English:Pearson Longman Kids E-Link

■Pearson Longman Kids Tour 2010

Event Calendar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:42:00 +0900

Pearson Longman Kids Tour 2010 -What Teachers Do Next- will be a fun and valuable experience for all teachers of young learners. Share the latest in activity ideas with Japan's favorite authors and dedicated academic consultants. They will change your world of teaching, and help improve your classes!

Schedule

Date	Area	Venue	Presenters	Details
Feb. 14 (Sun)	Fukuoka	Tenjin Crystal Bldg. 3F Hall	Aleda Krause Akiko Seino Catherine Oki Simon Weedon	Details
Feb. 21 (Sun)	Tokyo	Tsuda Hall	Aleda Krause Mari Nakamura Catherine Oki Devon Thagard	Details
Feb. 28 (Sun)	Nagoya	WINC Aichi	Aleda Krause Mari Nakamura Catherine Oki Devon Thagard	Details
Mar. 7 (Sun)	Osaka	Yomiuri Shimbun Office 14F Conference Room	Aleda Krause Akiko Seino Catherine Oki Mayumi Tabuchi	Details

Presenters

	Aleda Krause is the founding coordinator of the JALT Teaching Children Special Interest Group and co-author of SuperKids, SuperTots, and the Longman Children's Picture Dictionary. She has been teaching children for more than 20 years, also teaches university courses for future teachers of children. Presenting in: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka
	Mari Nakamura, the co-author of English Land, has been giving numerous teacher training sessions all around Japan and writing educational articles while teaching young learners at her own school, English Square, in Kanazawa City. ETJ Ishikawa Group Coordinator. Presenting in: Tokyo and Nagoya
	Akiko Seino has experience teaching English in primary and secondary schools. She currently runs her own school in Matsumoto, and is the co-author of the Pearson Longman's English Land. Presenting in: Fukuoka and Osaka
	Catherine Oki enjoys teaching, consulting, training teachers and earned her MA TEYL at the University of York. Coordinator of ETJ Kyoto, and JALT TCSIG Membership Chair. Presenting in: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka
	Devon Thagard is the co-owner of Super Simple Learning (creators of the award-winning Super Simple Songs CDs), and co-organizer of the Kids English Education Project (K.E.E.P.). As an ESL/EFL teacher for 16 years, his focus has been on helping teachers and learners approach English education with confidence. Presenting in: Tokyo and Nagoya
	Mayumi Tabuchi is a Ritsumeikan Primary school English Program advisor, Educational Consultant, Teacher Trainer, owner of her own school, and series editor for Boost! . Presenting in: Osaka
	Simon Weedon is the co-founder of 'E' English School, teaches at Meiho Junior/Senior High School. He is Coordinator of ETJ-Oita and is a monthly columnist for The Daily Yomiuri. Presenting in: Fukuoka

■Mayumi Tabuchi: Teacher Talk in Team Teaching

Kids E-Link Archive — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:36:37 +0900

1. Overview

In 2011, an English program called Eigo Katsudo is to be implemented into classrooms of 5th and 6th graders among all public elementary schools on a once a week basis in Japan. Preceding this major nationwide reformation in English teaching, we have already observed many lessons taught by 2 or even 3 teachers as a team, one of whom is a home room teacher of the class in many cases. There are not a few Eikaiwa schools in which Japanese teachers (JT) invite Native Speaker Teachers (NT) or vice versa in order to conduct Team Teaching in class. However, as is often the case, we find JT plays the role of the interpreter as L1 speakers while NT sometimes is referred to as "Human CD player".

That seems to be a typical team teaching style conducted by JT and NT up until recently. I would like to focus more on the interaction between two teachers and discuss the possibility of making your Team Teaching more effective in giving maximum "comprehensive input" (Krashen, 1985) in your classroom.

2. Teacher Talk Adjustment

We all know that just being a native speaker does not necessarily mean you can teach your mother tongue as a language teacher. That is very clear if you invite a Native speaker without any teaching experience to your classroom and let him speak on any topic freely at natural speed. It may depend on the level of your students' English level, but young learners may become overwhelmed. What if that person uses a lot of visual aids such as photos or drawings on the board, speaks slowly and clearly, and stops to check the understanding of the students? Wouldn't that make a big difference? These techniques would make his speech so much easier for students to understand. In language classes where the target language is primarily being used, teachers need to make some adjustments to make the output comprehensible for students. And this kind of adjustment is called Teacher Talk Adjustment (Chaudron, 1988). This is one of the crucial skills we, as language teachers, should acquire. If this is the case for solo teaching, how could we apply it to Team Teaching?

3. Teacher Talk Adjustment (TTA) in Team Teaching

Every English class in our school has been taught by NT and JT since its foundation in 2006. In order to make the tool for our mutual understanding and teacher training of novice teachers, a list of TTA in Team Teaching has been compiled after careful categorization of all the utterances in three videotaped lessons team taught by experienced teachers. Firstly, we made the list to see what TTA we make in general and secondly we limited the utterances used only between two teachers.

List 2 reveals that other than general roles such as one teacher walks around the classroom to monitor and help students if needed or prepares the teaching materials such as audio or visuals while the other keeps teaching. The main task we hold in team teaching is the two teachers' interaction itself. Whenever, either teacher senses the need, he initiates the conversation with the other teacher instead of checking students directly ("Do you understand it?") using question forms such as "Excuse me, what is __________?". Another ways is to say "Please say it again." or repeat what other students just said or paraphrase so that students can understand it better. That means one teacher plays the role of the student. We found that thanks to this technique children who used to ask JT "Translate it into Japanese!" can expect teacher's scaffolding and be more relaxed (and patient) in order to keep listening. This really helps students improve their listening comprehension skill as well as build up their confidence. Here is some examples of teacher talk transcribed from our videotaped lesson (in Grade 5 class);

JT What time did you come to school today?
NT Today I came early. I came to school 7:15.
JT 7:15? One five? Hmm that's early. So how do you... how do you come to school?
NT I come to school by subway.
JT By subway? Subway?
NT Yes, I take subway.
JT Subway is what? Train?
NT Train but JR train Hankyu train No. Underground (with gesture) is subway.
JT Ah, underground is subway.
S Chikatetsu?

Another finding was that two teachers are acting just like two performers on the stage. Students watch them, interact and then try to understand what's going on. When one teacher intentionally makes a mistake or gives a false answer, this is a cue for students to get involved in the act. This helps greatly to elicit the spontaneous output on the students' side. We often use this as Teacher Talk in Team Teaching in lower grades. The following transcription is the scene that a NT made a false statement regarding an animal that children are learning about. They react right away saying "No!" (Grade 1);

JT Ostriches don't swim.
NT They are good at swimming.
Ss No no no.
JT No way.

A successful class is possible only when all students and teachers get involved and enjoy together.
Team Teaching makes it so much easier for that to happen. If you ever have a chance to team teach, I hope you try what we practice and see if it works in your classroom.

References:
Chaudron, C. (1988). Second language classroom: Researching on teaching and learning. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Krashen, S.D. (1985). The input hypothesis: issue and implications. Laredo Publishing Company, Inc. CA.

Mayumi Tabuchi

Ritsumeikan Primary School English Program advisor,
Educational Consultant, Teacher Trainer, President of her own school, and series editor for Boost!.

■Mayuka Habbick: You can make your own chants. Your students can make their own chants.

Kids E-Link Archive — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:36:29 +0900

Last year in December, Ms Carolyn Graham and I had another workshop tour titled: "The "VERY" Special Workshop vol. 4" which was held in the three cities of: Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. This is the 4th year to hold this workshop tour in Japan and the time has really flown by since we held the first series of these workshops. This year, in addition to teaching how to create original chants, we added an additional teaching objective for the participants; we decided to take the concept of chants and stretch it further into "chants as a tool for self-expression". Due to the overwhelming positive response by all the participants we are now arranging "vol. 5" for 2010.

In the morning session, Carolyn taught the participants her philosophy on using chants and the basic rules and patterns of her chanting method. Next she had the students create and present their own original works. She then critiqued their work and gave them suggestions with explanations for improvement. In the afternoon, the students worked in groups and decided themes and functions to use for their group chants creations and created some masterful works. The participants came to the workshop knowing little or nothing about creating chants but by the end of the workshop they could have confidence in their ability and believe in Carolyn's words of constant encouragement that, "Anyone can learn how to make a chant." In all of the workshops every participant created their own chants and presented them to the group. They were all original works created by the participants during the workshop and to say that they were "unbelievably interesting" does not convey the creativity and self-expression shown by the participants. You really had to be there!

In the morning session, we used the Longman Young Children's Picture Dictionary Poster Pack as the basis for vocabulary and visual practice for the first steps of the participants creating their own original chants. Picture dictionaries are great material for inspiration when we make our own chants because the words in picture dictionaries are carefully chosen for their respective target student ages, and the words themselves are already grouped into categories.

In preparation for the workshop, I used the Longman Young Children's Picture Dictionary posters with my students and made some original chants. Here are some of the chants made by my students who are in the first grade of elementary school.

Beetle, butterfly, bee
Beetle, butterfly, bee
Beetle, butterfly, beetle, butterfly
Beetle, butterfly, bee
(by Kento)

Spider, butterfly, worm
Spider, butterfly, worm
Spider, butterfly, spider, butterfly
Spider, butterfly, worm
(by Yuto)

This type of chant is called a "Vocabulary Chant". Let me explain the simple process to create a vocabulary chant.

First, choose a category of the words you want to use. In this case, I chose the insect page from the Longman Young Children's Picture Dictionary Poster Pack. Then, have the students listen to the words carefully and count the syllables. Next, group the words by the number of the syllables in them.

One syllable words: bee, worm,
Two syllable words:
Three syllable words:

After grouping the words ask the students to choose one word from each of the three groups. Next, arrange the three words in the pattern of 2-3-1, 2-3-1, 2-3-2-3, 2-3-1 where the number represents the number of syllables in the word. Finally, enjoy listening to the Jazzy rhythm with this simple chant!

The next step in creating your own chants is to expand the vocabulary used in the chant. For example, you can add some adjectives like colors and sizes. Then they become "Phrase Chants". In my class, I used the photocopiable Activity Resource Book pages from the Longman Young Children's Picture Dictionary and had my students color the insects first. They then used the colors they had chosen to add to their chant. Here are two of the Phrase Chants my students made.

Light green beetle, red butterfly
Light blue bee, light blue bee
(by Kento)

Purple spider, blue butterfly
Orange worm, orange worm
(by Yuto)

My students very much enjoyed imagining colors that can-not-be-real for their insects.

I played some piano instrumental music by Scott Joplin, which was suggested by Carolyn Graham, for my students to chant their original chants. They liked presenting their own chants in such a rhythmical way. In fact, using this kind of music along with spoken English, the children remembered the words and phrases with no difficulty. An interesting benefit was that they were singing the chants while they were working on the next activity in the class - further reinforcing the language by themselves.

One of Carolyn Graham's many works includes what she calls a "Spelling Chant". This is a chant using jazz rhythm to remember the spellings of words. An example that I made of this follows.

How do you spell bug?
B-U-G
How do you spell bee?
B-E-E
How do you spell ant?
A-N-T
How do you spell butterfly?
Don't ask me!

My students really liked the last "Don't ask me!" part and wanted to repeat the chant again just to get to that part!

This is a bit of a digression but, when I put this first year elementary class together, I told the students' parents that this class is for the children to have a lot of different experiences in the classroom. Therefore, there is no set curriculum for this class. We also don't follow the "generally accepted logical steps" of teaching the children the alphabet, followed by new words, and how to spell them. In previous classes, I have asked students to write their names, read picture books to them, and used picture dictionaries having my students draw pictures and write the name of the picture. However, with this chants experience, it triggered my students to suddenly have great interest in the sounds of English and how they relate to the written language. In the last class of January, I showed them a calendar and asked them to "read" the name of the twelve months. Well, their reading was not perfectly correct but not far off from what it should be.

By having my students repeat the sounds of English and using posters and other materials as well as writing letters and words the children began to become aware of the rules of phonics. Instead of "teaching" by trying to "put the knowledge in" these activities have sparked an interest within my students and a desire to know.

In the class we not only used the posters to categorize words, we also used the posters which have the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". With the stories I used the following chants.

Once there was a girl, a good little girl.
A good girl, a little girl, a good little girl
Along came a wolf, a big bad wolf.
A big wolf, a bad wolf, a big bad wolf

This chant is not only to introduce the characters that are introduced in the story but to expose my students to the order of adjectives in English.

One more thing, something else about using the posters is that the children have an interest in the characters, and we can make chants based on the picture(s) as an introductory step to the story.

What does the girl have?
A basket.
She has a basket in her hands.
What does the wolf have?
A hat.
He has a hat on his head.

By first introducing the short answer to the question we can help students say the answer in a sentence with the correct stress pattern without verbally explaining the rule as well as drawing attention to the article system of English. Based on this chant, we could explore further by talking about the real situation of who has: what, where – using "in" and "on". This was a really fun way of "learning" new target language for my students. Also, this chant will help learners "discover" the rule about third person "s" in the future.

In this way, we can use chants in the process of teaching English to make it interesting and enjoyable for our students. Needless to say, the teacher who accurately understands their students' needs and is able to use chants as a tool for student learning will dramatically increase the effectiveness of the learning experience.

When making original chants, please pay attention to these three points:
1) Is the English used "real and natural English" that would be used in that situation?
2) Is the language appropriate to the age of the students?
3) Is the content of the chant interesting for the students?

The chants created by Carolyn Graham are, by her own admission, "to teach American English, as spoken by an educated English-speaking native, to non-native speakers of English in a way that the learners can master it". Therefore it is not acceptable to have: grammatically incorrect content, unnatural language, unnatural rhythm, unnatural intonation, or language that "is not natural but will be understood". The language should be age appropriate for the learner's level and content that the learner can use in any social situation without fear of offence. The natural rhythm of spoken English perfectly matches to the Swing Jazz Rhythm. It is therefore important to play around with sounds and words of English using the Swing rhythm as the base.

Carolyn Graham will be conducting one-day workshops in November and December, 2010. If you and your friends have interest in attending the workshop please check the JJ Fellowship website time to time for updates (www.JJFellowship.com) or email Mayuka Habbick at Mayuka@JJFellowship.com to be put on the mailing list for the event.

Mayuka Habbick

JJ Fellowship organizer, teacher and teacher trainer, workshop and seminar organizer and presenter for parents and teachers, and events for children. Director of E for ju:, certified trainer of LEGO Education Center.

■Winter Campaign: Prepare for the new school year!

Event Calendar — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:04:26 +0900

The new school year's just around the corner! Everyone is so excited to experience something new but a little nervous at the same time...

This winter, Pearson Longman would like to offer some free copies of fascinating materials to liven up your lessons!

To enter the Winter Campaign, click here .

Attention:
Applicants must reside in Japan and be 20 years of age or older.
Limited to one entry per person.

Closing Date: Friday, March 19th, 2010

NEW!!
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition: Level 1

Winners: 5 people

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 1 features Town Mouse and Country Mouse
to motivate young learners and provide a familiar context to make grammar easy to teach and fun to learn.

This present will includes following components from Level 1:

Student Book with CD
Workbook with CD
Audio CDs
Teacher's Edition
Picture Cards
Activity Cards
Poster Pack

>> See more details

>> Enter now!

English Land: Level 2

Winners: 5 people

Everyone's favorite! English Land makes learning English a memorable and magical experience. By using familiar Disney characters that children know and love, English Land recreates a fantastic world of discovery and adventure in the classroom that truly motivates and encourages students to learn.

This present will includes following components from Level 2:

Student Book with DVD
Activity Book with CD
Student Book CDs
Teacher's Book
Teacher Cards
Phonics Cards

>> See more details

>> Enter now!

SuperKids Level 2

Winners: 5 people

SuperKids blends the best techniques from proven language teaching methodologies into a program that creates confident, autonomous English speakers.

This present will includes following components from Level 2:

Student Book
Activity Book with CD
Class CD
Teacher's Guide
Picture Cards

>> See more details

>> Enter now!

What are you waiting for?

Enter NOW! Fill in the form and press "Submit".

Attention:
Applicants must reside in Japan and be 20 years of age or older.
Limited to one entry per person.

Closing Date: Friday, March 19th, 2010

The winners will receive the present without prior announcement.

■Simon Goddard Weedon: It's Right to Write

Kids E-Link Archive — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:06:44 +0900

Coursebooks now offer us a stunning range of worksheets and photocopiables, BUT... Imagine the photocopier breaks down / you spill coffee on the sheets you prepared / you want to do one last review but there are no more sheets available!!

There are a number of benefits to using simple writing activities to increase the use of student produced materials in class.　First, we need to ask why writing is important? One reason is that it is often the "last" step of learning in terms of achievement, and therefore needs to be cultivated throughout a course.

Writing gives autonomy to students, and a degree of permanence that spoken language lacks. Further, it reinforces reading awareness – and gives empowerment to students through reading their own writing.

Finally, it allows teachers to see the degree of penetration achieved in terms of phonics, vocabulary and grammar at initial stages, then coherence and linguistic depth as students continue their studies.

But what proportion of the lesson should be spent writing?
As always, this depends on your class, BUT… setting aside 5 minutes each lesson for younger students can have a very beneficial effect, especially when supplemented with writing at home.

The following activities have all been successful in SOME of my classes! Hopefully with suitable modification they can be of benefit to yours too.

1. Colour the order

Put students in pairs and give each pair two different colour pens e.g. black and red. The black pen is for the first stroke of the word and the red pen is for the second stroke. Teacher calls out a letter (e.g. "a") and students write the letter. For "a" the 'c' shape should be black and the vertical stem should be red. If they are reversed the students likely write the letter in the wrong stroke order.

2. Show and Write

a) Using Word Cards
Tell your students to put their pencils down (hands on head if needed!!) Hold up a card showing a letter, phonic blend or word, depending on the class' current level. Students look at card for _x_ seconds then you put the card down. Now students try and write what they saw. The benefits of doing this are that students create a mental image of the letter or word shape and have to keep it in their short term memory until writing. This hopefully helps a longer term memory imprint of letters and words they are studying. Errors will usually point to ingrained errors. E.g. 'b' and 'd' mix up.

b) Using Picture Cards
As a challenge use the same process as above but show a picture card only. This requires the students to have had more time working on the target vocabulary with home study and also plenty of written practice. It's particularly useful in weeding out romaji spelling forms among students who tend to subvocalise in kana speech before writing.

c) Using CDs
A further alternative is to use a CD, such as the CD accompanying the Longman Children's Picture Dictionary. The drawback with CDs is that it is more difficult for you to grade the phonetic difficulty of the vocabulary, so you'll need to tread carefully with this one!

3. Home made Bingo

Students receive a blank Bingo grid (preferably with guidelines to help sizing/shape).
Teacher shows words from a page in the Longman Children's Picture Dictionary in random order and students choose which bingo square to write the word in.
Next the students listen to the CD and mark the words they hear in classic Bingo style.
*A simpler version is to use the phonics cards from English Land every time you review 2 units together.

4. Picture Dictionary Search

a) Letter based
Students take an alphabet letter card showing the front letter of a word. They search set pages in the Longman Children's Picture Dictionary and write any words starting with their letter.

b) Word Based
Students take a picture card, find the image in the Longman Children's Picture Dictionary, then write the word on the back of the card

c) Grammar Based
Give students a target sentence head and a page number in the Longman Children's Picture Dictionary. Students then complete a set number of example sentences.
e.g. I'd like a ..., please. –v- I'd like some ..., please. (Topic 45 )

Simon Weedon is the co-founder of 'E' English School, teaches at Meiho Junior/Senior High School. He is Coordinator of ETJ-Oita and is a monthly columnist for The Daily Yomiuri.

■Mayumi Tabuchi & Shaheed Rupani: iPod into Primary school EFL curriculum

Kids E-Link Archive — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:04:10 +0900

In the Fall of 2008, Ritsumeikan Primary School became one of the first elementary schools in Japan to develop an English curriculum requiring the use of iPods for supporting the autonomous language learning of the pupils outside of its classrooms. 120 iPod were distributed among the Grade 5 pupils and the objectives were set as incorporating the device into curricular activities to enhance pupils' learning in listening and speaking for their forthcoming events in the school calendar. Those included a visit to Ritsumeikan Asian Pacific University (APU) for a cultural exchange, in which they were expected to communicate with as many international students as possible in English and the EIKEN STEP test (Level 5 and over) to be administered shortly after. Implementation of the iPods started with making the choices for language learning materials by the teachers in the English Department and the source of creation was teacher-generated, therefore, no commercial materials such as podcasts were implemented in an effort to make the content as pupil-friendly as possible by being recorded by teachers they were very familiar with.

First distribution took place in November 2008, which lasted 3 weeks including the time when the pupils were in APU camp. The content for this first project was three videos (conversation skit samples acted out by their English teachers), 5 original stories and various slides to let them practice with. Though the results of pre and post questionnaires on their motivation to learn English did not show any significant differences, the majority (92%) of the pupils wished to continue using iPod for their future studies in English. Furthermore, it was observed that pupils very much enjoyed carrying the iPods and listened to them whenever they had a chance on the bus or on the train during the camp. The second distribution was conducted from December through January over their winter holiday for 4 weeks with more content aimed towards the successful outcome of their first trial of Eiken. 　Other than the several files to be used for comprehension plus oral drilling tasks such as Shadowing or Read-Look up-Say in and out of the classroom use for the following semester's curriculum, added were Eiken listening tasks from three previous years (with the permission of the Eiken STEP organization of Japan). Pupils were also handed some worksheets to write their answers and advised to listen over and over again until they were sure of the answers. The Eiken results showed that students made remarkable advances in their listening part of the test. They all passed the level they took (Level 3, 4 and 5) and if we take a close look at the listening part of Level 5, the average showed a remarkably high score (Part A 93% and Part B 98%). Though this result does not necessarily prove the effects of the implementation of the iPod alone, we believe that it did offer a lot of assistance in motivating the students that needed that extra reason to study English.

The iPods various functions include being able to output audio, video and slides (in the form of pictures) as well as displaying text memos and text lyrics to audio files directly attached to them which make the iPod a good means for assisting task-based learning outside of the language classroom. Besides the fact that iPods are world renowned as fashionable entertainment devices, they are extremely versatile and content distribution through the use of them is effortless once you know how. It is understandable that affordability may prevent teachers from the implementation of iPods into their curriculum. The creativity on the teacher's side with the full knowledge of the pupils in terms of their level, both in English ability and cognition is indispensable in order to make this kind of project successful. There is a fact we should not over look; children are not the same as the ones that existed 50 years ago or even 20 years ago. They don't know or can't imagine a life without computers, cell phones, e-mail, video games or technology. It is clear that as a result of this ubiquitous environment and their interaction with it that today's students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors. Today's children are considered to be "digital natives." Digital natives are used to receiving information really fast. They are used to parallel processing and multi-tasking. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards.

Not enough research has been done on using iPods in the study of English in young learner's environment to date; most deal with adult students. There seem to be a lot of possibilities in the future of implementing modern devices of technology as the iPod as effective tools into programs to teach young learners English in the near future.

Mayumi Tabuchi

Ritsumeikan Primary School English Program advisor,
Educational Consultant, Teacher Trainer, President of her own school, and series editor for Boost! .

Shaheed Rupani is in charge of the international program and has been teaching at Ritsumeikan Primary School since its inception. Besides curriculum development, his interests include creating teaching-material with a focus on using new technologies in the classroom. He has more than 10 years of EFL experience with college, high school and elementary school classes.

■Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 1

Online Catalog — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:13:09 +0900

Author:  Beat Eisele, Catherine Yang Eisele, Rebecca York Hanlon, Stephen M. Hanlon
Series:  6 levels
Age:  Elementary 1-6
Language:  American English

▽　Description　▽

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition features classic stories to motivate young learners and provide a familiar context to make grammar easy to teach and fun to learn. Practice pages are interleaved to provide a 4 skills step-by-step sequence that prepares students for success.

Level 1: Town Mouse and Country Mouse
A city mouse named Sally decides to take a trip to the country. There she meets Sam, a country mouse. Sam gladly gives Sally a tour around the country and they quickly become friends. However, Sally's peaceful visit is spoiled by a hungry cat. Will Sally and Sam escape?

▽　Features　▽

Three grammar targets and vocabulary groups per unit prepare students for success
Assessment package with Placement Tests, Unit Tests and Mid-term and Final Tests for tracking progress
Online Learning Center supports teachers and students in and out of class
Online student activities for extended practice of every unit
Active Teach Interactive Whiteboard software

▽　Sample Pages　▽

Level 1 Syllabus

Level 1 Unit 4

For more information, please visit: www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

▽　Related Titles　▽

My ABC Storybook　

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 2　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 3　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 4　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 5　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 6　

▽　Price List　▽

Materials	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Student Book with CD	1,880	9789880029318
Workbook with CD	1,544	9789880029370
Audio CD	3,990	9789880029431
Teacher's Edition	4,410	9789880056154
Active Teach CD-ROM (IWB software)	TBD	9789880029493
Picture Cards	7,718	9789880029615
Activity Cards	2,940	9789880029554
Poster Pack	5,513	9789880029257
Phonics Book A w/CD	1,544	9789880056215
Phonics Book B w/CD	1,544	9789880056222

▽　Companion Website　▽

www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

■Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 2

Online Catalog — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:12:47 +0900

Author:  Beat Eisele, Catherine Yang Eisele, Rebecca York Hanlon, Stephen M. Hanlon
Series:  6 levels
Age:  Elementary 1-6
Language:  American English

Level 2: The Toy Mystery
Luck amazingly turns around for a poor toymaker and his wife! Morning after morning, they are surprised to find new toys on the shelves of their toy store. Where did the toys come from and who made them? Follow the mystery as they try to find out.

▽　Features　▽

Three grammar targets and vocabulary groups per unit prepare students for success
Assessment package with Placement Tests, Unit Tests and Mid-term and Final Tests for tracking progress
Online Learning Center supports teachers and students in and out of class
Online student activities for extended practice of every unit
Active Teach Interactive Whiteboard software

▽　Sample Pages　▽

Level 2 Syllabus

Level 2 Unit4

To see sample materials, please visit: www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

▽　Related Titles　▽

My ABC Storybook　

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 1　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 3　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 4　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 5　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 6　

▽　Price List　▽

Materials	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Student Book with CD	1,880	9789880029325
Workbook with CD	1,544	9789880029387
Audio CD	3,990	9789880029448
Teacher's Edition	4,410	9789880056161
Active Teach CD-ROM (IWB software)	TBD	9789880029509
Picture Cards	7,718	9789880029622
Activity Cards	2,940	9789880029561
Poster Pack	5,513	9789880029264
Phonics Book A w/CD	1,544	9789880056215
Phonics Book B w/CD	1,544	9789880056222

▽　Companion Website　▽

www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

■Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 3

Online Catalog — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:12:26 +0900

Author:  Beat Eisele, Catherine Yang Eisele, Rebecca York Hanlon, Stephen M. Hanlon
Series:  6 levels
Age:  Elementary 1-6
Language:  American English

Level 3: Jack and the Beanstalk
For Jack and his family, life is a constant chore. To make ends meet, Jack trades their only cow for magic beans. One day they wake up to find a huge beanstalk growing in their garden. Jack bravely climbs up and soon finds himself face to face with a boy-eating giant. Will Jack end up being the giant's lunch?

▽　Features　▽

Three grammar targets and vocabulary groups per unit prepare students for success
Assessment package with Placement Tests, Unit Tests and Mid-term and Final Tests for tracking progress
Online Learning Center supports teachers and students in and out of class
Online student activities for extended practice of every unit
Active Teach Interactive Whiteboard software

▽　Sample Pages　▽

Level 3 Syllabus

Level 3 Unit 4

To see sample materials, please visit: www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

▽　Related Titles　▽

My ABC Storybook　

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 1　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 2　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 4　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 5　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 6　

▽　Price List　▽

Materials	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Student Book with CD	1,880	9789880029332
Workbook with CD	1,544	9789880029394
Audio CD	3,990	9789880029455
Teacher's Edition	4,410	9789880056178
Active Teach CD-ROM (IWB software)	TBD	9789880029516
Picture Cards	7,718	9789880029639
Activity Cards	2,940	9789880029578
Poster Pack	5,513	9789880029271
Phonics Book A w/CD	1,544	9789880056215
Phonics Book B w/CD	1,544	9789880056222

▽　Companion Website　▽

www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

■Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 4

Online Catalog — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:12:01 +0900

Author:  Beat Eisele, Catherine Yang Eisele, Rebecca York Hanlon, Stephen M. Hanlon
Series:  6 levels
Age:  Elementary 1-6
Language:  American English

Level 4: The Adventures of Tina Thumb
Imagine being the size of a thumb and living in a magical world made for much bigger people. For Tina Thumb this is everyday life! But just because she’s small doesn’t mean she has small dreams. Come and join the adventure as this little girl fights off a hungry bird, gets lost in a huge ocean and escapes a deadly shark!

▽　Features　▽

Three grammar targets and vocabulary groups per unit prepare students for success
Assessment package with Placement Tests, Unit Tests and Mid-term and Final Tests for tracking progress
Online Learning Center supports teachers and students in and out of class
Online student activities for extended practice of every unit
Active Teach Interactive Whiteboard software

▽　Sample Pages　▽

Level 4 Syllabus

Level 4 Unit 4

To see sample materials, please visit: www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

▽　Related Titles　▽

My ABC Storybook　

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 1　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 2　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 3　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 5　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 6　

▽　Price List　▽

Materials	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Student Book with CD	1,880	9789880029349
Workbook with CD	1,544	9789880029400
Audio CD	3,990	9789880029462
Teacher's Edition	4,410	9789880056185
Active Teach CD-ROM (IWB software)	TBD	9789880029523
Picture Cards	7,718	9789880029646
Activity Cards	2,940	9789880029585
Poster Pack	5,513	9789880029288
Phonics Book A w/CD	1,544	9789880056215
Phonics Book B w/CD	1,544	9789880056222

▽　Companion Website　▽

www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

■Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 5

Online Catalog — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:11:17 +0900

Author:  Beat Eisele, Catherine Yang Eisele, Rebecca York Hanlon, Stephen M. Hanlon
Series:  6 levels
Age:  Elementary 1-6
Language:  American English

Level 5: The Wilson Family Adventure
The Wilson family's dream vacation on a houseboat soon turns into a nightmare when their boat sinks in a terrible storm. They find themselves marooned on a strange island, with challenges lurking around every corner. When the youngest child, Celine, disappears in the forest, things seem to take a turn for the worse. Where is Celine? And will they ever be rescued?

▽　Features　▽

Three grammar targets and vocabulary groups per unit prepare students for success
Assessment package with Placement Tests, Unit Tests and Mid-term and Final Tests for tracking progress
Online Learning Center supports teachers and students in and out of class
Online student activities for extended practice of every unit
Active Teach Interactive Whiteboard software

▽　Sample Pages　▽

Level 5 Syllabus

Level 5 Unit 4

To see sample materials, please visit: www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

▽　Related Titles　▽

My ABC Storybook　

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 1　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 2　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 3　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 4　
Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 6　

▽　Price List　▽

Materials	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Student Book with CD	1,880	9789880029356
Workbook with CD	1,544	9789880029417
Audio CD	3,990	9789880029479
Teacher's Edition	4,410	9789880056192
Active Teach CD-ROM (IWB software)	TBD	9789880029530
Picture Cards	7,718	9789880029653
Activity Cards	2,940	9789880029592
Poster Pack	5,513	9789880029295
Phonics Book A w/CD	1,544	9789880056215
Phonics Book B w/CD	1,544	9789880056222

▽　Companion Website　▽

www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

■Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition Level 6

Online Catalog — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:10:36 +0900

Author:  Beat Eisele, Catherine Yang Eisele, Rebecca York Hanlon, Stephen M. Hanlon
Series:  6 levels
Age:  Elementary 1-6
Language:  American English

Level 6: Jon and the Treasure Key
For young Jon Huckleberry his morning started like any other, with his Aunt Molly yelling at him to stop daydreaming about hidden treasure and do his chores! But then Jon discovers a special machine that takes him to a jungle in Mexico. There he meets Elena, who takes him on a treasure hunt adventure. Will Jon and Elena get back the ancient treasure key and stay alive?

▽　Features　▽

Three grammar targets and vocabulary groups per unit prepare students for success
Assessment package with Placement Tests, Unit Tests and Mid-term and Final Tests for tracking progress
Online Learning Center supports teachers and students in and out of class
Online student activities for extended practice of every unit
Active Teach Interactive Whiteboard software

▽　Sample Pages　▽

Level 6 Syllabus

Level 6 Unit 4

To see sample materials, please visit: www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

▽　Related Titles　▽

My ABC Storybook　

▽　Price List　▽

Materials	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Student Book with CD	1,880	9789880029363
Workbook with CD	1,544	9789880029424
Audio CD	3,990	9789880029486
Teacher's Edition	4,410	9789880056208
Active Teach CD-ROM (IWB software)	TBD	9789880029547
Picture Cards	7,718	9789880029660
Activity Cards	2,940	9789880029608
Poster Pack	5,513	9789880029301
Phonics Book A w/CD	1,544	9789880056215
Phonics Book B w/CD	1,544	9789880056222

▽　Companion Website　▽

www.HipHipHoorayOnline.com

■Please welcome! Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition

Event Calendar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0900

Success with Stories!

Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition features classic stories to motivate young learners and provide a familiar context to make grammar easy to teach and fun to learn.

Click here to find out more about Hip Hip Hooray! Second Edition!

■Junko Yamanaka: The Power of Extensive Reading

Kids E-Link Archive — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:41:56 +0900

Extensive reading is becoming very popular in Japan. People are finding out it is a powerful and easy way to acquire a language. "Extensive reading involves students reading a lot of easy, interesting books that they select themselves." (Day, 2007) It's that simple, but the outcome is significant. Richard Day points out, "The goal often goes beyond learning to read; ER can improve students' overall language proficiency and their attitudes toward English and motivation for learning." (2007) Krashen proposes that it "works because it is a form of comprehensible input delivered in a low anxiety situation." (2003)

This must sound familiar if you are teaching young learners, because this is exactly what you are doing in your classrooms - delivering "comprehensible input" to your students "in a low anxiety situation"! In fact, that is why I believe you have the key to creating good readers - students who will read extensively by themselves, becoming independent, life-long readers and learners.

For that purpose, I recommend that you read extensively to your students. Have a collection of good picture books or readers in your classrooms and read them to your students as often as you can. Keep the books on bookshelves so that your students can also have access to them. This will give your students chances to encounter a "home run book." "Trelease (2001) has suggested that a single very positive reading experience, one 'home run book' can create a reader." (Krashen, 2004)

You might have a class "home run book." Because the book is attractive to the students, they will be absorbed in the story as you read it to them. The more they are absorbed, the more unconscious the language becomes. That is when acquisition takes place. Also, because they love the book, they will ask you to read it to them repeatedly. That is how natural output will be delivered by your students.

When you see your students having positive attitudes toward books, it is the beginning of having joyful readers in your class. It is already a great success! It is important for them to regard a book "as an object for ..... simply pleasure, joy and delight" (Simensen,1987) In junior and senior high school, students "tend to see reading in terms of 'schoolwork' (Bondy, 1990) or 'as a serious, difficult process, requiring hard work and disciplined effort.'(Elly, 1992)" (Day & Bamford, 1998) It is therefore extremely important that they have already experienced the joy of reading in their childhood, and hopefully have met a "home run book." If you have given them that chance, you will have empowered their learning.

References
Day, R. R. (2007). Putting Extensive Reading to Work, JALT Conference Featured Speaker Workshop.
Krashen, S. D. (2004). The Power of Reading, Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Krashen, S. D. (2003). Exploration in Language Acquisition and Use, Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Day, R. R,, & Bamford, J. (1998). Extensive Reading, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Halliwell, S. (1992). Teaching English in the Primary Classroom, Harlow: Longman.
Scott, W. A., & Ytreberg, L. H. (1990). Teaching English to Children, New York: Longman.
Ellis, R. (1997). Second Language Acquisition, Oxford: OUP.

Junko Yamanaka, co-author of Impact Issues, is on the Board of Directors of the Extensive Reading Foundation. She is an Academic Advisor / Teacher Trainer at Trident College of Languages, Nagoya. Currently she is also Chief of Trident Kids English Department. She has been plenary speaker at JALT PANSIG 2008, presenter at conferences and seminars, including the Pearson Longman Kids Tour 2009 and ER seminars for teachers and students.

■Devon Thagard: Pre-reading Activities

Kids E-Link Archive — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:41:44 +0900

Reading, like no other skill, empowers children to learn independently. Helping our students become confident, comfortable readers is an incredibly valuable gift.

However, many children develop a great deal of anxiety when faced with the written word. A huge part of the process of becoming a reader is developing confidence. One way to help children become confident readers is to start with simple and fun pre-reading activities that introduce words and stories in pressure-free ways.

The following are a few simple pre-reading activities I like to use to help ease students into reading content-rich readers like the Story Street series.

ABCD Search!

Have the students stand on one side of the room, with their books on the other side of the room. Play "The Alphabet Song" as the students sing along. Stop the music. The students run to their books and find as many words as they can that start with the next letter in "The Alphabet Song."

For example, the students are singing, "A, B, C, D, E, F...", and then the teacher stops the music. The next letter in the alphabet is G, so students must run to their books and search for words that start with G. Have the students help you make a list of all or some of the G words and write them on the board. (You can make this into a team competition if you like, but it's fun even without the competitive aspect.) Try again with a new letter! By the end of this activity, the students will have become familiar with the words that you have written on the board, and they will have skimmed the entire book.

Yes! No!

Place a sign reading "Yes" on one side of the classroom, and a sign reading "No" on the other side of the classroom. The students stand in the middle. Open the book you are planning to read in class and make sure all the students can see the pages. (For this example, I'll refer to Playing with Pip from the Story Street, Step 1.)

Ask yes/no questions about the picture. (Is this Jojo? Is she eating? Is this Mouse? Is he eating a banana?) The students move to the appropriate side of the classroom depending on their answer. You can encourage the students to answer in full sentences, but I prefer to keep it really simple at the start and just encourage the students to answer "Yes" or "No". Remember that your goal with pre-reading activities is not to test the students, but to introduce them to the material in a way that helps them feel confident about their knowledge and curious about the story.

What's in the news?

Hold up an English newspaper and pretend to read it, peeking out at the students every few seconds to build interest and anticipation. Tell the students, "I'm reading the newspaper!" Ask, "Do you want to read the newspaper?"

Put the students in small groups and give each group a page from the newspaper. Identify one or two high-frequency words (can, look, go, etc.) that are featured in the book you are going to read that day in class. Write one of the words on the board and introduce it to the class. Ask the students, "Can you find this word in the newspaper? Please circle (or underline, or highlight, etc.) the word as many times as you can!" Give the groups several minutes to skim the newspaper. Then have them count all the circled words and share their number with the rest of the class. You can save the newspapers and search for new words in the next class (try using different colored pens or highlighters).

Children really enjoy looking at and "reading" an English newspaper. When you are finished and start reading your book for the day, the students will find it very easy to identify the featured words in the story because they will have encountered the word many times already in a much more difficult setting.

Successful pre-reading activities allow the students to encounter words frequently in a variety of contexts and to become familiar with the stories while encouraging some curiosity. Remember to keep your pre-reading activities simple, fun, and active.

And never forget:
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” - Dr. Seuss

Devon Thagard is the co-owner of Super Simple Learning (creators of the award-winning Super Simple Songs CDs), and co-organizer of the Kids English Education Project (K.E.E.P.). As an ESL/EFL teacher for 16 years, his focus has been on helping teachers and learners approach English education with confidence.

■Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 2, A Mix

Online Catalog — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0900

　Age: Kindergarten - Elementary
　Series: 3 Levels
　Language: British English

▽　Description　▽

The Mice Audio Packs are specially designed to offer a complete solution for shared reading. Each pack contains six selected titles from the Mice Series, an audio CD, and a Japanese Guide.

▽　Features　▽

Audio CDs contain readings in both British and American English
The Japanese guide includes tips for shared reading, prompting questions that stimulate the imagination while reading, and 3-5 activities for each title

▽　Titles include　▽

A School Day　
Theme: School
Click here for sample pages

A Bubble Bath　
Theme: Myself (body parts)

My Baby Sister　
Theme: Family

Cafe Jungle　
Theme: Animals

Hot!!!　
Theme: Summer
Click here for sample pages

A Christmas Party　
Theme: Winter

Mice Japanese Guide with CDs

▽　Sample Audio (MP3)　▽

A School Day (British)
A School Day (American)

▽　Related Title　▽

Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 2, B Mix

Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 1, A Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 1, B Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 3, A Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 3, B Mix

▽　Price List　▽

Material	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Mice Audio Pack Level 2, A Mix	3,675	9784894719712
Level 2, A Mix Japanese Guide w/CDs	735	9784894719897
Big Book: A School Day	3,413	9789620110375
Big Book: A Bubble Bath	3,413	9789620110382
Big Book: My Baby Sister	3,413	9789620110405
Big Book: Cafe Jungle	3,413	9789620121562
Big Book: Hot!!!	3,413	9789620121586
Big Book: A Christmas Party	3,413	9789620110429

Big Book size: 480 x 370mm

■Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 1, A Mix

Online Catalog — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0900

　Age: Kindergarten - Elementary
　Series: 3 Levels
　Language: British English

▽　Description　▽

The Mice Audio Packs are specially designed to offer a complete solution for shared reading. Each pack contains six selected titles from the Mice Series, an audio CD, and a Japanese Guide.

▽　Features　▽

Audio CDs contain readings in both British and American English
The Japanese guide includes tips for shared reading, prompting questions that stimulate the imagination while reading, and 3-5 activities for each title

▽　Titles include　▽

Back to School　
Theme: School

Buzz! Buzz!　
Theme: Myself (body parts)

A Messy Family　
Theme: Family

We All Learn　
Theme: Animals

Click here for sample pages

Up in the Sky　
Theme: Summer

Christmas　
Theme: Winter

Click here for sample pages

Mice Japanese Guide with CDs

▽　Sample Audio (MP3)　▽

Buzz! Buzz! (British)
Buzz! Buzz! (American)

▽　Related Title　▽

Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 1, B Mix

Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 2, A Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 2, B Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 3, A Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 3, B Mix

▽　Price List　▽

Materials	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Mice Audio Pack Level 1, A Mix	3,675	9784894719699
Level 1, A Mix Japanese Guide w/CDs	735	9784894719873
Big Book: Back to School	3,413	9789620110153
Big Book: Buzz! Buzz!	3,413	9789620110160
Big Book: A Messy Family	3,413	9789620110184
Big Book: We All Learn	3,413	9789620121500
Big Book: Up in the Sky	3,413	9789620121524
Big Book: Christmas	3,413	9789620110207

Big Book size: 480 x 370mm

■Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 3, A Mix

Online Catalog — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:00:00 +0900

　Age: Kindergarten - Elementary
　Series: 3 Levels
　Language: British English

▽　Description　▽

The Mice Audio Packs are specially designed to offer a complete solution for shared reading. Each pack contains six selected titles from the Mice Series, an audio CD, and a Japanese Guide.

▽　Features　▽

Audio CDs contain readings in both British and American English
The Japanese guide includes tips for shared reading, prompting questions that stimulate the imagination while reading, and 3-5 activities for each title

▽　Titles include　▽

We Love School　
Theme: School

The Clown　
Theme: Myself (body parts)

A Busy Father　
Theme: Family

Oink! Oink!　
Theme: Animals
Click here for sample pages

Goodbye germs!　
Theme: Summer
Click here for sample pages

Is It Winter Now?　
Theme: Winter

Mice Japanese Guide with CDs

▽　Sample Audio (MP3)　▽

Oink! Oink! (British)
Oink! Oink! (American)

▽　Related Title　▽

Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 3, B Mix

Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 1, A Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 1, B Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 2, A Mix
Shared Reading Mice Audio Pack: Level 2, B Mix

▽　Price List　▽

Material	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Mice Audio Pack Level 3, A Mix	3,675	9784894719736
Level 3, A Mix Japanese Guide w/CDs	735	9784894719910
Big Book: We Love School	3,413	9789620110597
Big Book: The Clown	3,413	9789620110603
Big Book: A Busy Father	3,413	9789620110627
Big Book: Oink! Oink!	3,413	9789620121623
Big Book: Goodbye germs!	3,413	9789620121647
Big Book: Is It Winter Now?	3,413	9789620110641

Big Book size: 480 x 370mm

■Info Trail Audio Pack: Beginner / Science

Online Catalog — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:00:00 +0900

　Age: Elementary
　Series: 6 levels
　Language: British English

　8 books, audio CDs, and a Japanese Guide
　16 pages, 120-150 words / book

▽　Description　▽

Info Trail introduces children to non-fiction books, organized into 3 subject areas- History, Geography and Science using a range of text types over 6 stages. Info Trail also develops children's ability to pick out information from a variety of different sources: from photographs, diagrams, charts, graphs, maps and drawings, as well as from headings, sub-headings, bullet lists and text boxes.

▽　Features　▽

Non-fiction topics along three themes (History, Geography, and Science) intrigue children's intellectual curiosities
Each pack contains selected titles from Info Trail, an audio CD, and a Japanese Guide.
The Japanese guide contains summaries for all 4 stages, and full translation for Beginner Stage in Japanese, key vocabulary, classroom activities, and ideas for extensive reading and use in Elementary Schools

▽　Titles Inclulded in This Pack　▽

　Would You Be a Bee?

　Read about what a bee does every day and
　decide if you would like to be one.

　Text type: Argument

　How to Make a Feely Box

　Find out how to play the feely box game.

　Text type: Instruction

　A Scab on the Knee

　What must you do if you cut your knee?

　Text type: Instruction

　Does Cheese Come from Cows?

　What do you know about Science?
　Decide if the statements in this book are
　true or false.

　Text type: Explanation

　Feet

　How do different animals use their feet?
　Read on and find out.

　Text type: Explanation

　The Day I Felt Ill

　Find out what happened to me the day I felt ill.

　Text type: Recount

　I Grew a Sunflower as Big as my Dad

　Find out how to grow a sunflower
　bigger than you!

　Text type: Recount

　Don't Bite the Bottom off your Ice Cream Cone!

　You may want to bite the bottom off your ice
　cream cone, but what might happen if you did?

　Text type: Persuasion

▽　Sample Audio (MP3)　▽

Would You Be a Bee? (British English)
Would You Be a Bee? (American English)

▽　Related Materials　▽

Info Trail Audio Pack: Beginner / History　
Info Trail Audio Pack: Beginner / Geography　

Info Trail Audio Pack: Emergent / Science　
Info Trail Audio Pack: Competent / Science　
Info Trial Audio Pack: Fluent / Science　

▽　Price List　▽

Material	Price w/Tax	ISBN
Info Trail Audio Pack Beginner / Science	3,885	9784894719590
Beginner / Science Japanese Guide w/CDs	735	9784894719774

■John Wiltshier: Go with the Flow!

Kids E-Link Archive — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:00:00 +0900

Flow is an invisible force that affects every class. Some classes go so smoothly while others do just the opposite. There are many reasons why good and bad classes occur but more often than not a significant reason is the difference in 'flow'.

FLOW = BALANCE + TRANSITION

Flow, as I am using the term here, results from the balance of and the transition between classroom activities. A good balance is achieved by blending activities based on the amount and type of student participation expected. A smooth transition between activities is achieved through classroom organization, positioning of resources and mental rehearsal on the part of the teacher.

Flow can be represented visually in a flow diagram:

This flow diagram shows a well-balanced lesson with smooth transitions between activities. The lesson starts with children quietly sitting around the teacher singing a "Hello" song （①）. The teacher then does a flashcard vocabulary review, leading to a 'slap card' game （②）. When the game finishes the children bring all the cards back to the teacher ensuring a smooth transition into story time （③）. Story time ends with a song leading to a TPR activity （④）, then work book time （⑤）. The end of class game to receive a seal follows （⑥）, finally the children sit with the teacher and sing the goodbye song （⑦）.

Any class that produces a wave-shape flow diagram means the children are alternatively moving then sitting, noisy then quiet. Not all children like the same activities. Having a balanced variety of activities not only accommodates children with short attention spans but also acknowledges that different children prefer different activities.

With my trainee teachers we draw flow diagrams at the lesson planning stage to image the planned flow of the class and at the evaluation stage to visually represent how we perceived the actual flow. From my observation of student teacher classes I have drawn three flow diagrams (A~C) below. If you were an observer of these classes what would you have seen? Before reading on try to imagine these classes?

A = lines that are low and flat -a class in which children are physically inactive and there are only one or two similar activities. Some children may benefit from such a class but many may have trouble concentrating for such long periods on one activity which in turn can affect motivation and consequently levels of learning.
Suggestion: need to liven the class up a bit – include activities which allow the children to move.

B = lines that are high and flat – a class in which children are physically active with no quiet time. This type of class may work well but there is a danger children will become too excited during such a class which may lead to silliness and some classroom management problems plus the teacher will end the class exhausted!
Suggestion: select some quiet time activities and enjoy the change of pace with your students.

C = disjointed class – zigzag lines – a class which has variety (perhaps too much!) but the transition between each activity is poor. This destroys the flow because the children's concentration and the children themselves may tend to wander.
Suggestion: spend more time visualizing the class, set CDs to the correct track before class and position teaching materials around the class or in convenient places before the class to ensure smooth transition between activities.

By using flow diagrams with student teachers it has helped them become more aware of the lesson as a whole rather than as a series of unconnected activities. Please have fun designing different flow patterns for your classes and then just go with the flow!

-
John present on "flow" in Sendai on March 8th
on the Pearson Longman Kids Tour.
-

Further Reading

There is little specifically on "flow" as I have used the term in this article but the following books/ pages are related to the topic anf may help in improving the flow of our classes:

Read, C. (2007). 500 activities for the primary classroom. Oxford: Macmillan Education. pp.12 -routines
Slattery, M., & Willis, J. (2001). English for Primary Teachers. Oxford: OUP. pp.14-17 –starting and ending lessons
Linse, C. T. (2006). Young Learners. New York: McGraw Hill.
pp.190 -an example of a balanced class
Halliwell, S. (1992). Teaching English in the Primary School. Harlow: Longman. pp. 27-35 -about keeping the lesson simple
Krause, A., & Cossu, G. (2005). SuperKids Teacher's Guide. Hong Kong: Longman.
Krause, A., & Nagashima, M. (2001). SuperTots Teacher's Guide. Hong Kong: Longman.
Paul, D. (2003). Teaching English to Children in Asia. Hong Kong: Longman. -chapter 3 lesson planning, routines and core activities

John Wiltshier, Assistant Professor, Miyagi University, Sendai has presented nationally and internationally in Asia, Europe and the U.S. He has been a guest presenter at Teachers College Columbia University, invited speaker on the ETJ Teacher Training Tour, plenary speaker at PANSIG 2007 and Featured-Speaker at JALT 2007 and MICELT 2008 (Malaysia). In addition to teaching in Asia, John taught for six years in the UK.