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The Strategy of the
Month. Where It's From. |
Among other uses, tutors, mentors, teacher
education students, and our partners use
the America Learns Network
every day to share the amazing, one of a kind
strategies, lesson plans and activities they've
created and used to best support their students.
More than 2,000 strategies
have been contributed to the Network since 2004.
Each month, we highlight one of these
strategies on this page and in our
free e-newsletter.
More than 10,000 individuals worldwide --
tutors, mentors, teachers, parents, researchers
and policymakers -- receive these strategies via
e-mail alone.
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August's Strategies
The First Global Strategies of the Month! |
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This
year
has been a year of firsts for our
Strategy of the Month feature and
e-newsletter.
We had:
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The
first adult literacy Strategy
of the Month in March;
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The
first mathematics Strategy of
the Month in May; and
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The
first cyber issues Strategy
of the Month in July.
And
now, the first Global Strategy
of the Month. Actually, we're
celebrating two strategies from around
the world this month!
The strategies, which focus on teaching
the names of colors to
young children who are just learning
English, were developed by
Taylor Ann Drew (in Hungary) and
Jason Reeder (in Mexico).
Taylor and Jason are volunteering with
Learning Enterprises, an
organization that engages
outstanding college students to teach
conversation-based English language
classes in developing nations around the
world.
Check out the strategies below!
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The First Strategy:
Colores!
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Author: |
Jason Reeder (Learning
Enterprises;
Sinaloa, Mexico) |
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Topics: |
Colors;
New English Language
Learners |
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Age levels strategy
was used with: |
6 to 8 years |
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Arrangement: |
One-on-One;
Small Group; Large
Group |
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Materials: |
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Pipe
cleaners of
various
colors and
at least one
other object
that is the
same color
of each of
the pipe
cleaners |
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Situation: |
I needed a way to teach
colors to kids from 4 to 6
years old who did not yet
know how to read English.
The principle of the game is
that every color has an
action associated with it to
help the kids remember the
vocabulary.
After about two weeks of
playing it every day, it is
still the kids' favorite
activity, and they can now
do it without my help. |
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Step 1: |
Hold up a colored pipe
cleaner, and while you say
the name of the color do a
crazy, exaggerated action
with your whole body.
For example:
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RED - Hold up a red pipe
cleaner, jump up from
your chair, and shout
RED!!!
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BLUE - Hold up a blue
pipe cleaner, stand up
and spin around while
saying BLUUUUUE
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GREEN - Hold up a green
pipe cleaner, stick your
arms out straight and
say "green, green,
green" like a Martian.
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Step
2: |
Keep adding colors, and
ask the kids to think of
actions for new ones.
For
pink, one girl stood up and
hopped on one foot, so
that's what we do every
time.
You can also hand the pipe cleaners to a kid and
motion for them to take your
chair and be the one to hold
up the pipe cleaners. Kids
don't seem to be scared of
doing this, because they
don't have to do anything
but hold up the colors they
choose. It is a good way to
go through all of the colors
multiple times without
getting boring.
Pipe cleaners are popular in
my village because no one
here has ever seen them
before, so they add some
novelty to the game. If you
can't get any, anything
else of a solid color, like
markers or construction
paper, would work fine.
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Step
3: |
America Learns Note:
It's important to make sure
that the students realize
that red means a color and
is not a name for "pipe
cleaner," or a name for
whatever object you're
holding.
Ensure that your students
are really learning their
colors by holding up at
least one other object of
each color and ask your
students to tell you the
color of that object. Then,
you'll know that your
students are building their
vocabulary in this area and
will be able to apply the
vocabulary they're using
correctly.
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The Second Strategy:
Color Reinforcement with
Balloons
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Author: |
Taylor Ann Drew (Learning
Enterprises; Zalaegerszeg,
Hungary) |
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Topics: |
New English Language
Learners; Colors |
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Age levels strategy
was used with: |
9 - 14 years |
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Arrangement: |
One-on-One;
Small Group |
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Materials: |
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Situation: |
This is an easy, fun game to
play once your students have
learned their basic colors
and numbers in English.
Use it to reinforce and
celebrate their
learning. |
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Step 1: |
Give directions and play
the game.
- Ask your students to stand
in a circle.
- Explain that you're going
to blow up a bunch of
balloons and throw them all
around the room.
- When you say, "Go!",
they'll need to start
hitting the balloons around
the room (but not at each
other).
- When you yell "Stop", the
kids will grab as many
balloons as possible.
- Ask each child how many
balloons they're holding and
to name each balloon's
color. If they forget
the English name for the
color or number, ask them to
name the color in their own
language (you'll have to
learn the colors in that
language beforehand).
- Make a note of which
colors and numbers you'll
need to reinforce with each
student through a more
formal lesson or in another
game after this one.
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More about the strategy's
author: |
Here's what Taylor Ann wrote
to us when she learned that
we'd be recognizing her and
her strategy:
"While working with
Learning Enterprises I
wanted to share my love
for teaching with people
across the world.
Through this experience
I gained great
appreciation for another
culture while
strengthening my
patience. Eastern
Europe is a place I will
forever hold in my
heart."
Taylor is a student at the
University of Florida
studying Health Science and
Education. |
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