Start Simple
Many people wonder and worry about how to choose the best structures to focus on IN STORY-ASKING OR READING. As usual there is no one “right” answer. I think the easiest route is to first eliminate what DOES NOT need to be a focus structure.
We DO NOT NEED TO CREATE A FOCUS STRUCTURE from:
1. Cognates
We want to USE a ton of cognates in our listening and reading activities….but we do not want them to be the focus phrases. We want to build stories around other structures.
2. Things you have only seen in textbooks
This is just a waste of everyone’s time. Choose words/phrases that students are likely to come across over and over again.
3. Words/phrases that can be “TPRed “in a VERY clear way.
Save these words for TPR!!!
What does that leave us? At the beginning levels we need structures that will allow for stories to take place. If we combine the words below with other key words we can create nearly every story we need at the beginning level. How?
Pick a phrase. Add a word or two. (ie goes to the new supermarket) Add cognates. Add TPRables. Add emotion (see next post) Done.
is + adjective (physical, personal, possessive…however your target language is structured.
is named Lives in
Has (to) Needs (to)
Wants( to) Should
Goes (to/towards) Leaves (from/for/towards)
Looks (for) Finds
Says (to) Asks (for)
Answers Responds
Receives Respects
Likes Knows (that/how)
Understands (that) Thinks (that)
I realize that it seems like it couldn’t be that simple. But it is. Start simple.
With love,
Laurie
Laurie,
Thank you for your ideas on how to select vocab structures for stories. This is something I have struggled with a lot. Recently, I have been backward planning my vocab structures toward Blaine's novels (thank you, Thomas Young!). This has simplified things for me a lot. Combine that with student-generated-stories and embedded readings, and things get even simpler! Your ideas help remind me even more of how to pare down the structures I teach to my students to the most essential terms. Here is another thought that I would like to add to your list above: try to include PQA-able structures, structures that will allow me to get to know my students better. Your comments on "Climbing the PQA Mountain" are challenging me to include at least one good PQA-able structure each story-telling day!
Thanks,
Toni
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Thanks Toni!! You just introduced the next few posts! :o) I'm trying to follow Ben's advice to keep my posts short and sweet. As a language lover I lovingly linger leaving long and lavish lists in my wake. Thank you so much for the PQA reminder.
with love,
Laurie
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I forgot a verb phrase that we use all the time! Can+verb
This one phrase adds so many possibilities!!
(Si..(I have to learn how to do accents on this laptop!)...Se Puede!!)
with love,
Laurie
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Gotta love the can+verb. At the beginning of the year, I used "no puede encontrar" so much that the students thought they were inseparable. They saw "no puede" and thought "encontrar" even if it wasn't there. Took a little time to correct.
Oh, and accents are very very easy on a Mac. If you ever consider a new computer, I think the Mac is worth it even if only for this feature. (Of course, I love Macs in general so maybe I am biased.)
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Sorry to go way off topic here, but Stephen, I agree with you 100% on the Macs and their accent feature - way easy!
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I'll celebrate with a Mac in 4 years when my sons are finished with college!!
:o)
Laurie
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Thank you thank you thank you!!! This is so helpful
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