February 26, 2017

What did we cover in the class?

Story (Anecdote)

None

Core Activity

Revision of poem - నీళ్ళలోన మీను

Reading the story - The lion and the Rabbit - from Panchatantra and line by line translate into Telugu.

Writing vattulu - ట, ఠ, డ, ఢ

Homework

Page 44 and 46 from Mana Telugu Sisu book. The students are expected to write each word on a sheet of paper and submit it in the next class. The students were already informed about this homework in the class.

Plan for next class

Revision of Indian months and corresponding festivals

Revision of family relationships

Spoken Telugu - Angry customer situation

Writing vattulu

February 19, 2017

What did we cover in the class?

Story (Anecdote)

None

Core Activity

New Padyam - 

నీళ్ళలోన మీను నిగిడి దూరము పారు

బైట మూరెడైన బార లేదు

స్థానబలిమి గాని తన బలిమి గాదయా

విశ్వదాభిరామ వినురవేమ!

neeLLalOna meenu nigiDi dooramu paaru

baiTa mooreDaina baara lEdu

sthaanabalimi gaani tana balimi gaadayaa

viSwadaabhiraama vinuravEma!

Meaning: meenu means fish. When a fish is in water then it can travel any distance. When it is outside, it cannot travel even a yard. So, it si foolish for a fish to be arrogant of its capability because the strength is location dependent and not an absolute one! 
Moral: As humans, we should be never be arrogant about our capabilities because they are context (time and location) dependent.

Translation from English to Telugu by reading

Today, the students started to read Panchatantra stories, line by line and express it in Telugu. Students participated with a lot of enthusiasm and did very well. We used this opportunity to learn the difference between word to word translation and a sentence by sentence translation (the expression is often different between language to language and hence word by word translation is not an effective way of translation).

Writing exercise

We took a few lines that were translated in the above exercise and wrote them. Parents, please review your child's books to see what they learned in this exercise. It involved proper sentences involving rich Telugu vocabulary.

We will continue this process of reading Panchatantra stories and translating for another 2 weeks. We will also write a few sentences. It is important for the kids to practice vattulu to be able to get the maximum benefit from this exercise.

Homework

This week we have a homework for parents also :-)

Parents, please take two topics. For example, what is your favorite subject in school, what is your favorite sport and why?
Then, request your kids to speak about the topic for a minute in English. Then ask them to speak the same thing in Telugu. Let them make mistakes and correct them! This would reinforce the translation concepts that we discussed in the class.

For students, page 34 and 36 from Mana Telugu Sisu book. The students are expected to write each word on a sheet of paper and submit it in the next class. The students were already informed about this homework in the class.

Plan for next class

Padyam revision 

Spoken Telugu - translation of Panchatantra stories, writing a few sentences in Telugu from those stories.

February 12, 2017

What did we cover in the class?

Story (Anecdote)

None

Core Activity

Padyam revision. Not many students learnt the padyam. I advise parents to work with the students to ensure that the students learn the padyam

We had a quiz on the animal names in Telugu. 

We had another quiz on translating English day to day sentences to Telugu.

We also learnt to practice vattulu for క, ఖ, గ, ఘ

Homework

Only 2 students returned the vattulu exercise. We are planning to start writing simple sentences starting next week. So, please work with the students to complete the homework.

Please work with the students to revise vegetables, fruits and animal names in Telugu. Encourage the students use the names in their own sentences. 

Plan for next class

New padyam from Vemana Satakam

Spoken Telugu – Translation of many simple sentences - We will extend this to writing those sentences as well

Revision of remaining vattulu and dictation of words with the vattulu

February 5, 2017

What did we cover in the class?

Story (Anecdote)

None

Core Activity

Padyam - Sri Raghurama padyam from Dasarathi Satakam revision

Vocabulary about animals - the sheet can be found here

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3IeuUQA9h8NZWhVV21ucTdTMTg 

Role play - two prajna students talking about each others experiences about attending Prajna

Vattulu revision and dictation

Homework

None returned last week home work. vattulu practice sheet can be downloaded at 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3IeuUQA9h8NalhEWFU0Nm9CbjA 

Please download, take a printout and have the students work with the sheet and return it in the next class

Plan for next class

Spoken Telugu – We will continue with role play

A fun quiz about vegetables, fruits and animals together.

Vattulu revision and dictation

Focus on simple sentences. 

January 22, 2017

What did we cover in the class?

Announcement

Next week we do not have Telugu class as we visit HH Swamiji in Ashtalakshmi Temple. The next Telugu class will be on Feb 5.

Story (Anecdote)

None

Core Activity

Padyam - Sri Raghurama padyam from Dasarathi Satakam

Here is the padyam in Telugu and English.

Sree raghuraama, chaaru tulasIdaLadhaama, Samakshamaadi SRm

gaara guNaabhiraama; trijagannuta Souryaramaalalaama du

rvaara kabandha raakshasaviraama; jagajjana kalmashaarnavO

ttaarakanaama bhadragiri daaSarathI karuNaa payOnidhI 

శ్రీ రఘురామ, చారు తులసీదళధామ, శమక్షమాది శృం

గార గుణాభిరామ; త్రిజగన్నుత శౌర్యరమాలలామ దు

ర్వార కబంధ రాక్షసవిరామ; జగజ్జన కల్మషార్నవో

త్తారకనామ భద్రగిరి దాశరథీ కరుణా పయోనిధీ 

Revision of fruit names in Telugu

Spoken Telugu - 4 students formed 2 pairs - to discuss a) buyer seller situation b) Two friends discussing about going to fruit market situation.

We also discussed a few simple English sentences and learnt how to say them in Telugu. Some examples given below.

* Do you come here daily?

* No, I come  here only once a week

* Do you know my name?

* Does Sita sing well?

* Do you like Sweets?

* Do you meet them daily?

* At what time do you get up in the morning?

* Where does your father work?

* How do you go to school every day?

Parents, hereafter please speak to your children in Telugu only. They are picking up Telugu fast with peer motivation and your encouragement and filling in where they need will take them a long way.

Writing practice - We practiced a few words with Ou, am, aha gunintams from page 26 and 28 of Mana Telugu Sisu book. 

Homework

We will practice writing vattulu in the next 2 classes. The homework for this week is practicing vattulu. The practice sheet can be downloaded at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3IeuUQA9h8NalhEWFU0Nm9CbjA 

Please have your kids work on the worksheet. Also, discuss the meaning of the word along with its English counterpart with them. That would enrich their Telugu vocabulary.

Note: Only one student submitted the mid term exam to compensate for Telugu mid term exam score. Please check and work with your child to get it completed to get the eligible score. 

Plan for next class

Padyam revision

Vocabulary about animals would be introduced

Spoken Telugu – Role play continues for other students

Vattulu revision and dictation

Continue to form simple sentences. 

January 15, 2017

What did we cover in the class?

Story (Anecdote)

Revised last week's story of Sibi chakravarty

Core Activity

The attendance was very less today (less than 30% of the class). However, we continued with spoken Telugu.

Students talked about their holiday experiences or the fruit that like and why. Students participated with a lot of enthusiasm. I would say that the spoken skills of the students are taking very decent shape. Parents, kudos to you and please continue talking to the students in Telugu

Since the attendance was low, we had the students take dictation of words involving Telugu gunintams. The idea is eventually to drive them towards sentences having simple gunintams. 30 seconds was provided for them to write the word and then in the next 30 seconds, we showed the students on how to write the word. The homework for this week also reflects practice in  this direction.

Homework

Page 2 to 24 of Mana Telugu Sisu. Please work with your children to have them read, write and understand the meaning of those words. This is very important as we are trying to enrich the students with Telugu vocabulary so that they do not hesitate to talk in Telugu.

 Plan for next class

Revision of fruit names in Telugu

Spoken Telugu – A visit to the fruit market. Pairs of students will play a buyer and seller and negotiate.

A padyam from Dasarathi Satakam

Dictation of words with vattulu and gunintaalu. 

Formation of simple sentences

January 8, 2017

What did we cover in the class?

Story (Anecdote)

Theme: Paropakaaram

Story: Sibi chakravarti's attempt to save the life of a dove by donating flesh from his own body

The concept of paropakaram was discussed first and it was explained with the story

Core Activity

Results of mid term exam

The results of mid term exam were distributed. Unfortunately, those who missed the mid term exam were not either present today or not ready to take the mid term exam. Those who were not able to take the exam and those who got lower score will be able to take a compensation exercise. They get the credit only if they submit the exercise and their score depends on the correct answers in the given answer sheet. The scores are given as follows.

Those who missed the exam - need to complete the mid term exam paper (see the link below) without choice - for a maximum credit of 60 marks

Those who got between 60 and 80 - can add 10 more marks by finishing the exam paper without choice

Those who got between 40 and 60 - can add 20 more marks by finishing the exam paper without choice

The last date for submitting the compensation exercise is January 29, 2017. No late submissions will be taken.

Vocabulary

In the update for last class, I posted a sheet for vocabulary related to fruits. Those words were discussed.

Spoken Telugu

3 students came up and described (in complete Telugu) about their holiday experiences OR the fruit they like and why. We are going to continue this next week with close to 10 students trying to do the same. Help is provided as needed to make it entirely in Telugu and not as a mix of Telugu & English

Homework

For those who need, here is the link to the mid term exam paper. Please take a printout and have the kids answer the complete exam paper.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3IeuUQA9h8NakI3Q204M1lqbGM
This is the compensation exercise, as described above. Please remember. The kids need to say the numbers in Telugu in front of the parents and parents need to check in the areas opposite to the numbers to confirm that the kids did that.

I would highly encourage students to practice their topic for speech for next class. They can choose from one of the topics below

     What did I do in the holidays  OR

     What is the fruit that I like and why?

Plan for next class

Spoken Telugu

Speeches by students

General vocabulary related to day to day life. 

Extempore speaking opportunity - what did I learn from the life of Sibi chakravarti

Vattulu and gunintalu dictation

Try to form simple sentences in specified contexts and write them