The teaching of reading and writing using cooperative learning structures

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The teaching of reading and writing using
cooperative learning structures
School-based Curriculum Development (Primary)
Section 28 February 2009
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• Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee
• Kung Yik She Primary School
• Miss Kelsey Tong
• P.2 Reading lessons
• Miss Kinki Tang
• P.3 reading writing lessons

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Setting the scene to cooperative learning in
English language teaching

• School located in Tin Shui Wai
• Has joined small class teaching since 2006
• Small Class Teaching in English in P.1 to P.4
  classes
• Split English classes for P.5 and P.6

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About our students

• Mainly immigrants from mainland China
• Parental support not strong
• Exposure to English mainly in school
• Low motivation level in learning English
• Low self esteem
• Individualistic
• Relationships among students in English lessons
  aloof

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What we want

• Enhance students self esteem
• Enhance student satisfaction
• Promote mastery
• Reduce classroom anxiety
• Develop positive student-teacher attitudes
• Establish inclusion
• Develop students social interaction skills

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How Small Class Teaching helps?
Fewer students, more chance
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Our SCT experiences

• Has joined Small Class Teaching Learning
  Circles since 2006
• Development focuses
• - 2006 2007 Question Techniques
• - 2007 2008 Cooperative Learning
• - 2008-2009 Using CL structures in
• P.2 P.3 classes (reading and writing)
• ? to develop a platform to use CL across key
  stages in language teaching and learning at the
  school

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How Cooperative Learning helps

• Our Beliefs
• We need to provide students with an environment
  in which an integrated approach is used to
  facilitate all areas in language development
  (Foyle, Lyman Thies)

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• We need to create an environment conducive to
  learning which allows children to feel secure,
  take challenges, explore and solve problems so as
  to investigate their world and develop positive
  self-concepts and self-confidence (Foyle, Lyman
  Thies)

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• Cooperative learning provides maximum
  opportunities for meaningful classroom
  interaction in a supportive environment that may
  lead to greater learner achievement, motivation
  to learn, and overall psychosocial adjustment
  (Shaaban, 2006)

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Key elements in cooperative learning

• Positive Interdependence
• Individual Accountability
• Group Processing
• Group Skills
• Face-to Face Interaction

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Cooperative Learning structures

• Over 200 strategies
• Involve different schools of thought (Kagan,
  Slavin, Johnson)
• Promote student participation and interaction,
  interdependent individual accountability

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Common cooperative learning structures in our
language classrooms

• Roundrobin/Roundtable
• Think-Pair-Share
• Numbered Heads Together
• Gallery Tour
• Blackboard Share
• Sequencing
• Team Word-Webbing
• Think-Pad Brainstorming
• Fan-N-Pick
• Three Stars and One Win

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Applying cooperative learning at classroom level

• Key features for consideration
• flexible use of various strategies
• optimal opportunities for student interactions
• effective time and group management
• informative/corrective teacher and peer feedback
• focused self evaluation based on shared learning
  goal

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What was in my mind when I planned my lesson?

• To provide more opportunities for peer
  interactions
• To inform students of learning intentions
• To motivate learning and promote social skills
• To use time effectively
• To manage group routines and the lesson
  efficiently

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On student participation

• Is seating of students arranged in such a way
  that enables pupils to receive the maximum
  possible teacher attention and facilitate
  interaction among students?
• heterogeneous learning groups are small (groups
  of three to four members of different abilities)
• group members are knee to knee and eye to eye
  arranged but they all can see the teacher at the
  front of the room

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The P.2 Reading Lessons

• Reader The mean giant
• Level P.2
• No. of students 25
• Teaching targets
• To sequence simple given information
• To respond to characters and events in simple
  imaginative texts through making predictions
• To develop collaboration skills be open and
  responsive to others ideas

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• Learning objectives
• Use the interrogative pronouns what to find out
  specific information
• Use adjectives to describe people (concept
  learning - what kind of person do you want to be)
• Recycle correct use of punctuation marks

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The lesson procedures using CL structures

• Pre-reading
• Revisit high frequency words
• Teach core vocabulary colour Roundtable
• Pedagogical purposes
• students share prior experiences among teammates
  and colour their own rainbow (WS)
• team building
• develop mastery of the core vocabulary content

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• (iii) Teach core vocabulary adjectives to
  describe people Think-Pair-Share
• Pedagogical purposes
• students think of and share adjectives with
  partners
• students are then invited to share their
  responses with the whole class
• students get actively involved in vocabulary
  building for later application

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• iv) Focus on familiar topics and themes things
  at home Team Word-Webbing, Blackboard Share and
  Gallery Tour
• Pedagogical purposes
• students generate as many ideas as they can on WS
• on completion, teams share word-webs with other
  teams to exchange information and build concept
• galley tour enables reflection on learning

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• Focus on familiar topics and themes animals
  Think-pad Brainstorming, Blackboard Share and
  Gallery Tour ?
• Pedagogical purposes
• students generate as many ideas as they can on
  separate think-pad slips
• stronger students can help slower teammates
  generate ideas once they use up their own slips

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• While-reading
• Storytelling by teacher ?
• Pedagogical purposes
• teach book concept
• use illustrations on cover to predict story
• read the story to students and teach the
  guessing skills through pictorial clues

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• (ii) Guided reading
• Pedagogical purposes
• train reading skills
• teach pronunciation and intonation in reading
• develop predicting skills
• check for understanding

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• Shared reading
• Students pair up to share the reading
• responsibility (interactive reading)
• Invite a pair of students to role play ?
• Pedagogical purposes
• make reading content accessible to all
• allow less confident students the chance to read
  in a non-threatening situation
• praise students on efforts using specific criteria

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• Post-reading
• Check for understanding
• Students write a new ending
• Pedagogical purposes
• strengthen creative abilities and imagination
• introduce concept-based learning on what kind
  of person students want to be

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P.3 From reading to writing

• Reader Well done, Max!
• Level P.3
• No. of students 20 in 5 groups
• Teaching targets
• To learn reading skills on inferring and
  responding to the text
• To learn different kinds of foods and sports
• To learn how to lead a healthy life

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What was in my mind when I planned my lesson?

• How can I provide more opportunities for
  student-to-student interaction?
• How can my students strengthen their
  interpersonal and small group skills?
• How to monitor the groups and give feedback
  effectively?
• How to ensure individual accountability?

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The reading lesson procedures using CL structures

• Pre-reading
• Stimulation
• To activate students background knowledge of
  different kinds of food
• (Whole class teaching Questioning)

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• (ii) Brainstorming (Roundtable)
• - To use nouns to identify food items
• Pedagogical purposes
• Be certain that students give as many responses
  as they can
• Be certain that every student understands how to
  describe different kinds of food
• Monitor students responses

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• Pre-reading
• (iii) Answer sharing (Gallery Tour)
• Pedagogical purposes
• students vocabulary bank can further be enriched
• students can check their mastery of word
  spelling
• Recycling book concepts and prediction skills
  (Whole class teaching Questioning)
• Develop prediction skill as an aid to reading
  comprehension ?

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• While-reading
• To teach the pronunciation and meaning of the
  words (Guided reading Shared reading) ?
• (ii) To teach and recycle inferring and
  predicting through interacting with the text
  picture clues (Think-Pair-Share)Pedagogical
  purposes of CL structures
• students are provided some think time
• students can rehearse a response with a partner
• students participate in the whole-class sharing
• to better motivate students in reading the text

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• While-reading
• (iii) To respond to the text check for
  understanding (Fan-N-Pick) ?
• Pedagogical purposes of CL structures
• Read out the questions
• speaking skills training
• Think of an answer
• reading and speaking training
• to rehearse a response with a partner
• learn from each other, equal opportunity to
  share ideas, high degree of interaction

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• Post-reading/ Pre-writingTo build up the bridge
  from reading to writing
• (i) Stimulation- To activate students prior
  knowledge of ways to lose weight (Whole class
  teaching Questioning)

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The read-write lesson procedures with CL
structures

• Post-reading/ Pre-writing
• (ii) Brainstorming and organizing of ideas
  (Word-Webbing)
• Pedagogical purposes of CL structures
• self reflection upon personal experiences
• group discussion about topic
• list out vocabulary to be used in writing
  later on
• build up the connection on writing
• (iii) Sharing of ideas (Blackboard Display)- to
  learn from others work

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• During-writing
• (i) Drafting with the help of teacher
  (Whole-class teaching Questioning)
• To learn the writing frame
• To gain greater confidence in developing a piece
  of writing in groups

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• During-writing
• (ii) Group Writing of ideas (Jigsaw) ?
• Pedagogical purposes of CL structures
• each team member becomes responsible for specific
  lines of sentences
• shares their writing lines
• discusses the writing materials
• checks for the completion of writing

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• Post-writing
• Proofreading and Editing I ? (Gallery Tour, 3
  Stars and 1 Share) - To give and get peer
  feedback
• Pedagogical purposes of CL structures
• to read the others work
• to be encouraged to check punctuation, spelling
  and grammar
• to discuss and think critically during
  proofreading
• to give positive peer feedback

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• Post-writing
• (ii) Proofreading and editing II ?
• (Whole-class teaching)
• - Teacher gives corrective informative
  feedback
• appreciation on others good ideas
• a better understanding on the use of language
• improve the content of writing such as adding
  details, combining ideas, rearranging ideas,
  substituting words or phrases with more
  appropriate ones

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• Post-writing
• (iii) Independent writing
• - To complete a writing task on ones own
• Some examples of students work

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Student works
Ways to lose weight First, I can go running. I
can go running in the playground. It is
wonderful. Second, I can go swimming. I can go
swimming in the swimming pool. Third, I should
eat more fruits, vegetable, mangoes and
apples. Next, I shouldnt eat too many sweets,
pizzas, chocolates, french fries, pasta and
hamburgers. I can eat more vegetables at home and
restaurant. I can buy more fruits in the
market. I am happy. Then I can lose weight.
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Ways to lose weight First, I can go hiking. I can
go hiking in the park. Second. I can go swimming.
I can go swimming in the swimming pool. Third, I
should eat more pears, and, salad, and
sandwiches. Next, I shouldnt eat too much
chocolate, beefsteak and pancakes. Then I can
lose weight.
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Ways to lose weight First, I can go swimming. I
can go swimming in the swimming pool. It is fun.
Second, I can go hiking. I can go hiking in the
hill. Third, I should eat more mangoes, apples
and pears. Next, I shouldnt eat too much sweets,
chips and pizza. Then I can loes weight.
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Ways to lose weight First, I can go running. I
can go running in the park. Its worderful
Second, I can ________ Third, I should eat more
vegetables and good food Next, I should eat too
much pizzas. Then I can lose giant weight.
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Ways to lose weight First, I can go swimming. I
can go swimming in the swimming pool. It is
worderful. Second, I can play badminton. I play
badminton in the badminton courts. I am
happy. Third, I should eat more apple and
vegetables. Next, I shouldnt eat too much chese
cakes, salad and French fries. Then I can lose
weight.
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Ways to lose weight First, I can go swimming I
can go swimming in the swimming pool. It is
wontoful, second I can ________ Third, I should
eat mlik and apple. Next, I shouldnt eat too
many hamburgers and pizzas. Then I can lese wight.
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Focus questions for reflection

• Did we make instruction relevant and students
  responsible?
• Did students work in groups / pairs to accomplish
  particular learning objectives and are
  interdependent for successful completion of the
  objective?

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• Did we emphasize intrinsic motivation as a key
  element in teaching and learning?
• Did we create a learning atmosphere in which
  students feel respected and connected to one
  another?

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• Did our teaching enhance students self esteem?
• Did students help each other?
• Did we provide enough time for reflection and
  discussion of students errors or misconceptions?

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Teachers Reflections

• How is cooperative learning different from group
  learning?
• promote learning and social skills
• maximize interaction among students
  (face-to-face interaction, interacting with other
  students writing)
• encourage individual accountability

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• How far do we think the strategy is effective in
  promoting student learning?
• by observation
• students work
• own reflections

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The finale

• Cooperative Learning structures are but one of
  the many strategies in language teaching and
  learning. Attention must be paid to key concepts
  in the English language curriculum development

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• balance in the curriculum (reading workshop, GE,
  intervention and enrichment programmes)
• task-based learning
• integration of language skills
• meaningful recycling and spiral learning
• teaching of functional grammar in context
• varieties in learning materials (both objective
  and authentic) and teaching and learning
  approaches

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• Thank You