Columbus School K4 students are building a boxed city to teach them English in an interactive and original way.    

This second quarter, K4 English teachers Javier Velez and Natalia Carrasquillo designed a project in which kids would gather boxes and other recycled materials,  turning them into a city. In the process, children are learning basic vocabulary in including  colors and professions among others.

“They basically went to the recycling room and gathered boxes. They painted those boxes and made them into houses, hospitals, schools, and anything they could see around them in a city,” Javier Velez, K4 English teacher, said.

At this point of the school year, K4 students still feel alien to English; creating a challenge for their English teachers. The goal of the project is to familiarize students with English by developing listening skills without feeling intimidated.

“At this stage the main focus is for them to understand us when we talk,” Velez said. “By now, most of them are able to understand everything we say without the help of the assistants.”

The 4 and 5 year olds, who didn’t speak a word of English only 4 months ago, are now communicating with their teachers. This project has also contributed to developing their speaking skills by learning simple vocabulary that they can use in their everyday tasks.

“I’ve learned how to name different colors in English like yellow and green. I also know what the word airplane means because I colored one!” K4 student Sebastian Gonzalez, said.

Others are enjoying the imaginative side “The K4 City,” named by the children and teachers. Every child has visualized him or herself within the city as  doctors, chefs and even firefighters.

“I want to work at the veterinarian, because it has animals, and they help them feel better,” 5 year old Camila, said.

Velez has been working in the school for 30 years. Even though he is Colombian, he has made it his goal never to speak to his students in Spanish.

“Since I started working as a specialist six years ago, it became my goal to never speak to them in Spanish. They think I can’t speak it, and that makes them try harder. It works!” – Javier Velez

Velez believes the “The K4 City” project has had several positive impacts on the K4 community. He argues that it has enhanced their imagination, and taught them important values such as teamwork and respect.

“In general, I think that one of our biggest achievements is that kids are really enjoying our class, without being afraid of English. It’s helped us do our job in a way that’s very fun and engaging.”