Kung Fu Literacy (Grammar)

Our previous post was titled Kung Fu Literacy (Word Types). This post follows on from that.The idea again is to use Kung Fu style moves to remind children of rules when writing.

Image credit: www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-4366401706

Display a sentence. The everyone reads the sentence aloud. When the following appear in the sentence the following actions are used by all:

Capital Letter - Hands together and bow.

Full Stop - One punch forwards.

Comma - One hand moving in a downwards diagonal direction.

Speech Marks - Both hands held above the head and fingers used in a speech mark style.

Exclamation Mark / Question Mark - One hand make the shape of the upper part and then a punch below.

These are moves we have used. More can be added. Children should be encouraged to think about the moves as they write to remind them of what's required and where.

Underlining Self Assessment

I've been doing this for about a year now and it's been working quite well.

When the children put their date and title on their work they underline the title with either green, orange or red pencil. This is to show how confident they are feeling at the start of the lesson:

- Green, I'm confident and could help others,

- Orange, I'm not quite sure, but I think I understand some of this,

- Red, Stop, I need help.

The children then underline in a colour at the end of the lesson so that there is a record of their feeling from the start and then end. Sometimes children go from red or orange to green, sometimes the other way around and then there are the times when both underlines are in the same colour...

The idea came from @rm8236.

Self-Differentiation

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You differentiate your lessons, we all do. It’s essential to pitch the lesson correctly so that all children are able to learn something from a lesson at their own speed and through a task appropriate to their ability.

But, who chooses which children complete which activity, worksheet or task? Usually the teacher. How’s about handing that choice to the learners? Introduce your lesson. Explain the differentiation. Then, allow the children to choose what they feel with offer them support while also providing sufficient challenge.

Who surprised you? Who went for a ‘more difficult task’ than you expected? Who chose an ‘easier task’ than you expected?

Learning New Vocabulary

"What's the most impressive word you know?"

I was recently told that a child needs to encounter a word in context fifteen times to gain an understanding of it and then be able to use it in their own writing. While I'm not sure where the 'fifteen times' came from I certainly do agree that children can't possibly fully understand and then be able to use a word after seeing it only once or twice.

Picture books are good for introducing new vocabulary to all key stage two children. In a picture book there are less words and the story can be completed quickly. The pictures often add to the children's enjoyment and certainly raise points for discussion and deeper understanding of plot. Then within the story there will be one or maybe two words that will be new to the children. I recently used 'Traction Man and the Beach Odyssey', from which the group I was working with selected the word 'crevice' as a word they did not know the meaning of. We repeatedly said the word aloud to ensure all could pronounce it correctly. Next, the group offered suggestions for its meaning. After that, I explained its meaning and gave the children the opportunity to try writing it in sentences of their own. To follow up all this, over the following weeks I highlighted opportunities for using our 'new word' and looked to see who was using it and then if it was in the correct context. Since time I have also used Meerkat Mail, Six Men and Princess Smartypants. Each one of these texts and proved useful in introducing new words.There are also many, many more useful picture books for all key stage one and two children.

After the new vocabulary has been introduced, it's essential to keep providing those opportunities for the children to actually use the word in context:

- Have a class word of the week.

- Ask for a certain word or words to be used in a written text.

- Display a word. Read some definitions. Children select the correct one.

- Display a word. Read it in some sentences. Children select the correct one.

- Read a sentence with a gap. The children insert a word they recently learned.

- In a book highlight some words. Children re-write replacing those words with synonyms. 

- Tally chart for number of times the class have used the new words. Spoke and written.

- Look at word up at www.visuwords.com.

- Look at a group of synonyms. How do their definitions differ / match?

- Display a definition. What's the word?

- Select a random word. Children put it into a sentence.

And of course praise and rewards always encourage! 

This process can be used in any subject. I have used this in literacy as a method of improving children's writing through their word choices. But, it will also be useful in maths, science and other areas for developing understanding of subject and topic specific vocabulary.

Sum up your learning for me...

At the end of a lesson it's useful to find out what children have learned during the time spent in that lesson. Here are some ideas for doing that:

1. Sum up this lesson in a Tweet. Ask the children to explain their learning from the lesson in 140 characters or less. This means the children need to be concise about what they write. These could then be added to a school or class Twitter account too.

2. Sum up your learning as a text message. Again requiring the children to be concise, but this time giving them 160 characters to work with.

3. Sum up your learning in 3 words. Give the children a word limit to explain their learning. Again requiring them to think carefully about their description.

4. Exit Polls. Give the children a question or task to complete on a slip of paper that they can put in a box as they leave the room.

5. Draw me a picture of what you learned today. Giving the children the opportunity to explain their learning in a different way.

6. Write down the 3 Key words from today's lesson. Could be particularly useful in science, maths or other lessons with subject specific vocabulary.

Just some ideas we've been trying recently that the children have enjoyed and have been a bit different to what we've tried in the past. We'd love to have some comments below offering other ideas you've used.