Reading+and+Writing

Reading and Writing in Japanese!
Students at Maloney are exposed to all three types of writing beginning in pre-kindergarten. In third grade, students formally study how to read each of the 46 //hiragana// characters. There are three types of characters used in Japan: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katanana NEW! Here is a beautifully done article about writing in Japanese and how it has changed with technology, etc. Lots of pictures! Click[| here]. Read more about how each are used [|here.] Read a fun detailed explanation [|here.] View a very detailed explanation of the writing system, as a Powerpoint SlideShow, [a writing practice sheet for hiragana [[http://www.learn-japanese.info/hiragana_practice.gif|here.]

Hiragana and Katakana! See a whole hiragana chart [|here]. You can click on the characters to hear the sounds and learn the stroke order. Practice writing them on a piece of paper, or ask your teacher for special boxed writing-practice pages. Play a hiragana game [|here!] Play a crazy-difficult and fast hiragana game [|here.] Click on hint each time and you will be able to play! NEW! PLAY DRAG AND DROP HIRAGANA CHART! See how quickly you can drag the hiragana to their correct spots! [|Click here.] HIRAGANA game - see if you can choose the right hiragana to complete the line of the chart! [|Click here.]
 * NEW! Print out hiragana writing practice pages[| here.] **

Can you recognize the Hiragana in this Hello Kitty video? media type="custom" key="11456428"

Print your own Hiragana Chart just like the one we use in class! Print your own Katakana Chart too!

Here is one of our favorite hiragana videos.

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Here is another new one! media type="custom" key="11456476" And another! media type="custom" key="11456582"

Dictionaries CLICK [|HERE.]FOR A TERRIFIC ONLINE JAPANESE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY. LOOK UP KANJI AND STROKE ORDER ALSO. THANKS TO SAVANNAH FOR THIS LINK! Want your own Japanese dictionary? You can buy one online. Also check the "used" ones, they can be cheaper. Click [|here.]