Tradition and Innovation in the Primary Classroom

Iveta VītolaValmiera, 12 November, 2010

Classroom Atmospherea. unstressedb. non-threateningc. happyd. collaborative, not

competitivee. varied focus f. varied activitiesg. short activities

Classroom Activities busy children are

not naughty children young children

cannot concentrate for long periods

children can concentrate better when they are active, not passive.

Adults and children

• use their intelligence to ‘work out’ meaning

• use language to understand the world

• learn by studying books

• use their senses to observe the world

• make connections between sounds and ideas

• learn by exploration, discovery and play

Language as a toy• A foreign language is a toy

which children use to interact with each other.

• Like toy telephones, puppets, stories and games, a foreign language is a new toy which children will learn to use through playing with it.

Language as a toy• A young child does not

think of a bicycle as transport.

• A bicycle is a toy.• The bicycle only becomes

transport when the child has learned to ride.

Adults and children

So, if children can’t learn the way we teach…

...why not teach them the way they learn?

Balancing ActivitiesHead-up activitiesPupils have their heads up looking at the teacher, the board, poster or TV.Head-down activitiesPupils have their heads down reading, drawing, colouring, copying, writing, etc.

StirrersActing, dancing, singing, racing tend to make pupils excited.

SettlersListening to stories, drawing, colouring, copying. matching, writing, tend to calm and settle pupils.

Learning opportunities

• We don’t teach young learners, we create opportunities which will stimulate them to learn.

Where do children learn

English?in their brains!

Lower Primary Age Group

• Heavily dependant on the teacher• Inquisitive, easily motivated• Short concentration span• Receptive to fantasy and imagination• Just beginning to read and write in their

own language• Sensory preferences

Sensory Preference

Visual

Auditory

Kinaesthetic

Motivate with Mickey

Successful Teaching and Learning with English Adventure

Language presented in context of Disney characters children will recognise

Visual, auditory, kinaesthetic channels

Focus first on receptive skills

Visual, auditory, kinaesthetic channels

Personalisation and student – student collaboration

Further receptive skills practice – listening

Kinaesthetic focus – stickers

Song – making language memorable

Circle pictures – ‘Can you see them?’

Consolidation – story

Students act out

Visual, auditory, kinaesthetic

Production

Model

Personalisation

Multi-Skills

Visual, auditory, kinaesthetic

Children learn quickly –

And forget even more quickly

So…

RECYCLE!!

Review

Consolidation of all language covered so far

Visual, auditory, kinaesthetic

Picture dictionary

Visual record of vocabulary

Course ComponentsEach level comprises:

•Pupil’s book

•Activity book

•Interactive Whiteboard software

•Teacher’s book

•Posters

•Flashcards

•Audio CDs

•DVD

Principles behind the Course

•Learning a new language is a challenge!

•It is also a joyful experience.

•Our task as teachers is to provide our classes with a menu of diverse activities which cater for all the intelligences and learning styles.

•We need to engage the children’s emotions with a variety of relevant topics and provide a climate of healthy self-esteem.

Activity Book

Pages correspond with student book pages

Motivating practice

Varied levels of challenge – caters for mixed abilities

Teacher’s Book Interleaved with student book pages

Step by step guide to the lesson with suggestions for extra activities

CD Rom

Extra Practice through games and puzzles

DVD

Contains Clips from Disney movies

Flashcard set

Key vocabulary items

Teacher’s Book Suggestions for using flashcards

English-Latvian Dictionary

Pronunciation, translation

Fly HighFly High

Your Your primary primary students’ English students’ English language skills will soar withlanguage skills will soar with

Fly High• Solid skills work • Lower levels feature alphabet skills• Grammar is taught explicitly• Strong listening feature• Variety of activities that are easy-to-

teach and motivating for students• Extension activities to supplement class

work

Working towards a goal

Working towards a goal

Lesson aim: To enable children to talk about likes and dislikes in the context of food.

Grammar: I like / don’t like / do you like?

Vocabulary: Food items

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

soup

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

salad

Vocabulary: What’s in a word?

fish lunch pizza

soup chicken salad

Teaching ALL the class…

• Drilling• Take one away• Disappearing drill• Guess the card• Take a photo

Contextualising Grammar

you salad ?

Making Grammar Visible

likeYou

Phone a

Friend

Do

Making Grammar Visible

From reception to production

From reception to production

From reception to production

Working together

Fly HighFly High

Listening and speaking skills are reinforced with audio throughout the unit.

Each unit opens with an illustrated list of the key unit vocabulary covered.

Language is practiced through a wide variety of engaging activities.

Practice sequences include plenty of personalisation activities.

Students apply what they’ve learned and consolidate language with a game at the end of each unit.

Review of the alphabet covered in the unit includes pronunciation, spelling practice.

Vocabulary and language are continuously recycled through different activities.

Additional activities allow teachers to assess each student’s language skill level throughout the writing tasks and project work.

Audio and songs from the Pupil’s Book are also used in the grammar lesson in Fun Grammar book.

Grammar notes offer clear and simple explanations of grammar points.

Each grammar lesson ends with a production exercise.

Review of the alphabet covered in the unit includes pronunciation, spelling practice.

Vocabulary and language are continuously recycled through multiple matching activities and alphabet chants.

A review and assessment section occurs after every four units.

Additional activities allow teachers to assess each student’s language skill level throughout the course.

English-Latvian Dictionary

Course ComponentsCourse Components

• Pupil’s Book • Activity Book• Teacher’s Book• Class Audio CD• Vocabulary Flashcards• Alphabet Flashcards• English-Latvian Dictionary