In class yesterday, we talked about how learning is like a journey. Most of you said that at the start of your journey, learning English, you really wanted to be able to speak English well – and for some of you this was so you could make friends. We also looked at how things change during the journey. Sometimes things get difficult at and times like that, it is important to be persistent. Most of you think that you have learned a lot – but still have a way to go. We also talked about the things we need to pack for this journey…. Things like a dictionary, thesaurus and books are important. We also talked about motivation, hard work and a positive attitude as things that are important.
Monthly Archives: November 2008
Text Types
Different text types have special features and language. Your portfolio should have examples of a range of text types. This site : http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jeather/writingfun/writingfun.html provides a guide to the main features of a number of text types. There are also examples you can check.
Dictionary help
There are many sources at school you can use to understand the meanings of words. http://dictionary.reference.com/ is an online resource that also has a link to a thesaurus. There are also a number of dictionaries available in the ESL room. You should buy one to keep at home as well – it’s a great way to gradually learn new words.
scienceworks collage
Maths help
Thanks to Deanne – (via another teacher at her school) for this site : MULTILINGUAL MATH GLOSSARY You can find explanations of Maths terms in a number of languages including Chinese and Arabic.
Good readers
Good readers are active readers. Reading is more then being able to sound out the words. It also includes comprehension – understanding the thoughts and ideas the words are telling us about. As we read more of “Hatchet” this week, be aware of some of the things you do to help make you a better reader. Talk about how you do these in your portfolio reflection.
Some things good readers need to do to improve their comprehension include:
Use your prior knowledge…. What do you already know about this text? What do you think the text will be about. (you will change your ideas on this as you read.)
Think aloud – what questions do you have about the text, talk about what you think is happening as we read.
Visualising: Active readers use all of their senses as they read. Gary Paulsen makes this easy for us as he uses words to create vivid picture of what is happening. Think about these as you develop your response to the chapters.
Questioning: You should ask yourself a range of questions about the text, the author’s intention and the language as well as the plot. Often the author is trying to tell us more than it might seem on the surface. The “see think, wonder” activity is one that will help you think more deeply about what you have read.
Summarising: Look at the sequence of events and focus on the main points. This can be difficult when you start thinking about what to leave out.
Reference: Lacey, C. (2008) Active readers: Tools and strategies for comprehension Curriculum Corporation