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Examples of Strategies Training Lesson Plans
4/30
9:30 – 10:30
Objectives:
- ss will understand how to make a flashcard with 3 elements: word, picture definition, “sounds
like” word
- ss will review cooking vocabulary
Process:
- “Sometimes when you go home, you can’t remember the words from class. We will make cards
today to help you practice the words at home.”
- Model example of card with “Bethany”
- write word on front
- write “definition” picture on back
- write “sounds like” pictures on front: bed + thin + knee
- Model examples of “bake” (Hmong = 3) and “chop” (Somali = tea)
- Write 10 cooking words on board from last week; class works all together to write vocabulary
on cards, and to create pictures of definitions on back.
- Model reviewing words by “quizzing” self with pictures.
- Was this helpful?
- Homework: think of “sounds like” words in your language to put on front of cards.
5/7
9:40 – 10:20
Objectives:
- Ss will understand the importance of regular review of flash cards.
- Ss will learn and practice 3 specific techniques for review of cards: say word, copy word, spell
word
Process:
- T has ss get cards out, and checks with ss how much time they can review at home.
- T models “say word” technique with one student. “She knows the word, put it here; she doesn’t
know the word, put it here.” (2 separate piles) Checking questions: “She knows it – do I put it
here or here?” Ss practice individually. On board write: “1. Say”
- One student had copied the words multiple times on the backs of her cards, so I incorporated
this, too. Show ss back of cards. “What did she do? She copied many times. When you don’t
know the word, you copy and say to yourself.” Ss practice individually. On board, write: “2.
Copy”
- Model spelling words out loud to self with one student. “She knows the word, put it here.” Ss
practice individually. On board, write: “3. Spell”
- “So, when you go home, you practice 10, 15 minutes with your cards. First, you say, then you
write, then you spell.” Bethany also elicits other times that ss could practice (on bus, while a
passenger, before kids come home.)
Learning Strategies and Low-Literacy Adult Hmong Students
Julia Reimer: jreimer@hamline.edu
LESLLA Conference 2009
2
6/18/07
9:30 – 10:30
Objectives:
- Students will begin to learn about circumlocution
- Students will be able to create their own sentences with “It’s a machine for…”
- Students will gain some confidence in using the English they already have
Materials: large photos of machines; handouts with “It’s a machine for…” and photos
Lesson Plan:
(Note: I used 2 higher level students to translate.)
- “Many times you don’t know a word for something, but you can use others words to say what
you mean. Today, we will practice asking for things with words you know.”
- on board: “machine” “What’s the word?” Show large photos: “Machine, machine, machine,
etc. These are all machines.”
- Show photo of cell phone. “What’s this?” (I anticipate that many ss will know the name.) “If
you don’t know the word, what can you say?” On board: It’s a machine for… Elicit responses
from ss. “It’s a machine for calling.” Elicit other ideas and write on board.
- “Now, in groups, I will give you a photo. Look at it and talk (don’t write): it’s a machine for …”
Ss split into same L1 groups. Higher level ss help to interpret. Rotate photos.
- Get back as whole group. Show photos, elicit answers from students, write on board (in the
same order as on the sheet). Try to get a few different answers.
- Hand out handout with smaller photos. Ss select a phrase to copy from board by each photo.
T circulates and helps.
- Regroup as whole group. Choral repetition of phrases from board, checking with photos for
meaning.
- “Sometimes when I go to a store I don’t know the word. I can use “it’s a machine for”.
Machine is a very important word.”
Partial handout for this session:
1. It’s a machine for
2. It’s a machine for
3. It’s a machine for
Learning Strategies and Low-Literacy Adult Hmong Students
Julia Reimer: jreimer@hamline.edu
LESLLA Conference 2009
3
7/25/07
9:30 – 11:00
Objectives:
- ss will identify native speakers that they can speak with
- ss will learn / review simple phrases they can use in small talk
- ss will gain a bit more confidence in approaching native speakers
Materials:
out-of-class practice photos and handout
Plan:
(Note: I used two advanced students as translators.)
- “Today we will talk about people that you can practice English with outside of class. When you
are out of class, do you see people who speak English? Who?” (Ss volunteered job counselor,
teacher, friend)
- Use large photos to introduce other possibilities. Place them on board, identify job. Repeat job
names.
- “What can you say to these people?” (See handout for elicited phrases.) Write elicited phrases
on board.
- Choral repetition of phrases.
- Distribute handout. Ss copy phrases from board to handout.
- Whole group choral repetition of phrases.
- Give one large photo to each classroom helper. Ss mingle to practice conversations with each
helper.
- “After class today, your homework is to talk to at least one person in English. You’ll report to
Bethany what you did tomorrow.”
Handout for this session:
Hello.
How much is rice?
cashier
Does this bus go to Walmart?
bus driver
Excuse me. I need coffee.
grocery clerk
Learning Strategies and Low-Literacy Adult Hmong Students
Julia Reimer: jreimer@hamline.edu
LESLLA Conference 2009
4
Tips for Strategy Training with Pre-literate Adult Learners
 Try to anticipate what students will have difficulty with as a result of being preliterate. For example, our students had real difficulty with metacognition about
their own languages. (It was hard for them to think of a word that “sounded like”
another word.)
 Break strategies down into smaller steps. For example, students made flashcards
in session one. In session two, they practiced using the flashcards. In session
three, they added more information to their cards (person, thing, action).
 Have students practice strategies with known material.
 Review and practice strategies many times.
 Build strategies use into any practice activity you do. (i.e., integrate strategies
instruction)
 Be explicit about naming strategies, talking about when to use them, modeling
use of strategies. Use a single, simple name for each strategy.
 Ask students to report on their outside-of-class use of strategies that you’ve
taught. This provides incentive to use the strategies.
 Use higher-level students as translators during strategy training sessions. (The
strategies apply to all levels, so it’s time well spent for all students!)
Learning Strategies and Low-Literacy Adult Hmong Students
Julia Reimer: jreimer@hamline.edu
LESLLA Conference 2009