Seminar on Catering for Learner Diversity for English Teachers at Primary Level

1. Seminar on Catering for Learner Diversity for English Teachers at Primary Level 10 March, 2006 English Language Education Section, Curriculum Development Institute, EDB

2. What does it mean by catering for learner diversity?

4. Learner Diversity In face of a problem, A frets about the problem while B tries to solve it. 6. Intellectual 7. Attitudinal & & 4. Motivation Emotional Social Development Maturity 5. Ability 1. Learning Style 2. (Learning) needs 8. Interests How are students different from one another? A complains about his group members while B leads a group discussion. A works hard because she enjoys English activities while B works hard for high marks. 3. Personality A is quiet in class while B is talkative. A can pronounce a word quickly by chunking the syllables while B can finish reading a passage quickly. In acquiring new words, A learns through songs whereas B learns through doing crossword puzzles. A has got problems with spelling while B has difficulty pronouncing /l/ and /r/ sounds. A likes animals while B likes car racing.

5. X Even out abilities and performances Stretch the potential of all students  What is the meaning of Catering for Learner Diversity?

6. What have you done to cater for learner diversity? • Re-teaching part of a lesson? Giving extended tasks? • Teaching students how to do assignments? • Assigning supplementary/additional exercises to provide more practice (e.g. self-designed, adapted/ taken from resources available on the market)? • Drilling for tests and examinations? • Providing individual help/ coaching? • Conferencing with students? Are they effective?

7. Catering for Learner Diversity Why? What? How? We believe there is a need to stretch the potentials of every student.

8. What? Curriculum Framework • Learning Targets and Objectives: • Language forms and functions • Skills and strategies • Attitudes Catering for Learner Diversity How? Why? We believe there is a need to stretch the potentials of every student.

9. English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Primary 6) (2004) English Language Curriculum Framework

10. to use English to respond and give expression to experience to use English to think and communicate to use English to acquire, develop and apply knowledge • Text types • Vocabulary • Language items • Communicative functions • Four language skills • Language development strategies

11. How? What? Curriculum Framework • Learning Targets and Objectives: • Language forms and functions • Skills and strategies • Attitudes Curriculum Adaptation: • Learning and Teaching Materials • Learning and Teaching Strategies • Assessment for Learning Intervention & Enrichment Catering for Learner Diversity Why? We believe there is a need to stretch the potentials of every student.

12. The Roles of Intervention & Enrichment Programmes School-based English Language Curriculum Components: • General English Programme • Reading Workshops • Intervention Programme • Enrichment Programme

14. Enrichment Programme “The Enrichment Programme is designed to extend the more able learners through different activities conducted during or after class time, inside or outside the school premises.” From p.101 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004)

15. Intervention Programme “The Intervention Programme is ashort, focusedprogramme which provides timely supportfor learners who have exhibited difficulties in learning English.” From p.100 of the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1-6) (CDC, 2004)

16. Short, Focused & Timely • Additional opportunities • Additional time • Focused learning

17. Suggested Mode of an Intervention Programme • Small group size • e.g. 1 teacher to 8 learners • Regular, additional meetings for a short period of time • e.g. two 35-minute sessions per week

18. Incorporating Intervention Programme • Part of the remedial programme • Additional support programme

19. School English Programme Incorporating Intervention Programme Remedial English Programme

20. Int. Prog. School English Programme Int. Prog. Incorporating Intervention Programme Remedial English Programme Intervention/ Support Programme Please refer to Appendices 7&8 in English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 to 6)

21. First Term Second Term Intervention Programme 1 Intervention Programme 1 Intervention Programme 1 Intervention Programme 3 Intervention Programme 2 Intervention Programme 3 Intervention Programme 1 Intervention Programme 4 Intervention Programme 1 Intervention Programme 2 Intervention Programme 4 Intervention Programme 4 Intervention Programme 3 Intervention Programme 3 Intervention Programme 2 Intervention Programme 5 Intervention Programme 2 Intervention Programme 2 Intervention Programme 4 Intervention Programme 5 Intervention Programme 5 Intervention Programme 3 Intervention Programme 6 Remedial English Programme

22. Planning an Intervention Programme • Data Collection • Identification of Learning Problems • Identification of Causes of Problems • Identification of Teaching Focus & Designing Tasks/Activities • Assessment for Learning

23. C.C.C. Heep Woh Primary School (PM) Module: Food and Drink Ms P L Lee, Candy

24. Ice-cream sugar cheese water BINGO! milk oil butter juice chocolate ice-cream FOOD BINGO (UN) Statements (Verb + UN) T: Is there any milk? S: Yes, there is some milk here. sugar

25. bananas oranges eggs carrots sausages pineapples biscuits hotdogs apples FOOD BINGO (CN) Statements (Verb + CN) T: Are there any oranges? S: Yes, there are some oranges here.

26. Ice-cream sugar cheese w_ _ _ _ m_ _ _ o_ _ butter chocolate ice-cream juice FOOD BINGO (UN) Statements (Verb + UN)

27. FOOD BINGO (UN) Statements (Verb + UN) T: Is there any milk? S: Yes, there is some milk here. Some cheese Some sugar Some oil Some ice-cream Some juice

28. B: Is there any juice in your fridge? FOOD HUNT • UN • water • flour • bread • CN • cakes • sandwiches • sweets • biscuits • UN • juice • chocolate • jam • CN • eggs • pineapples • apples Ice-cream cheese ice-cream salt oil milk butter sugar oranges hamburgers sausages hotdogs noodles carrots bananas B: No, there isn’t any water in my cupboard. A: Is there any water in your cupboard? A: No, there isn’t any juice in my fridge. A: No, there aren’t any eggs in my fridge. A: Are there anycakes in your cupboard? B: No, there aren’t any cakes in my cupboard. B: Are there anyeggs in your fridge? B’s Cupboard A’s Fridge sugar Q + Neg: statement (‘any’) Noodles Noodles

29. Is / Are there any …? No, there isn’t / aren’t any … Student C Student D Student A Student B Is / Are there any …? Yes, there is / aresome …

30. Fridge A: Is there any …? C: … A: Are there any …? C: … C: … A: Yes, there is some… C: … A: Yes, there are some … Student A Cupboard A: … C: Yes, there is some… A: … C: Yes, there are some … C: Is there any …? A: … C: Are there any …? A: … Student C

31. Learning and Teaching Materials Textbook materials e.g. Is/Are there any...? Yes, there is/are some ______. No, there isn’t/aren’t any ______. Cupboard Food items Fridge Food items Find out what is in the cupboard and the fridge.

32. Cupboard and Fridge A: Is/Are there any _____? B: Yes, there is/are some ____. No, there isn’t/aren’t any ____. + = Food Hunt in Fridges & Cupboards Learning and Teaching Materials Adaptations made to textbook materials Supermarket A: Is/Are there any _____ in the _____ section? B: Yes, there is/are some ____. No, there isn’t/aren’t any ____.

33. Information gap Meaningful context • Food for party • biscuits • noodles • tomatoes and carrots • cheese and ham • juice and chocolate milk  • Shopping list • ... • ... Hands-on activities Learning and Teaching Materials Food Hunt in Fridges & Cupboards Party Time! My fridge some carrots A: Are there any tomatoes and carrots in your fridge? B: Yes, there are some tomatoes, but there aren’t any carrots. A: We need some carrots. We don’t need any ______.

34. & Learning and Teaching Materials Helping Teddy and Piggy to eat right Piggy Teddy

35. Breakfast Lunch Tea Dinner

36. Is it a healthy diet? AMOUNT Plenty of A lot of Some A little Piggy eats_______dairy food. Piggy eats_______sweet food. Piggy eats_______cheeseburgers. a lot of Highlighting the target language items some Piggy eats _______ vegetables. Structuring presentation to highlight concept Representing graphically the differences in quantities Piggy eats _______fruit. too little fruit. a little It is an unhealthy diet. plenty of too much dairy food. a lot of too much sweet food. too many cheeseburgers.

37. Uncountable nouns Countable nouns Piggy eats too much: • chocolate • sweet food Piggy drinks too much: • milk Piggy eats too little: • fruit Piggy eats too many: • cheeseburgers • hotdogs Using colour and layout to compare and contrast

38. Learning and Teaching Materials Helping Teddy and Piggy to Eat Right Homework for consolidation

40. Specific guidelines focus attention on application of food pyramid Box helps students decide whether the item is a countable or uncountable noun

41. How? Curriculum Adaptation Curriculum Framework • Learning and Teaching Materials • Divide/ condense units of learning into manageable components • Adapt coursebook materials(amount, range, sequence, varieties, graphics) • Design extended tasks/materials to draw on and expand learners’ existing knowledge and skills • Include specific guidelines to focus attention on concepts

42. How? Curriculum Framework Curriculum Adaptation • Learning and Teaching Strategies • Assess retention of previous learning and adjust strategies • Structure teacher demonstration before participation • Apply effective questioning techniques

43. Learning and Teaching Strategies Reading Traffic-light Sandwiches and understanding story structure

44. Beginning Middle Setting What do we always find in stories? Characters People Time Place Problem Events Ending Solution

45. Traffic-light Sandwiches Read P. 2-10. Set questions to enable pupils to understand the characters, setting and problem of this story.

46. BEGINNING Who are the main characters in the story? Who are the people in the story? How did they feel? Where did they want to go? How did they feel? When did the story take place? Where were they? When did the story happen? How do you know? Characters Setting

47. BEGINNING Who • Felix and Flora Let us think. Characters & Problem How did Felix and Flora feel? (P.8) Did Felix and Flora like Hong Kong? How do you know? (P.9, P.23) Do you think they would still go to Zorb for their holidays? Why?

48. Beginning Middle Setting What do we always find in stories? Characters People Time Place Problem Events Ending Solution

49. Events 1 2 3 4 How did Felix and Flora solve their problem? PLACE 1 Central PLACE 2 TRANSPORT 1 PLACE 3 TRANSPORT 2 PLACE 4 TRANSPORT 3

50. Let us think. What do the four events tell you about traffic-light sandwiches?