A pragmatic solution to differentiation in the English language classroom

1. A pragmatic solution to differentiation in the English language classroom For a copy of this presentation please contact: arnoldworld@gmail.com

2. Presenter Wendy Arnold MA in Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL – York) PCEd (HK) Freelance teacher, trainer, writer, researcher IATEFL’s YLT SIG committee Specialist in reading for young learner literacy 15 years experience teaching Chinese young learners Trained teachers in Asia, Africa and Europe

3. Overview Part i) Data on the longitudinal study Part ii) Understanding why the right reading level is important Part iii) Quick assessment to check ‘right’ reading level Part iv) Applying reading strategies

4. Rationale for study A ‘one-size fits all’ does not appear to meet the needs of all the learners in one class. BUT what are the ranges of abilities in: • One class • One yeargroup What materials could close the gap between a coursebook and individual needs?

5. Part i) Background to longitudinal study • 6 years study in Hong Kong • Pilot for 9/10 year olds for one year • 2004 continued study for 9-12 year olds • 2005 continued study for 8-12 year olds • 2006 continued for study 7-12 year olds • Used published 30 level reading scheme • Placement for reading level = 1:1 assessment with teacher based on comprehension of text and reading aloud

6. Micro level Individual assessment - up close summative formative

7. Macro level - Profile of a Primary 1 class +1 year of English language teaching – no reading scheme (scheduled to do 5 years) Average level 5.9

8. Macro level - Profile of a Primary 2 class +2 years of English language teaching – +1 year reading scheme (scheduled to do 4 years) Average level 9.2

9. Macro level - Profile of a Primary 3 class +3 years of English language teaching – +1 year reading scheme (scheduled to do 4 years) Average level 14.6

10. Macro level - Profile of a Primary 4 class +4 years of English language teaching – +2 years reading scheme (scheduled to do 4 years) Average level 18.5

11. Macro level - Profile of a Primary 5 class +5 years of English language teaching – +2 years reading scheme (scheduled to do 3 years) Average level 23.1

12. Macro level - Profile of a Primary 6 class +6 year of English language teaching – +3 years reading scheme (end of 3 years) Average level 23.4

13. Micro level - Tracking 2003-4 cohort no. 1 from formative to summative by levels FORMATIVE End Primary 3 Ave level 8.5 SUMMATIVE End Primary 6 Ave level 23.7 End Primary 4 Ave level 13.5 End Primary 5 Ave level 18.2

14. Macro level -tracking yearbands Key: cohorts 1-4A = started aged 9/10 years

15. You can track, compare and predict • Individual child’s progress (can indicate learning problem) • Class progress (sometimes indicates problem with teaching style) • Yeargroup progress • Compare yeargroup to yeargroup • Predict summative levels based on previous performance • Build results back into teaching and learning

16. Assessment procedure for reading level Formative assessment age 7-8 years = 1 year/170 hours of ELT Answering questions accompanying text Reading text out loud Silent reading of testing text Starting level if questions cannot be answered, lower level texts are tried if text cannot be read, lower level texts are tried

17. Procedure for classroom management of the reading scheme used in Hong Kong ALL GROUPS (2 teachers are timetabled at the same time) Plenary with Specific input on reading strategy YL selecting correct level of text Silent Reading Buddy Reading Comprehension Task (optional not every lesson) 1:1 Teacher Conferencing And Facilitating

18. Part ii) What is reading? ‘Reading is much more than the decoding of black marks upon a page; it is a quest for meaning and one which requires the reader to be an active participant’ (Cox 1991) The reader needs to: • Crack the code or decipher the print (decode) • Reading is about making sense which ‘powers young children’s learning’ (understand meaning) • Reading brings together text to be decoded and understood and a reader has to engage actively with both these processes (Kelly 2008)

19. Reading strategies Three cue systems (Kelly 2008) • Semantic （语义学） = reader draws on meaning from the text itself but also from their own background knowledge and from other texts • Syntactic （句法） = readers draws upon what they know of language and grammar (spoken and written) in order to PREDICT what is coming next eg. A child who comes across ‘ice creams melt in the sun’ is not likely to say ‘ice creams meet in the sun’ • Graphophonic (字形与字音） = readers use what they know about the sound-symbol correspondences, visual knowledge of letter combinations and sight vocabulary e.g. m - e – l – t

20. Part iii) Quick assessment to find right reading level • You need about 95-100 words of text which you think is at a suitable level for your learner • The learner reads the text and looks at the pictures which accompany it • This text is level 5 (level 1 = easiest, level 30 = most difficult) YOU HAVE A GO!

21. Mouse said, ‘Little Teddy! Little Teddy! Where are you going?’

22. ‘I am going to the shops,’ said Little Teddy. ‘Can I come too?’ said Mouse. ‘Can I come to the shops?’

23. ‘Mouse! Mouse!’ shouted Little Teddy. ‘Look down! Look at the big puddle!’

24. Mouse went into the puddle. ‘Oh! Oh!’ he said.

25. ‘Where am I?’ said Mouse. ‘Where am I? ‘You are in a big puddle’ said Little Teddy.

26. Mouse said, ‘Look at me!’ ‘Come on, Mouse,’ said Little Teddy. ‘Up you come.’

27. Little Teddy and Mouse went home.

28. ‘Thank you, Little Teddy,; said Mouse.

29. Making meaning – semantics （语义学） THINK-PAIR Read these questions and tell your partner the answers • Where was Little Teddy going? • Who fell in the puddle? • Why do you think Mouse went home with Little Teddy?

30. THINK-PAIR-SHARE What kind of questions are these? Which is the easiest to answer? Why? Which is the most difficult? Why? Which makes you think? Why?

31. Making meaning • Listen to the questions and the answers • Focus on the meaning, has this learner understood the text?

32. THINK-PAIR-SHARE What do you think about the use of Chinese? Remember this is about understanding meaning!

33. Decoding or reading out loud = graphophonics （字形与字音） 4. Listen carefully and on a piece of paper tick  all the correct words you hear and put a circle around the incorrect ones (you could write the word and circle the part that is incorrect)      Eg. I am going to the shops. 5. Count up the number of errors

34. Count the number of errors and divide by the number of words. This gives you a ratio which is used for % accuracy. We think that between 92-94% accuracy leads to learning.

35. THINK-PAIR-SHARE What do you think reading out loud tells the teacher? Is this READING? SPEAKING? SOMETHING ELSE?

36. THINK What age group do you think would enjoy this text? Finding text which is low reading ability but high interest is a challenge! We want learners to be able to understand text but this means it has to be at the ‘right’ reading level for them, as well as interesting!

37. Part iv) Applying reading strategies THINK Read the text silently. Do you understand what it is about? THINK-PAIR Can you explain it to a partner?

38. Part A) Although some glial cells have voltage-gated ion channels in their membranes, glial cells generally do not produce action potentials and their role in the nervous system has long been a puzzle. One suggestion has been that glial cells help to regulate the concentration of K+ and the pH in the extracellular fluid of the nervous system.

39. Part B) Glial cell membranes are highly permeable to K+ and adjacent glial cells are often electrically coupled by junctions that allow K+ to flow between them. This flux permits glial cells to take up and redistribute extracellular K+, which otherwise could build up to high concentrations in narrow extracellular spaces following activity in neurons.

40. THINK What language skills are you using?

41. PAIR Work with a partner. Take it in turns. Read the text out to each other.

42. Reading out loud - SHARE What does the text mean? How does it feel to read? Can you understand what you are reading? What are you missing?

43. THINK What language skills are you using?

44. Now read this text to yourself Glial cells are found in the brain. There are five types of glial cells. They are not nerve cells. Neurons transmit nerve messages. Glial cells are in direct contact with neurons and often surround them.

45. Look at the picture Glial cells

46. Aiding comprehensible inputTHINK-PAIR-SHARE Now what can you explain about glial cells? Where can you find them? What do glial cells do? What helped you understand better?

47. THINK-SHARE What language skills are you using?

48. The purpose of reading is to make sense. If you can’t do this, then you are not reading the right level!

49. REFLECT What have you learnt today? What can you do to make sure that your learners individual needs are being met? What can you do to make the coursebook more meaningful to your learners? ANYTHING ELSE?

50. MANY THANKS