Storytelling Lessons and Student Involvement using Questioning in the Target Language

 I read stories in my language classes as often as possible. It is a great way to provide comprehensible input for novice learners. Each page is a small chunk of language with an image or illustration to aid in comprehension.

But I never just read a story to my students. I am constantly involving them in the story using questioning in the target language.

Here is how…

In this example lesson, my focus is on the seasons vocabulary. I want to repeat the seasons vocabulary as much as I can to help students acquire these new words.

I am using Nearpod to present my story (if you want to learn how to use Nearpod, get my how to guide here), but you can also do this questioning verbally while holding a storybook in your hands in front of the class.

The first page of my story presents the season with an image to illustrate. I read the page and then I start brainstorming … how can I repeat the seasons vocabulary word in a question they will understand and know how to respond to?

My students know the weather vocabulary well. I decide to ask about the weather.

I have different types of questioning I can do.

Question type 1:  I can ask a yes / no question. This is a great way for students to demonstrate comprehension without having to say much in the target language. This works well if they don’t have the language ability to respond to a question where a full response is necessary.

(the microphone just let's them know they can shout out the answer)

Question Type 2:  I can ask an either / or question. Often my students know an answer to a question … it is on the tip of their tongues … but they can’t quite get it out. An either / or question leads them to success! Success gives them a happy, I can do it! feeling. They will feel more comfortable in my lessons and with responding to questioning in the future when they feel successful.

Question Type 3: I can have the students respond physically to questions. They can gesture or point or hold things up to provide a response. In Nearpod I have the students circle things using a Draw it slide. They are demonstrating comprehension of the question and have more exposure to the season vocabulary word.

     Question Type 4: I can ask a question which requires a full answer in the target language. I do this when I am confident the students know this vocabulary well enough to be able to provide a full response. BUT … if I see them struggle a bit and can tell it is on the tip of their tongues but they can’t quite get it out, I will switch to an either / or or yes / no question to help them out.

Ready to try out a storytelling lesson? Check these out...

Let's travel to a Spanish-speaking country! ~ Paper bag suitcase craftivity

Today we are making a suitcase craftivity & planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country! We are sneaking some writing practice & cultural information into this fun craft.

First take a paper bag and fold it into thirds. Now tape or glue an index card into each section of the folded paper bag. You can have the index cards pre-printed with the start of each sentence (like mine below), or you can have the students copy the text onto the cards themselves. Next have students complete the sentences.

Now it is time to decorate!
I used a paper fastener to close my sample suitcase. You can also use a velcro circle.
Students can create a handle to the suitcase by trimming the edge of the paper bag, or using construction paper.  Finally, they will decorate the suitcase using markers and stickers.

Enjoy!

I was inspired by Inner Child Fun's blog post

Strategies for Reading to Language Learners

We've talked about why we should read to second language learners. But what are some good strategies for reading? What can we do to allow early language learners to participate in the read aloud?

1. Choose simple and basic stories. Complicated texts or stories with too much unfamiliar vocabulary will just discourage students.

2. Read stories the children are already familiar with. Since they'll already have the gist of what happens in the story, they won't get lost. They'll be more easily able to pick up new vocabulary and sentence structure.

3. Read the story multiple times during a week. Students need exposure over and over to new vocabulary. As you read a 3rd, 4th, ... time, pause now and then and allow the students to complete the sentence.

4. Use a variety of methods to help students understand the vocabulary in the story. Use gestures, your facial expressions, point to illustrations, provide extra illustrations and/or manipulatives when you can. During your 3rd, 4th, ... time reading the story, let the students be the ones to participate in the reading through use of gestures, facial expressions, or use of the extra illustrations and/or manipulatives.

5. Ask questions as you read. "Where is _____?" "Is she happy?" "Does she want to ____?" Give your students the opportunity to use new and previously learned vocabulary.

6. Once you've read the story several times, let your students act it out. They love this! Encourage them to retell the story.

7. Provide them with their own readers to read on their own. Or use audio books along with student readers so they can read along with the audio.

Why Read in the Early Language Learner Classroom

Why Read in the Early Language Learner Classroom

I've always loved to read to my language students as a part of almost every lesson ~ just like I always read to my daughters when they were little. I love it and so do my students ... but I did some thinking and reading about why reading to second language learners is important. Here are 5 reasons to read to your second language students:

1. Reading helps our students learn new vocabulary. Often stories repeat words and patterns and this is especially helpful to our students. Images in the stories also visually reinforce vocabulary.

2. Listening to someone read helps our students learn correct pronunciation.

3. Listening also helps students to pick up the rhythm of the language.

4. Reading to our students leads to conversation ... we can relate the stories to our own lives, describe illustrations, ask questions about what happens in the stories and make predictions.

5. Reading reinforces spelling ~ find simple stories your students can read on their own.

Why do you feel reading to second language learners is important? Comment below!

How to Make Input Comprehensible for Early Language Learners

How to make Input Comprehensible for Early Language Learners

We know we need to teach in the target language and use comprehensible input --- language at the level of our students so they understand most of what we say ... just enough so they can understand the message, but adding new words and structures to push them to expand their knowledge.

So how do we do that with our early language learners?

1. Use songs. Songs can be repeated daily and reinforce vocabulary and sentence structure. Write your own, or purchase from others. 

2. Play vocabulary learning games. Let the students have a silent period where they are just listening to the new language being repeated over and over, and then move on to games where the kids need to speak. Find some game ideas here.

3. Use visuals - photos, images, videos, puppets, the actual item you are talking about. Are your students learning the vocabulary for school objects? Use a real book, pen, pencil, notebook ... Hold up your visuals while you are speaking to help students understand.

4. Read or tell stories ... But they need to be linguistically appropriate. Remember that your students should understand what is going on. Make up silly stories - I like to use a puppet and be silly. Maybe the puppet has packed his backpack for the first day of school and the students and I tell the puppet what he will need. But of course when we open up the backpack it is filled with unnecessary things like a camera, a chocolate bar ... Empty out that backpack and have the students help you refill it with what the puppet needs for school.
Is writing linguistically appropriate stories not your forte? I can help!

Whatever we choose to use as the content of our lesson, we should:

• Paraphrase - remember to make sure the message is understood. Use familiar structures and build on them.
• Slow down our speech
• Use our tone of voice to aid in getting the message across - in my silly puppet lesson I will use a tone of voice that says "Are you crazy?" when I pull the absurd things out of the backpack.
• Use gestures
• Use yes/no questioning to check for comprehension - I will ask in the target language "Is there a pencil in the backpack?"
• Repeat, repeat, REPEAT!!! Re-read, re-watch, re-listen, re-tell over and over and over and over again. With each repeat, try pausing and allowing the students to finish your sentences or do the retelling of the story. As we add an item to the backpack, one at a time, I will say in the target language, "Now Mr. Puppet has a pencil in his backpack." "Now Mr. Puppet has a pencil and a book in his backpack." "Now Mr. Puppet has a ______ (pause and allow the class to say it) and a _____, and a _____ in his backpack."

What strategies do you use to help your students understand the language you use in the classroom? Comment below!