I am partial to the idea of working with literature in all academic subjects. In language classes, reading is naturally a must; reading literature is for me a priority.
I have many pupils who are reluctant to read in English. Getting them to read literary texts is my Everest - and I am starting at the bottom of the mountain. My goal is to get the pupils involved, to make them fall in love with big words, and get them to understand just how much fun it is to get lost in the world of literary characters.
If you are reading this I am guessing that you agree with me. You are probably also wondering what the plan is or where the bottom of the mountain is situated, so to speak.
I have concocted a formula for two-to-four lessons which I have used in the 5th grade. It has been an absolute pleasure for both me and the kids, and therefore I have decided to share it with you.
Step 1:
Tell the pupils...
You are going to read three picture books. Some of you will read Dr. Xargel's Book of Earthlets, others will read a picture book called Jesus's Christmas Party and, finally, some of you will read King Rollo and His New Shoes. You can read them several times. Once you have read them and you know what the stories are about, you are going to retell the story in your own words (both in writing and to a classmate). This will help you understand what you have read, and allow you to practice writing and speaking in English.
SIDE NOTE: Telling the class exactly what they are expected to do and what they will achieve by doing it is a simple but very effective tool for classroom management.
Hand out copies of the stories and make sure they are divided equally, because in the next phase the kids will be working in groups. After the silent reading, they will be asked to retell the story; here is an example of how you can formulate the written assignment:
Retell your picture book
You have read a picture book today. RETELL the story in your own words.
Remember to write down the title of the story and the author. Afterwards write down the story, as you remember it. You might have to read and re-read it several times.
Oral assignment:
Once they have done this, ask them to retell it to one another in pairs (ideally none of the pupils sitting together will have read the same story).
This way they not only get to read, but they get to practice writing and speaking, with peer response - a very important stepping-stone for L2 learning.
Step 2:
Tell the pupils...
You have read three different stories last time. You have retold these stories and written down your own version. You will now get a chance to re-write them and perform your version through dramatic dialogue. THIS is what we will do: You will work in groups. Inspired by the story you have read, you will write a dialogue. You will practice it and then perform it in front of the class. This way, you will get a chance to write your own text with the help and support of your classmates, you will learn from each other and you will have fun.
SIDE NOTE: It helps to revise what you have done before - even better to say a few words of praise (You guys did an amazing job, it was very impressive...). If you have had a chance to read the texts they wrote ("Retell your picture book"), it helps to say a few concrete examples of what you thought was good. It's a morale booster and helps the pupils perform even better. Encourage them to ask questions - if they don't, ask them yourself "Do you guys know what dramatic dialogue is?" - or "Do you have any ideas about what to write?" Can be helpful if you ask a volunteer to come up and illustrate what kind of dialogue would work. For example, inspired by the story of King Rollo and His New Shoes I demonstrated with a pupil what it sounded like to go to the shop and buy new shoes...
This is the sort of thing my kids love. Dramatic play is a wonderful means to encourage the pupils to support and help each other, and usually even the most reluctant or shy kids will find a way to fit in. Dramatic dialogue and performance boosts creativity and provides an outlet for physical expression; it changes the whole configuration of the classroom, allowing movement and an alternative way to learn, which is wonderful for kids with learning difficulties or attention disorder.
This took about three lessons, but the results were surprisingly good. I noticed that in some of the groups the dominant language became English, and kids whom I have rarely heard speak during lessons otherwise, were conversing freely in English with their classmates.
Another surprising thing was that some of the groups stuck to the storyline and recreated it in the play, while others started out from a detail and wrote entirely new dialogues, inspired by everyday language.
Less is more! :)
Interested in how this worked and want to hear more? Send me a message to denes.ilona@gmail.com
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