Ben Slavic

Robert Harrell shares: Here’s a link to an interesting article by Dr. Stephen Camarata. His PhD is in Audio and Speech Science with undergraduate and MA work in Speech Pathology and Audio. www.salon.com/2015/08/15/this_is_how_your_kid_learns_the_amazing_new_neuroscience_of_brain_plasticity_and_how_to_make_your_child_smarter/ The article contains some strong arguments for presenting children with whole language in context and not designing drills. For example, speech discrimination […]

If anybody can use them, here are my talking points for back to school parents night. There is a cool section in here on homework, since parents always want clarity on that. Homework in an iPad school is of course connected to the kids’ use of their iPads. This homework model honors the tenets and

If you have finished a story and put up a reading yet, don’t forget that Reading Option A is a good way to process the reading: Reading Option A

A great idea from Melissa Foltz, who is teaching (very cool!) over on this side of the world, in Oman: Students might be able to keep track of their writing progress, similar to when I used to have them keep a small composition notebook. They could take a picture of their free write and create a

Dr. Krashen on acquisition: “Acquisition requires meaningful interaction in the target language – natural communication – in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding.”

When students understand a story, when they enjoy going over it with the artist’s work after creating it with their friends, when they do well on the quiz (on my first quiz every single student got an 8 out of 10 – 18 students), and then go home and proudly read the story to their

I am starting the year with stories now and CWB as a back up bail out type of move. Here are just some of the other power hitters waiting to get into the game: Sabrina’s way of teaching greetings Running Dictation after a story Textivate after a story OWI Verb Slam vPQA L and D

I made a change to my basic syllabus (modeled on Jim Tripp’s). Feel free to use part or all. Changes in red below: Course Syllabus – Foundational French AES Middle School Ben Slavic 2015-16 RATIONALE: In Foundational French students will be immersed in comprehensible language so that the brain has the opportunity to unconsciously acquire,

A fine report from Emeka: It was great meeting you and others at iFLT. I learned a ton in the War Rooms. I was also at Place de la Concorde for the Tour de France finale a few weeks ago! I started there, then moved to Rue de Rivoli and near the Jeanne d’Arc statue/tunnel

Here are the three blue chairs that have made such a big difference in things this year:

So what to do if there is an advanced kid in the class? Most kids who have lived in other countries where the TL is spoken are not literate. They can speak and understand, but they can’t write or read much. Many teachers differentiate with the writing piece. But we know from field experience and

Lots of little new changes. Nothing big because who can change the power of the Three Steps, right? Little changes: 1. The space I am teaching in doesn’t have any students sitting up close to me so that there really is an acting/teaching space that is open and inviting. I’ll get a pic real soon