Chris asked about sharing some unfinalized scripts with the group in response to a general call by me for more materials to replace or supplement what we have already in the TPRS world. In that regard, I feel that there is now going to be a great surge of quality materials out there for some reason. […]

Another thread that I forgot to mention in the April update is that of creating our own materials that we can then write and test within the group. Nothing in the TPRS world, for example, comes even close to the story scripts written and tested for years now by our own Anne Matava and Jim

I would like to share a few interesting points made in recent discussion with Annemarie. Of special note and usefulness to us is the Abbey Parks comment: Annemarie: I had a  question regarding gestures. Does anyone out there in the TPRS world use actual ASL for their gestures? It kind of makes sense. I watched a video

When Annick Chen and I presented to our school’s math department on comprehensible input/gesturing the other day, I was circling  “Annick wants candy”. After a few minutes, a sour member of the math department said in French, “Je veux dormir” and kind of put her head down in an attempt to get a laugh that never

Got this from elissa: Hi Ben! I feel like there was blog discussion at some point about parent/curriculum night tprs demo ideas, but can’t find it… can you point me in the right direction? Thanks! elissa Two places I found are below but if this jogs anybody’s memory please advise: https://benslavic.com/blog/2011/10/18/parents-night-question/ https://benslavic.com/blog/2011/09/18/parents-night/

Hayne came up with an option involving writing and reading practice that represents a nice option to our basic fake classes routine. It allows the kids to do nonjudgemental peer review of each other’s writing. Using this option allows: a. kids to know and respect each other in class. b. administrators to see that we

For me, the big win in March was the metacognition discussion and resulting document. I feel like it will force very positive self reflection and discussion up the taxonomy about what counts most in our classrooms with the kids. How can we ask them to show up for class in the ways we want unless we

The essence of using comprehensible input in the classroom will never be altered. Nothing can change the simple core fact that we are to endeavor to do our best to SIMPLY STAY IN THE TARGET LANGUAGE AND BE UNDERSTOOD in our classrooms and that is all of it. We must find a way to get

Concrete Action Step 1: sit and let the gorilla (the offending words) be acknowledged by all in the room. Concrete Action Step 2: call a parent then and there to set up a physical meeting with the offending child present that day, and refuse to put it off to another day. make that call so

We often forget to build our stories around the target structures, focusing on the story instead. It is a mistake to think that it’s about the story when it’s about the structures. I recently finished editing one of the videos from when Krashen visited with Diana and Beniko Mason and I talk about this same idea

Here is my version of the final EERP document: Concrete Action Step 1: sit and let the gorilla (the offending words) be acknowledged by all in the room. Concrete Action Step 2: call a parent then and there to set up a physical meeting with the offending child present that day, and refuse to put

Thank you for your cooperation in dropping other topics in favor of this work in creating EERP. I don’t want to mix a topic of such supreme importance like this with other topics. Without a strong response plan to the lead pipes some kids wield in our classrooms, we can’t teach anyway. I plan to use