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Parent guide · Grade 3 Mandarin · Unit 3

Lesson 3.2 几月几号? Months and Dates

Written for the parent. The Read aloud parts are written to your child; read them as they are. Do this parts are for you. Answers for you are marked Listen for.

At a glance

Time
3 sessions of 20–30 minutes
Goal
Say the months 一月 to 十二月. Say dates with 号: 五月三号. Ask 今天几月几号? and say your birthday.
You need
  • Paper, ruler, markers
  • A King James Bible
Print
Worksheet A · the lesson page (it also has a short video (8:05))

Steps

  1. Do this together: Say the months in English. Which month is your birthday? Chinese months are easy: they are just numbers!

  2. Read aloud: The big idea. January is month-one: 一yī月yuè. December is 十shí二èr月yuè. Dates go from big to small: year, month, day. July 4 is 七qī月yuè四sì号hào; 2026年10月18日 is October 18, 2026.

    Read aloud: Asking. 今jīn天tiān几jǐ月yuè几jǐ号hào? (today which-month which-day?). Answer: 今天十月十八号. In writing, 日 is used instead of 号.

    Read aloud: Years. Years are read digit by digit: 2026年 is 二零二六年 (èr líng èr liù nián).

  3. Do this: Say each word clearly; your child says it back twice. Point to a picture or the real thing when you can.

    • 月 (yuè) [yweh (falling)]: month; moon
    • 号 (hào) [how (falling)]: day of the month
    • 年 (nián) [nyen (rising)]: year
    • 今天 (jīntiān) [jin-TYEN]: today
    • 生日 (shēngrì) [shung-RR]: birthday

  4. Show: Say “December 25.”

    Say this: “December = 十二月.”

    Say this: “25 = 二十五号.”

    Answer: 十二月二十五号.

    Show: How would 2026年5月1日 be read?

    Say this: “Year digit by digit.”

    Say this: “Then month, then day.”

    Answer: 二零二六年五月一日 (or 一号).

  5. Do this: Ask out loud. Let your child try first; help only after a real try.

    Ask: What month is 九月?

    Listen for: September.

    Ask: Say “May.”

    Listen for: 五月.

    Ask: Ask today’s date.

    Listen for: 今天几月几号?

    2 more on the lesson page.

  6. Read aloud: Make a family birthday calendar in Chinese.

    Steps:

    1. Make twelve boxes and write 一月 to 十二月.
    2. Ask each family member 你的生日是几月几号?
    3. Write each birthday in the right month: 三月八号.
    4. Add Christmas (十二月二十五号) and Easter for this year.

    Tips for you:

    • Say each date aloud.

    Done when your child can say:

    • My calendar has twelve months in Chinese.
    • I wrote each birthday correctly.

  7. Read aloud: Traditional Chinese festivals follow the old lunar calendar, so the New Year falls on a different day each year, between late January and mid-February.

    • Putting the day first, as in 4 July. Chinese goes big to small: 七月四号.
    • Saying 一个月 for January. 一月 is January; 一个月 means “one month” (a length of time).

  9. One person writes a date in numbers (7/4). The other says it in Chinese as fast as possible: 七月四号!

  10. Say this: “Tell me what you learned today.”

    Listen for: Say the months 一月 to 十二月.; Say dates with 号: 五月三号.; Ask 今天几月几号? and say your birthday.

  11. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

    Psalm 31:15 (KJV)

    Chinese Union Version (和合本): <span class="zh-block" lang="zh-Hans">我终身的事在你手中</span><span class="py-line">Wǒ zhōng shēn de shì zài nǐ shǒu zhōng</span> David trusted God with all his days. Every date on the calendar is in God’s hand.

Spread over the week

3 sessions of 20–30 minutes. Stop while it is still going well.

  1. Session 1. Warm-up, then read and teach the new idea and the new words. Show how.
  2. Session 2. Practice together, then start the project. Finish the project, then the sketchbook.
  3. Session 3. Narration, the game and the Scripture.