A new teacher who has been observing some of my classes lately as part of her ESL Teacher training asked me this question the other day: "How do I teach speaking?".
At first I thought it was a joke question, because to me the answer seemed so simple, but when I realized that it was a serious question, I had to stop and think about if for a second. At first glance, teaching speaking simply involves providing your students with as many chances to speak as is possible - sometimes in a controlled context, and sometimes in a free context.
The first thing to keep in mind is that when we are helping our language students learn to speak English, we are not actually teaching them to speak. Unless they are infants, they already know how to do that. What we are really helping them with falls into three categories
1. improving fluency (speaking smoothly)
2. improving pronunciation (saying words properly)
3. improving enunciation (Saying words/phrases clearly - I think this includes word and sentence intonation)
Some would say that vocabulary, grammar, and cultural usage also fall into how we teach speaking, but I'd say that while they are critical, they are not only in the domain of speaking. Speaking is about using our mouth and vocal cords to make sounds that people understand as language. It certainly involves other elements like grammar and vocabulary, but they aren't the core of it.
So, back to the main question of how to teach speaking. Let's look at each of the three elements I mentioned above
Improving Fluency
Fluency comes from practice - plain and simple. However it needs to be practice that involves extended use of the language and use of extended sentences. You can not build fluency by repeating single words or short phrases. Fluency at its heart relates to being able to speak for longer periods of time in a smooth way. Broadly speaking, here are a few things that can help build fluency:
1. speeches or presentations
2. group discussions
3. role plays
4. negotiations and debates
5. interviews and meetings
6. chatting in small groups
Improving Pronunciation
Pronunciation is the ability to say words properly with the correct sounds in the correct places. This is a skill that can take a VERY long to develop, but with consistent work and practice, it can be done. There are two keys to proper pronunciation 1) tons of native speaker input and 2) tons of speaking by the learner with native speakers. However, practice and lessons that target specific trouble areas can make a huge difference in a student's ability to deal with issues in pronunciation.
1. working on specific vowels
2. working on trouble consonants (e.g. th for French speakers)
3. working on understanding movement and location of mouth and tongue when making sounds
Improving Enunciation
Enunciation is speaking clearly - perhaps better understood by its opposite which is mumbling or slurring words. Enunciation is a very important aspect of speaking in that poor enunciation can make someone almost impossible to understand. Again improvements in enunciation come from exposure to native speakers, and plenty of natural practice. Of course focused work targeting problem areas can help a great deal as well. Things that can be done to help with enunciation include:
1. focused work on trouble word combinations
2. working on reductions (want to –> wanna)
3. working on sentence level stress points
4. working on word level stress points (e.g. differences between noun/verb forms of same word record/record)
5. working on sentence level intonation patterns
As you may have noticed I haven't provided any specific lesson ideas on how to teach speaking. There are literally hundreds of different activities that you can use in myraid different situations. There isn't one right way, or even one right sequence. Just be sure to give your students plenty of time for talking freely, supplement this with targeted exercises and practice, and actively encourage your students to listen to and speak with as many native speakers as they possibly can on a regular basis.
Cheers,
Eric
http://teachers-call.com/2008/04/how-to-teach-speaking.html
Kamis, 08 April 2010
Senin, 27 Juli 2009
English Language Usage Mistakes
Speaking, listening, reading, and writing are not entirely separable entities.
degree
The English language has comparative and superlative endings for some words. Those word endings indicate degree of intensity. For example, consider the word pretty.
pretty, prettier, and prettiest
During August 2003 a very prominent American political person toured an ourdoor area where some renovation work was in progress and made the following unscripted remark on national television: "This area will be more pretty when the work is completed."
The substitution of more in usages that require comparative endings is widespread in America at the outset of the Twenty-first Century, perhaps reflecting the commercialization of society. There are, of course, some appropriate uses of the word more to intensify degree. However, it is more appropriate to use comparative or superlative word endings for many words. It is not correct to say or write appropriate(er). If you are in doubt regarding the correct way to express degree of a word, consult your dictionary.
The following is from an August 30, 2003, TV promotion for a face cream.
After application pores in the facial skin are "less smaller."
proactive
A local school board, assessing the criteria for a new school superintendent, decided that the new superintendent should be "proactive." The prefix (pro-) means for. America's infamous "couch potatoes" are proactive. They favor activity. They can sit and watch activity for endless hours: football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, and staged scuffles on TV shows featuring disfunctional behavior. The school board wanted to find a superintendent who would provide efficient administration and who would also actively pursue opportunities for improved student performance. They wanted an active person.
The word proactive has become a buzzword among the elite who provide news media and entertainment media commentary on affairs of the day and affairs of state. Perhaps the extensive use of the word proactive reflects America's change from an active society to a sedentary society. Choose the word active.
you know
There was a time when a speaker could pause. A pause is not acceptable in the electronic media era. "Dead time" causes "channel flipping." Speakers interject the phrase, you know, to buy thinking time. Some speakers, because they are are inadequately prepared or incompetent, use the phrase almost continuously. Some of us use the phrase, you know, because it has become an unconscious habit. This author once endured a two-hour lecture class in which the lecturer used the phrase, you know, 18 times each minute of every two hour class session, thus inadvertently making horologists of the students!
Teachers know that young students have a tendency to write the language as they have heard it spoken. If students have customarily heard the language misused, they must relearn the language to make satisfactory academic progress.
move forward
A phrase spoken with reliable frequency by politicians, business executives, and administrators who want to avoid accountability, want to avoid answering a critical question, is move forward. The accountability dodge may be expressed as in the following sentence.
I don't want to dwell on these negative things; I want to move forward.
Forward, as used in the above context is meaningless. It is neither a physical location nor a policy position. We have no obligation to develop masterly writing skills, but we the people have a requirement to understand the language if we expect democracy to function.
email
Computer electronic communication brings us the problem of maintaining our humanity while interacting with strangers in absentia. When we deal with other human beings, face-to-face, we read facial expressions, tone of voice, and body movements, and that enables us to better understand how our own expressions are being received. It tempers our behavior. The possibility of adverse reaction to inappropriate face-to-face expression provides a certain discipline. It helps insure our humanity. We have become accustomed to this feed-back over the millennia, and we are dependent on it. All of this is missing when we communicate electronically.
Communication is facilitated by respect and courtesy. People who have held leadership positions are aware that familiarity can breed contempt. Rephrased for the electronic era that observation becomes: unwarranted familiarity is contempt. Familiarity is by invitation only. If you were to send an email message to a former President of the United States and opened the message with, Hi Bill, Hi Jimmy, Hi George, or Hi Jerry you would be sending an unflattering message about yourself. Use appropriate courtesy titles when communicating on-line, e.g., Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss, unless you are communicating with a close personal friend.
The physical inaccessability obtainable in the era of electronic business enables businesses and individuals to avoid accountability and acceptance of responsibility. Effective communication in the electronic era requires the same hard work and discipline that was required in previous eras. Communicate responsibly.
gestures
Those of us who have read history or made history will recall the V for Victory gesture used so effectively by British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and by General of the Armies, Dwight Eisenhower. It was an effective form of communication in the context of WW II. It may have been the only gesture the eloquent Churchill ever used. Gestures are effective when they are rarely and appropriately used. You can observe ineffective use of gestures by turning on a television "talk" show and watching the hands and arms vigorously and aimlessly flailing, thus revealing the owner's inability to address the issue being discussed. Beware, when you gesture, you send a signal, a message about yourself.
image
The purpose of language is, obviously, to communicate. We know, however, that false messages date to early recorded history. Our contemporary era is fraught with a new communication deception: image. Politicians, governments, corporations, and celebrities employ professional image manipulators. The intent is to replace crude reality with a designed image. Image manipulation is deception. Image manipulation for profit, personal gain, or to avoid accountability is a perversion of the language, and it does a disservice to society. Read "between the lines" with skepticism.
Taken from:
www.iscribe.org/english/mstk.html
Speaking, listening, reading, and writing are not entirely separable entities.
degree
The English language has comparative and superlative endings for some words. Those word endings indicate degree of intensity. For example, consider the word pretty.
pretty, prettier, and prettiest
During August 2003 a very prominent American political person toured an ourdoor area where some renovation work was in progress and made the following unscripted remark on national television: "This area will be more pretty when the work is completed."
The substitution of more in usages that require comparative endings is widespread in America at the outset of the Twenty-first Century, perhaps reflecting the commercialization of society. There are, of course, some appropriate uses of the word more to intensify degree. However, it is more appropriate to use comparative or superlative word endings for many words. It is not correct to say or write appropriate(er). If you are in doubt regarding the correct way to express degree of a word, consult your dictionary.
The following is from an August 30, 2003, TV promotion for a face cream.
After application pores in the facial skin are "less smaller."
proactive
A local school board, assessing the criteria for a new school superintendent, decided that the new superintendent should be "proactive." The prefix (pro-) means for. America's infamous "couch potatoes" are proactive. They favor activity. They can sit and watch activity for endless hours: football, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, and staged scuffles on TV shows featuring disfunctional behavior. The school board wanted to find a superintendent who would provide efficient administration and who would also actively pursue opportunities for improved student performance. They wanted an active person.
The word proactive has become a buzzword among the elite who provide news media and entertainment media commentary on affairs of the day and affairs of state. Perhaps the extensive use of the word proactive reflects America's change from an active society to a sedentary society. Choose the word active.
you know
There was a time when a speaker could pause. A pause is not acceptable in the electronic media era. "Dead time" causes "channel flipping." Speakers interject the phrase, you know, to buy thinking time. Some speakers, because they are are inadequately prepared or incompetent, use the phrase almost continuously. Some of us use the phrase, you know, because it has become an unconscious habit. This author once endured a two-hour lecture class in which the lecturer used the phrase, you know, 18 times each minute of every two hour class session, thus inadvertently making horologists of the students!
Teachers know that young students have a tendency to write the language as they have heard it spoken. If students have customarily heard the language misused, they must relearn the language to make satisfactory academic progress.
move forward
A phrase spoken with reliable frequency by politicians, business executives, and administrators who want to avoid accountability, want to avoid answering a critical question, is move forward. The accountability dodge may be expressed as in the following sentence.
I don't want to dwell on these negative things; I want to move forward.
Forward, as used in the above context is meaningless. It is neither a physical location nor a policy position. We have no obligation to develop masterly writing skills, but we the people have a requirement to understand the language if we expect democracy to function.
Computer electronic communication brings us the problem of maintaining our humanity while interacting with strangers in absentia. When we deal with other human beings, face-to-face, we read facial expressions, tone of voice, and body movements, and that enables us to better understand how our own expressions are being received. It tempers our behavior. The possibility of adverse reaction to inappropriate face-to-face expression provides a certain discipline. It helps insure our humanity. We have become accustomed to this feed-back over the millennia, and we are dependent on it. All of this is missing when we communicate electronically.
Communication is facilitated by respect and courtesy. People who have held leadership positions are aware that familiarity can breed contempt. Rephrased for the electronic era that observation becomes: unwarranted familiarity is contempt. Familiarity is by invitation only. If you were to send an email message to a former President of the United States and opened the message with, Hi Bill, Hi Jimmy, Hi George, or Hi Jerry you would be sending an unflattering message about yourself. Use appropriate courtesy titles when communicating on-line, e.g., Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss, unless you are communicating with a close personal friend.
The physical inaccessability obtainable in the era of electronic business enables businesses and individuals to avoid accountability and acceptance of responsibility. Effective communication in the electronic era requires the same hard work and discipline that was required in previous eras. Communicate responsibly.
gestures
Those of us who have read history or made history will recall the V for Victory gesture used so effectively by British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and by General of the Armies, Dwight Eisenhower. It was an effective form of communication in the context of WW II. It may have been the only gesture the eloquent Churchill ever used. Gestures are effective when they are rarely and appropriately used. You can observe ineffective use of gestures by turning on a television "talk" show and watching the hands and arms vigorously and aimlessly flailing, thus revealing the owner's inability to address the issue being discussed. Beware, when you gesture, you send a signal, a message about yourself.
image
The purpose of language is, obviously, to communicate. We know, however, that false messages date to early recorded history. Our contemporary era is fraught with a new communication deception: image. Politicians, governments, corporations, and celebrities employ professional image manipulators. The intent is to replace crude reality with a designed image. Image manipulation is deception. Image manipulation for profit, personal gain, or to avoid accountability is a perversion of the language, and it does a disservice to society. Read "between the lines" with skepticism.
Taken from:
www.iscribe.org/english/mstk.html
Tutorila Adjectives
Comparative and superlative adjectives: formation
The comparative is formed with –er or more; the superlative is formed with –est or most. One syllable adjectives like big and fast tend to prefer –er and –est. Larger ones like beautiful and carefully take more and most.
John is tall.
John is taller than Peter.
John is the tallest man I know.
Susie drives carefully.
Susie drives more carefully than Alice.
Susie drives the most carefully of anybody in Paris.
English Grammar
Comparison using positive adjectives and adverbs
Positive adjectives and adverbs can be used for comparing. Several different grammatical structures are possible
As … as …
This structure is used to say that people, things, actions or events are equal in a particular way.
A car is as fast as a bus.
Alice is as beautiful as Mary.
Tom is as tall as Harry.
If we want to say that people, things etc are unequal in a particular way, we can use not so … as … or not as … as …
Tom is not as/so tall as Harry.
A car is not as/so fast as a train.
Alice is not as/so beautiful as Susie.
No other as … as …
This structure can be used to compare one person or thing with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.
No other girl is as intelligent as Alice.
No other metal is as useful as iron.
No other river is as long as the Niles.
As much/many … as …/as few/little … as…
This structure is used to make a comparison of quantity.
I earn as much money as you.
Alice has as many children as Mary.
Tom earns as much as Harry.
We have as many cars as them.
They have as few visitors as we have.
They have as little money as we have.
In an informal style, we use object pronouns (us, them, him etc.) after as. In a more formal style, subject pronouns are used usually with verbs.
I earn as much money as he does.
We have as many children as they have.
Not as much/many … as …
This structure can be used to say that quantities are not equal in a particular way.
He does not earn as much as I do.
Harry does not eat as much food as Tom does.
We do not have as many visitors as them.
Comparision using comparative adjectives and adverbs
To say that people, things etc are unequal in a particular way, we can use comparative adjectives/adverbs.
She is older than me.
Tom is taller than his brothers.
Iron is more useful than any other metal.
He is cleverer than her.
In an informal style, object pronouns are used after than. In a more formal style, subject pronouns are used usually with verbs.
He is cleverer than she is.
He earns more than I do.
We can use double comparatives (…er and …er or more and more …) to say that something is changing.
You are getting fatter and fatter.
We are going more and more slowly.
The + comparative expression + subject + verb
We can use comparatives with the … the … to say that things change or vary together. Note the word order in both clauses.
The more I study, the less I learn. (NOT … I learn the less.)
The older I get, the happier I am. (NOT … I am the happier.)
More can be used with a noun in this structure.
The more money he makes, the more useless things he buys.
Comparison using superlative adjectives and adverbs
We use the superlative to compare somebody/something with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.
Tom is the tallest of the four brothers.
Gold is the most precious of all metals. (OR Gold is the most precious metal.)
Grammar notes
Nouns with superlative adjectives normally take the article the (unless there is a possessive).
She is the best girl in the class. (NOT She is best girl …)
Superlative adjectives in predicative position also tend to take the, though it is sometimes dropped in an informal style.
This book is (the) best.
The is sometimes dropped before superlative adverbs in an informal style.
Who can run (the) fastest?
After superlatives, we do not usually use of with a singular word referring to a place or a group.
He is the richest man in the world. (NOT … of the world.)
Who is the fastest player in the team? (NOT … of the team?)
But of can be used before plurals, and before singular quantifiers like lot and bunch.
Iron is the most useful of all metals.
He is the best of the lot.
The difference between comparative and superlative
We use the comparative to compare one person, thing, action, event or group with another person, thing etc. We use the superlative to compare somebody/something with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.
Mary is taller than her three sisters.
Mary is the tallest of the four girls.
He plays better than anybody else in the team.
He is the best player in the team.
Iron is more useful than any other metal.
Iron is the most useful metal.
When a group only has two members, we sometimes use the comparative instead of the superlative.
John and Tom are clever boys, but I think John is the cleverer/cleverest of the two.
Take the shorter/shortest of the two routes.
Alice and Mary are rich women. But Alice is the richer/richest of the two.
Some people feel that a superlative is incorrect in this case.
Degree modifiers with comparatives and superlatives
We cannot use very with comparatives. Instead we use other degree modifiers like much, far, very much, a lot, lots, any, no, rather, a little, a bit and even.
She is much older than her husband. (NOT … very older than ...)
Is he any better?
Russian is much/far more difficult than Spanish.
You are no better than him.
Note that any, no, a bit and a lot are not normally used to modify comparatives before nouns.
There are much better shops in the city. (NOT … a bit/a lot better …)
Quite is not normally used with comparatives, but it is possible in the expression quite better, meaning ‘recovered from an illness’.
Superlatives can be modified by much and by far, and by other adverbs of degree such as quite and almost.
She is by far the oldest in the firm.
He is quite the most stupid person I have ever met.
When more modifies a plural noun, it is modified by many.
many more opportunities
When more modifies a singular/uncountable noun, it is modified by much.
much more money
acuan bacaan
http://www.iscribe.org/english/adj.html
The comparative is formed with –er or more; the superlative is formed with –est or most. One syllable adjectives like big and fast tend to prefer –er and –est. Larger ones like beautiful and carefully take more and most.
John is tall.
John is taller than Peter.
John is the tallest man I know.
Susie drives carefully.
Susie drives more carefully than Alice.
Susie drives the most carefully of anybody in Paris.
English Grammar
Comparison using positive adjectives and adverbs
Positive adjectives and adverbs can be used for comparing. Several different grammatical structures are possible
As … as …
This structure is used to say that people, things, actions or events are equal in a particular way.
A car is as fast as a bus.
Alice is as beautiful as Mary.
Tom is as tall as Harry.
If we want to say that people, things etc are unequal in a particular way, we can use not so … as … or not as … as …
Tom is not as/so tall as Harry.
A car is not as/so fast as a train.
Alice is not as/so beautiful as Susie.
No other as … as …
This structure can be used to compare one person or thing with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.
No other girl is as intelligent as Alice.
No other metal is as useful as iron.
No other river is as long as the Niles.
As much/many … as …/as few/little … as…
This structure is used to make a comparison of quantity.
I earn as much money as you.
Alice has as many children as Mary.
Tom earns as much as Harry.
We have as many cars as them.
They have as few visitors as we have.
They have as little money as we have.
In an informal style, we use object pronouns (us, them, him etc.) after as. In a more formal style, subject pronouns are used usually with verbs.
I earn as much money as he does.
We have as many children as they have.
Not as much/many … as …
This structure can be used to say that quantities are not equal in a particular way.
He does not earn as much as I do.
Harry does not eat as much food as Tom does.
We do not have as many visitors as them.
Comparision using comparative adjectives and adverbs
To say that people, things etc are unequal in a particular way, we can use comparative adjectives/adverbs.
She is older than me.
Tom is taller than his brothers.
Iron is more useful than any other metal.
He is cleverer than her.
In an informal style, object pronouns are used after than. In a more formal style, subject pronouns are used usually with verbs.
He is cleverer than she is.
He earns more than I do.
We can use double comparatives (…er and …er or more and more …) to say that something is changing.
You are getting fatter and fatter.
We are going more and more slowly.
The + comparative expression + subject + verb
We can use comparatives with the … the … to say that things change or vary together. Note the word order in both clauses.
The more I study, the less I learn. (NOT … I learn the less.)
The older I get, the happier I am. (NOT … I am the happier.)
More can be used with a noun in this structure.
The more money he makes, the more useless things he buys.
Comparison using superlative adjectives and adverbs
We use the superlative to compare somebody/something with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.
Tom is the tallest of the four brothers.
Gold is the most precious of all metals. (OR Gold is the most precious metal.)
Grammar notes
Nouns with superlative adjectives normally take the article the (unless there is a possessive).
She is the best girl in the class. (NOT She is best girl …)
Superlative adjectives in predicative position also tend to take the, though it is sometimes dropped in an informal style.
This book is (the) best.
The is sometimes dropped before superlative adverbs in an informal style.
Who can run (the) fastest?
After superlatives, we do not usually use of with a singular word referring to a place or a group.
He is the richest man in the world. (NOT … of the world.)
Who is the fastest player in the team? (NOT … of the team?)
But of can be used before plurals, and before singular quantifiers like lot and bunch.
Iron is the most useful of all metals.
He is the best of the lot.
The difference between comparative and superlative
We use the comparative to compare one person, thing, action, event or group with another person, thing etc. We use the superlative to compare somebody/something with the whole group that she/he/it belongs to.
Mary is taller than her three sisters.
Mary is the tallest of the four girls.
He plays better than anybody else in the team.
He is the best player in the team.
Iron is more useful than any other metal.
Iron is the most useful metal.
When a group only has two members, we sometimes use the comparative instead of the superlative.
John and Tom are clever boys, but I think John is the cleverer/cleverest of the two.
Take the shorter/shortest of the two routes.
Alice and Mary are rich women. But Alice is the richer/richest of the two.
Some people feel that a superlative is incorrect in this case.
Degree modifiers with comparatives and superlatives
We cannot use very with comparatives. Instead we use other degree modifiers like much, far, very much, a lot, lots, any, no, rather, a little, a bit and even.
She is much older than her husband. (NOT … very older than ...)
Is he any better?
Russian is much/far more difficult than Spanish.
You are no better than him.
Note that any, no, a bit and a lot are not normally used to modify comparatives before nouns.
There are much better shops in the city. (NOT … a bit/a lot better …)
Quite is not normally used with comparatives, but it is possible in the expression quite better, meaning ‘recovered from an illness’.
Superlatives can be modified by much and by far, and by other adverbs of degree such as quite and almost.
She is by far the oldest in the firm.
He is quite the most stupid person I have ever met.
When more modifies a plural noun, it is modified by many.
many more opportunities
When more modifies a singular/uncountable noun, it is modified by much.
much more money
acuan bacaan
http://www.iscribe.org/english/adj.html
Minggu, 19 April 2009
Kamis, 14 Februari 2008
show your attitude show your personality
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Selasa, 29 Januari 2008
Tugas Reading Kelas VIII A - VIII F
Fill in the blanks with the words provided! Make an appropriate change if necessary.
Begin go read
Cut hold shake
Drink keep shut
Eat lose speak
Find meet spend
- Sue ……………………… a cup of tea before class this morning.
- We …………………..…. dinner at a wedding party last night.
- When it ………..….. to rain yesterday afternoon, I ………..….. all the windows.
- Bob hurt his finger when he was fixing his dinner last night. He accidentally ……………….….with a sharp knife.
- I don’t have any money at all. I ……….. my last dime yesterday. I’m flat broke.
- Mary didn’t throw her shoes away. She ………….. them.
- I …………………... an interesting article in the newspaper yesterday.
- Jack ………………. his pocketknife in the park yesterday. This morning he …………. back to the park to look for it. Finally, he …………….…it in the grass. He was glad to have it again.
- Peter was nervous when he ………………… his baby in his arms for the first time.
- I …………… Sue’s parents when they visited her. She introduced me to them.
- Yesterday I called Marvin on the phone. He wasn’t at home. So I …..…………. to his sister.
- When I introduced Tom to Bob, they ……………… hands.
Shopping Made Easy
A detective recently watched a well-dressed woman who always went into a large store on Monday morning. One Monday, there were fewer people in the shop than usual when the woman came in, so it was easy for the detective to watch her. The woman first bought few small articles. After a little time, she chose one of the most expensive dresses in the shop and handed it to an assistant who wrapped it up for her as quickly as possible. Then, the woman simply took the parcel and walked out of the shop without paying. When she was arrested, the detective found that the shop-assistant was her daughter.
Answer the following questions based on the text above!
- Who did the detective watch?
- When the detective watch the woman
- Who went into the shop?
- What the woman did first?
- What the woman did after she chose a dress?
- Did she pay for the dress?
- What did the detective finally found?
- Can mention the use of action words in the text? What are they for?
- Can you find the linking items to do with the time? What are they?
- What is the text about? Can you tell it in a brief?
Learn Recount Text through Internet
Reading: recounts
Module contents
Module focus
Curriculum focus
The generic features of a recount, focusing on the use of temporal connectives.
Using common spelling patterns as a reading strategy.
Learning objectives
By the end of the lesson children will:
· know some connecting words used to indicate the order of events;
· use their knowledge of common spelling patterns as a word-recognition strategy.
Learning outcomes
All children must:
· share their memories of a visit or event using some given connectives to indicate what happened first, next and last;
· suggest some words that share the same spelling pattern, in a list of key words.
Most children should:
· put given connectives into their preferred order and use them as sentence starters to recount orally their own version of a visit or event;
· apply their knowledge of spelling patterns as a word-recognition strategy when reading a shared text, by finding words that share the patterns discussed in the key words list.
Some children could:
· locate a wider range of temporal connectives in a recount, during guided reading;
· identify exceptions to the rule when discussing common spelling patterns, for example by pointing out words that do not follow the same patterns to spell the same phonemes.
References
Strategy Framework References
Word level work:
Phonics, spelling and vocabulary
Pupils should be taught:
Word recognition, graphic knowledge and spelling
5 to recognise words by common spelling patterns.
Text level work:
Comprehension and composition
Pupils should be taught:
Non-Fiction
Reading comprehension
18 to read recounts and begin to recognise generic structure, e.g. ordered sequence of events, use of words like first, next, after, when.
The Framework for teaching literacy can be found at: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/nls_framework/.
Use of ICT
Teacher use of ICT
This module will give you the opportunity to use:
· word-processing software to create a shared text and to add digital photographs taken during a class visit or event;
· word-processed texts and images to adapt resources for class and group teaching of reading;
· digital photographs within a recount text to support the teaching of the generic features of the text type, with particular reference to organisation of content and connectives that indicate chronology.
Children's use of ICT
This module will give the children the opportunity to:
· understand how information can be communicated and adapted using ICT.
Requirements
Hardware
· A computer and large display (large monitor, digital projector or interactive whiteboard)
· A printer and copier
· A digital camera (prior to the lesson)
Software
· Word-processing software, such as Microsoft Word
· Software that allows you to import and save digital photographs (prior to the lesson)
· An internet browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, with the Flash plug-in (optional)
Other
· Flip chart or whiteboard for making notes
· A saved file of a prepared recount text including imported digital photographs
· Set of cards similar to the downloadable resource, Chronology cards to match the connectives used in the recount, for each pair working independently
· Multiple copies of a non-fiction book that includes a good example of a simple recount, for the guided reading group
· Group set of blank acetates and highlighter pens for text marking with the above (optional)
Trial or viewer versions of the software you need may be available from the Software downloads page.
Lesson preparation
A key element of this module is a lesson for you to adopt and adapt to meet the needs of your class. It is designed to help you evaluate the impact of using ICT for learning and teaching. Display the learning objectives and key vocabulary for this lesson and discuss them with the children.
During the visit or event
Take the photographs you want to use within the recount text during the lesson. Make sure that you include some visual clues to the chronology of events so that the photographs show clearly what happened and when, e.g. arriving on the coach, having lunch, visiting the gift shop and getting back into the coach.
After the visit or event
Use the template provided in the downloadable resource, Blank grid or create your own, to write a simple recount of the visit. Write or paste text into the text boxes in the template, making sure that you begin most sentences with a word or phrase to indicate the chronology of events. As soon as we arrived… First we… Then we all went… While we were in the gift shop… Last of all we saw the… Bear in mind that if you extend the writing beyond the allocated space in the template provided the image boxes will move further down the page.
Import your chosen photographs and drop them into the image boxes provided in the template. Save the file and check to ensure that the images and text are clear enough for whole-class use with the hardware you are using. If not, you may need to change the font size, colour or image size.
If there is no forthcoming visit where you can take the necessary photographs, consider recording a class event that could be recounted in a similar way: a football match, a harvest festival, a class assembly, a school play, a practical science or geography lesson or a lesson that takes place outside.
Using the text you have already created, copy and paste all the connectives used to indicate chronology into a new file and increase the font size if necessary to about 36pt. Lay out the words and phrases in well-spaced columns so that, when printed and copied, you can cut them up into small cards. Prepare enough cards for children to have one set per pair, apart from the children who will be working with you in the guided reading group.
Decide which common spelling patterns you wish to reinforce and make a note of some key words that children might wish to use to discuss the visit. Make sure that the key words include some examples of the spelling patterns you have selected for the lesson and, if possible, include some of these words in the recount you use as a shared text.
For ICT support, visit the ICT skills guidance tab.
Vocabulary
phoneme, spelling pattern, consonant, sentence, key word, recount, report, poem, list, past, plus your own list of key words from the visit or event, including examples of common spelling patterns already taught
Health & Safety
All standard safety procedures with computers need to be in place. Information can be found at http://schools.becta.org.uk.
ICT skills guidance
The guidance in this section supports the ICT skills described in the Module contents.
Children's prior knowledge and skills
Children should already:
· know that words with the same phonemes are often spelt using the same letter patterns;
· understand what a recount is but need not be able to recognise the generic features of the text type;
· know that different text types have different structures and that they can find information in different parts of a text by reading carefully.
Starter
Remind the class about their recent visit or the event you are using as the context for the recount and ask them to recall what they did and what they saw.
Encourage pupils to consider the order of events and, through your use of questions, introduce useful phrases to indicate chronology.
· What did we do first?
· Was that as soon as we arrived or was it after the ranger gave us our maps?
· What happened while we were eating our lunch?
· What did your group do during the storm?
As you discuss the visit, introduce and collect the key words you selected before the lesson. Make a note of them on the flip chart or whiteboard. For example, after a visit to a bakery you might select the key words: made, make, bake, cake, sale, stale to reinforce your teaching of the split digraph a-e used to spell the long ae phoneme.
Draw children’s attention to the same spelling pattern being used to represent the same phoneme, perhaps by underlining or highlighting the same letters in each word and ask them to help you identify other words in the list that share a familiar spelling pattern.
Some children might point out exceptions where the pattern does not work, e.g. because the same phoneme in rain is spelled ai. Ask them if they can think of other exceptions or any other ways to spell the same phoneme.
Tell the class that when they spot this same spelling pattern in a word that they find tricky as readers, they can use what they have learned today to help them work out what the word is. For example, if they come across the word shape, and can't work out what the word is, it will help if they spot that the a and the e at the end of the word are separated by a consonant. This will give them an important clue that the middle phoneme is a long ae.
Use a few more examples of your chosen spelling patterns to demonstrate the use of this strategy to help with word recognition and tell the class that you would like them to try to use the same kind of reading clues with the text that you are now going to read together.
Main
Using the large display, show the text you have prepared and tell the class that you have already had a go at writing about what they did on their visit. Begin by drawing their attention to the photographs and ask them to check that you have organised events in the right order.
Read the text with the children, stopping when you reach one of the key words already discussed. Ask particular children to help you read the key words by applying their knowledge of the spelling patterns as a word-recognition strategy.
Tell the children that the text you have written is called a recount, because it recounts what happened during their visit. Remind them of any other recounts they have come across in their reading during other subject lessons. Explain that a recount is organised in a very special way and that it is different from some of the other texts they have read. Ask them to look at the text again and to tell you how this recount is different from each of a list, a poem and a story.
As children describe the features of other texts they are familiar with, use their comments to contrast these with the features of a recount (listed below) so that you can note the generic features on the flip chart or whiteboard.
· Organised in the order that things happened
· First part sets the scene
· Last part is a closing statement
· Written in the past tense
· It's about me/us
Re-read the complete text aloud, emphasising the words and phrases used to indicate the passing of time and the order of events. Ask the children to see if they can spot any words that help them, as readers, to know what order things happened in.
Work through the text, collecting the appropriate words and phrases and recording them on the flip chart or whiteboard. Tell children that time markers or chronology words like these are very often found in recounts and that, when they write their own recounts, they will probably need to use the same kind of words and phrases to help their reader work out what happened and when. Close the file and switch off the display.
Ask the children to work independently in pairs. Give each pair a set of chronology cards (e.g. first, next, then, after lunch, before we left) that match the temporal connectives used in the shared text, similar to those in the downloadable resource, Chronology cards. Ask the children to put the cards in the right order to recount what they did and what happened during their visit.
Once they have put the cards in order, they should use them to tell their partner their own recount of the visit, starting each sentence with one of the cards. The second child should take their turn and, if they still have time, they should see if they can still tell a sensible recount if the cards are put into reverse order. This should be fun!
Guided reading
Give out multiple copies of a recount in a non-fiction book with the appropriate reading level for the group. Guide the children in reading the text, making sure that your interventions move their learning forward in their use of common spelling strategies for word recognition. Ask them to look out for words and phrases used to mark the passing of time and ordering of events.
Find out if the children can identify the introductory sentence(s) used to set the scene and the closing remarks that wind up the recount. If time allows, ask them to identify any words that show that this was happening in the past (e.g. yesterday, last week, arrived, enjoyed).
You could give more focus to the reading activity by providing blank acetate sheets fitting the page dimensions and highlighter pens so that the children can use text-marking to highlight the features they find.
Plenary
Cover your notes on the flip chart and invite the class to list what they have learned during the lesson about the main features of a recount. Reveal your original list and check that they have remembered them all.
Display the shared text again and quickly remind children of the chronology words' used in the recount by highlighting them with highlighter facility on the word processor. Ask them to think of any others that might be useful when writing a recount and list their suggestions on the flip chart or whiteboard. Retain the list for use in a later lesson where it can be used for reference when children are writing their own recounts.
Assessment
When assessing for learning consider the following points.
1. Sharing learning objectives for the sequence of lessons.
• Display statements, models and images to highlight key learning points.
• Plan questions and prompts to probe, stimulate and support children’s thinking.
2. Setting and getting curricular targets.
• Display key literacy, mathematics and learning to learn targets in the language children understand.
• Plan how the teaching will support children’s progress towards reaching the targets.
3. Providing positive feedback and further challenge.
• Analyse and display children’s work, exemplifying particular points and identifying next steps that challenge and inform.
• Foster positive attitudes and behaviours.
You can find information on assessment for learning at: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/learning_and_teaching/1041163/.
Module-specific assessment
You could use the shared reading session to identify which children are still having difficulty with aspects of phonics that you have already taught. If an additional adult is available, provide him or her with a checklist showing the children’s names down one side and the spelling patterns you have selected across the top. Ask the adult to make a quick note of children who experience difficulty or confusion with particular phonemes or letter combinations in initial, medial and final positions.
Adaptation
The use of a word-processed text as a key resource increases the potential to adapt resources to meet individual or group needs more closely.
The original recount can be edited and printed to leave only the connectives you wish children to use during an independent task. Different versions, with different words included, can be printed for particular children or groups. For the independent activity, you could also create cards showing the key words used in the original text, as reminders for some children during their oral recount of the visit.
Your own text could be edited to separate the sentences by adding line returns. Children could be asked to re-order the sentences focusing on the connectives as clues. You could edit the original text to reduce the reading level for some groups if you want them to work with a complete recount for independent reading. Do this by reducing sentence length or complexity of clause structure and by removing or replacing unfamiliar vocabulary or uncommon, irregular words.
The inclusion of digital photographs or other available images also allows you to create specifically adapted resources for particular children or groups. Pictures can be used as substitutes for words in texts for reading or to support writing, as with writing frames. You can include pictures alongside words, where appropriate, to support children in word recognition.
Photographs taken in and around the classroom can be used to increase the level of personalisation in resources for individual work. This can increase the level of motivation for very reluctant readers and writers as well as providing support. For example, a photograph of a favourite toy can be embedded in a writing frame or added to a story draft where the toy appears as a main character; photographs of children dressed as the characters in a story can be added to their writing; photographs of a sequence of events can be placed onto a template to provide cues for the children about order of events when they are writing a recount or a set of instructions.
Progression
The common spelling patterns you choose for the first part of the lesson should build on children’s prior knowledge of phoneme-grapheme correspondence, and will depend on what you have taught during recent weeks. Select spelling patterns so that you can develop all children’s skill and confidence in blending phonemes for reading and so that you can check, during the shared reading session, which children are able to apply spelling strategies when reading complete texts. Follow-on lessons could provide opportunities to demonstrate the same word-recognition strategy with a wider range of spelling patterns.
You could provide a wider range of examples of recounts so that children understand that the generic features of recounts are usually the same, even when their content is different. Once children know the main features to expect, they could be taught how to write a recount of their own, first through teacher demonstration of the writing process and then through guided and independent writing.
Extension activities
Grouping words
During the introductory activity, there is an opportunity to use a range of other ICT applications to draw children’s attention to the selected key words and to manipulate the words in ways that can benefit visual learners. Using an electronic whiteboard, you could load a saved file of key words from the children’s recent visit. Change the font colour of words to make them show up clearly as you discuss their meaning and spelling. Use the drag and drop facility to move words around on screen and group them according to similar spelling patterns. Use the highlight facility to mark the same, common spelling patterns within words.
For ICT support, visit the Additional ICT skills guidance page.
Missing words
Use the template provided in the downloadable resource Blank grid to create your own text and import the appropriate images (either photographs or other available digital pictures) to allow you to provide another example of a recount based on children’s recent learning in another curriculum area. Use this in the next lesson, with the temporal connectives missing. Ask the class to help you complete the text by adding the missing words as you begin demonstrating the process of writing a recount.
For ICT support, visit the Additional ICT skills guidance page.
Trial or viewer versions of the software you need may be available from the Software downloads page.
Further ideas
The Primary National Strategy website at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/literacy provides downloadable resources to inform your teaching of reading.
· Target statements for reading
· Teaching writing: support material for text level objectives - Flier 5 recount: It happened like this…
· ICT in the Literacy Hour: whole-class teaching
· ICT in the Literacy Hour: independent work and guided reading
· Developing Early Writing Unit 9 pp. 74 – 77: The Day the Fire Engine came to School - writing a factual recount using a series of sentences linked by temporal connectives. This unit offers suggestions for activities including talk for writing, shared writing and independent work
· Learning and teaching using ICT Year 1 - storytelling. This example focuses on a different text type (narrative) but has links with this module in that the activities require children to put digital photographs in chronological order and sequence the events in a familiar fairy tale for a retelling
as well as other relevant publications from QCA and OFSTED.
The Framework for teaching literacy can be found at: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/nls_framework/.
Additional ICT skills guidance
The guidance in this section supports the ICT skills described in the Extension activities.
Evaluation
Lesson reflection
These prompts are designed to help you reflect on how the use of ICT affected your teaching and children’s learning.
Prompts for reflection:
1. How did the use of ICT:
• help children to make better progress towards achieving the learning objectives?
• affect the pace of learning?
• affect children’s motivation, interest and time spent on task?
• affect your ability to differentiate your teaching and personalise children’s learning?
2. What knowledge or skills have you gained and extended in teaching this lesson?
3. What adaptations would you make to the lesson and its resources to suit the needs of your class?
You may wish to create a record of your evaluation and save it as evidence of your professional development. If so, you can download a Microsoft Word template containing these prompts and spaces for your responses.
Materials evaluation
These prompts are designed to help you consider why, how and when you would incorporate these lesson activities and resources into your curriculum and teaching plans.
Prompts for evaluation:
1. What are the benefits of using these teaching & learning approaches and resources to achieve the subject objectives?
2. How do the suggested activities fit with your existing curriculum and teaching plans?
3. What adaptations would be required to the activities or resources to suit the needs of your class?
4. Are there any requirements for ICT equipment, other resources, space, etc. that might limit how and where the lesson is taught?
You may wish to make a note of your thinking for your own records and to share with your colleagues. If so, you can download a template containing these prompts and spaces for your notes.
Download module
Download module
You can download a module pack containing the lesson plan, resources, supplementary information and extension activities using the link below. The pack is in a zipped file to minimise file size, but unless you have a broadband connection, the download may be slow.
To extract the files within the module pack you will need either Winzip or Microsoft Windows Extraction Wizard. This software is freely available and can be downloaded from the Software downloads page.
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