Course Description:
This course presents possible approaches to using skill based instruction in teaching kids the discovery and construction of meaning supported through visuals, mime, gesture, voice and characterization. In this way, stories provide a natural, relevant and enjoyable context for exposure to language and an opportunity to familiarize children with the sounds, rhythm and intonation of English.
Through storytelling and drama in class, children also develop learning strategies and thinking skills, such as predicting, hypothesizing, guessing and inferring meaning. The participants will use stories and narrative conventions which the kids are familiar with in their own language and discover how to transfer this familiarity into a willingness to listen to and participate in stories in English.
Prerequisites:
Aims:
The course intends to give participants insights into:
raising kids’ interest, participation, creative thinking
developing their kinaesthetic learning and collaboration
creating a desire in children to continue learning
utilising young learners’ imagination in class
developing secure and shared social experiences
improving children’s listening and concentrating skills
increase kids general knowledge through stories and drama
Requirements for a Certificate:
Minimum attendance requirement is 75% of course events.
Assessed portfolio work for practical tasks like group and individual planning, observation, demonstration, micro-teaching, discussion and feedback sessions.
1000-word end of course Reflective Essay.
Details:
Storytelling is the original form of teaching. There are still societies in which it is the only form of teaching. Though attempts have been made to imitate or update it, like the electronic storytelling of television, live oral storytelling will never go out of fashion. A simple narrative will always be the cornerstone of the art of teaching.
Colloquial or literary, unaffected or flowery–the full range of language is present in stories. The participants will be using Fairytales , or Free Kids Books or MagicBlox or a hard copy of a children’s book, Storyboard That, and Plotagon for the activities. While listening to stories, children develop a sense of structure that will later help them to understand the more complex stories of literature.
Course Outline:
130.01 – Choosing stories and planning story-based lessons
130.02 – Benefits and challenges involved in using storytelling
130.03 – Learning and practicing the skill of dramatic storytelling
130.04 – Creating activities that involve dramatic storytelling
130.05 – Storytelling, games, actions songs, arts and crafts
130.06 – Managing drama activities and teaching through drama
130.07 – Building on children’s innate capacity for fantasy and imaginative play
130.08 – Manipulating the usual norms of time, place and identity
130.09 – Presenting key language using actions, words and meanings
130.10 – Personalising the language kids use when acting out a scene
130.11 – Examples of fun drama games and activities for kids
130.12 – Considering possible improvements for next time