Chinese Character Writing Lesson Plans: Teacher Guide to the HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook

By the end you can

• Teach the 8 basic strokes with air writing. In Lesson 1 students write each character in the air with a big arm, saying the stroke names, before squared paper and stroke checks on mini whiteboards.
  人 · rén · person
• Use meaning parts to tell characters apart. Lesson 2 starts from 他 and 她: both are tā and only the left part differs. Pairs then sort character cards by the person, woman, water, speech and mouth parts.
  汉语 · Hànyǔ · Chinese (language)
• Run number and date dictations. Lesson 3 writes numbers, dates from big to small and ages with 岁. Pairs dictate numbers and dates to each other on whiteboards.
  我二十八岁。 · Wǒ èrshíbā suì. · I am 28 years old.
• Build sentences from word tiles. Lessons 4 and 5 use tiles cut from the book's sentences for family words and 们, then sentences with 是, 叫, 有 and 在, with no 是 before an adjective.
  我有一个哥哥。 · Wǒ yǒu yí ge gēge. · I have an older brother.
• Teach questions and time-and-place word order. Lesson 6 puts the question word where the answer goes. Lesson 7 builds who, when, where and what from tiles in four colours, then as human sentences.
  你家在哪儿？ · Nǐ jiā zài nǎr? · Where is your home?
• Guide a self-introduction and a text message. Lesson 8 builds a self-introduction of 30 to 40 characters in four steps, then a two-line text. Partners count each other's characters and tick the steps.
  大家好！ · Dàjiā hǎo! · Hello, everyone!
• Run the Review as a mistake hunt. Lesson 9 shows cards with the wrong lines from the book's Correct the mistake exercises. Teams fix them, then students read their own writing aloud.
• Check progress with dictations and two writing tasks. Dictation lists from the book's words, a short self-introduction after Lesson 5 and a self-introduction and text in Lesson 9, plus a three-step writing scale.
• Adapt for mixed levels and mark with the key. Support and stretch ideas for every lesson, a section on heritage speakers who speak well but cannot yet write, and the full answer key by lesson.

Use it with

The student book: HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook: Characters to Sentences. Your class downloads it free with a SayMei account.

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  HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook: Characters to Sentences

  HSK 1 (HSK 3.0) · 37 pages

What’s inside

• Course map: Course map
• Lesson 1: Eight Strokes and Stroke Order
• Lesson 2: Parts That Carry Meaning
• Lesson 3: Numbers, Dates and Age
• Lesson 4: People and Family
• Lesson 5: Sentences With 是, 叫, 有 and 在
• Lesson 6: Writing Questions
• Lesson 7: Time and Place Come First
• Lesson 8: A Self-Introduction and a Text
• Lesson 9: Lin Hao and Chen Xiaoyu Swap Notes
• Assessment: An exit check every lesson, dictation lists by unit, the halfway and end-of-book writing tasks, a writing scale and the mistakes to look for. Check characters and writing
• Mixed levels: Tracing, frames and pinyin for students who need support, longer tasks for those ready for more, and tips for heritage speakers. Teach a mixed-level class
• Answer key: The student book's answers, lesson by lesson. Lines marked Model are one good answer: accept any correct answer about the student. Answer key · Answer key · Answer key · Answer key · Answer key

How to use this book

One unit of the student book per class, about 45 minutes, with a note on what to drop for a 30-minute class. Students say aloud every word and sentence they write.

1. Before term: Print the paper. Squared paper from saymei.app/tools/chinese-writing-grid-paper and tracing sheets from the worksheet generator, both free SayMei tools. Mini whiteboards make quick checks easy.
2. Each lesson: Air first, then paper. Warm-up, the Learn page, the Practice page, pair work, the Write page, group work and speaking. New characters go in the air first, with the stroke names.
3. Between classes: 15 minutes a day. Students can follow the book's own plan of 15 minutes a day, saying each word aloud as they write it.
4. After Lesson 5: Halfway writing task. Without the book, four or five lines: a greeting, name, age, today's date and family. Then each student reads it aloud to you.
5. Lesson 9: End-of-book task. The self-introduction of 30 to 40 characters and a two-line text, written without the book or the models, then read aloud.

Who it’s for

Teachers of beginners learning to write Chinese for the new HSK 1 (HSK 3.0): school, university and adult classes, and tutors. Once a week, the nine classes fill about nine weeks.

Before you start: Your class needs the student book, HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook: Characters to Sentences, free with a SayMei account. Students download their own copy, or you hand out printed pages. You also need squared paper.

Frequently asked questions

Does the new HSK 1 have a writing section?

No. The new HSK 1 has no writing section. The book's character work prepares students for the writing they meet from HSK 2.

Where do I get squared paper and tracing sheets?

Print squared writing paper at saymei.app/tools/chinese-writing-grid-paper and tracing sheets of each unit's characters at saymei.app/tools/chinese-worksheet-generator. Both are free SayMei tools.

Is there audio?

No. The student book has no audio, so you are the model for every word students say.

What if a student misses a lesson?

Each unit stands on three pages, so a student who was away can do the Learn, Practice and Write pages at home with the answer key. At the start of the next class they read their Write page text to you and write two of the unit's characters.

Is this teacher guide free?

Yes. The whole 19-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I copy it for my class?

Yes. Print and copy as many pages as you like for your own classes. Your students can download the student book from its page, free with a SayMei account.

Keep going

HSK 1 Reading Practice: Signs, Messages & Micro-Stories · HSK 1 Vocabulary Recall & Speaking Workbook · HSK 1 Guided Writing Workbook: Characters to Sentences · HSK 1 Mock Test: Practice Test in the New HSK Format · Browse all 294 workbooks