Catering for interclass diversity

1
Catering for inter-class diversity

• Presenters
• Kwok Wing Ki Judy
• Senior School Development Officer
• Wu Wai Po
• Leung Sai Cheung
• Canton Road Government Primary School

2
Suggested Strategies

• At the Curriculum Level
• At the Panel Level
• At the Classroom Level
• At the Individual Level

3
Background

• Teaching and Learning
• Uniform teaching resources (textbook and class
  readers)
• Uniform assignments (Grammar Practice, Pre-task
  Workbook, Reading and Writing Skill Book)
• Uniform assessment tools (tests and exams)
• Uniform teaching schedule

4
What is learning?
Instruction insert these words in the box
provided.
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Comprehension Level
Production Level
6
At the Curriculum Level
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Express Class add-on strategy

• Background
• An Express Class in P4
• Introduce readers regularly into the curriculum
• Curriculum integration Readers share the same
  modules/theme as that of textbook

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• Teaching strategy used Teacher read aloud,
  followed by comprehension worksheets
• Purposes
• enrich students vocabulary
• arouse students interest in the topic
• cultivate interest in reading
• practise reading skill
• increase students knowledge of the world
  (reading to learn)

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Implications of Differentiation Strategy

• Concept of core/non-core ? compulsory/
• optional
• Less teaching time will be spent on non-core
  elements than core elements
• Worksheets supplementary exercise will be
  adapted accordingly
• Less weighting in test/exam on non-core elements
• Core elements higher expectations in test/exam

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Non-express Class differentiation strategy

• Background
• Canton Road Government Primary School
• Categorize teaching focus in the scheme of work
  into core (production level) and non core
  elements (comprehension level)
• This framework has been used for 5 years,
  on-going process of development

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Principles of Differentiation

• Non-core elements
• Comprehension Level Receptive Language
• e.g. Wh-questions, Yes/No questions
• Core elements
• Production Level Expressive Language (Speaking
  Vs Writing)
• e.g. short answers, complete sentences

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Examples of Differentiation Language items
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Examples of Differentiation Vocabulary
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Principles of Differentiation

• Vocabulary
• Active (refer to words that students are able to
  read, spell and write)
• Passive (refer to words that students are able
  to recognize)

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Why should teachers concern about the number of
words taught in each unit?
Nations (1990) research indicates a word takes
about five to sixteen exposures or repetitions
to be learned.
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How to choose active vocabulary

• Frequency of occurrence
• (Nations word list http//www.er.uqam.ca/n
  obel/r21270/cgi-bin/webfreqs/read_trial.cgi)
• Intuitive judgment
• Outcome-based approach

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How to choose active vocabulary?

• Method 1 Using intuition to choose active
  vocabulary
• You need to choose seven words to focus on
  teaching.
• Method 2 Using outcome-based approach
• to choose active vocabulary
• You need to choose seven words to focus on
  teaching.

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Reminders on using outcome-based approach to
choose active vocabulary

• Design expected learning outcome (e.g. writing
  task) before deciding what vocabulary to focus on
  or introduce
• Words which can help students complete the
  writing task are recommended to be chosen or
  introduced
• Help students remember and use the active
  vocabulary by picture and word cards, accompanied
  by bingo games or further consolidation exercise
  like sentence making

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At the Panel Level

• Common Lesson Preparation Time
• Use the framework to work out the scheme of work
  (from P1-6)
• Assessment policy
• Assign certain to cater for average low
  achievers
• More weighing on core elements than on non-core
  elements

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Theoretical Approaches for Grammar Teaching
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Curriculum Guide (2004) Inductive/Discovery
Approach

• According to the age of the learners and
  their cognitive development, teachers may decide
  to introduce a small number of useful and not
  overly complex grammar rules and terms to help
  them develop a conscious understanding of the
  language forms they are using
• (continued)

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Curriculum Guide (2004) onInductive/Discovery
Approach

• It is important from time to time that
  learners are given an opportunity to discover
  language patterns and rules for themselves.
  (p. 163)

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Implication on Teaching and Learning

• Teaching
• Grammar rules
• Grammar terms
• Learning
• Learners needs
• Learning styles

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At the Classroom Level

• P.3 Classes, teaching focus (simple past tense
  and time markers)
• Express Non-express class a mix of both
  approaches, a matter of emphasis
• Discovery approach Vs discovery approach
• Express Class More inductive/discovery approach
  than deductive approach
• Non-express Class More deductive approach than
  inductive approach

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P.3 Express Class Teaching Procedures

• Previous lessons Students had finished a story
  (written in regular past tense form) in the
  textbook
• 2. Revisit the story (ask students to read aloud
  the first paragraph), highlight the phrase once
  upon a time
• 3. Remind students of the past time concept and
  the term past tense

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P.3 Express Class Teaching Procedures
4. Students are given a short text to read 5.
Ask students to tell whether the tense is Past
or Not past 6. Ask students to underline key
words (i.e. time markers) 7. Students work in
groups of 4-5, complete the task sheets and give
own examples of key words
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A Summary of Text
Long time ago, people lived with their sheep and
pigs inside the house.
3
1
Last Sunday, it rained all day. I stayed at home
and watched TV. Then I cooked dinner.
4
Two days ago, I played football with my brother..
2
Yesterday, I walked up the hill. I watched
birds. I climbed up a tree
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A Summary of Text
3
1
My mother is a housewife. She is tall and thin.
She goes shopping every Sunday.
I get up at seven oclock every day. Then I brush
my teeth and wash my face
4
Miss Lee is my English teacher. She is helpful
and kind. She likes watching TV every day.
2
Sally is my best friend. She likes music. She has
the piano lesson every Monday
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Text for individual group members
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Text for individual group members
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P.3 Non-express Class Teaching Procedures

• Revision at word level, use word cards to recall
  students memory, students read aloud the words
• Introduce the past tense form and invite students
  to match with the present form
• Introduce the verb concept, use examples,
  miming and sentences to check students
  understanding

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Teaching Procedures

• Ask students to work in groups (4-5 students in a
  group), underline the verbs
• Invite students to read aloud and check the
  answers
• Explain the adverbs last year, every year and
  introduce the concept of time markers (key
  words),
• Ask students to work in groups to find other key
  words and think of own examples
• Check the answers

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Text for Group 1
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Modifications done to cater for different
abilities
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At the Individual Level

• target at individuals who are highly motivated,
  but lack means to catch up
• self-learning booklets are designed to teach or
  revise certain items
• step-by-step learning (facilitate short attention
  span and immediate feedback)
• incorporate concept of reinforcement and self
  testing

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References
English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1
6), 2004. New Ways in Teaching Vocabulary by Paul
Nation, Alexandria, VATESOL, 1994. Promoting
assessment for learning in English Language
Education at Primary Level, Facilitator Guide,
2004. Vocabulary in Language Teaching by Jack C.
Richards (Ed.), Cambridge University press, 2004.