Table Of Content

FREE Penguin Young Readers Teacher’s Guide to Using Topics Nicole Taylor Penguin Young Readers SSttoorriieess CChhiillddrreenn LLoovvee!! www.penguinreaders.com Contents Introduction 2 Why Use Topics in the Young Learner Classroom? 2 Integrating Penguin Young Readers into Topic Work 2 How Penguin Young Readers relate to topics 2 Using the topic links in the factsheets 3 Using the topic grids 3 Choosing topics 3 Suggestions for Planning Units of Work 4 Using Penguin Young Readers as a starting point for topic work 4 Using Penguin Young Readers as a resource for topic work 5 Combining plans 6 Activities Based on Penguin Young Readers 6 Selecting activities 6 Using video and audio recordings 7 Organizing the Classroom for Topic Work 7 Classroom management 7 Evaluation of Topic Work 8 A More Detailed Look at Three Topics 9 Topic 1:FOOD (5–7 years) 9 Topic 2:THE COUNTRY (7–9 years) 12 Topic 3:MAGIC (9–11 years) 14 Topic Grids 16 5–7 years 16 7–9 years 18 9–11 years 20 Photocopiable Templates 22 1 An outline mind map for planning 22 2 An outline table for planning 23 3 Pupil topic evaluation sheet 25 4 Games for practising classroom instructions 26 5 Making a topic train or a topic tower 27 6 A cover for a picture dictionary 28 7 Dominoes game 29 8 Class survey 30 9 Class survey results 31 10 Invent your own board game 32 p II Introduction Introduction ◆ Children learn best when they are interested and challenged. One of the most common and effective ways ◆ Children are motivated by variety. of teaching English to children is through the use of topics and themes.Topics provide a ◆ Individuals learn in different ways and context within which to work on language. develop at different rates. The Penguin Young Readers Teacher’s Guide to Integrating Penguin Young Using Topics provides realistic and practical Readers into Topic Work ideas for using topics as a way of organizing ◆ How Penguin Young Readers English language work.It is a useful resource relate to topics for teachers of English working with children The topics for the Penguin Young Readers aged between 5 and 11. were chosen after analysis of current course The main body of the book provides books for young learners.The most common guidance on the selection of topics and the topics were identified for the age ranges and organization of units of work.This includes these are the ones listed in the grids on suggestions for using Penguin Young Readers pages 16–21.The books can thus be used as as a basis and resource for topic work.There part of topic based work in the classroom. are tips on planning,selecting tasks,exploiting materials,and evaluating pupils’ progress. ◆ Each book can be used with a number of There are also teachers’ notes for three different topics. popular topic areas. ◆ There are books aimed at different ages for each topic area. The end section of the book is made up of ◆ There are several books at each level for ten photocopiable templates.These include each topic area. worksheets and templates for games and craftwork which can be used across a This framework is intended to give you number of topics.There are also several maximum flexibility of choice,allowing you to useful templates intended to help with teach the same topic with different age- planning,selecting and evaluating activities, groups and to cater for a disparity of levels and assessing pupils’ progress. and interests within those age-groups. Why Use Topics in the Young Many topics are recycled and enriched from Learner Classroom? one level to the next,reappearing in new contexts.The topic of Homes appears in Organizing work around topics helps us take one or more stories at each level for 5–7 into account some basic principles of how year-olds,for example Goldilocks,Sleeping children learn languages effectively. Beauty and Peter Pan.For 7–9 year-olds the ◆ Children acquire language more effectively Level 1 title My Home is dedicated to this when it is introduced in meaningful topic and there are further references to the contexts and used for a purpose. theme in other original and classic stories ◆ Children learn best when new ideas are such as Hansel and Gretel,Snow White and The related to their own experience. Seven Dwarves and The Best Christmas. 2 Integrating Penguin Young Readers into Topic Work ◆ A number of Penguin Young Readers books Using the topic grids are themselves topic based.The Story Shops On pages 16–21 you will find topic grids for are very much like magazines with a the Readers in the Penguin Young Readers collection of stories,fascinating facts,quizzes series.These grids are designed to help you and games,loosely based on a central topic. to integrate the Readers into topic work. For example,the central theme of Story Shop: Each grid relates to the books in one of the The Present is Nature;the main topics in three age bands.A tick indicates that it is Story Shop:Winners and Losers are Sport and possible to make a link between the Reader Health;and the topic area in Story Shop: and a particular topic.If the ticked box is Grounded is Space.There are also several also shaded,this means that suggestions for non-fiction titles in the series such as Colors, topic work in this area are included in the Families,Seasons,Shapes,Ghosts,Famous Sports, factsheet which accompanies the Reader. My Home and The Amazing Universe. ◆ Choosing topics Using these titles with pupils can be an ideal way of introducing a new topic.They are also To ensure that a topic is going to motivate extremely useful as reference books for topic pupils,their age and experience of the world work. must be taken into account.Some topics such as Space,The Future,Time, All fiction titles in the Penguin Young Readers Film/Media and TV may be beyond the series have clear links with topics too. world experience of the youngest learners ◆ Using the topic links in the and more suitable for work with older age- factsheets groups.However,most topics are,in themselves,relevant to all ages:It is the The factsheets which accompany the Penguin Young Readers include suggestions for links materials and activities chosen that makes to topics,together with practical hints of them appeal to a particular group. how to use the Reader as a springboard to The topics covered in the English classroom topic work and cross-curricular projects.For are often determined by a school syllabus or example,the factsheet for The Elves and the course book.The topic grids on pages 16–21 Shoemaker suggests topic links and ideas in and Factsheet links will help you to choose the areas of Clothes,Jobs,Magic,and The Readers to develop these topics.Simply look Body.Within the topic area of Jobs there up the topic on the list and select books are several suggestions for language and which relate to it. project work,including a history project on jobs that are no longer done or that are now If you are not working with a course book done in factories.Factsheets can be or a predetermined plan,The Penguin Young downloaded free from Readers series provides you with a useful www.penguinreaders.com framework and set of materials around which you can build up your own topic-based syllabus.The topic grids can help you to decide which topics may be most interesting to your pupils.Look at the grid for the age 3 Suggestions for Planning Units of Work group you are teaching,find out which topics Weather and The Country,and links with come up most frequently at the appropriate other curriculum areas such as Geography level and begin with these. and Natural Science. There are also many fiction titles in the Suggestions for Planning Penguin Young Readers series that have Units of Work obvious topic links.A fairy tale or an Thorough planning is essential to topic work. imaginative story can be a motivating way to It is important to have a clear idea of the stimulate topic work.For example,Jack and aims and objectives against which to measure the Beanstalk can be used as a springboard to pupils’ progress.A coherent outline of a unit the topic of Food.In the story,Jack has to of work may also be required by the school take the milking cow to sell her in the or the pupils’ parents.However,there should market,the beanstalk grows from the beans be a degree of flexibility within a plan to that Jack’s mother throws from the window, accommodate the pupils’ own reactions, and Jack discovers that the giant has a preferences and input. chicken that lays golden eggs.All of these events can be highlighted to encourage pupils There are two main approaches to planning to think about where food comes from and topic work and integrating Readers: could lead on to activities which explore this 1.Starting from the Reader subject. Choosing one Reader which has strong topic Procedure links and using it as a springboard to work Step 1 Select a book at the level you on one or a number of topic areas. consider to be appropriate for the group you 2.Starting from the topic are teaching. Choosing a topic and using a number of Step 2 If the book is new to you,read it for Readers as a resource for exploring it. your own pleasure and to see whether you think you will enjoy working with it.Your ◆ 1.Using Penguin Young Readers reactions to a book are important as they as a starting point for topic work will be passed on to your pupils. The Story Shops and non-fiction titles in the Step 3 Read the first page of the Factsheet Penguin Young Readers series are ideal for to find out more about the book.Look at this purpose.They provide a colourful and the ‘Topics and Themes’ section to get some engaging introduction to several key topics. ideas of the topics that link with the book. For example,Seasons takes us through Step 4 Read the book through again and Winter,Spring,Summer and Autumn through make a note of any other topic references. the eyes of a friendly bear called Julio.Julio Step 5 Select one or two of the topics you also takes us to countries where the have identified and begin to make a written sequence and number of seasons is different. plan of which topic/s you are going to cover. This Reader can be used with younger age A mind map may be a useful way of noting groups to explore the concept of Time down ideas while planning.See Photocopiable (seasons,months and years.) It also leads in Template 1,An outline mind map for planning, to topics on the natural world,such as The on page 22. 4 Suggestions for Planning Units of Work Step 6 Reread the book several times and Little Mermaid lives with her five sisters and build up your plan.Your decisions will her father,Cinderella lives with her step probably depend on your perception of the mother and two sisters and in Charlie and the interests of the group you are teaching,their Chocolate Factory Charlie lives with his previous knowledge,and what areas they need parents and grandparents.This might lead to practice or new input in.You may find the work on family trees,class surveys and so on. following headings useful in your planning: For the topic of Magic,pupils could be asked Links with other areas of the curriculum to invent rhymes for performing the magic New language & language to be recycled spells which appear in a range of traditional Skills to practise (e.g.speaking,writing) fairy tales,for exampleAladdin and the Lamp, Activity types (e.g.surveys,pairwork,drama) Snow White and Rose Red and Rumpelstiltskin. Ideas for specific activities These could be made into a class spell book. Supplementary materials available This could lead on to preparing,explaining Other resources available and performing magic tricks and so on. Links with other stories / books / topics. Procedure Warning! Be careful not to over-use a Step 1 Choose your topic.This may already particular book or story as pupils may get be determined by your course book or bored with it.Use it as a starting point for syllabus or you may want to use the topic other activities.Don’t forget the importance grid to help you. of reading books for pleasure. Step 2 Use the appropriate topic grid on pages 16–21 to find out which Readers have ◆ 2.Using Penguin Young Readers links with this particular topic. as a resource for topic work Step 3 Read the first page of the Factsheet There are many topics which are common to for each Reader.Make a note of any a number of books in the Penguin Young suggested links and activities in this topic Readers series.These books can be a useful area. resource for exploring these topics or Step 4 Look through all the Readers which supplementing a course book.Stories and relate to the topic you are dealing with.Read magazine-type books can help to capture the any that you are not familiar with and,if you imagination and make the topic accessible to have time,reread others.Make a note of any young learners.By making use of Readers,we further activities that spring to mind.You may can help to extend topics beyond the pupils’ wish to look at one or two Readers at a own personal situation,relating them to higher or lower level:Even if the text is too other people and characters whose lives may advanced or easy for the pupils,it is possible be very different. that there is useful information in the For the topic of Families,pupils can be illustrations. asked to read or reread some of the fiction Step 5 Make written notes about which titles in The Penguin Young Readers series concepts you aim to explore through English, and find out who the main characters live the language you want to introduce,the with and help them to see that not all language you need to recycle,and the families are like their own.For example,The language and learning skills you want to 5 Activities Based on Penguin Young Readers develop.Select three or four activities to simply ask the group a series of questions in address these aims.Make a note of any their mother tongue.With higher levels,you books that will be a useful resource for the could try quizzes,questionnaires,or pair activity.See Photocopiable Template 2,An interviews about the topic.See outline table for planning,on page 23. Photocopiable Template 3,Pupil topic evaluation sheet,on page 25. ◆ Combining plans If you plan a unit of work according to the Activities Based on Penguin Young Readers guidelines in Template 1 on page 22,based on topics that come out of a particular Reader, The Penguin Young Readers series can be you may want to go on to explore that topic used as the basis for a wide variety of topic more broadly through the use of other based activities linking to other areas of the Readers.In this case,you can use a curriculum: combination of these suggestions for ◆ project work leading to the production of planning:1.Starting from the Reader,and 2. books,reports,video or audio recordings, Starting from the topic. posters,maps, games,quizzes,songs and ◆ Pacing the plan so on Once you have a clear plan for a unit of topic ◆ dramatization,role-play and presentations work,the next stage is to fit this to the time (The Penguin Young Readers Teacher’s Guide you have.The number of lessons you plan to to Dramatizing Stories has tips and ideas on spend on a topic will probably depend on drama work.) many factors beyond your control – the ◆ art and craft work length of the school term,the number of hours ◆ creative or factual written work allocated to English,the school’s assessment ◆ discussions and debates programme and so on.Within these ◆ investigations and surveys restrictions,it is important to consider the ◆ Internet projects particular group you are working with.It is perhaps best to plan for five or six lessons ◆ Selecting activities on one topic and then extend it according to You will probably have ideas for several the pupils’ levels of interest and involvement. activities noted in your initial plan.The next It is a good idea to dedicate part of the first step is to make a selection of activities to lesson to finding out how much the pupils start with,based on the following already know about the topic and what they considerations: would like to know.You can use this ◆ the pupils’ level of English information to adjust your own topic plan.In ◆ the linguistic aims of a unit of work this way you avoid the risk of boredom and ◆ the cognitive and developmental stage(s) tailor work more closely to a specific group. of the pupils There are a number of ways of doing this: ◆ the pupils’ current interests and what they With younger children or pupils at a very study in other areas of the curriculum early stage of learning English,you may ◆ the pupils’ level of speaking and writing 6 Organizing the classroom for Topic Work and their stage of emotional and social expose pupils to other voices and help their development. listening comprehension.They are also very It is also important to take into account the practical where there are limited copies of range of learning styles within a group.For the Reader available:one group can watch example,some pupils may learn better the video recording while another group through physical activity and others through listens to the recording and looks at the more analytical,problem solving tasks.A illustrations in a single copy of the Reader. balanced variety of activities around a topic Organizing the Classroom can help language learning to play a role in for Topic Work the education of the whole child,catering for individual learning preferences and When you are working on topics for the first encouraging the development of new skills. time,you may feel that you need a clear linear plan and that you want to keep tight It can be useful to draw up a set of criteria control over what the pupils are doing. for choosing activities based on your aims However,once you feel comfortable with and objectives for a unit of work.It is not topic work,there is no reason why pupils necessary for each activity to fulfil all of your should all be doing the same activity at the criteria.You can put together a combination same time.Provided that you feel confident of activities that all together do address the in terms of classroom management,you can needs you have identified. give pupils a choice of activities or set up Criteria for selecting activities activity corners so that pupils move round Activities should: the room and do a series of different tasks in ◆ encourage pupils to think one lesson.This encourages pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and can ◆ present language in a meaningful context help to accommodate pupils working at ◆ require pupils to use language for a different levels and paces purpose ◆ foster group and class co-operation ◆ Classroom management ◆ allow pupils to work at their own pace Remember to give clear instructions for all ◆ encourage pupils to work independently activities before the pupils begin.A ten- ◆ encourage investigation and enquiry minute explanation or demonstration of the activities with the whole class at the ◆ actively involve the pupils beginning will save you a lot of time in the ◆ Using video and audio long run.If pupils are doing activities which recordings involve making things,a sheet for each group The audio recordings which accompany all of with written and/or graphic instructions may the books in the Penguin Young Readers be useful.It is a good idea to do some work series and the video recordings which on the language of instructions from time to accompany the Fairy Tales are very practical time.Five-minute games where pupils mime and useful for project work.They provide instructions to the class or match instructions variety of presentation style,which helps with symbols can help them to learn the maintain a higher level of interest.They language they need.See Photocopiable 7 Evaluation of Topic Work Template 4,Games for practising classroom Encourage those pupils who finish early to instructions,on page 26 for some ideas for help with displaying work.Making an this. attractive display of the work done on a topic can be very motivating.It encourages Working on topics involves pupils working in pupils to take an interest in what other groups or pairs.If pupils are not used to this people are doing and take care with the way of working,you will have to give time presentation of their own work.If you have and thought to how to introduce them to it. plenty of wall space,you can reserve one Clear instructions are extremely important. section for a topic collage.Stick up some One of the best ways to ensure that backing paper and ask pupils to bring in everyone knows what is expected of them is photos,magazine cuttings,articles or objects to choose a pair or group,explain the activity to contribute to the collage.For example,if to them in front of the rest of the class and you are doing a project on Clothes,pupils ask them to demonstrate. can bring in cuttings from catalogues,samples of materials,bags and labels from clothes When pupils are working and reading shops and designers,and so on. individually,in groups or pairs,the role of the teacher is mainly to monitor and support. As you move from one topic to another it is This is an ideal time for you to interact with important to revise and recycle language. the pupils in English.Again,it is a good idea There are many ways for pupils to store to think about what classroom language the vocabulary so that it can be revised and pupils are going to need to be able to interact recycled.One idea is to make a Topic Train as far as possible in English.Depending on or a Topic Tower from envelopes stuck the activity they may need language to: onto the wall.New words related to each topic can be written on small pieces of paper ◆ ask for help and kept in the relevant envelope.See ◆ ask for materials Photocopiable Template 5,Making a Topic Train ◆ ask for translation or definitions of words or a Topic Tower,on page 27.Pupils can make ◆ ask what to do next their own topic-based picture dictionaries, too.See Photocopiable Template 6, A cover Before starting work on a topic,you may for a picture dictionary,on page 28.This want to teach or remind pupils how to do template is the front cover of the dictionary. these things in English.Pupils can make Add a page for each topic and then pupils classroom language posters to stick around can draw and label pictures related to the the room.For example: topic they are working on.They can use the Can I have What does illustrations from the Penguin Young Readers some scissors, –––––––––– to help them. please? mean? Evaluation of Topic Work It is useful to have some extra activities to hand for those who finish activities quickly. It is essential to spend time evaluating topic Why not bring in a selection of the Penguin work as it is the only way to direct future Young Readers related to the topic for early choices and decisions.Aspects to consider finishers? might be: 8