The Literacy Project, a work in progress

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The Literacy Project, a work in progress

• Christy Ermers
• Patricia Maya

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Why we are doing this workshop?

• Almost anything can become a learning experience
  if there is enough caring involved (Mary Mac
  Cracker)
• Do you cut and paste?
• Is there a curriculum just for literacy?
• Are all literacy students the same?
• Do you have a multi-level class?
• Do you have books and materials specific to
  literacy?
• Do feel lost at times on how to explain the same
  thing in different ways?
• Do you feel frustrated?
• Well youre not alone.. Thats why the Literacy
  Project IS a work in progress!

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Things to condider    The 4 P method

• PREPARE for a real life changing experience.
• Yourself ___________________________________
• Classroom _________________________________
• Materials __________________________________
• PLAN for success.
• Yourself ___________________________________
• Classroom _________________________________
• Materials __________________________________
•  
• PROVIDE opportunity to use new language.
• Yourself ___________________________________
• Classroom _________________________________
• Materials __________________________________
•  
• PACE is important to build confidence. Slow and
  steady preserves self esteem.
• Yourself ___________________________________
• Classroom _________________________________

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Who are our literacy Students?

• Enthusiasm is contagious start an epidemic
  (Don Ward)
• Great men and women who test our patience and
  fill our lives with hope that there is a better
  future for all in Canada. Many of our students
  have hopes and dreams of a better tomorrow. They
  depend on us to guide them and give them a face
  to this new life and country. Its our
  responsibility to provide them with a safe and
  happy environment full of learning and knowledge.
  We can empower them with the language and
  know-how for them to leave our classes with tools
  in order for them to serve society the best way
  possible. Is this a dream? Maybe but if we
  remind ourselves that some, no all, will do this,
  then we work for that some that will.

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Challenges Rewards

• The basic idea behind teaching is to teach
  people what they need to know (Carl Rogers)
• Establish personal connections first. Step into
  their shoes and ask yourself why they would want
  to talk to you. You should seek to develop a
  sense of community in the classroom, which means
  they must see you as someone who they enjoy
  talking to. For example, learn not only the
  students names but also the names of their
  family members. In other words, talk about what
  matters to the students first.
• Use interruptions as a teaching moment. If a
  student arrives late, use that opportunity to
  discuss public transportation or numbers as a
  review on telling time. If a student has a sick
  child, discuss medical issues and various
  symptoms. The bottom line is to be spontaneous.
  The students will remember and learn real-life
  language as it unfolds naturally.
• Literacy students cannot mutli-task. It is best
  not to write a lot on the board and have students
  copy while you continue to explain. If they are
  busily copying down information, they will not
  focus on what you are telling them.
• Feed their stomachs sometimes, not just their
  minds. Watch for cues that your students may be
  hungry and share snacks together as a class
  (candy gives a boost of energy). Make sure
  students can see and hear the lessons (dollar
  store glasses).
• Meet the student half way. Try to make an effort
  to learn words or phrases in the students L1.
  Communicate slowly, clearly and directly.
  Role-play to get point across. Avoid using books
  that are too childish. (Grade 1 is the right
  level for literacy in terms of grammar, etc).
  Review constantly in a variety of ways. Be
  animated. Dont be afraid to make sound effects,
  and silly faces. Learning doesnt have to be
  serious to be effective. Laugh a lot!

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Some Activities

• 1. Food theme cut boxes/label of food items
  (cereal boxes, tuna, beans, toothpaste,)familiar
  to the students. Make puzzle pieces for the
  students to put together. Make a chart for them
  to fill out Ex What is it?, What are they?,
  When do you eat/drink this food?, Look for these
  words, and copy
• 2. Cut out from magazines using different
  sizes/fonts sight words or common words already
  taught to the students. Have a dictation
  scavenger hunt. Ex. Colours, days of the week, a,
  an, the, on, in, seasons, ets the teacher says
  underline---, circle---, cross-out (word)
• 3. Colour collages, cut out a specific colour,
  and glue on large paper. Students will look only
  for their colour, and label. This can be done
  with seasons, cutting pictures to represent their
  season, also emotions, clothing, etc. They will
  then present to the class.
• 4.Cut days of the week, months of the year.
  Looking through magazines, must start with
  capital letter, paste in order.
• 5. To teach colours go to Home Depot, get paint
  chips, cut in ¼ play bingo using template of
  3x3, or 4x4 put colours on paper, teacher calls
  out colour, students take off to make line. Paste
  in notebooks as per teacher. Spell colours for
  students to write/copy. Or create a matching
  game, with colour and word.
• 6. Songs use pictures for students to understand
  lyrics. Ex I can see clearly now the rain is
  gone, book ESL classics. Same tune works for
  students to remember Ex BC Alberta, and others
  same tune to (Fed Ojack o) www.theholidayzone.co
  m for songs
• 7.Body parts, cut magazine pictures, label and
  have concentration game. Real life is much better
  than pictures in books.

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Activities, cont

• 8. Reading passages (phase 1), had students
  underline the same words from question in the
  story to identify answers. Worked well. Teaches
  the students reading, looking for clue words,
  scanning. They felt a sense of accomplishment ,
  as though they were reading. Ex elcivics.com
• 9. Make creases with papers (fold ), in order to
  get same spaces, or lines.
• 10. For numbers divide class in ½ . One half of
  the students has the numeral (4), the other half
  has the word (four). The students go around,
  looking for their partner. This helps to match
  students, or pair them up for a workstation or
  activity.
• 11. Show and tell activities For conversation
  bring items from your country. Teacher should
  also bring to be involved. Bring 2 pictures one
  from the past, and one from the present, talk
  about how things have changed, may create a
  writing/copying activity. Bring music, or
  clothing from country.
• 12. Models of classes that start with learning
  the alphabet sounds, dont work. Instead use high
  frequency words that are part of students lives
  names, signs, labels. Draw attention to common
  patterns Ca-na-da/ A-me-ri-ca this way students
  become familiar with sight words as well as other
  words phonologically.
• 13. Plan lessons to what is relevant to student's
  needs. Reading skills for street signs, menus,
  TV. listings, calendars, bank statements, etc.,
  recognize the difference between bus schedule and
  recipe.
• 14. Develop Vocabulary building activities as
  much as possible (see workstations)
• 15. Domino style activity with numbers, letters
  of the alphabet, questions-answers
• 16. I eat for food, adaptable for any theme
  (housing, classroom items, clothing)
• 17. Put the entire alphabet scattered over the
  board, have students come up and join the letters
  up in order.
• 18. Provide two columns of phrases ( full up/
  pull up payday/payday) and ask student to
  indicate whether the pairs are the same or
  different.
• 19.Write the alphabet on the board. When students
  can recite it easily, start erasing letters one
  or two at a time and see if they can supply the
  missing letters themselves.

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Possible ThemesAccording to CLB

• To teach is to learn twice (Joseph Joubert)
• The themes should be relevant to the students. Be
  aware of the cultural as well as individual
  differences. Some themes to consider
• Commercial Services (shopping, pharmacy,
  supermarket)
• The environment (recycling)
• Money, banking, or credit cards
• Food (nutrition)
• Canadian History and geography
• Other cultures
• Housing
• Family (problems, roles and responsibilities)
• Medical care
• Children in Canada
• The law (police, employment law,
  landlord/tenant)
• Rights and responsibilities in Canada
• Employment
• Telephone
• Education
• Transportation (public transit, directions)

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How about Assessment?

• Things to consider when assessing Literacy
  learners
• Life situation age, cultural role, time in
  Canada, reasons/goals
• L1 Background L1 alphabet (roman?), L1 literacy
• English Language Skills oral skills, literacy
  skills
• Personality Profile motivation, family role
• Outcomes for literacy develop along a continuum,
  not as a linear process. The skills need to be
  practiced again and again with constant
  repetition in order to be successful.
• We need to teach strategies on how to listen
  before we can test them. Students understand less
  than we think. The impact of visual elements on
  listening comprehension, social, cultural and
  affective factors must be considered.
• Students do not just listen, they have a very
  specific motivation or reason for listening and
  this reason dictates the way in which we listen.
  There is an acknowledgement that we need to
  listen to different things in different ways.
  These different kinds of listening should be
  followed by very different types of activities. (
  This is true for other skills too )

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Workstations . Work!

• I hear, I forget. I see, and I remember. I do
  and I understand
• (Chinese proverb)
• Why do workstations work for literacy?
• Its another active way to go over topics,
  themes, vocabulary, already taught in the
  classroom.
• As students are working, its a good way for the
  teacher to move around from station to station
  assessing the progress of individual students.
• The majority of students learn better when they
  see things. Using as many of their senses makes
  sense!
• Students get tired of sitting for a long period
  of time. This way they take learning into their
  own hands by testing what theyve learned.
• Workstations are fun!
• Here are some workstations for you to try in your
  classrooms, and adapt them to your own themes and
  your students as you see fit. Enjoy!

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Great SitesSome examples

• www.toolsforeducators.com
• www.eslflow.com
• www.esltower.com
• www.bogglesworldesl.com
• www.eslprintables.com
• www.esl-lab.com
• www.manythings.org
• www.englishlistening.com
• www.education-world.com
• www.ESL-galaxy.com
• www.visualesl.com
• www.agendaweb.org
• www.englishbanana.com
• www.teachingchildren.com.br
• www.tcet.com
• www.mes-english.com
• www.teachertube.com

• www.theholidayzone.com
• www.raz-kids.com
• www.vocabularya-z.com
• www.grammar-quizzes.com
• www.kinderplaces.com
• www.superteacherworksheets.com
• www.tslbooks.com
• www.mcedservices.com
• www.apples4theteacher.com
• www.home.earthlink.net/brekkmail
• www.kidzone.ws
• www.esl-kids.com
• www.elcivics.com
• www.eslfast.com/easydialogs/index.html
• www.teachchildrenesl.com
• www.marks-english-school.com/games/A-Z.html

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Lets Keep in touch

• Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at
  twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays
  young. (Henry Ford)
• Thank you for listening to us!
• Pat and Christy.