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For a fair number of years, I made the terrible mistake of not periodically reviewing previously-covered content with my ELL Newcomers.
There was so much I felt we had to get through that we just blasted through my thematic schedule.
Eventually, though, I realized that I was truly serious about students learning English, I needed to build in regular reviews – “one-and-done” was not going to cut it.
So, now, we go through three of those themes and then always do a week of simple review.
I don’t think what we do is any great shakes, but this seems to work:
- I go to LiveWorksheets and print out two-or-three different…worksheets on each of the previous three themes. There are enough copies for both students and their peer tutors.
- On each of the first three days of the week, peer tutors review a different thematic set of vocabulary sheets with their students. They test them using mini-whiteboards and images, and on Wednesday tutors challenge their students to use the words from all three themes in original sentences.
- On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, students pick at least one of the themes to create their own version of the Picture Word Inductive Model. Now that Google Jamboard is dead, they use Google Drawings to find an image off the web related to one of the themes, use at least ten words to label them, and then write at least five sentences about the picture using some of those words. Students then share their drawings “speed-dating” style.
- Also, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, students are given copies of the Expanding Sentences sheets we used on those units and have to complete them again.
- At the end of each class period, we play a game of Blooket that I created using Khanmigo’s AI using the thematic words.
- Any extra time students have is used reviewing flashcard sets on those units that I created on Quizizz.
- On Thursdays, peer tutors review all the words with students and then give them a practice test.
- On Friday, students take a test.
- During this week, we also continue doing some activities not specifically related to review, including conversation and grammar practice.
Again, not original by any means, but it seems to work. Let me know if you have ideas on how I can improve it!
I’m adding this info to Here’s A Revised & Updated Version Of What A Typical Day & Week Of My ELL Newcomers Class Looks Like.
For a fair number of years, I made the terrible mistake of not periodically reviewing previously-covered content with my ELL Newcomers. There was so much I felt we had to get through that we just blasted through my thematic schedule. Eventually, though, I realized that I was truly serious about students learning English, I ESL Web Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
