Tina and I see a lack of availability of high quality, short, simple and inexpensive readers in our community. We therefore are putting out a call for a new kind of reader that fits the above descriptors that provides lessons in culture besides just good stories. We want to promote a new genre of reader, […]
Someone asked me how I am different from TPRS. Here is what I wrote back: It’s a messy business, but I know that since I made the shift away from TPRS, I am much happier in my work. This is not true for everyone, but it is true for me. In January of 2016 I
Julia reports on how her kids did with the storybook project: Hi Ben – Thought I’d send you an example final product. I’m super proud of the kids! There are mistakes in here of course, but I don’t say anything. They’ll stop making those mistakes when they do. Thank you so much for a positive
The quote below appeared on the iFLT FB page a few days ago. It reveals a lot. What is the main thing that it reveals? To me, it reveals that Blaine never intended TPRS to go in the targeted direction it did since about 1998. That was done by acolytes and no small amount of
On April 7 of 2016 – the time when I was running at full speed away from TPRS (see Hit List category on this page) – I had asked Blaine a seemingly innocuous question in an email but it seems more important now in light of recent developments: Me: “Blaine, in the 1990’s did you target
I posted this here a week ago. I feel like reposting it here every week for the next year until we all knock some sense into our heads. When are we going to get how damaging reading class novels is for our students, for our esprit de corps, for our sense of community and for
This is a repost – with ensuing discussion – from 2012 on the topic of whether or not instruction using comprehensible input can even work in our schools: Especially in my school, students move around the building with impunity, with tardies being out of control, absences being off the chart, and statements to teachers very
Can Comprehension Methods Succeed In Schools? – 1 Read More »
How can we open our hearts to our students? How can we make the language we teach beautiful to them? We must do so consciously through our voices. The first thing is to remember that just the sound of any language is a beautiful thing in and of itself. So, to reach this place of
Greg sent us this valuable resource that we can save for next year. I will file it under the “Observation Suggestions” and “Lesson Plans” categories for easy access when needed in the fall. Thanks Greg, as always. Hi Ben, I have my formal evaluation of my teaching tomorrow. Something happened and they did not observe me
I got this question from an elementary school teacher with my response below: Q. Hi! Just wanted to know if your summer institutes would be useful for elementary K-5 Spanish. I only see my kids once per week. This is my first year of teaching. Many of the kids live in poverty, and I had
Here is a good way to plan the year from Greg: TPRS-ish activities/circling/PQA/CardTalk/ (August-Sept) —-> One Word Image- less circling (Oct)——-> Invisibles Stories & Matava NT (November) (even less circling)——> Storylistening (March)——> Student projects (April/May)
Margarita reports from New Zealand (don’t forget to put your flag in the map if you haven’t already): Today in Auckland, I have given a demonstration of OWIs. I titled it: Desde a la Palabra a la Escritura Creativa en el Aula de ELE. Contrary to the first time, in another workshop organised by the
