Presentation
Module 3 – Day 1
Feedback and Experiences
The third module started with a warm-up session, which included updates from the participants on the events conducted in their respective school – some of the events were mid-term exams and sports day. Then the teachers were asked to share their awareness or their experience that was a direct result of the last module training. The following were some of the feedback.
- A teacher talked about his experience on providing 5 minutes bathroom break to his students before he started the class. He talked about how his students were far more attentive and focused after he had started this practice.
- A teacher had convinced his fellow teachers to do lenient correction for a few children who were only lagging behind in a particular subject. Due to the leniency, these children were placed among the rank holders of the class and the children were happy and wanted to perform better.
- Many teachers talked about their attempts at teaching through movement and play.
Understanding Language and Skills / Gaps in Language – Arthi Srinivasan
The session provided an understanding about the difference between skill, knowledge and content. The reason a teacher needed to understand the difference between skill, knowledge and content to teach effectively was explained in detail. It was also emphasized through various examples; if skills are developed a child need use rote memory and comprehend what he/she is learning.
In the next part of the session, language was discussed in detail and the following were discussed.
- What is language?
- Acquisition of language
- Language and thought
- Academic success and language
The final part of the session was on main skills in language like reading, writing, thinking and mathematics that were explained along with the need to understand the progressive nature of these skills. The academic success of a child depends upon proficiency in these skills.
Reading – Ms. Jayashree Ravinderan and Ms. Arthi Srinivasan
The session provided the participants information on the theoretical understanding of reading. The following topics were discussed in detail along with practical examples, games and demonstration.
- What is reading?
- Importance of reading
- Skills in reading
- Pre-reading skills – Phonemic Awareness Various games were played to help the teacher understand strengthening of this skill among children. The games were played using both English and Tamil language.
- Phonics The alphabetical principals of English language were discussed and also the non-phonetic nature of the language, and the issues faced by the children due to it were discussed.
- Decoding Word families and its importance were discussed and also how the decoding skill can be taught using the subject textbook was discussed.
- Sight words and its importance How to make children proficient in sight word reading were discussed along with sight word reading for subject-related words.
- Methods to build fluency Each of the methods was demonstrated to the participants so that they could practice the same in the classroom.
- Strategies for reading Various strategies for reading, which could be practised in the classroom using the textbook, were demonstrated.
- Intervention in Reading Various interventions that could be provided for a child with reading difficulty were discussed.
In addition to the above-mentioned topics, the concept of word wall and how to play various activities using the same was discussed. Syllable and importance of syllabication in reading and word morphology was discussed in detail.
To improve reading comprehension various techniques like sequencing, framing questions for a given picture or passage and others were demonstrated to the participants.
The following brain gym exercises were taught to the teachers.
- Cross crawl
- Lazy 8
- Hook up
- Thinking cap
Post-lunch training session began with movement by Ms. Arthi and Mr. Micky. The movement from the previous module was done and two new movement exercises were taught and the teacher also practiced the brain gym for reading.
Reading – Practical Experience – Ms. Jayashree Ravinderan and Ms. Arthi Srinivasan
The session provided participants with real experience of using all the methodology taught in the morning reading module. The teachers were divided into groups of four. The following tasks were given to the teacher along with textbooks from classes 3 to 6.
- Sequencing for comprehension – Both Tamil and English
- Word Wall
- Decoding Units
- Question formation for given picture
- Phrasal Reading
- Definition Match
- Read and draw
Stationary items like chart paper, sketch pens and pencils were provided to make classroom aids to help the children based on the task given.
Alphabox printouts were provided to the participants for use in classroom.
The teacher enjoyed this session and participated with focus and complete involvement. Afterwards, each group presented their work to the others. Some of the work by the teachers.
Read and draw – by teachers
Math word wall in Tamil
Question Formation for the given picture
Module 3 – Day 2
The second day sessions started with singing. The participants were taught the following song and it was practiced part by part.
Can you be like an eagle?
Flying in the sky…
The sky….
We will fly in the sky
Are you silent like a salmon?
Swimming in the sea…
The sea….
We will swim in the sea
Can you light like a firefly?
Lighting in the night…
The night….
We will light in the night
Are you brave like a bison
Walking on the earth…
The earth…
We will walk on the earth
Brain Gym taught the previous day followed the singing.
Spellings – Ms. Jayashree Ravinderan
The session on spelling looked at the process of spelling. Reading is a decoding process and spelling is reverse, it is encoding process. Most of the children in a classroom have difficulties with spelling.
Various difficulties in spelling especially the one from visual memory, motor memory and auditory discrimination were discussed. The criteria for a child with spelling difficulty and ways to address the difficulty in a sensitive manner were taught.
Strategies for spelling and multisensory methods of teaching the spelling were taught with demonstration and the teachers were made to practice each of the technique so it can be transferred in to the classroom.
1. Snap and Clap – In a spelling clap for the consonant and snap for the vowel.
2. Stomp and Thrust – In a spelling stomp for consonant and thrust for vowel.
3. Write the spelling in the air or clay or water.
4. Write the spelling with the finger on the left arm.
5. Write the spelling on the black board.
6. Word Pyramid
n
ne
nec
neca
necas
necass
necassa
necassar
Necessary
7. Configuration box
8. Elkonic Box – It is to understand the sounds and its representation in a spelling.
9. Children with sequencing difficulty can be given exercises like the following.
a. Unscramble the letters/ Match the unscrambled letters to right letters.
asw - was
right - right
b. Same can be done within multisyllable words
tion /lu /vo/e - evolution
vo/ lu/tion/re – revolution
Writing – Mechanical Aspect – Ms. Arthi Srinivasan
The teachers were asked to write two sentences about any event that had happened to them since morning. After the teachers had finished the task, the processes involved in writing like thinking, language, syntax, semantics, motor aspect were elicited from them. The complexity of writing as a task was discussed. The following point in motor aspect of writing was taught.
- Component of good handwriting
- Difficulties in handwriting
- Role of attention in handwriting
- Activities to strengthen pre-writing skills
- Aspects to check for in handwriting
- Steps in handwriting
- Hand Exercises
- Climbing with hands
- Palm pushing
- Palm pulling
- Hugging one self
- Wrist rotation
- Finger push-ups
- Pencil flips
- Brain Gym
- Lazy 8
- Double Doodle
- Calf Pump
- Energy Yawn
Creative writing and Active learning – Ms. Jayashree Ravinderan
In creative writing and active learning session, various skills involved in writing like grammar, vocabulary, main ideas and supporting details were discussed in detail. The session comprised of many activities to teach creative writing in a fun and easy manner. The successful strategy of PHelps (picture help) was taught to the teacher along with a practical session on the same. Other techniques like substitution table, brainstorming and scaffolding were taught.
Post-lunch training session began with movement by Ms. Arthi and Mr. Micky. The movement from the previous day was practised and new variation to the same movement was taught. The song from the morning was practised again along with different variations.
Creative writing and Active learning – Ms. Jayashree Ravinderan
In this session, Ms. Jayashree Ravinderan talked about different ways to replace the traditional chalk and talk teaching methodology. She discussed the following teaching methodologies that moved the student from being a passive learner to active learner.
- Group Work – Jigsaw
- Think-pair-share
- Be a teacher for a day
- Graphic Organizer
- Choice-based learning
Each of these methodologies was modeled for the teachers. The examples were taken from their textbooks
The session was followed by a practical session. In the practical session teachers were provided with chapter from 8th-grade textbook Crop Production and Management. Teachers were divided into groups of 3 and they practised each of the technique with each other.
What we learnt – Ms. Jayashree and Ms. Arthi
The session recaptured what was learnt by the participants and was presented in a mind map format. The trainer elicited all the information from the teacher, thus showing a way to do the same with the student in their respective classroom and the elicited answers were presented in a mind map format, and during the process the teachers were taught about mind map.
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