The teaching of
reading and writing
using cooperative
learning structures
School-based Curriculum Development
(Primary) Section
28 February 2009
Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee
Kung Yik She Primary School
Miss Kelsey Tong
P.2 Reading lessons
Miss Kinki Tang
P.3 reading & writing lessons
Setting the scene to cooperative
learning in English language teaching
School located in Tin Shui Wai
Has joined small class teaching since
2006
Small Class Teaching in English in P.1 to
P.4 classes
Split English classes for P.5 and P.6
About our students
Mainly immigrants from mainland China
Parental support not strong
Exposure to English mainly in school
Low motivation level in learning English
Low self esteem
Individualistic
Relationships among students in English
lessons aloof
What we want…
Enhance students’ self esteem
Enhance student satisfaction
Promote mastery
Reduce classroom anxiety
Develop positive student-teacher attitudes
Establish inclusion
Develop students’ social interaction skills
How Small Class Teaching helps?
Fewer students, more chance …
to cater for
student diversity
for student
participation and
interaction
to provide quality
feedback
to give individualized
and appropriate
feedback
to promote
student learning
Our SCT experiences
Has joined Small Class Teaching
“Learning Circles” since 2006
Development focuses
- 2006 – 2007 Question Techniques
- 2007 – 2008 Cooperative Learning
- 2008-2009: Using CL structures in
P.2 & P.3 classes (reading and writing)
 to develop a platform to use CL
across key stages in language teaching
and learning at the school
How Cooperative Learning helps
Our Beliefs:
We need to provide students with an
environment in which an integrated
approach is used to facilitate all areas in
language development (Foyle, Lyman &
Thies)
We need to create an environment
conducive to learning which allows
children to feel secure, take challenges,
explore and solve problems so as to
investigate their world and develop
positive self-concepts and selfconfidence (Foyle, Lyman & Thies)
Cooperative learning provides maximum
opportunities for meaningful classroom
interaction in a supportive environment
that may lead to greater learner
achievement, motivation to learn, and
overall psychosocial adjustment (Shaaban,
2006)
Key elements
in cooperative learning
Positive Interdependence
Individual Accountability
Group Processing
Group Skills
Face-to –Face Interaction
Cooperative Learning structures
Over 200 strategies
Involve different schools of thought
(Kagan, Slavin, Johnson)
Promote student participation and
interaction, interdependent & individual
accountability
Common cooperative learning
structures in our language
classrooms
Roundrobin/Roundtable
Think-Pair-Share
Numbered Heads Together
Gallery Tour
Blackboard Share
Sequencing
Team Word-Webbing
Think-Pad Brainstorming
Fan-N-Pick
Three Stars and One Win
Applying cooperative learning
at classroom level
Key features for consideration
flexible use of various strategies
optimal opportunities for student
interactions
effective time and group management
informative/corrective teacher and peer
feedback
focused self evaluation based on shared
learning goal
What was in my mind
when I planned my lesson?
To provide more opportunities for peer
interactions
To inform students of learning intentions
To motivate learning and promote social
skills
To use time effectively
To manage group routines and the lesson
efficiently
On student participation
Is seating of students arranged in such a
way that enables pupils to receive the
maximum possible teacher attention and
facilitate interaction among students?
– heterogeneous learning groups are small
(groups of three to four members of
different abilities)
– group members are “knee to knee and eye to
eye” arranged but they all can see the
teacher at the front of the room
The P.2 Reading Lessons
Reader: The mean giant
Level: P.2
No. of students: 25
Teaching targets:
To sequence simple given information
To respond to characters and events in
simple imaginative texts through making
predictions
To develop collaboration skills: be open and
responsive to others’ ideas
Learning objectives:
Use the interrogative pronouns [what]
to find out specific information
Use adjectives to describe people
(concept learning - what kind of person
do you want to be)
Recycle correct use of punctuation
marks
The lesson procedures using
CL structures
Pre-reading
(i) Revisit high frequency words
(ii) Teach core vocabulary “colour”: Roundtable
Pedagogical purposes:
~ students share prior experiences among
teammates and colour their own rainbow (WS)
~ team building
~ develop mastery of the core vocabulary content
(iii) Teach core vocabulary “adjectives to
describe people”: Think-Pair-Share
Pedagogical purposes:
~ students think of and share adjectives with
partners
~ students are then invited to share their
responses with the whole class
~ students get actively involved in vocabulary
building for later application
iv) Focus on familiar topics and themes “things at
home”: Team Word-Webbing, Blackboard
Share and Gallery Tour
Pedagogical purposes:
~ students generate as many ideas as they can
on WS
~ on completion, teams share word-webs with
other teams to exchange information and
build concept
~ galley tour enables reflection on learning
v) Focus on familiar topics and themes “animals”:
Think-pad Brainstorming, Blackboard Share
and Gallery Tour 
Pedagogical purposes:
~ students generate as many ideas as they can
on separate think-pad slips
~ stronger students can help slower teammates
generate ideas once they use up their own
slips
While-reading
(i) Storytelling by teacher 
Pedagogical purposes:
~ teach book concept
~ use illustrations on cover to predict story
~ read the story to students and teach the
guessing skills through pictorial clues
(ii) Guided reading
Pedagogical purposes:
~ train reading skills
~ teach pronunciation and intonation in
reading
~ develop predicting skills
~ check for understanding
(iii) Shared reading
Students pair up to share the reading
responsibility (interactive reading)
Invite a pair of students to role play 
Pedagogical purposes:
~
~
~
make reading content accessible to all
allow less confident students the chance
to read in a non-threatening situation
praise students on efforts using specific
criteria
Post-reading
Check for understanding
Students write a new ending
Pedagogical purposes:
~ strengthen creative abilities and imagination
~ introduce `concept-based’ learning on what
kind of person students want to be
P.3 From reading to writing
Reader: Well done, Max!
Level: P.3
No. of students: 20 in 5 groups
Teaching targets:
To learn reading skills on inferring and
responding to the text
To learn different kinds of foods and
sports
To learn how to lead a healthy life
What was in my mind
when I planned my lesson?
How can I provide more opportunities
for student-to-student interaction?
How can my students strengthen their
interpersonal and small group skills?
How to monitor the groups and give
feedback effectively?
How to ensure individual accountability?
The reading lesson procedures
using CL structures
Pre-reading
(i) Stimulation
To activate students’ background knowledge
of different kinds of food
(Whole class teaching & Questioning)
(ii) Brainstorming (Roundtable)
- To use nouns to identify food items
Pedagogical purposes :
~ Be certain that students give as many
responses as they can
~ Be certain that every student
understands how to describe different
kinds of food
~ Monitor students’ responses
Pre-reading
(iii) Answer sharing: (Gallery Tour)
Pedagogical purposes:
~ students’ vocabulary bank can further be enriched
~ students can check their mastery of word spelling
(iv) Recycling book concepts and prediction skills:
(Whole class teaching & Questioning)
~ Develop prediction skill as an aid to reading
comprehension

While-reading
(i) To teach the pronunciation and meaning of
the words
(Guided reading & Shared reading)

(ii) To teach and recycle inferring and predicting
through interacting with the text & picture
clues (Think-Pair-Share)
Pedagogical purposes of CL structures:
~ students are provided some think time
~ students can rehearse a response with a partner
~ students participate in the whole-class sharing
~ to better motivate students in reading the text
While-reading
(iii) To respond to the text & check for
understanding (Fan-N-Pick)

Pedagogical purposes of CL structures:
~ Read out the questions –
speaking skills training
~ Think of an answer
reading and speaking training
~ to rehearse a response with a partner
learn from each other, equal opportunity to
share ideas, high degree of interaction
Post-reading/ Pre-writing
To build up the bridge from reading to writing
(i) Stimulation
- To activate students’ prior knowledge of ways
to lose weight (Whole class teaching &
Questioning)
The read-write lesson
procedures with CL structures
Post-reading/ Pre-writing
(ii) Brainstorming and organizing of ideas
(Word-Webbing)
Pedagogical purposes of CL structures:
~ self reflection upon personal experiences
~ group discussion about topic
~ list out vocabulary to be used in writing later on
~ build up the connection on writing
(iii) Sharing of ideas (Blackboard Display)
- to learn from others’ work
During-writing
(i) Drafting with the help of teacher
(Whole-class teaching & Questioning)
~ To learn the writing frame
~ To gain greater confidence in developing a piece
of writing in groups
During-writing
(ii) Group Writing of ideas (Jigsaw)

Pedagogical purposes of CL structures:
~ each team member becomes responsible for
specific lines of sentences
~ shares their writing lines
~ discusses the writing materials
~ checks for the completion of writing
Post-writing
(i) Proofreading and Editing I 
(Gallery Tour, 3 Stars and 1 Share)
- To give and get peer feedback
Pedagogical purposes of CL structures:
~ to read the others’ work
~ to be encouraged to check punctuation, spelling
and grammar
~ to discuss and think critically during
proofreading
~ to give positive peer feedback
Post-writing
(ii) Proofreading and editing II 
(Whole-class teaching)
- Teacher gives corrective & informative
feedback
appreciation on others’ good ideas
a better understanding on the use of language
improve the content of writing such as adding
details, combining ideas, rearranging ideas,
substituting words or phrases with more
appropriate ones
Post-writing
(iii) Independent writing
- To complete a writing task on one’s own
Some examples of students’ work
Student works
Ways to lose weight
First, I can go running. I can go
running in the playground. It is
wonderful.
Second, I can go swimming. I can go
swimming in the swimming pool.
Third, I should eat more fruits,
vegetable, mangoes and apples.
Next, I shouldn’t eat too many sweets,
pizzas, chocolates, french fries, pasta
and hamburgers.
I can eat more vegetables at home
and restaurant.
I can buy more fruits in the market.
I am happy.
Then I can lose weight.
Ways to lose weight
First, I can go hiking. I can go
hiking in the park.
Second. I can go swimming. I
can go swimming in the swimming
pool.
Third, I should eat more pears,
and, salad, and sandwiches.
Next, I shouldn’t eat too much
chocolate, beefsteak and
pancakes.
Then I can lose weight.
Ways to lose weight
First, I can go swimming. I can
go swimming in the swimming
pool. It is fun. Second, I can go
hiking. I can go hiking in the hill.
Third, I should eat more
mangoes, apples and pears. Next,
I shouldn’t eat too much sweets,
chips and pizza. Then I can loes
weight.
Ways to lose weight
First, I can go running.
I can go running in the park. It’s
worderful
Second, I can ________
Third, I should eat more
vegetables and good food
Next, I should eat too much
pizzas.
Then I can lose giant weight.
Ways to lose weight
First, I can go swimming. I can go
swimming in the swimming pool. It
is worderful.
Second, I can play badminton. I
play badminton in the badminton
courts. I am happy.
Third, I should eat more apple and
vegetables.
Next, I shouldn’t eat too much
chese cakes, salad and French
fries. Then I can lose weight.
Ways to lose weight
First, I can go swimming I can
go swimming in the swimming
pool. It is wontoful, second I
can ________
Third, I should eat mlik and
apple.
Next, I shouldn’t eat too many
hamburgers and pizzas.
Then I can lese wight.
Focus questions for reflection
Did we make instruction relevant and
students responsible?
Did students work in groups / pairs to
accomplish particular learning objectives
and are interdependent for successful
completion of the objective?
Did we emphasize intrinsic motivation as
a key element in teaching and learning?
Did we create a learning atmosphere in
which students feel respected and
connected to one another?
Did our teaching enhance students’ self
esteem?
Did students help each other?
Did we provide enough time for
reflection and discussion of students’
errors or misconceptions?
Teacher’s Reflections
How is cooperative learning different
from group learning?
~ promote learning and social skills
~ maximize interaction among students (faceto-face interaction, interacting with other
students’ writing)
~ encourage individual accountability
How far do we think the strategy is
effective in promoting student
learning?
~ by observation
~ students’ work
~ own reflections
The finale
Cooperative Learning structures are but
one of the many strategies in language
teaching and learning. Attention must be
paid to key concepts in the English
language curriculum development
balance in the curriculum (reading workshop,
GE, intervention and enrichment programmes)
task-based learning
integration of language skills
meaningful recycling and spiral learning
teaching of functional grammar in context
varieties in learning materials (both objective
and authentic) and teaching and learning
approaches
~Thank You~