Songs bridge the gap created by early English education

Tao Co., Ltd., developer of the 'Tenjin' tablet learning system that turns homes into preschools, added a song titled 'Sunday, Monday, Tuesday' on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, to help children encounter English in a fun way.

'Important' but not 'liked'

Under current curriculum guidelines, English is introduced as foreign language activity for 3rd and 4th graders and as a formal subject for 5th and 6th graders. However, some schools are pushing for even earlier English education. Nine schools in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, have introduced English as a formal subject starting from the 3rd grade, cultivating communication skills through listening, speaking, and reading. A Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) survey revealed that while about 84% of 3rd graders like English, this drops to about 64% by the 6th grade. Yet, about 91% of 6th graders believe English is important. This shows that many children are trapped in a dilemma: they feel the subject is important but find it difficult to enjoy studying it.

Meeting words in a melody

To address this, we focused on the 'power of songs' in early childhood. Experiencing English as something fun before school age creates a foundation for a positive attitude toward learning English in elementary school and beyond. It is not easy for a toddler to sit at a desk and 'study.' However, studying is not limited to sitting at a desk. Songs enter the body naturally without the need to consciously learn. While language is often perceived as something to be memorized, a fun melody breaks down that barrier and allows language to soak into the body naturally.

'Sunday, Monday, Tuesday' is a song that helps children learn the days of the week through a melody. Days are familiar to children and often appear in family conversations. It is a perfect song for Japanese children to encounter English sounds.

Family English in the living room

The 'Tenjin' toddler tablet version features a function to output the screen to a TV. By playing the song on a big screen in the living room, the whole family can sing along together. Rather than 'making them study,' English becomes integrated into family time with the sentiment of 'let's enjoy it together.'

Origin of development: A father's experience

The development was sparked by the CEO's personal experience. He is a father who raises his own children using 'Tenjin.' His partner is a native English speaker. Living in a home where English and Japanese naturally mix, he felt the importance of language. He observed how his children reacted to sounds and learned words—looking up at a sound, humming the same phrase repeatedly. These processes are not written in textbooks. Such observations at home have led to our content creation. The wish that 'children should first encounter language not as something to study, but as something to enjoy' is embedded in this recording. We will continue our activities to help children around the world nurture the power to live in the future.