With a variety of learners in my classroom I choose to use an assortment of texts.
Audio:
During my poetry segment I found it beneficial to use modern music to connect students to the language that they weren’t familiar with. Once students gathered an understanding of the text through the music that I shared they were able to better understand the poetry and created their own examples.
Audio was also beneficial while reading. My students preferred to read as a class rather than silently. Most agreed that they had a better understanding of the text when we read together. Some days we would play a game of popcorn while students would take turns reading, but on the days that students were not as eager to volunteer I would join in and read to them as well.
Audio:
During my poetry segment I found it beneficial to use modern music to connect students to the language that they weren’t familiar with. Once students gathered an understanding of the text through the music that I shared they were able to better understand the poetry and created their own examples.
Audio was also beneficial while reading. My students preferred to read as a class rather than silently. Most agreed that they had a better understanding of the text when we read together. Some days we would play a game of popcorn while students would take turns reading, but on the days that students were not as eager to volunteer I would join in and read to them as well.
Visual:
While teaching my junior class Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the students drew pictures of what they thought the characters looked like after reading the first chapter. After this I shared multiple other interpretations of the characters with the class and this activity helped the students gather a better understanding of the characters for the rest of the novel.
The students also had a greater understanding of the story after watching the film. There were parts that students didn’t quite understand for various reasons, but after watching the film every student wrote down at least one thing that they didn’t catch when they read the book that they understood better after watching the film.
In between chapters I would have students read articles about the great depression so that they could better understand what the times were like during this story. The silent reading was beneficial for the students that like to read something more then once in order to understand it. Students underlined something that stood out to them and then we would discuss as a class.
While teaching my junior class Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the students drew pictures of what they thought the characters looked like after reading the first chapter. After this I shared multiple other interpretations of the characters with the class and this activity helped the students gather a better understanding of the characters for the rest of the novel.
The students also had a greater understanding of the story after watching the film. There were parts that students didn’t quite understand for various reasons, but after watching the film every student wrote down at least one thing that they didn’t catch when they read the book that they understood better after watching the film.
In between chapters I would have students read articles about the great depression so that they could better understand what the times were like during this story. The silent reading was beneficial for the students that like to read something more then once in order to understand it. Students underlined something that stood out to them and then we would discuss as a class.
Partner work:
Students work together on worksheets, presentations, and other activities to demonstrate their understanding of the text.
Students work together on worksheets, presentations, and other activities to demonstrate their understanding of the text.
Games:
Headbands: Students play a game called headbands. This is for all learners. During this game each student is given a note card. Each student will write down a word that has something to do with the text. Each card is placed in a pile and students take turns coming to the front of the room, picking a note card, putting it up to their forehead without looking at it, and having the class help them guess what the word is. This helped students remember vocabulary from the text in a fun and different way.
Headbands: Students play a game called headbands. This is for all learners. During this game each student is given a note card. Each student will write down a word that has something to do with the text. Each card is placed in a pile and students take turns coming to the front of the room, picking a note card, putting it up to their forehead without looking at it, and having the class help them guess what the word is. This helped students remember vocabulary from the text in a fun and different way.