DomůSylvie Doláková

Story-based teaching

 

 

Take a story,

make a chant from it
create a song about it
make a game of it
choose key words and use pictures from it
design a worksheet of it

find moments to stop and think about it
think about some movement in it…

 

and here it goes!

 

The topic of a well known story can be used in many ways.

Kids are engaged in every area of learning - vocabulary, structures, maths and logic, sciences, art, craft, music and movement.

In Language section we play with key words, practise listening skills and comprehension, develop speaking and communicative skills, later reading and writing skills, from individual words to a complex text. Chants and rhymes support rhythm of the target language, pronunciation and intonation.

Mathematical activities and games offer concept of amount, numbers, calculation practice, logical thinking and problem solving, all based on the theme of the story.

World around us tells us about classification, how things work, what we can see and do with things, animals, people, how we feel, and even some models for behaviour (moral of the story).

Music and movement section offers specially designed songs with recordings and karaoke, activities to do with the song lyrics, attractive action games (yard games, circle games) and time for movement activities.

Children should explore the topic with all senses, and that’s why there, in the folder Art and craft, you’ll find colouring pages, worksheets for drawing, pencil control, developing fine motor skills, finishing pictures, left-right oriented tasks, craft activities such as designing a scene for the story, making masks etc.

A big effort is put into work with dyslexic or autistic children; there are lots of activities that the teachers find useful.

 

Learning by doing is my credo.
In each material you can find lots of printables, picture flashcards, card games, board games, worksheets, colouring pages with various tasks, original rhymes and chants about characters or the plot, songs with karaoke, ideas to listen, repeat, say, solve, sing, act, create, revise, learn…
There are usually about 80 - 130 files with more than 200 - 300 variations, and an additional set with some general material. Pictures, games and worksheets are to be printed, mp.3 files are to be listened to and worked with.
Each area is provided with a detailed Instruction manual.
Children should learn step by step; with each revision we add a few more, a bit more difficult tasks. I can say it grows with children from the age of 2 (simple vocabulary work and listening tasks, clapping, chanting) to the age of 12 (complex logical tasks, comprehension, communication games, learning foreign languages).

 

The project has been awarded a Pearson ELT Teacher Innovation Award (People’s Choice category). In this competition, teachers and parents who liked the story-based materials voted for my project. See the certificate above.

 

I have given a few talks on the project, even a webinar for IATEFL YLT SIG (see here), I’ve presented it at conferences and teacher training events in many European countries.

And I‘ve received a lot of positive feedback from teachers; they say children love songs, activities that go together with the story, a large scale and wide variety of tasks, sweet and comprehensive pictures.

I’d like to have my story materials in more languages, as they seem to work well on CLIL base. However, I can only speak Czech and English. Anyone willing to help with a German, Spanish, French, Russian (to name just a few) versions?

For more details visit my e-shop.
If you are in doubt or don’t like something, let me know (sylviad@atlas.cz).
If you like the activities, share your feelings among your colleagues and friends! 

And come back for more!