Promoting Literacy by Exploiting Readers in the Young Learner Classroom Programme: MoE K-12 Primary school teacher training Instructors: Steven Murray British Council Taipei

What does it feel like to read a ‘foreign language’? Notes: This activity is taken from the website of the “Skills for Life Quality Initiative” which has a wealth of training materials on teaching literacy to adult TESOL learners.

What is literacy? ‘Literacy unites the important skills of reading and writing. It also involves speaking and listening which, although they are not separately identified in the Framework, are an essential part of it. Good oral work enhances understanding of language in both oral and written forms and of the way language can be used to communicate. It is also an important part of the process through which pupils read and compose texts.’ The National Literacy Strategy: Framework for teaching DfES (1998)

How do literacy skills emerge? Non-verbal communication. Body language Learn from physical action and gather experience through senses Learn to speak and listen through opportunities to interact with others Observe others reading and writing and imitate them through play Start to learn formal features of written language at school, supported by plenty of listening and speaking activities

Why do we promote reading in the YL classroom? Learning to read makes learners more fully rounded in their language skills. The cognitive processes involved in speaking, listening, reading and writing are interdependent, so work on any one of the skills is beneficial to the others. Reading is helpful and appealing for children with visual learning styles. The sooner children start to read in English, the sooner they will be able to use reading to learn about English and to expose themselves to English outside the classroom. Reading becomes increasingly important as learners get older, so we are laying the foundations for later language development. Reading (and writing) are involved in many productive and fun language learning activities, which could otherwise not be used.

Why do we promote reading in the YL classroom? Teaching reading fits in with children’s and parents’ expectations of what should be learnt. Reading (and writing) are often seen as ‘real’ work. Reading can be an aid to memorisation. Reading can improve oral ability. Not teaching reading (and writing) can slow down students’ overall progress. Children can transfer skills from their own language and vice-versa, thus further developing an integrated approach towards learning. Knowing how to read opens up a world of reading in English both for pleasure and purpose. Reading stories helps children to access the culture of the language they are studying.

What do you see?

Find as many words as you can… WST IAK JUN LEG You can only use each letter once per word… You have got two minutes…

Now find the longest word you can… COL ISD CKR NOE You can only use each letter once per word… You have got two minutes…

What can you see in the jungle? I can see a …

What can you see in the ocean? I can see a …

What can you see in the mountains? I can see a …

What can you see in the river? I can see a …

What can you see in the desert? I can see a …

What can you see on the iceberg? I can see a …

Where do these animals live?

What is she doing?

What are they doing?

How could you expand this activity? You could ask the kids what the different animals eat? You could ask the kids what they like to eat? You could make it more challenging by making it hypothetical – For example, if you had a party what would you do, play or eat. Any more ideas…

Learning about our story… Now answer the questions using the information on the pictures that you can see around the classroom. Remember don’t copy but write the answers in your own words.

25 Questions – Part 1 1) What animals did she see in the jungle (write at least three animals)? 3) What animal was chasing after her in the ocean? 5) What animals did she see in the mountains (write at least three animals)? 7) What animal was chasing after her in the river? Why? 9) How would you feel if a snake was chasing after you? 11) Do you like the pictures around the room? Why? Why not?

26 Questions – Part 2 2) What animal was chasing after her in the jungle? 4) What animals did she see in the ocean (write at least three animals)? 6) What animal was chasing after her in the mountains? 8) What animals did she see in the desert (write at least three animals)? 10) How would you feel if a polar bear was chasing you? 12) Do you like the pictures around the room? Why? Why not?

Re – order these sentences from our story 1)through / jungle / the / Walking 2) see / you / do / What / ? 3) see/ a / bear / I / think / polar / I / 4) home / supper / for / Running 5) around / the / back / and / world / been / I’ve

28 Read the pictures around the room and write your own questions 1)How ? 2)What ? 3)Who ? 4)Where ? 5)When ? 6)Why ?

29 Use the special action / sound flashcards to find your partners.

Other comprehension activities… 1)Gap fill 2)Matching activities 3)Ranking activities

1) Gap fill - Put the words from the word box into the right gaps Now check your answers with your partner 40 A _____________ B _____________ C _____________ D _____________ E _____________ crocodile, after, snap, river, what

2) Matching activities – Match the animals with their sounds 41 Now check your answers with your partner

3) Ranking activities – List these animals in order from most dangerous to least dangerous 1) _____________ 2) _____________ 3) _____________ 4) _____________ 5) _____________ 6) _____________ 7) _____________ Now compare you answers with your partner to see if you have the same ideas

Reading activities: Let’s make our reading circle

Let’s read… Walking through the jungle, What do you see? I think I see a lion, Roar! Roar! Roar! Chasing after me, Chasing after me. Floating on the ocean, What do you see? I think I see a whale, Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Chasing after me, Chasing after me. Climbing in the mountains, What do you see? I think I see a wolf, Howl! Howl! Howl! Chasing after me, Chasing after me. Swimming in the river,

What do you see? I think I see a crocodile, Snap! Snap! Snap! Chasing after me, Chasing after me. Trekking in the desert, What do you see? I think I see a snake, Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Chasing after me, Chasing after me. Slipping on the iceberg, What do you see? I think I see a polar bear, Growl! Growl! Growl! Chasing after me, Chasing after me. Running home for supper, Where have you been? I've been around the world and back, And guess what I've seen, And guess what I've seen.

Let’s read… Make your reading circle: 1)Listen and follow the story in your books. 2)Listen and read at the same time. 3)Read individually in your circle. 4)Read individually in your circle. – Teacher checks understanding with comprehension questions. 5)Teacher you’re wrong : Shout out ‘teacher you’re wrong’ when you hear your teacher make a mistake. 6)Teacher you’re wrong : Shout out the right word when you hear your teacher make a mistake. 7)Teacher you’re wrong : Do the special action when you hear your teacher make a mistake.

After reading… 1)Reading comprehension quiz. 2)Reading comprehension quiz with actions. 3)Reading comprehension quiz with mini-whiteboard. 4)Reading comprehension quiz using millionaire game. 5)Find the word quiz. 6)Find the word and spell it! 7)Find the word and use it in a sentence of your own. 8)Write your own quiz questions.

48 Focus on form - Let’s try to change these sentences from present tense to past tense She walks in the jungle. She _______ in the jungle. What do you see? What _______ you see? I chase after butterflies everyday. I _______ after butterflies yesterday. She climbs in the mountains. She _______ in the mountains last week. They trek in the desert each year. They _______ in the desert last month

49 Use the special action / sound flashcards to find your partners.

Now tell your partner about the many interesting / amazing or unusual things that happened to you in the jungle, in the ocean, in the mountains, in the river, in the desert and on the iceberg.

51 Focus on form: Now you’ve got five minutes to write down as many past tense sentences as you can ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________

52 Imagine these animals are chasing you and you need to escape…

53 How did you escape from the lion using these items…? Don’t forget to use the past tense when creating your stories!

54 How did you escape from the wolf using these items…? Don’t forget to use the past tense when creating your stories!

55 How did you escape from the scorpion using these items…? Don’t forget to use the past tense when creating your stories!

56 How did you escape from the crocodile using these items…? Don’t forget to use the past tense when creating your stories!

57 Newspaper article Write a newspaper article - here is your headline: THE GREAT ESCAPE! Summary paragraph Tell the overall story of what happened to you Write a more detailed description of the important actions / events and people. Now add more specific details about the important events in your story, such as how you escaped each of the different animals Comment quotations. Report any interesting, important or amazing things that people said… For example, the lion told me that “…

Let’s play back to the board

59 Let’s do a classroom survey. You are going to talk to your partner and ask him or her what reader they want to read next. What questions do you think we will need to ask our partners? What reader do you want to read next?

60 Reader for next semester Sounds Good Sounds OK Sounds terrible The one million pound bank note The red badge of courage The Canterville ghost The phantom of the opera Treasure Island

61 Calculating the winner Sounds Good Sounds OK Sounds terrible The one million pound bank note The red badge of courage The Canterville ghost The phantom of the opera Treasure Island Three points for sounds good. Two points for sounds OK. One point for sounds terrible!