The Kyoto Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching

効果的な小学校英語教育/Making Effective Elementary School English Education: Sunday, 26 April, 9:00 @ AICJ International School Kyoto

• Date: Sunday, 26 April
• Time: 9:00 – 14:00
• Location: AICJ International School Kyoto

Access

Schedule

9:00 – 9:10	Welcome and Introduction
9:10 – 10:20	Building a School-Wide Language Learning System: Coordinating Leadership, Inclusion, and Classroom Practice	Neesha Feroz, Todd Arao, Ami Tran AICJ International School
10:20 – 10:40	Break
10:40 – 11:50	Teaching Literacy to Japanese Children through Stories: From Phonemic Awareness to Print	Mayumi Tabuchi, Kyoto Koka University Alexander Carroll Kyoto University of Foreign Studies
11:50 – 12:00	Closing
12:00 – 13:50	Networking
13:50 – 14:00	Cleanup

Abstracts

Building a School-Wide Language Learning System: Coordinating Leadership, Inclusion, and Classroom Practice

Neesha Feroz, Todd Arao, Ami Tran

This session explores how coordinated leadership and aligned classroom routines can strengthen school-wide English development in Japanese elementary contexts. It presents a practice-based case study from AICJ International School Kyoto. In this IB PYP elementary school, over 90% of learners come from Japanese-speaking families, and English is the primary language of instruction.

To increase meaningful use of English beyond formal lessons, the school implemented coordinated systems aligned with Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (Tier 1), CEFR benchmarks, structured literacy development, and data-informed instruction. Daily language routines such as morning circles and reflection time incorporate short communicative activities (e.g., SEL check-ins, word of the day, 20 Questions, storytelling, and discussion tasks) designed to build fluency and confidence in learners’ academic and social language.

A positive behavior system, “Say More, Score More,” rewards students for elaborating on their responses. Learners are positioned as stakeholders in the system by proposing examples of phrases and moments of extended speech that can earn points. Literacy skills and language development are monitored through formative classroom checks, home reading practice (e.g., Raz-Kids), structured phonics tracking, proficiency-grouped literacy classes informed by the science of reading, and assessments such as TOEFL Primary and TOEFL Junior.

The session highlights transferable routines and monitoring strategies applicable to mixed-proficiency classrooms in public and private school settings.

Learning Objectives for Participants

Participants will be able to:

• Explain how whole-school leadership structures support language development
• Describe how curriculum alignment strengthens literacy progression across grades
• Identify inclusive Tier 1 strategies that increase English participation and access
• Apply CEFR-informed and data-informed tools to monitor and improve language growth

Speaker Roles and Perspectives

• Neesha: Presenting from a whole-school leadership and systems design perspective
• Todd or Ami: Presenting from a curriculum coordination and instructional alignment perspective
• Todd or Ami: Presenting from an inclusive education and learner support perspective

---

Teaching Literacy to Japanese Children through Stories: From Phonemic Awareness to Print

Mayumi Tabuchi, Alexander Carroll

The next revision of the Course of Study for elementary school English in Japan has been announced for early implementation in 2028, and newly revised (3rd edition) authorized textbooks will soon be used in elementary schools across the country.

In this presentation, one of the textbook authors will discuss the current situation of literacy instruction in Japanese elementary schools and explore why phonics instruction has not been widely implemented in public schools. The presenters will also introduce effective approaches to early English literacy education in Japan using stories as a central teaching tool.

The session will include practical examples and a short workshop demonstrating how storytelling activities can support the development of phonemic awareness and the transition to reading print.