focus is on learning how to read and write in German and the older children learn also more facts about Germany.

How much weight do you put on German traditions & the German culture in general?

Mrs. Alvarez: “We generally have two big celebrations. One is Christmas and the other, Easter. Then we have a graduation celebration. Parents are invited to attend our Christmas and our graduation festivities. For both, children of all class levels put on a program that they perform together. We also have the “Laternenfest” in November and for Easter we color Easter eggs together and have an Egg Hunt.

Throughout the whole calendar year we do speak about all other typical German traditions and holidays.”

Do you have a “Schultuete” for the children advancing from the Kindergarten level to the Grade level?

Mrs. Alvarez: “We try to keep this German tradition alive that is so typical for the First- Graders in Germany. Often times we make the “Schultuete” together with the children or our teachers make smaller replicas and fill them with little goodies. Either way the children love this custom and it’s always a cheerful event.”

To find out more about GASA -The German American School Association or to enroll your child in one of the schools, please contact:

German American School Association -13601 Whittier Blvd. Suite 400;  Whittier, CA 90605 Tel: 562-693-0223 Fax: 562-693-3753 email: gasa54@aol.com

Or contact the various local schools directly at http://www.germanschool4kids.org/locations.html