From Keri Biron in Connecticut:
Hi Ben,
I am writing because, if possible, I would love to be able to observe another TPRS teacher in action! I was talking about this with my assistant principal and he said that if I could find someone to observe then they would give me the time to do it. I am hoping that there are other TPRS teachers in Connecticut that may have some great lessons to observe. Would you be able to post this on the PLC for me?
On another note, this year has been fantastic! I feel that I’ve improved a lot from last year to this year. I had posted a question last summer about ways to incorporate more subjects instead of just heavily focusing on the 3rd person. I’ve been very successful in doing so now thanks to many great ideas from the PLC! During PQA, extended PQA, TPRS story telling, and reading, I constantly “interrogate” the “actors” using 1st and 2nd person…and I use the plural when applicable. I find that the students are much more comfortable with those forms as opposed to last year.
Also, I have sort of a plan when it comes to the verb tenses. We do PQA in whatever tense feels right, we use past for telling stories and we use present tense for reading the stories. Then, when we actually review the content of the written stories, we mix it up. I ask the class questions about the story in the present and I ask the actors similar questions but in the past. (I have the target verb structures up and color coded on an easel during this time as a reference.)
For example: “Class, where does Tim go after Taco Bell?” (Someone answers the question: “Tim goes to the park.”
Then I say to Tim :”Tim, did you go to the park?” (or some variation of the question) and he answers “Yes, I went to the park.”
Then I sprinkle in the conditional and future tenses all year…but only when it would start an interesting conversation…
“Would you go to the park if you were Tim?” or “Have you ever gone to the park…?”
My one’s this year are starting to recognize conditional and future tenses because they hear it often in context! It’s great!
Oh, and one other thing…numbers. I was so worried about how the one’s would learn their numbers…again, thanks to great suggestions on the PLC I had numbers 1-39 posted on a large white board…we use numbers so often and in context…the date, year, etc. that they know their numbers so well and into the millions and I’ve never once “gave a number lesson”!!!
Thanks again for all your help when I was starting this method of teaching and as I continue!
Looking forward to hearing from you and if there is anyone that I could come observe!
Keri