supporting mixed ability learners at cambridge english...
TRANSCRIPT
Supporting mixed ability
learners at Cambridge English: Key for
Schools and
Preliminary for Schools levels:
reading/writing skills
A group of individuals
It is important to understand that individual
learners may have different levels of
interest, motivation, needs and ability which
can affect the way they respond to
instruction and ultimately how much they
learn. Therefore, as teachers it is important
to identify these differences in order to make
learning responsive to learner needs.
Outline of the webinar
• to look at A2 and B1 descriptors to identify the abilities of
learners at different levels
• to look at the challenges of teaching reading and writing
in mixed ability classes
• to offer guidance on managing mixed ability classes
• to provide teachers with practical reading and writing
ideas for mixed ability classes
• to help teachers to prepare learners for exams
CEFR Can Dos: reading/writing
A2 or B1?
Reading: I can understand short, simple texts
containing familiar vocabulary, including
international words.
Writing: I can write about myself using simple
language, for example, information about my
family, school, job and hobbies.
CEFR Can Dos: reading/writing
B1
Reading: I can understand the main points in
straightforward factual texts on subjects of
personal or professional interest well enough
to talk about them afterwards.
Writing: I can write short, comprehensible connected
texts on familiar subjects.
What abilities do students have?
CEFR Can Dos
Reading
A2:
I can understand short, simple messages from friends,
for example, emails, web chats, postcards or short letters.
B1:
I can understand private letters about events, feelings
and wishes well enough to write back.
What abilities do students have?
CEFR Can Dos
Reading
A2:
I can understand short, simple messages from friends,
for example, emails, web chats, postcards or short letters.
B1:
I can understand private letters about events, feelings
and wishes well enough to write back.
What abilities do students have?
CEFR Can Dos
Reading literature
A2:
I can understand the main points in short, simple,
everyday stories, especially if there is visual support.
B1:
I can understand simplified versions of novels, and follow
the storyline in short stories with a clear structure, with
some effort and regular use of a dictionary.
What abilities do students have?
CEFR Can Dos
Reading literature
A2:
I can understand the main points in short, simple,
everyday stories, especially if there is visual support.
B1:
I can understand simplified versions of novels, and follow
the storyline in short stories with a clear structure, with
some effort and regular use of a dictionary.
Reading challenges
1. Some students find reading very difficult and will often
give up, especially if the texts are long.
2. Some students are really slow because they look up
every word they don’t understand in their dictionaries.
3. Some students read quickly and finish tasks before the
others, but then become bored and disrupt the class.
4. Some students think it’s a waste of limited classroom
time to sit and read in silence.
5. All of the above.
Differentiation
Differentiation
Adapting learning in response to learners’
differing abilities
Differentiated instruction
Adapting learning in response to learners’
differing abilities:
• adapting the learning content or task
Differentiated instruction
Adapting learning in response to learners’
differing abilities:
• adapting the learning content or task
• setting different goals
Differentiated instruction
Adapting learning in response to learners’
differing abilities:
• adapting the learning content or task
• setting different goals
• adapting the process of teaching
Reading – adapting content
• giving learners different texts
Reading – adapting content
• giving learners different texts
• giving learners different sections of a text
Reading – adapting content
• giving learners different texts
• giving learners different sections of a text
• using the text to lead on to differentiated
writing tasks
• giving learners the same text but with
different tasks
Adapting a reading task
Varying level of support in tasks
Adapting a reading task:
• The Remotely Operated Vehicle recorded what
was happening under water/on the boat.
Varying level of support in tasks
Adapting a reading task:
• The Remotely Operated Vehicle recorded what
was happening under water/on the boat.
• The Remotely Operated Vehicle recorded what
was happening under ______________ .
Varying level of support in tasks
Adapting a reading task:
• The Remotely Operated Vehicle recorded what
was happening under water/on the boat.
• The Remotely Operated Vehicle recorded what
was happening under ______________ .
• Where did the ROV record what was
happening? ______________ .
Differentiating outcomes
• different text types
• different tasks promote different subskills
Adapting the approach/strategies
• pre-reading tasks
• while-reading tasks
• post-reading tasks
Support – pre-reading
In what ways can we provide support for
learners before they start reading?
Support – pre-reading
• use visuals
Support – pre-reading
• use visuals
• work on vocabulary
Support – pre-reading
• use visuals
• work on vocabulary
• brainstorm ideas on the topic
Underwater research
• activate students’ knowledge of the topic
• discuss what the text might be about,
where they might find it and who it is
written for
• write questions which might be answered
by the text
Adapting tasks
Creating pre-reading questions Learners could create questions by:
Adapting tasks
Creating pre-reading questions Learners could create questions by:
• ordering the words given
go/Miguel/where/diving /did?
Adapting tasks
Creating pre-reading questions Learners could create questions by:
• ordering the words given
go/Miguel/where/diving /did?
• choosing correct forms
Where do/did Miguel go dive/diving?
Adapting tasks
Creating pre-reading questions Learners could create questions by:
• ordering the words given
go/Miguel/where/diving /did?
• choosing correct forms
Where do/did Miguel go dive/diving?
• completing the gaps
Where ……. Miguel go diving?
Adapting tasks
Creating pre-reading questions Learners could create questions by:
• ordering the words given
go/Miguel/where/diving /did?
• choosing correct forms
Where do/did Miguel go dive/diving?
• completing the gaps
Where ……. Miguel go diving?
• creating questions from prompts
Where Miguel go diving
Adapting tasks
Creating pre-reading questions Learners could create questions by:
• ordering the words given
go/Miguel/where/diving /did?
• choosing correct forms
Where do/did Miguel go dive/diving?
• completing the gaps
Where ……. Miguel go diving?
• creating questions from prompts
Where Miguel go diving
• creating questions with no help at all
While-reading differentiation
• set a time limit so that everyone finishes
at the same time
• have extension activities planned
While-reading differentiation
• students pair up with others who have
completed a similar number of questions
to check answers
Post-reading differentiation
Post-reading extension activities
How can we keep the faster learners busy
when they have finished reading?
Post-reading extension activities
• Prepare a vocabulary quiz for the whole
class to do the next day.
• Write further questions to ask the class
about the topic.
• Choose words or phrases to put on a class
noticeboard or poster.
Writing
What abilities do students have?
A2:
• I can write a simple message, for example, to make or
change an invitation or an appointment.
• I can write a short message to friends to give them
personal news or to ask them a question, for example,
a text message or a postcard.
B1:
• I can write emails, faxes or text messages to friends or
colleagues, relating news and giving or asking for
simple information.
• I can write a short letter asking for or giving simple
information.
What abilities do students have?
A2:
I can write about things and people I know well using
simple language, for example, descriptions of
friends, what happened during the day.
B1:
I can write simple texts about experiences or events,
for example, about a trip, describing my feelings and
reactions.
What abilities do students have?
A2:
I can write about things and people I know well using
simple language, for example, descriptions of
friends, what happened during the day.
B1:
I can write simple texts about experiences or events,
for example, about a trip, describing my feelings
and reactions.
Writing
1. I only give writing for homework so that we don’t waste
time in class.
2. Some of my students find it difficult to write longer texts.
3. My students make a lot of mistakes when writing.
4. It takes a long time to correct writing tasks.
Differentiation in writing lessons
You can:
• adapt the content and outcomes by
varying the text types and writing tasks
you give learners to do according to level
Differentiation in writing lessons
You can:
• adapt the content and outcomes by
varying the text types and writing tasks
you give learners to do according to level
• adapt the way you approach the tasks in
class
Adapting the learning content or task
Activity 1: Writing an email
For the holidays, you have arranged to stay in
another part of your country with your cousin, who
is the same age as you, and your aunt and uncle.
At the last minute there is a problem and you can’t
go.
Write an email to your cousin explaining why
you can’t go and apologising.
Possible change for weaker learners
Copy this outline for your email to your cousin into your
notebook and complete it.
Hi …….,
I hope you are OK.
I’m sorry to say that ……………..
This is because …………………..
I’m really sorry about this. Please explain this to my aunt
and uncle for me.
Best wishes to you and everyone in the family .…………
Activity 1: Writing an email
Possible change for stronger learners
In your email to your cousin you must also include an
invitation to him/her to come and stay with you during the
next school holidays.
Activity 1: Writing an email
Adapting the teaching process/approach
Is writing always an individual activity?
Pair work: writing
Ideas for writing activities and games:
• sentence building
Pair work: writing
Ideas for writing activities and games:
• sentence building
• running dictation
Pair work: writing
Ideas for writing activities and games:
• sentence building
• running dictation
• silent conversations
Pair work: writing
Ideas for writing activities and games:
• sentence building
• running dictation
• silent conversations
• creating a story
Group work: writing
Ideas for activities:
• making posters
Pair and group work: monitoring
When the teacher cannot reach every single
individual, he or she can have the learners
teach one another, taking advantage of
the diversity in the group.
(Penny Ur – Teaching mixed-level classes)
Setting different goals
• error correction
• peer correction
• different objectives from adapted tasks
Reading: integrated practice
Give students a reason to read each others’
written work:
• prepare questions to find information
• write the ending of a story
• reply to a letter
Strategies for differentiation List 1 List 2
Give these learners a more complex
text or a more difficult section of
reading text.
Give these learners a simpler or
shorter reading text.
Give learners a different, more difficult
task to do on a reading text.
Replace the task with a different,
easier task on the same text.
Provide post-reading activities for those
who have completed the reading task.
Reduce the number of questions on a
reading text.
Give these learners less time to
complete a writing task.
Give these learners more time to
complete a writing task.
Encourage these learners to help
others in the class.
Pair them with a student who can help
them.
Outline of the webinar
• to look at A2 and B1 descriptors to identify the abilities of
learners at different levels
• to look at the challenges of teaching reading and writing
in mixed ability classes
• to offer guidance on managing mixed ability classes
• to provide teachers with practical reading and writing
classroom ideas for mixed ability classes
• to help teachers to prepare learners for exams
Further information
University of Cambridge
Cambridge English Language Assessment
1 Hills Road, Cambridge, CB1 2EU, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1223 553997
Fax: +44 (0)1223 553621
Email: [email protected]
Keep up to date with what’s new via the
Cambridge English Language Assessment website: www.cambridgeenglish.org
For information on Cambridge English webinars for teachers:
www.cambridgeenglish.org/webinars
Understanding assessment – what every teacher should know
22 and 24 February 2015