Teaching Writing in the Reception (Early Years and G1 - 2) Levels

Children generally begin learning to write in the Early Years (known in EFL as Very Young Learners and elsewhere as Early Childhood and/or PreSchool) or in the first grades of Lower Primary (known variously as Reception, Infant School and even Grammar School). However, writing at this level is not so much writing (composition) as it is writing (handwriting) and so should be seen by educators as a combination of fine-motor development with emerging literacy and numeracy rather than as language acquisition and development.

Creating a student-centred teacher-friendly lesson using an online video

Students today are increasingly more visual and image-oriented than even those of yesterday, let alone of yester-year. Video-based lessons are appealing to students and advantageous to teachers, and with a little time, thought and attention can provide significant learning and language-practice opportunities.  

Outdoor Activities for English Learners

Gross Motor development is not the exclusive domain of Physical Education teachers; English teachers can also use these activities for students to blow off extra steam as they practise their English skills. They are especially useful in Active Learning and experiential learning programmes.

Developing and Implementing a Successful Music Programme

Research is clear. Students benefit from a core or compulsory music curriculum,ideally from PK going through at least to the end of Prirmay or Elementary school. Join as we review what went into two highly-successul comprehensive curricular music programmes, with co-curricular and cross-curricular accompaniments.

Four Houses and Homes Field Trip ideas for Lower Primary

Teachers often ask how to incorporate learning outside the classroom into their programme, and how to do so cheaply, effectively and in a teacher-friendly way. Field Trips can be the answer, and since houses and homes is a Grade Four topic in the Chilean national curriculum, combining the two does the old two birds and one stone thing. 

This session provides four successful, no-cost or low-cost plug-and-play Field Trips, and although aimed at Lower Primary teachers, the activities are also applicable to Middle School and can easily be adapted.

Active Learning : Questioning

Asking questions is a crucial skill for teachers, and is more than just checking for recall. Effective questioning can "can stimulate learning, develop the potential of students to think", clarify ideas, "stir the imagination, and [create an] incentive to act". Join us as we review the role and function of asking questions for learning.

Parts of the body for Lower Primary and Early Years

Naming and labelling parts of the body are (almost certainly) universal Early Years topics, with the addition of describing in Lower Primary, and provide some great opportunities for language and skills development. Join us as we explore some of these.

Writing methodology : Publishing and Feedback

Key to an effective Writing Programme is "Publishing and Feedback", yet for teachers considerations of the how, what, where and when of publishing can be daunting. Join us as we review Publishing, Feedback (and the relationship to evaluation) and Considerations, and twelve publication possibilities. The material covered does not apply only to student work and will be of interest to writers. 

Effective Classroom Reading Groups; lessons from research

Small groups offer one of the most effective classroom approaches, and some recent research shows what works and what can be counter-productive when it comes to reading development and practice. 

This session reviews the findings from five international studies into best practice at the Lower Primary level (G1 - 4), and provide useful insights for Upper Primary / Lower Secondary (G5 - 8). Although conducted into English Teaching & Learning practice, they are also applicable to programmes in other languages.

Four Transportation Field Trip ideas for Lower Primary

Teachers often ask how to incorporate learning outside the classroom into their programme, and how to do so cheaply, effectively and in a teacher-friendly way. Field Trips can be the answer, and since transportation is a Grade Four topic in the Chilean national curriculum, combining the two does the old two birds and one stone thing. 

This session provides four successful, no-cost or low-cost plug-and-play Field Trips, and although aimed at Lower Primary teachers, the activities are also applicable to Middle School and can easily be adapted.

Plug-and-play Reading Comprehension : Volcanoes

Not only are volcanoes in the news, but they are a frequent topic in G4 and they provide an excellent base for a Science / Social Studies / Art / Music and of course Language unit. This plug-and-play Reading and Vocabulary lesson is based on an authentic G4 text and can be used as-is, or as a model for similar lessons on other topics in EFL and E2L / bilingual programmes.

Out with the old; effective approaches to teaching reading

Research* shows that "round the class" reading (or round robin reading or reading in turns) is ineffective. So what works? This one-hour session reviews four highly-effective, teacher-friendly communicative approaches to unlocking a text and promoting reading comprehension, both explicit and implicit. The prompt is a G4 text on Volcanoes and activities are targetted at that level, although the model and approaches can be used all levels. For EFL, immersion and bilingual teachers, including teachers of subjects other than English.

Tabletop Science for Lower Primary

Science in Lower Primary should not be a subject. For students, Science should be an exploration of the world around them while they develop scientific inquiry and learn how to follow scientific practice. For teachers, Science should be incorporated into daily activities and into the regular classroom. A laboratory and specialist equipment are not required; this science can be done on top of a table.

Narrative Writing in Lower Primary

Lower Primary (G1 - 4, 1º ciclo) students are story-tellers, and will even make a tale out of what they had for breakfast. Take advantage of this impulse to develop and inculcate composition basics, and the organisation of thoughts within the context of language acquisition and development. This session includes tips for assigning topics and assessment strategies.

Descriptive Writing in Lower Primary

Lower Primary (G1 - 4, 1º ciclo) students are focussed on themselves and their world. They are particularly interested in and knowledgeable about their homes, their family and friends, and their hobbies and interests. Take advantage of this to develop and inculcate composition basics, and the organisation of thoughts within the context of language acquisition and development. This session includes tips for assigning topics and assessment strategies.

Writing in Lower Primary

Writing in Lower Primary (G1 - 4) builds on Early Years skills* and prepares for the Upper Primary / Lower Secondary (G5 - 9) level. Students explore narrative and descriptive writing, planning and writing within constraints, in both online and in-person classes.This session also includes tips for student development and success, and reviews assessment strategies.

ELT Pairwork activities for A1/A2 and/or Young Learners

 

Introduction to the Cambridge Primary Programme

 

Cambridge Primary from Cambridge International is the first of four stages on the Cambridge Pathway and is usually offered around K - G5. Cambridge Primary consists of ten subjects and is ideal for immersion and bilingual schools; it should not be confused with Cambridge English.