Helping Cards

Use these cards to give students an opportunity to express their needs in class. The visual and written reference helps build their confidence in using classroom phrases such as " I don't understand." or "Please repeat."

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Comprehensible Input

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher presents a mini-lecture using photographs and graphics with PowerPoint on Texas geography. To help students build their background knowledge, strengthen vocabulary and increase their listening comprehension skills, she presents content information in a way that is accessible to students. This segment is an example of providing comprehensible input using PowerPoint (or overhead projection transparencies). 

Skills Practice

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, students practice their map skills and the use of directional words (north, south, etc.). This skill building activity follows on the geography lesson the teacher presented previously. 

Review of Alphabetizing

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher reviews alphabetical order with a multilevel group of students. She uses the states introduced in the geography lesson as examples. 

Sounds of English

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher reviews English vowel sounds to reinforce the idea that English vowel sounds shift depending on the environment in which they occur. She provides examples of long and short vowels. 

Fluency Practice

This series of videos provides examples of ways to link oral communication skills and literacy skills. In this segment, the teacher provides fluency practice by introducing a silly poem and having students focus on the sounds, rhythm and intonation of the poem. She encourages students to dramatize the last line of the poem to focus their attention on "expression." 

Personal Poetry

In this segment, the teacher connects fluency practice with self-expression by asking students to create a simple poem about themselves. To help beginning students, she models the activity using a poem about herself. 

Chalk Talk

In this segment, the teacher uses an approach known as "chalk talk" to make information accessible to students. She draws the story of how her parents came to the United States and at the same time tells the story in words. She then invites the students to retell the story and writes it on the board. This is a variation of the "language experience approach." 

Reading Text

In this segment, the teacher moves from using pictures and drawings to introducing a text. She reads the passage while the students listen and then breaks the group into teams to do work appropriate to their proficiency level. While the more advanced students read and answer comprehension questions, less proficient students tell and write their own story using the chalk talk method. 

Review and Closure

In this segment, the teacher wraps up the lesson by reviewing and reinforcing key concepts in reading.