Effective Strategies for an EYL Classroom

Jon GasbarUNLAM Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan

ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGEWrite every word you can about this picture. Anything you think of.

How and where can I use this?At the beginning of class. Known as a “Do

Now”.“Do Now “is a short, less than 5 minute activity

At the beginning of a new unitAssessment

Make it fun! Make it a classroom competitionAward different points for higher vocabulary

Young LearnersAs many of you know Young Learners do not

have the stamina to sit and copyActivities should be quickClassroom should be structuredSimple concrete directions should be usedRoutines MUST be put in placeFun IS A MUST!

Pictures To Support PoetryFlowers are like rainbows,They have an array of colors,Flowers are incredibly colorful,There are flowers that are blue, white, yellow, and red

Flowers are from the earth,Flowers make us ecstatic, Flowers make us happy when we are depressed,Flowers are like rainbows,They have an array of colors

Get two words for each stanza to take notes onFlowers are like rainbows,They have an array of colors,Flowers are incredibly colorful,There are flowers that are blue, white, yellow, and

red

Flowers are from the earth,Flowers make us ecstatic, Flowers make us happy when we are depressed,Flowers are like rainbows,They have an array of colors

Your turn to rewrite thisWe readWe took notesWe decided what was most importantWe decomposedWe recomposed

This last part is high order thinkingAnd very effective. Very rare if studentsCan recompose the poem exactly.

How and where can I use this?Use this as your shared reading piece for the

weekShared reading is where the class reads the

poem or story together and may work on certain words or strategies

Think it’s too difficult??? Adjust it then!

How can I adapt this?Flowers are plants,Flowers are red, yellow, pink, orange,Flowers grow,Flowers grow in the ground,Flowers need water,Flowers need light,Flowers need love!

EXPOSE STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS!!!! NOT EVERYONE LEARNS THE SAME WAY!!!

There are many different types of learners out there!

Kinesthetic Auditory

Visual

Use Movement!

Now You and your group invent your dance!

Come up with 3-4 movements or actions. You must tell everyone IN WORDS what your dance move is!

Everyone will follow. After we are finished with one group the next group goes.

Invent catchy phrases!Transcontinental

New York –Seattle transcontinental!

Slide

Slide move to the side…slide…move to the side

Use Movement!

Make It MEMORABLE!

Come up with either a chant or a movement for the following words

RainEatingDrinkingShopping

USE VIDEOS!!!!!!

Even if you just have a computer or a laptop just have the students gather around it.

Get them out of their seats and get them excited about learning!

Keyword Notes for videosDON’T JUST PLAY THE VIDEO STRAIGHT THROUGH

Keyword NotesStudents get to write 1-3 words for each boxOne word is preferred but sometimes it needs

to be a couple moreThis ensures that the students are selecting

the most important information from the video

OutcomesMore effective listening skillsBetter note-taking skillsAble to summarize more effectively

Resourses

How to get free resourcesGoogle Search

Free youtube downloaderKeepvid.com

Create multiple yahoo, gmail, aol, email address and be able to log onto sites and use their free trial. Ex. Brainpop

Reading A-Z for leveled booksMet Museum in New York CityNatural History Museum in New York City

www.historychannel.comwww.discoverychannel.comwww.sites.google.com/jgasbar

IF THERE IS TIME!!!!