What are innovative approaches to teaching English?

Answer 1

1. One effective way might be flash cards with Spanish (or original language) on the front and English translation on the back, or swap the original language for a picture or drawing or the item. For example on the front have "para" and on back write "stop". Show the Spanish side to your pupil and ask them to say that in English. Or draw a stop sign on one side and write stop on the other.
2. Have students create their own "dictionary". When they spot a word they do not know or cannot pronounce, they write the word on one side of an index card. Then, have them sound it out and write how they think the syllables sound. Lastly, have them look up the word in a standard dictionary, and re-write the word, its correct syllables, and the definition on the back side of the card. Have students keep their cards in individual recipe boxes. Each week, blindly pick one card from each student's box. Create your weekly quiz using all or some of the words you picked.
3. Pick a short essay (250-500 words) to use in-class. Have students read the story out loud (one sentence per student, whoever you call on). Then, have students identify adjectives in each sentence. Ask them to re-write each sentence, substituting a different synonym for each adjective. Let the kids stretch their imaginations and vocabularies.
4. Model a sentence using two homonyms. The bear had a bare spot on his back. Hand out a list of homonyms, and go over the meanings. Have them write 10 sentences using any 10 pairs of homonyms. Encourage creativity with forming humorous sentences. The bear cub rode the horse bareback down the road.
5. Encourage 'teaching' among students. Each student must write two sentences with their best spelling and grammar. Trade papers with another student; both students now become 'teachers', circling any problems they find. Then, teach collaboration: Have the two student teams rewrite the 4 sentences (2 each from 2 students working together) without any errors.
6. The "bee-buzz" of spelling. Run a week-long contest for 50 words. Give students a 2-column form. Label 1 narrow column with "Word". Label the wider right column with "definition". Instructions: As you go about your day, you see, smell, and hear things in the world. Each of these has a word, or more than 1 word to choose from. For example, you could call children yelling as "noise" but more specifically "yelling" as a noise. A "sidewalk" is also called "pavement" when referring to how it is made with cement. A "trail" might also be a "path." During the next week, your job is to write down a word for something you see, smell, or hear. Write it on your list, and beside it, write a short definition. When we go over your lists next week, we'll see how many words the class wrote down. (Part 2 that you don't tell them, yet: Have students compare their lists in small groups. Mark all duplicates and check each other's definitions. Then, have each group identify 3 to 5 uncommon or unusual words. -- You could get several "lessons" from their lists. Examples: 1 Use the common words in a spelling test. 2. Ask them to write sentences for two unusual words. 3. You won't get Articles of Speech on anyone's list-- point this out, explain articles, and have students pick two words from their lists to write sentences with articles. 4. You likely won't get numbers on the lists. Review how to write numbers as words and use them as adjectives to words on their lists, such as fifteen children. The ideas of how to use what students notice is endless! Tie it to a lesson plan objective to give real world practice!
7. Tell the kids their assignment is to ask a grandparent, parent, other adult for 5 "big words". The adult can spell the word so the child can write it down, but the child should come up with a definition. They can ask the adult for "two hints" about what the word means. Tell them "guessing" when writing their definition is okay for this assignment--but they cannot look in a dictionary until you tell them to do so, and cannot ask anyone for the definition. Lessons for this are also endless. Like 1. Circle the prefix in all words. 2. Circle the suffix. 3. Syllables. 4. Thinking-out definitions when you don't have a dictionary handy. 6. Checking the thought-of definition against the dictionary. 7. Trade lists and write one sentence for another student's list. 8. Have the student pick his "favorite word" from his own list. Then, each student stand, read the word, tell its definition, and make a sentence-- even a not-so-good sentence. 8. Have students pick 1 word from their lists and make lists of words using those letters. 9. Begin a "Class Story". Each child must pick a word to use in the story-- if the word makes no sense as used, discuss why.
8. Present words that follow a rule in spelling like "i before e except after c". Make up games for just those words.... example... Leave out the 2 letters when you write them (and others always spelled ie) on the blackboard. Have students pick whether the i or e should come first. Perhaps mix this with a counting-ration game: how many students picked i as the first letter; that number represents 1/3rd of the class (show them how to do this).
9. Have them hand write a 5-page story using 10 new words (adjectives, adverbs), correctly. Have them underline the new words they used. Have them diagram one sentence that contained a new word.
10. Go over often-confused words. For example, on this website, kids often spell does as "dose", "there" when they meant "their". Have a sample using these words. Discuss the meanings, the spellings. Have them come up with lists of similar sounding words with different spellings. Link it to current lesson plans.