Jacari Teaching Workshop

1. Jacari Teaching Workshop Key Stage 4 1st March 2010

2. Identify the problem: Where are they behind? • Is it... Speaking? Reading? Writing? Maths? • Is it... Vocabulary? Grammar? Spelling? Fluency? Concentration? Memory? Confidence? Motivation?

3. Teaching new vocabulary • What vocabulary? • Survival language (classroom language, shopping, directions etc.) • Chatting • Key words – add, filter etc. See revision guides. • Meaning -> pronunciation -> form • E.g. Demonstrate first, then practise saying, then write • Natural way of learning • Builds up and holds interest throughout process • Most likely to remember • Show meaning by drawing, mime, flash cards

4. Teaching new vocabulary • Vocab book – take a category, e.g. Weather, • stick in pictures and say what their names; • Brainstorm words together. Make lists. • Make sentences using new words • revise regularly and add a category a week • Games e.g. Taboo – “Describe a word e.g. “sun” without using the word e.g. “hot” – make cards with target word (“sun”) on one side and forbidden word (“hot”) on the other. Take turns to try and work out the word. Use a timer to make it more exciting! • Take a minute to discuss pictures – get your pupil to label things you point to.

5. Teaching Spelling... Words they’re really stuck on • Teach spelling rules and patterns (see sheet) • Make up a mnemonic e.g. because – “big elephants can always understand smaller elephants” • Look, say, cover, write, check method • Write in mirror writing • Timed challenge • Read a passage with that word in over and over again • Combine spelling with a game you know your pupil enjoys: Snakes and Ladders, Bingo, Hangman, Top Trumps... • Multi-sensory link (next slide)

6. Teaching Spelling... Multi-sensory Link

7. Teaching Spelling: homophones • Homophones are words that sound the same but are written differently: there, they're, their; two, to, too; sew, so, sow • Take a few of these groups at a time and discuss the differences in meaning. Try to establish a link between meaning differences and spelling differences. • E.g. THERE has a similar structure to "here" and "where": all relate to places • THEIR is the only one to end like "her" - both relate to possession • THEY'RE: apostrophe shows that a letter is missing - relate to "they are" • Draw funny pictures: pair of pears; a poor cat using his paw to pour... • Then write sentences using as many as possible.

8. Self-check investigation

9. Teaching grammar... Tenseshttp://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/tenses_table.pdf • Tenses... are complicated!!! • Not just past, present, future! • Continuous (am/was/will be/have been/ will have been/ had been ...ing) • Completed event (...ed, and irregulars - ate/went etc) • Habit (I get up, eat breakfast, go out...) • Completed event with later effect (have, had, will have) • Prediction/ spontaneous decision (will...) • Already decided/ speculating (going to...) • Teach one at a time only, including how to form the negative • meaning, practice, production (independent) • jargon is unnecessary

10. Teaching Grammar... Common problems on checklist • When you pick up on consistently incorrect grammar used... • Correcting them each time they’re wrong • Can lead to lack of confidence • Makes an issue out of it but doesn’t correct the problem • Take a lesson to practice – need to get into muscle memory and brain connection • Repetition needed – questions and answers, repeat back, find the correct one, write using that construction etc. E.g. “What have you done today?” “I have eaten breakfast, I have been to a friend’s house, etc.)

11. Improving fluency • Reading aloud text that is easy for them – over 90% words read straight off • Reading a text several times (poetry is generally more acceptable for this) • Explaining where the stress in word goes by visual diagrams • Repeating sentences back like a parrot • Learning a short text off by heart • General practice – discussion etc.

12. Improving Concentration... • Tell them what will happen in the lesson • Visual Timetable • Time frame • Include a mixture of routines and surprises • Be multi-sensory: active learning; try to include activities you know they enjoy • e.g. Role play; finishing with a game; discussing subjects that they enjoy etc.

13. Improving memory... Multi-sensory learning is the key! • Visual... • colour coding • Spider plans • Visualisation • Drawing to explain ideas • Posters/ displays • Sequencing cards • Auditory... • Explaining • Discussing • Reading aloud • Using mnemonics • Setting to music • Making up a story around it

14. Improving memory... Multi-sensory learning is the key! • Kinaesthetic • Acting out processes and concepts • Role play • Sequencing objects/ movements • Touching and Handling objects • Moving around, changing position • Games – are multi-sensory and fun • Adapt games you know, e.g. Snakes and ladders, matching pairs, snap, move around a board doing tasks etc.

15. Improving Confidence... • Give lots of specific praise • Specific sticker/ star charts • Expect them to succeed • Always stay patient – it’s difficult for them! • Encourage • Don’t always correct every single mistake • Give more positive feedback than negative • Admit you’re fallible – e.g. if too difficult work set/ if you don’t know how to do something • Exchange knowledge e.g. By getting them to teach you some words in their first language

16. Improving Motivation... • Make it as fun and interesting as possible • Show the progress made • Make SMART targets • Reward personal best • Try making a graph or chart • Give recognition for trying • Make rewards tangible e.g. Certificate, sticker • Show how it’s relevant - Link to the future, what job they would like to do • Be enthusiastic yourself

17. Teaching maths and science... • Only teach what you know • Look at revision guides for help • Make sure you teach the same method as taught at school – better not to teach than to risk creating confusion • Often wording of instructions creates the main difficulty • Contact teacher if the child can’t tell you specifically what they need help in

18. Exam Boards • Cheney school: English - AQA, Maths – Edexcel, Science – OCR • St Gregory the Great: English -AQA, Maths – Edexcel, Science – AQA • Oxford Community School: • Cherwell: