Cooperative Learning & Reading Aloud By Teachers

Cooperative Learning & Reading Aloud By Teachers 10 May 2008 10am-1pm

Read Aloud Asia, published by Timesavailable at National Library gmjacobs@pacific.net.sg Internet: www.georgejacobs.net

Agenda • Why Reading Is Important • Why Read Aloud • How to Read Aloud • Why Combine CL and Reading Aloud • How to Combine CL and Reading Aloud

Q & A - Anytime • Questions • Disagreements • Experiences • Ideas

Why Reading Is Important • Language acquisition – grammar, spelling, vocabulary the fun way • Knowledge acquisition • Life-long learning

Introduces children to books, poems, etc. Provides a model for pronunciation Develops vocabulary Teaches knowledge of the world and of books Builds bonds between the reader and listeners Offers a model of the joy of reading Encourages a love for reading silently/aloud Why Read Aloud

Reading Rights of Children • International Reading Association • http://www.reading.org/positions/MADMMID.html

2. Children have a right to reading instruction that builds both skill and the desire to read increasingly complex materials • 4. Children have the right of access to a wide variety of books and other reading material in their classrooms, and in school and community libraries

How to Read Aloud A Quick Review

Choose good stories Practice first Set the scene Give title and author Read with feeling & variety Perhaps, summarize slow parts and paraphrase new words Read Aloud Checklist

Invite participation before, during and after reading Stop at interesting places Ask questions, make connections, make comments Make gestures, body movements, sounds

Demonstration • Please see if I do what is in the checklist • I’m also going to include group activities • Remember: your turn is coming after this

Question?? • For your children or students: • What is the average number of hours spent daily watching TV, playing computer games, playing with hand-held electronic devices? • Pls explain

Circle of Speakers • Each group member takes a turn to speak • 1 gives an idea • 2 gives an idea • 1 gives another idea, etc. • T calls on Ss to share partner’s ideas

Advice on Television by Roald Dahl • The most important thing we've learned, • So far as children are concerned, • Is never, Never, Never, let • Them near your television set - Or better still, don't install • The idiotic thing at all.

In almost every house we've been, • We've watched them gaping at the screen. • They loll and slop and lounge about, • And stare until their eyes pop out. • (Last week in someone's place we saw • A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)

They sit and stare and stare and sit • Until they're hypnotized by it, • Until they're absolutely drunk • With all that shocking ghastly junk.

Oh yes, we know it keeps them still, • They don't climb out the window sill, • They never fight, kick or punch, • They leave you free to cook the lunch

And wash the dishes in the sink • But did you ever stop to think, • To wonder just exactly what • This does to your beloved tot?

Task • List advantages and disadvantages of children watching TV and playing with electronic devices

Write-Pair-Switch • Each S works alone to write answers (2 mins) • In pairs, Ss share answers (2 mins) • Ss switch partners & share former partner’s ideas with new partner (2 mins)

IT ROTS THE HEAD! • IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD! • IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND! • IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND • HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!

HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE! • HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE! • HE CANNOT THINK - HE ONLY SEES

'All right!' you'll cry, 'All right!' you'll say, • But if we take the set away, • What should we do to entertain • Our darling children! Please explain! • 'We'll answer this by asking you, • 'What used the darling ones to do?

How used they to keep themselves contented • Before this monster was invented?'‘ • Have you forgotten? Don't you know? • We'll say it very loud and slow:

THEY ...USED...TO ...READ! • They'd READ and READ and READ, AND READ and READ, AND THEN PROCEED to READ some more. • Great Scott! Gadzooks! • One half their lives was reading books!

The nursery shelves held books galore! • Books cluttered up the nursery floor! • And in the bedroom, by the bed, • More books were waiting to be read! • Such wondrous, fine fantastic tales • Of dragons, gypsies, queens and whales

And treasure isles and distant shores • Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars, • And pirates wearing purple pants, • And sailing ships and elephants, • And cannibals crouching round a pot, • Stirring away at something hot...

Oh books, What books they used to know, • Those children living long ago! • So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, • Go throw your T.V. set away, • And in its place you can install • A lovely bookshelf on the wall.

Then fill the shelves with lots of books, • Ignoring all the dirty looks, • The screams and yells, the bites and kicks, • And the children hitting you with sticks -

Fear not, because we promise you • That in about a week or two of having nothing else to do, • They now begin to feel the need • Of having something good to read.

And once they start - oh boy, oh boy! • You watch the slowly growing joy that fills their hearts.

They'll grow so keen • They'll wonder what they've ever seen • In that ridiculous machine, • That nauseating, foul, unclean, • Repulsive television screen!

And later, each and every kid will love you more for what you did. • ‘Advice on television’ Extract taken from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.

Task • Summarize Dahl’s strategy for rescuing children from the grasp of electronic monsters • Why is he confident his strategy will succeed?

Everyone Can Explain • Each member has a #: 1,2,3,4 • T asks a question/gives a task • Ss work together to respond • Grp checks that everyone can give & explain the grp’s response • T calls a #; S with that # gives & explains their grp’s answer

Choose good stories Practice first Give title and author Read with feeling & variety Perhaps, summarize slow parts and paraphrase new words Stop at interesting places Invite participation Ask questions, make connections, make comments Make gestures, body movements, sounds Read Aloud Checklist

Your Turn • Look through the books available. • Choose one - prepare to read it aloud to a partner - use checklist to prepare. • Take turns reading aloud - your partner plays the role of a child - you say what age. • Partner checks you with checklist.

Key Point • Reading aloud is a journey, not a race • Thus, the longer it takes to finish the story, the better • The book can be a tool to launch a conversation, mostly about life, and, to a lesser extent about language

Why & How to Combine CL & Reading Aloud

What Is CL? • Ss working together to promote learning and enjoyment • The principles and techniques that Ts use to facilitate this • More than just putting Ss in groups and asking them to cooperate

Principles later in the presentation • More than 100 CL techniques • And, all can be modified • These are generic, for any subject and age

Why Combine CL & Reading Aloud by Teachers • Peers can increase each other’s interest level • Peers can help each other build understanding

Peers provide an outlet for sharing of ideas and reactions • Many Ss, not just a few, can speak • Peers can collaborate on tasks related to the reading

How to Combine CL & Reading Aloud by Ts Just a Few of the Many Ways

Circle of Speakers • Each group member takes a turn to speak • 1 gives an idea • 2 gives an idea • 1 gives another idea, etc. • T calls on Ss to share partner’s ideas

CL Principles: Maximum Peer Interaction • In typical class, 80% of time is T talk • When T not talking, usually one S at a time talking, the S who T called • 50 Ss in a class, only 2% of Ss are talking at one time • Groups increase % of Ss talking. 2 Ss per group = 50%; 4 Ss per group = 25%

Small groups: usually 2-4 • Example: Circle of Speakers • Groups may talk to other groups instead of or before reporting to T and whole class • Maximum quality of discussion

CL Principle: Equal Opportunity to Participate • 1 T can’t give much attention to each S • Partners can listen to each other’s ideas, answers, problems • To receive attention, Ss need opportunities to participate

Everyone has an opportunity to take part • No one is excluded • Example: Circle of Speakers

Cooperative Learning & Reading Aloud By Teachers