What else can weak learners do?

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What else can weak learners do?

• They can think !!

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Who are our clients?

• Weak learners / non readers at the end of elem
  school /
• beginning of JHS
• false beginners
• a history of failure and frustration
• low self image - pessimistic

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• have usually opted out - negative attitude to
  school in general
• and English in particular

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Psychologically speaking.

• send a message that we are aware of their
  problems
• avoid at all cost a re-run of material they have
  already failed at
• or materials that seem to be designed for younger
  learners

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• break out of the cycle of repeated failure
• need materials that can overcome these obstacles

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What materials ?

• age-sensitive
• of current relevance
• are perceived by the students to be interesting
• have the potential to stimulate thought

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• use English not to talk about itself
• but to prompt thought about topics and
  interesting fields of knowledge
• the what else factor

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Reading to read or reading to think ?

• A low reading level does not necessarily mean a
  low thinking level
• or topics different from those that interest
  mainstream young teens

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What kind of materials ?

• Across all the skills we can incorporate or
• infuse thoughtful-ness
• Some examples.

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Topic Being a smart consumer

• Skill fact and opinion
• Ads want us to
• a. buy things
• b. tell the truth
• c. look good
• d. know the truth

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Imagine you are writing an ad. Which of these
sentences would you use ?

• Our smart cell phone can do everything!
• We have beautiful clothes, just for you
• Do you really need a new computer ?
• People everywhere love our cookies!
• In my opinion, these boots are no good.
• Read our newspaper. It gives you all the facts.

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What do you ask yourself when you buy things ?

• a. Does this store really have the best brands?
• b. Do my friends have these sneakers?
• c. Do I need these sneakers?
• d. Are these sneakers really
• the best in town?

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Thinking skill compare and
contrast

• Topic Same and Different
• Reading comprehension

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Can these two boys be twins? Read and decide.

• 1.
• They have the same mother.
• They have the same father.
• They are both tall.
• They are both thin.
• They have blonde hair.
• They dont like the same things.
• They dont have the same birthday.
• They are good friends.

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2.

• Mr Black, Mr Green and Mr White were sitting in
  the park.
• Mr Black said Look, our hats are all different
  colours. But none of us is wearing the colour
  that is the same as his name.
• That is true, said the man who was wearing a
  white hat.

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• What colour hat was each man wearing ?

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Teach grammar in a thought-full way

• Read about two friends. Do the facts show that
  they live near or far from each other, or either ?

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near far either
They like the same music
They write to each other by e mail.
They play basketball together every day.
They send SMS messages.
They do homework together
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What skill are we testing?

• People buy / buys sandals at a shoe shop
• grammar
• People buy sandals / coats at a shoe shop
• vocabulary

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• Lots of people wear sandals in
• summer.
• They have great sandals at this
• shop.
• fact and opinion

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T F or NEE ?

• There are three aliens.
• The aliens are the same size.
• The spaceship made a lot of noise.
• The spaceship is near a city.
• The spaceship door is open.
• The aliens come from Mars.
• They want to attack the city.

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Comparative adjectives

• Jacks car is more expensive than Leos car, but
  cheaper than Lisas car. Franks car is not as
  expensive as Lisas car.
• Who has the most expensive car ?

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Thinking about vocabulary

• The cyclists are at the starting line. Do they
  know who the winner is ?
• Yes / no
• Greg won the race. Does he get a prize or a
  prince ?
• Someone damaged my bike. Am I happy or angry ?
• Someone cheated in a maths test. Does the teacher
  give him 0 or 100?

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• Bob beat Steve in a tennis game. Who was the
  winner Steve or Bob?
• If you collect posters do you keep them or sell
  them?
• Does a polite person say Thank you or Go away?

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Cause and effect

• Which was the cause ?
• Jack never learned to read.
• It was too hard for him.
• Jack opened a coffee shop.
• He lost his job.

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• He had many coffee shops.
• He made a lot of money.
• He lost his job.
• He didnt know how to read.

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Logical thinking

• Is it possible ? Logical?
• I didnt do my HW because it rained yesterday
• Dan has a new car. He walks to work every day.

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• My sister is in America. I will meet her tomorrow
  .
• We are lost. The GPS is not working.
• Dinner is not ready. The GPS is not working.
• There aren't any oranges. I am going to eat one.

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Puzzlescross matching information

• Tom plays basketball and he has only one
  neighbour.
• Sam has a blue cell phone and he lives next door
  to the red house.
• Ella lives in the yellow house and she likes
  jazz.
• The boy who likes hip hop has a digital camera.

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Conclusion

• Choose topics that are relevant, interesting, age
  appropriate
• current, cool
• Avoid materials that talk down to students
• Try to incorporate technology
• Be on the look out for what else