At AISL Harrow Haikou Little Lions, we have developed a model of co-teaching that supports dual language acquisition whilst also facilitating the secure development of English. This model means we are able to provide a bespoke, purposeful approach through our book-based approach to curriculum implementation.
Our golden rule of bilingual education is never to employ direct translation in our direct teaching or daily interactions. The only exception to this would be when we are supporting children’s emotional needs, safety or wellbeing.
Co-Teaching Benefits
Co-teaching involves far more than simply having two educators deliver a session at any one time. It is part of a wider culture at the kindergarten whereby the international teacher and local teacher are equal in status, responsibility and accountability. This means that the co-teaching model is a feature of practice that is evident throughout the day, both during planned and unplanned times. This is not something that can just happen and it has taken a number of years to reflect, adapt and refine. The skills required can only be utilised during unplanned episodes of adult-child interactions once they have been learned and refined through planned experiences, initially. It also requires a mindset shift in terms of traditional staffing expectations; our co-teachers are not teaching assistants, and the expat teacher is not the ‘lead’ practitioner. It is also important to remember that the co-teacher’s role during lesson input is just as beneficial when they use English as well as Chinese.
For new staff, used to a more traditional structure, it is important to support their understanding of this.
USING BOOK-BASED APPROACHES
The starting point involves selecting a high-quality text that is language-rich in terms of English vocabulary but also potentially rich in terms of how we would develop and deepen the children’s knowledge and understanding through some language input. It is also worth considering what other supporting texts can be drawn on to enhance the learning experience. Very often, we will use a non-fiction supporting text that links to the theme of the picture book (although there is no hard and fast rule regarding this). Wherever possible, we aim to have bilingual versions of whatever texts we select.
As a starting point, the teacher and co-teacher review the text cold and simply look for good learning and language opportunities that present themselves. Naturally, our teachers will see elements of the Harrow Little Lions Curriculum (LLC) and will explicitly plan for these as the planning process develops. The critical element for effective co-teaching is ensuring both teachers have the time needed to do this task together. Once the initial general review of the text is completed, the data set is then reviewed and learning opportunities across multiple curriculum disciplines and domains can be planned accordingly. It is important for teachers to identify explicit vocabulary and ensure this is shared in both English and Chinese with the students. They are presented with the written word, an appropriate visual and the text in written Chinese. The number of words is then increased over a number of weeks and referenced constantly and in multiple situations. To support the children’s understanding, teachers will also devise a simple physical action to support memory and recall.
The planning of targeted, key questions is an important element in the process that involves carefully considering: the purpose of the question, the possible answers, and the possible lines of development enquiry an answer may present.
During direct teaching inputs, both adults will speak, deliver instruction and interact with the class in English. It is very important for the children to see the co-teacher model and use as much English as possible and demonstrate how Chinese is used to deepen understanding.
Of course, in the Early Years, it is not always possible to plan for every experience and the real-life, spontaneous, unplanned moments offer rich learning opportunities that need to be maximised. Our staff transfer the co-teaching skills into these spontaneous, daily interactions and use the techniques and principles in these unplanned moments too.
THE IMPACT OF EFFICIENT CO-TEACHING IMPLEMENTATION ON SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS
Firstly, co-teaching significantly enhances local teachers’ willingness to contribute their expertise to the instructional process, fostering mutual learning and collaboration between local and international educators. This smooth, efficient, and enjoyable exchange of knowledge and practices is particularly evident during the planning phase of co-teaching. It also creates a culture of cooperation, respect and self-reflection.
Secondly, our observations reveal encouraging outcomes regarding students’ bilingual development. The most consequential impact of co-teaching on students lies in the advancement of their English expressive abilities. Our comparative analysis of English expressive language data from the end of the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 academic years clearly shows significant improvement in student attainment as illustrated below:
