Hands on Learning in the Literacy Classroom

Dec. 2009

Valerie Millar

Copyright Valerie Millar 2009This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or republish requires written permission from the author.

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

Confucius

ESL LiteracyESL literacy learners are adults who are learning to speak English at the same time as they are learning to read and write for the first time. They are not readily able to use reading to learn and are, instead, struggling to learn to read.

• In a mainstream ESL classroom, the learner is expected to “pick up written English as they learn oral English,” where the teacher presents the new vocabulary or ideas orally and then quickly moves to the textbook or worksheet to reinforce the new material. (Wrigley, 2008)

• Literacy learners often lack basic academic concepts and “common knowledge.”

• Literacy ESL learners are often left behind, not having the basic concepts, being unable to use reading to learn and instead struggling to learn to read.

Literacy Continuum

• ESL literacy is a continuum• Learners at the beginning (Foundation Phase)

are learning that print conveys meaning• Learners at the other end of the continuum

(Phase III) read basic information but may need support with strategies, format and inference

Hands on Learning• Demonstrate different manipulatives used in

classroom• Games, songs, cards, posters and other

activities• Promote vocabulary development, reading,

writing, listening and speaking

Vocabulary Development

• Learners need:• To develop oral fluency• Increase vocabulary• Learn to read and write

• But:• The sequence is important!• Vocabulary is needed before reading and

writing

OralSinging

Action songsClapping gamesSit down if…Bean Bag Toss

Flashcards• Yes/No• Triominos• Matching• Make

your own

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle• Vocabulary• Format• Strategies

Flashcards and Pocket Charts• Matching • Sequential order• Scrambled sentences• Alphabetical order• Sentence stems• Categories• Which is missing?

Posters• Make your own from magazines• Label the picture• Calendars• Sign in chart • Prepositions

Numeracy• Money• Egg cartons and beans• Poker chips• Beads on a string• Games:

– Snakes and ladders– Dice– Dominoes– Bingo

Other Activities

• Magnetic board• Body parts with stickies• Family game• TPR• Highlighters• Grab bag• Whiteboard work

Creating a Class Photo-Story

• Uses manipulatives• Makes a learner centred narrative• Result can be used as a custom text

Ruby brings a package to class.

It has red, green, blue and yellow capsules.

We need warm water.

Hot water + Cold water is Warm water

We put capsules in the water.

We put the capsules in water.

We wait.

And wait...

They change into animal shapes.

This is our paper.

We write the names of the animals on our papers.

This is a cow.

We make a farm in class. It is fun.

Crafts

• Beading• Assembling bookshelves and furniture• Foam people• Boxes from cards• Show and tell

Commercial Games/projects• Jigsaw puzzles• Scrabble Jr.• Bingo• Foam capsules

First Language Literacy

Sharing Time• Questions?• Examples from your experience

Hands on Learning in the Literacy Classroom

Valerie Millar

vmillar@bowvalleycollege.ca