From Input through
Intake to Output in FLES
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR PLANNING SO IT JUST FLOWS!
Victoria Gilbert, Ed.D.,
Modern Language Chair,
Saint David’s School,
Problem: FLES teachers have little planning time, multiple
preps across multi-ages and 100’s of students
Solution:
◦Streamline planning with routines and templates
◦Invest time up front instilling routines with students
◦ Layer new content with review
◦ Use checks for understanding within activities
Routines can be songs, stories or games
-Lower the affective filter
-Have beginning, middle, and end
-Allow for differentiation & experimentation
Sample spectrum for games, songs or stories
Input Phase: teacher surrounds
students with language through
narration and context
By planning in segments of 5 minutes with
the same content delivered each time in a
novel way, the teacher maintains student
attention. A brain break is appropriate in
between segments.
By including a reflection box in the organizer,
teachers are prompted to reflect on outcomes of
each class, a critical disposition
Depending on the amount of
content, intensity (duration) and
frequency (meeting times),
teacher may need 2-3 cycles of
input lesson plans with students
Transition Phase: teacher evaluates
and adjusts instructional activities
and teaching points to support
student intake
Note that during the transition
phase, students are working
together in teams or groups to
accomplish a goal in using their
language. They can rely on
teacher or peers for support.
Use of English (or L1) should be
sparse to achieve 90% target
language use. I often choose to
use my 10% to introduce the
lesson Can-Do and any new
game twists
Diagram analysis is NOT a
grammar task, it may be
related to Venn diagrams
or other graphic
organizers
Output Phase: teacher
evaluates student output and
supports those who are not
there yet, while celebrating
those who have mastered the
content as “I can” kings or
queens
Teachers can create a thematically based
proficiency pathway for students to document
their movement along the pathway, helping
everyone to understand that everyone’s pace is
different and that they all have agency in their
growth.
Using natural order
questioning (responses
range from TPR, yes/no,
choice selection (3) and
then, fill in the blank or
who, what, when, where,
how questions all within
the same activity
Sample Proficiency Pathways related to themes
Resources
Lesson Planning Checklist
Input - Output Spectrum
Languages and Learners: Making the Match
The Keys to Strategies for Language Instruction
Podcast with Leslie Grahn, Engaging Language Learners
From Input through
Intake to Output in FLES
HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR PLANNING SO IT JUST FLOWS!
Victoria Gilbert, Ed.D.,
Modern Language Chair,
Saint David’s School,