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

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Tel: +44 (0)1223 553997

Fax: +44 (0)1223 553621

Email: helpdesk@cambridgeenglish.org

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www.cambridgeenglish.org/webinars

Understanding assessment – what every teacher should know

22 and 24 February 2015