Brain Changers: Meeting Brain Based Learning

“Rock and Read”, “Musical Brains”, and “Rhyme Then Hop” meet Brain Based Learning for English Language Learners (Ells) and all learners because they create a learning environment that immerses students into educational experiences (Brain Based Learning, 2008). English Language Learners are immersed into the North American culture by fully participating in language, culture and customs of this country. This type of immersion not only helps learners to utilize their thinking skills in a broader capacity, but also aids them in engaging in an orchestrated immersion with decreased stress while having lots of fun. This occurs through game integration. These games add to the immersion experience by enabling Ells to engage in play, in the L2 language or second language, which is English. They encourage “active processing” (Brain Based Learning, 2008) by having learners internalize information. Using both hemispheres of the brain, through movement and learning experiences, aids in processing information as well. (Brain Based Learning, 2008).

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Summer Homework for Parents and Teachers: Engage your learner in phonemic awareness activities by using song with rhyme. Identify the words that rhyme within the songs while clapping out the syllables!


References
Bonnie’s Fitware (n.d). Movement Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.pesoftware.com/Resources/moveLearn.html
Funderstanding (2008). Brain Based Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning
Parker, F., Riley, K. (2010). Linguistics for Non-Linguists: A Primer With Exercises (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Brain Changers: Storytelling, Sequencing, and Speaking

Hop Then Rhyme! “Hop Then Rhyme” is an excellent game for all learners including English Language Learners (Ells). It enables Ells to practice rhyme with movement. To play this game, the instructor needs six to twelve stickers (depending on how many rhyming cards are used in the game) to place on the floor or ground. Each sticker should be set about one jump space away from each other. There should be two rows of them, placed in a straight line. Two students are to play the game at a time. Each student stands on the first sticker facing his or her row of stickers. The teacher is to say a word like “mop.” Student one is to then provide a word that rhymes with “mop” like, “shop.” Picture cards should be used to ensure student understanding of each word. If the student knows a word that rhymes with the word given, then he or she is to hop onto the next sticker. If a student does not know a rhyming word, then he/she cannot hop to the next sticker. The student has to remain on the sticker until he/she can say a correct rhyming word. Each student is to get one chance each turn. This game continues in this manner alternating students. The first student to hop on all of his/her stickers wins the game! This game is excellent for identifying students who may need extra aid on how to use rhyming words. Use this game as a fun assessment tool to determine if extra intervention or extra teaching needs to be carried out for a particular student in rhyming. Be sure to pair students with a partner on their literacy level.

Game by Mrs. R. Leite

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Summer Homework for Parents and Teachers: Play "Hop Then Rhyme" with your child today!

References
Bonnie’s Fitware (n.d). Movement Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.pesoftware.com/Resources/moveLearn.html
Funderstanding (2008). Brain Based Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning
Parker, F., Riley, K. (2010). Linguistics for Non-Linguists: A Primer With Exercises (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Brain Changers: Music, Movement, and Literacy

I am going to paint a picture… You are an elementary Reading teacher. Many of your students have entered your classroom reading below grade level. Twenty percent of your students speak a language other than English and you have no idea as to how you are going to teach them when ESL is not your specialty. You search for ways to motivate your students into learning, but nothing seems to work consistently. They resort to complaining, “School is boring! I want to go outside for recess!” You know that is not going to happen. Besides, you just let them have recess 30 minutes ago and the Reading lesson is not finished yet. However, it would be nice to do something fun. What do you do? What activities could you utilize that integrate teaching your language learners, struggling readers, and all other learners while doing something the entire class would enjoy?

As a parent this could be a similar scenario. It may not be in the classroom setting, but you may have a child who does not enjoy learning how to read. How can you make the literacy experience fun and engaging for him or her? An answer to the above question is to combine MUSIC and MOVEMENT into your LITERACY experience. Just take a look around you, if students are not singing a song, then many of them are running around the basketball court, playing soccer on the soccer field, wanting to go swimming at the local pools, playing with their friends at the house, or moving is some other manner.

Throughout this week we will be able to read and view strategies that teach us how to integrate music and movement into the home or classroom by simply clicking underneath the Voki to view each video and by reading these blogs. Continue to visit as we learn to teach ALL learners together!

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Summer Homework for Parents and Teachers: Build vocabulary by teaching your child a new song. The song can be in the language of your choice. Provide movement by adding body motions and changing your environment to make the learning experience interesting and enjoyable!

Brain Changers: Musical Brain!

Musical Brain (Musical Chairs)! Say the Word, Letter & Sound, Sentence, or Picture: Musical Brain, is a brain-based game for a beginning, intermediate, advanced, and English Language Learning group of students. When using this game for a beginning group, have learners to identify a picture or a letter and letter sound. Students can play this game in the following manner: Have ten students walk around nine chairs, while fun and exciting music is playing. When the Music stops the learners must find a chair to sit in. The student that has not found a seat has to return to his/her chair. Before returning to his/her spot the student must identify the letter and letter sound of the teacher’s choice. For example, the teacher holds up the letter “b.” The student should then say the letter name, “b” and sound, /b/. If the student says the correct sound and letter name then a token should be given rewarding the learner for providing the correct answer. If the correct answer is not given, the teacher should aid the student in discovering what the correct answer is. Instead of using letters, pictures can be used. You may have a picture of a cat. The student should say the word, “cat.” The other nine students are to identify the picture or sound and letter cards in their seats as well. After all students have identified the cards, a chair is taken away and the game continues in the above manner. The last student standing, that responds correctly to the card, is the winner of the game (a special reward should be given to him or her). To adapt this brain using game to an intermediate group of learners, the teacher could have words or short sentences in each chair, “cat” or “ Look at the cat.” For advanced students, the learner(s) could correctly read a couple of sentences or read more advanced words. This game is excellent for phonics practice, fluency, sentence reading, vocabulary identification, as well as alertness. Adapt it to suit your learners’ needs!

Game by Mrs. R. Leite

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Summer Homework for Parents and Teachers: Play Musical Brain with your child today!

References
Bonnie’s Fitware (n.d). Movement Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.pesoftware.com/Resources/moveLearn.html
Funderstanding (2008). Brain Based Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning
Parker, F., Riley, K. (2010). Linguistics for Non-Linguists: A Primer With Exercises (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Brain Changers: Listening and Understanding

Play Rock and Read! When playing Rock and Read” the teacher/parent needs to have a song either from a video, DVD, or Internet playing with easy to see lyrics. As the song plays, two students or two groups of students have to sing the song, by reading the words to the melody, and move or “rock” at the same time. They may “rock” by moving side-to-side or front to back. To make the game a little more challenging learners may engage in cross over activities by patting their head while rubbing their stomach, marching in place while patting opposite knees, patting themselves on opposite shoulders, or simply touching opposite elbows and knees. However they choose to move they cannot stop until the song has ended. Encourage students to sing the music on time and in rhythm, with no more than three mistakes. The first person or group to finish the melody with three or less errors wins the game. If there is a tie, the students or group of students may then “rock” and sing/read to a more advanced song. Players should begin by using a song for a beginners group. Then move to a melody for an intermediate group, and last read and rock to music for an advanced group. This game is excellent for fluency practice in reading and for exercising both hemispheres of the brain.

Game by Mrs. R. Leite

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Summer Homework for Parents and Teachers: Play "Rock and Read" with your child today!

References
Bonnie’s Fitware (n.d). Movement Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.pesoftware.com/Resources/moveLearn.html
Funderstanding (2008). Brain Based Learning. Retrieved August 2, 2010 from http://www.funderstanding.com/content/brain-based-learning
Parker, F., Riley, K. (2010). Linguistics for Non-Linguists: A Primer With Exercises (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Welcome to My Blog!

Hi! My name is Mrs. Leite (pronounced "Late" due to it being a Portuguese name meaning, "Milk.") and Welcome to My Blog!

This is created to aid parents and teachers in teaching effective Reading and English Language Learning skills to English Language Learners (Ells), those who struggle to read well, those who read on their reading level, and for advanced readers. Yes! All learners are included.

On this blog you will find some of the latest research-based tools to use at home or school for each and every elementary child.

Please enjoy, feel free to comment, and again Welcome!