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WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT . . . . How Children Learn to ReadMonday, October 31st, 2011

Learn and understand the different components of reading to help your students become effective

and enthusiastic readers.

Being able to read is one of the most valuable things a person should possess in life. Apart from

enjoying stories, feeding your mind, and getting through school, you need reading for many other

everyday activities such as navigating your way around different places, finding out what is going on

around you, and getting information when there is no one to ask.

Learning how to read, however, is not as spontaneous as learning how to chew. It is more like

learning how to ride a bicycle or learning a sport. Someone needs to teach you how to do it, guide

you when things get difficult, and support you when you make mistakes or feel defeated.

Some children learn to read without a lot of difficulty. Others need a bit more effort.

Parents and teachers have varied approaches in teaching children how to read. To be effective, you

need to know what the components of reading are and comprehend how it takes place. It is alsovery important to know when to start teaching reading.

What is reading and when do you start teaching this ?

Essentially, reading is making sense of written words. According to Reena Ermitano, a reading

specialist, Text is speech translated into print using a set of symbols or coded language. And when

we read, we do the opposite. We are actually translating print back into speech.

The initial groundwork for reading actually starts from infancy. By now it has already been

established that babies are not blank slates, but in fact, are already beginning to learn even while

they are still in the womb. When babies are constantly talked to, read to, and allowed to listen to

nursery songs and rhymes, they begin to learn language. As they grow older, they realize that the

words spoken to them actually have meanings and they try to say them. When they start talking,

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they learn new words rapidly and may sing or chant along to nursery rhymes or repeat familiar

words learned from a favorite book. When they reach elementary school age, they become able to

read words from memory or to join together letter sounds to form a word. Eventually they will

progress from reading simple books to chapter books and novels.

Teaching someone how to read words is best done by age six or seven when children are

developmentally ready. For the longest time, children have been taught to read either by phonics

(sounding out the letters of a word based on a series of rules) or the whole language system (whole

word recognition and memorization and connecting them together). The use of one method over the

other has not really shown great results. However, the use of these two methods together, yields

better results.

In addition, providing aural exercises to prepare the ears to recognize and differentiate letter sounds

is also a big help. Because the written word is a representation, in print, of the spoken word, it makes

sense that, before you are able to identify and make sense of it, first you must be able to

understand the spoken word.

The Three-Pronged Techniqu e to Teaching Reading

The good thing about using this three-pronged technique to teach reading is that it can be used for

anyone at any age:

Technique 1: Aural Training

Listen to nursery rhymes, read rhyming books and poems, and play rhyming games. Most childrens

books and songs are written as rhymes. These are extremely fun because of their sing-song nature

and the repetition of sounds. Older children might appreciate rap music, carefully chosen to reject

those with inappropriate lyrics, of course.

Some rhyming games that you can play are the following:

1. Body Parts RhymingGame Point to a body part and say a word that rhymes with it (e.g., point to

head and say bed). The child then has to name that body part. Other examples are ulo = dulo,

kamay = hanay, ilong = gulong .

2. Fill in the blanks Use a familiar or favorite song, chant, or poem. Highlight the words that rhyme

and cover the second word. Present children with two words and ask them to choose which one

rhymes with the highlighted word to complete the line. An example,

Sampung mga daliri, kamay at paa

Dalawang tainga, dalwang mata

Ilong na maganda = highlighted and covered

Words to choose from: matangos/maganda

Technique 2: Phonics Component

Teach the alphabet and the alphabet letter sounds. One must be able to recognize the letters of the

alphabet and differentiate them from numbers, shapes, or other symbols. Once letters can be

identified, the corresponding letter sounds can be taught and then combining sounds together to

make words will follow. It would be important to remember to teach the correct phonics rules,

otherwise, children will not be able to correctly decode new words and gains in reading will never be

achieved.

Below are some exercises to make sure that children know their letters, letters sound, and how to

blend sounds together:

1. Make a chart of the alphabet ; one with pictures and one with just letters. Go through the picture

alphabet one by one to review letters and their sounds. When the child is able to do this easily, take

out the letter chart only. Ask the child to tell you the sound of each letter. Because there are no

pictures, the child has to count on his memory. You can also find out which letters/sounds the child

has difficulty remembering.

2. Make an Alphabet Book for each child or one for the whole class. If children are able, they can

draw pictures of things that start with each letter. If not, you can look for pictures from magazines

together and cut them out to paste in the book. This can be used like the alphabet picture chart for

review.

3. Another fun game to use when joining sounds together is connecting three sounds to form a word:

you sound out words in three parts and children have to say the whole word, e.g., d-o-g, pa-la-yok,

d-e-sk.

Technique 3: Whole Language component

Help children recognize whole words by constantly exposing them to words in charts, books, and

signs (such as STOP, EXIT, PUSH). Always place them in context so that it will be easier to

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comprehend and remember. Knowledge of phonics is still necessary to decode new and difficult

words, but, for the most part, this technique helps develop sight-reading.

Helpful exercises for this are:

1. Read alouds

2. Quiet reading

3. Frequent guided reading in small groups

Identifying delayed or challenged readers

It is very easy to label children who have problems with reading as lazy or slow. This, however, does

not help them get better. What happens instead is that the parent or teacher becomes less motivated

to teach or indifferent to the childrens learning.

If learning how to read has not happened by the time a child is in 4th grade, all is not lost. First, the

problem must be recognized so that intervention can be specific and helpful. Even older children and

adults can still be taught how to read with patience, the proper mindset, and the appropriate

methodology.

Tips for fun and enjoyable teaching moments

Below are some things that Ermitano suggests to make reading pleasurable and fulfilling.

1. Practice makes perfect . Have children read more frequently and extensively to enhance

comprehension, the ultimate goal of reading.

2. Set a regular reading time so children can read aloud daily or alternately with a

supervising adult. Older children are never too old to appreciate picture books. By the same

token, preschoolers are neither too young to listen to chapter books. Older children could

engage in sustained silent reading as well.

3. Choose reading materialthat is of high-interest to the child, such as those that cater to

their hobbies and interests. Some parents take issue with having their kids read magazines,

comic books or graphic novels, but in my opinion, anything to get them started reading is a

big step in getting them hooked on it. Books with a lot of humor are a hit (e.g. Captain

Underpants by Dav Pilkey, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by J eff Kinney, and Sweet Farts

series by Raymond Bean).

4. Have them read literaturethat consists of words they can mostly read and understand.

Children lose motivation to read when they read material that is too difficult for them. For

struggling readers, they could even begin with books that are much easier than their

instructional level just to build self-confidence and feelings of self-efficacy. As they say,

success breeds success.

5. Al low ch ildren to simply read for pleasure. While it is important that adults ask questions

about what students read or require them to monitor their comprehension, sometimes

children just need to read for enjoyment without the pressure of being quizzed or having to

come up with a book report or a project about it.

6. Immerse children in award-winning booksand high-quality literature and educate them

on how to choose books on their own.

7. Regulate televisionand video or computer gaming, particularly if the child has attention

issues.

Identifying areas of difficulty

To determine what level a child should be starting from; it is necessary to identify the students

instructional reading level. The idea is for the child to be able to comfortably read the words in a

passage, but also have an adequate understanding of what they are reading. Students should

recognize at least 90% of the words on a page, and at least understand 75% of what they are

reading. Because when a child is reading material that is too easy (independent level) or way too

difficult (frustration level), learning is not optimal. A well-experienced reading teacher in school

trained in administering informal reading assessments can determine the appropriate starting point

for reading instruction.

Ideally, however, the evaluation and management of reading delays is best carried out using a multi-

disciplinary approach, in which a team of professionals from various backgrounds get involved (e.g.

developmental pediatrician, psychologist, speech pathologist, occupational therapist, reading

specialist, special education teacher) because reading problems are also usually accompanied by

other conditions such as speech and language delays, attention difficulties, and socio-emotional

issues which also need to be addressed if the child is to achieve his/her full learning potential.

Stages of Reading Development

According to J ean Chall, a world-renowned reading expert and psychologist, there are 6 Stages of

Reading Development. Stages 1 and 2 are stages where children learn to read while Stage 3 is

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when they read to learn.

Stage O: Pre-Reading Stage (Up to age 6)

Oral language development

Develops phonological awareness skills (e.g. rhyming, alliteration, blending, segmenting)

Stage 1: Initial Reading o r Decoding Stage (Grade 1)

Learns letters of the alphabet and that letters represent sounds

Recognizes sight words

Uses sound-spelling relationships

Stage 2: Confirmati on and Fluency (Grades 2 to 3)

Develops decoding skills

Fluency: Reading becomes accurate, automatic, and effortless

Stage 3: Reading for Learning New Information (Grades 4 to 8 )

Expands vocabularies

Builds background and world knowledge

Develops strategic habits to make meaning from texts

Stage 4: Multiple Viewpoints (High School)

Analyzes texts critically

Understands multiple points of view

Stage 5: Construction and Reconstruction (Post Secondary)

Construct understanding based on analysis and synthesis

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OUR QUESTION: What advice will you give a brand new teacher?Monday, October 31st, 2011

TEACHERS SAY:

My 10 tips for brand new teachers: 1. Come to school ready with your lesson plan and instructional

materials; 2. Organize your classrooms well; 3. Know your pupils; 4. Be friendly yet firm; 5. Be

punctual; 6. Seek the advice of seasoned and experienced teachers; 7. Know your subject matter

well; 8. Keep communication lines with parents open; 9. Establish classroom rules and routines; 10.

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Be simple and pleasing.

ROSE ANN B. PAMINTUAN PASIG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Be brave in facing the new challenges of our educational system. Try to use your time, talent, and

treasure to inspire and educate the Filipino youth. Dont be afraid to reinvent the system in order to

make a difference.

AMCY M. ESTEBAN LEGARDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MANILA

Treat students as individuals. Never stereotype. Know your needs and strengths. The teacher has toacknowledge that each student has different foundations and cultures, so capitalize on their

character, interests, and needs.

ISAH ILUSTRISIMO CERAON MASA MBONG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,QUEZON CITY

Brand new teachers should already visualize the real scenario of being a teacher in the public

school. They must be willing to sacrifice and devote extra time and effort for the pupils in order to

achieve the goal of the department.

JACQUELINE C. ARGAME MUNTINLUPA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,MUNTINLUPA CITY

Always be READY! Result-oriented with your tasks; Enthusiastic in the execution of your daily

lessons;Advanced and updated on the newest trends in teaching; Diligent with your work; and canmanage to have Youthful looks despite a stressful day. HAPPY TEACHING!

ROMMEL LOVENDINO-KALAWAA N ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,PASIG CITY

Take all corners of the school as a venue for more learning, self-improvement, realization, and

inspiration because you are there to deal with peoplethe most interesting creatures on earth.

ADELA IDA P. PALA CIO-GUADA LUPE VIEJO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Be prepared during observationremember that first impressions last. Ask colleagues for advice

when there are issues and concerns with the pupils or subject matter that you are not sure how to

handle. Dont go to school unprepared. Be confident of the lessons you need to tackle.

LYNEVE DE GUZMAN-KAL AWAAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,PASIG CITY

My advice to a new teacher is to follow the three Hs of teaching: use yourHEAD to impart

knowledge to your kids; use your HANDS to guide your kids to excellence; use your HEART to

teach your kids affectionately and make learning fun for them.

FERNANDO PAGSIBIGAN,- DR. A. AL BERT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,MANILA

A new teacher must be confident that she can teach. She must be willing to share her talents, time,

values, faith, and resources without counting the cost. She must be humble and unafraid to admit

she doesnt know it all. She must also be eager to keep growing and be respectful to all.

JENNY DIVINA GRACIA- EDEL QUINN CHILD DEVELOPEMENT CENTER,PASIG CITY

Attend a lesson study program to help improve her teaching methods by working with other

teachers, examining and critiquing one anothers teaching techniques. Our school is a part of this

program and I found out that this is very effective. The monthly lesson study is a collaborative lesson

planning session held once a month in preparation for a particular lesson the following month. They

can also approach the master teachers to be their mentor or guide. Master teachers can provide

advice or guidance for new teachers who may have queries.

MARJORIE LOMEDA DELA TADO-TANDANG SORA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

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Learn For LessMonday, October 31st, 2011

Create fun yet affordable instructional materials in just a few easy steps!

Its a sad reality that although there is a wealth of materials available to teachers in the market,

many of these are too expensive to be viable in most classrooms. Here are some tips and ideas

that cost little to nothing to create.

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BE A NATURE LOVER

Stepping out of the classroom and watching the clouds on a breezy but sunny day is an activity

most of your students will love. Record their observations and make a chart of the types of clouds

they see. Voil! You have a science activity that requires only paper and pens. Walk around your

school grounds and look for calamansi to make juice out of. Afterwards, dry the squeezed out peel

to use for a stamping activity with a bit of tempera paint mixed with water. Gather up leaves and

twigs and use these for a sorting activity. Grow some plants from monggo seeds. Mother nature is

the best source for materials to be used in the classroom. The best part? Its free!

FILE FOLDER GAMES

All you need is a little ingenuity to create lasting puzzles and games with folders, paper, and

markers.

1. Look through your lesson plan and think of what

concept you would like to target.

2. Be creative and think of fun ways to present your

game. If you are working with vocabulary words, you

could have a guessing game where you have the words

inside a balloon and the meaning of the words flowing like

strings of the balloons. You could also have flowers with a

letter in the middle, surrounded by petals that contain

words that begin with that letter. Let your imagination

take flight!

3. Think of a catchy title for the game , such as Up in the Air for the balloon vocabularywords game and type the instructions on a computer. If you have no access to a computer, simply

write the title and instructions on the cover page.

4.Arrange the game. Decide on what you want to stick, write, or draw inside the folder. For

example, you can draw the outline of the balloons with the meaning of the words as the string.

5. Cover the folder with clear contact paper (available in National Bookstore).

6. Print or draw the piecesyou need for the game. Laminate these for greater durability.

STAR TIP:There are free activities you can download from websites that contain complete file

folder gamesfrom the title and instructions to the game itself. Check out:

1. File Folder Fun

2. Preschool Printables File Folder

3. Heart of Wisdom.com Fabulous Fun Free File Folder Games

WORKSHEETS WORK

Worksheets abound in the great World Wide

Web. Just type in your area of interest, whether

by subject (math, science, literacy), topic (letter

recognition, opposites, patterns), or even age

level. Again, if you do not have access to the

computer, these sheets are simple to create and

can be reproduced at a minimal rate.

1. Choose the activitybased on what the

students are studying. If they are entering

kindergarten, then they must know how to

recognize and write all of the letters.

2. Create a visually appealing

worksheet by drawing child-friendly images.

You can also play around with colors by using

colored markers and crayons.

3.You can either photocopy the sheet for

the whole class to work on at the same time or

you can laminate the sheet. You can re-use the

laminated sheet over and over again, but only

one child can work on the sheet at a time.

STAR TIP: Current prices for lamination in

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National Bookstore are as follows:

Short page: P30

Long Page: P35

A3: P70

You can also opt to laminate your sheets with thick scotch tape. It is not as durable as real

laminate but it is a cheap alternative that works well enough.

PAPER PLATES GALORE

Easy to find, cheap, and versatile. What more could you ask for? These plates are perfect for art

activities, such as creating masks and animal puppets. However, these plates can also be used for

math activities, such as telling time, fractions, and counting activities.

ADDITION WEB Here is a simple math activity you can make with a paper plate, permanent

markers, whiteboard markers, scotch tape, and erasers.

1. Draw a small circle in the center of the plate. Write a number inside the circle. Keep it simple

for younger students while older students can have larger numbers.

2. Draw lines from the circleyou drew until the edge of the plate. Make sure you have at least

four empty spaces.

3. Place scotch tape on the empty spaces to allow you to erase the answers and re-use the

plate for your other students.

4.Ask your students to thinkof different number combinations to arrive at the number in the

middle. If you have the number 9 in the middle, possible answers could be 0 + 9, 1 + 8,

2+7,3+6,and4+5.

DID YOU KNOW? There is a whole movement dedicated to promoting the use of paper plates as

supplements for academic subjects, such as math, science, and literacy. Log on to http://

analyzer.depaul.edu/paperplatefor more information and ideas!

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The Power of Verbal Abuse

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Monday, February 28th, 2011

Verbal abuse among kids can be common, and when it happens in the classroom

between teacher and student, it can lead to serious consequences.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words

will never hurt me.

The old childrens rhyme talks about how kids should not give

in to name-calling, taunts, and teasing from their peers. What

can come off as seemingly harmless jokes, however, can

snowball into a bigger, graver problemverbal abuse.What It Is

Verbal abuse ranges from name-calling and putting others

down through words, to more extreme manifestations like

swearing and using expletives, explains Michele Alignay,

guidance counselor at Miriam College and consultant at the

Love Institute (www.theloveinstitute.com). This type of

abusive behavior works primarily with languageusing it to

significantly lower a persons self-esteem and emotional well-

being.

The scope of verbal abuse can be extensivefrom purposeful

humiliation to making others feel unloved, from criticizing and

ignoring your victim to actual harassment and threats. Thepower of words can condition a child, reinforcing negative

behavior, adds Alignay. If a teacher, for example, tells a child he is pasaway, chances are, the

student becomes exactly what the teacher says. The student begins to believe what he is called

and finds that there is no use in behaving.

It affects a childs self -esteemhis self -worth is diminished because of labels placed on him by

other people, she says. If a teacher calls a student mahina, then he may lose the determination

to understand a particular lesson. He might attempt to overcome it, but may not strive to reach

beyond his capacity. Many children become underdeveloped or do not maximize their potential

because of these labels, which result in poor self-esteem and negative opinions of themselves.

This type of abuse is very dangerous because it does not leave any marks, says Ina de Vera,

currently a primary years teacher at the Beacon School. Verbal abuse cannot often be picked up

on by the childs family or teachers and has a powerful effect, especially since help is seldomavailable unless the child learns how to speak up. She continues to explain that victims often have

to deal with multiple emotionsconfusion, embarrassment, guilt, inadequacy, anger, and shame.

Verbal Abuse vs. Discipline

Teachers who have not had enough exposure to more modern, progressive methods of teaching

and handling students can easily misconstrue verbal abuse as discipline. Scolding and criticizing a

student or even an entire class can considerably put them down.

With verbal abuse, the words that are dealt go one way. Discipline, on the other hand, involves

communication. Discipline equals talking about the behavior and its effect without judging or

labeling, says Alignay. Whereas, Youre so carelesswhy do you keep making mistakes?

immediately judges the student himself; I see you werent able to pass the testyou know, youre

very good at analyzing problems but maybe youre becoming confused and thats why you didnt

follow directions identifies a strength of the child and turns it into a source of motivation.

Constructive criticism is what discipline calls for, she explains. You need to bank on whatever

strength you can find in the student and then note something that he can improve.

Spotting the Signs

Children can react to verbal abuse in two extremes. One is to completely withdraw, and the other

is to act out and verbally abuse others as well. There are no actual outward signs as in physical

abuse, says de Vera. Verbal abusers can be cunning with their jokes and withholding of affection

if this happens in the home, then a child may demonstrate an unwillingness to leave school.

Opening a dialogue with your student and establishing that you are a person of authority he can

trust is a good way to gauge what is going on in the childs home.

A referral system can also be implemented, adds Alignay. Teachers can do a firsthand screening

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of the student in questionand if they see that the childs behavior has roots that go beyond non-

academic behavior, they can turn to the guidance department, which can offer counseling.

There is a critical line between what counselors can and cannot tell their students parents, she

says. As a counselor, if I can see that there is verbal abuse going on at home, I need to offer

suggestions and be careful not to provoke parents, who can be defensive about what goes on in

the family. Its also important to seek the childs approvalfind out if its all right with him for you

to talk to his parents. There is confidentiality in counselingsomething which can only be broken

if a childs life is threatened.

If students are being verbally abused by co -teachers, then this issue can be pointed out

immediately during a private moment, says de Vera. Its important not to accuse right away, but

to gather enough evidence from students in class, as well as from anyone whom you think is

affected by the situation. Inform your colleague that you may have to report the situation to your

principal, and waste no time in doing so since such matters are very serious.

Check Yourself

Being aware of what verbal abuse encompasses (labeling, name-calling, comparing, teasing, etc.)

can help you keep yourself in check with your own students. Teachers must possess a healthy self-

esteem in order to be effective. Many times, teachers are burned out, drained, and tiredand this

can lead to negative ways of dealing with students, such as verbal abuse, says Alignay.

It is important to think of the 5As when you reflect on your own self-worth, she adds, crediting

clinical psychologist Dr. Lourdes Carandang for the following:

AcceptanceAm I accepted for who I am?

AffectionDo people care about me?AttentionDo I matter ?

AffirmationAm I worthwhile?

AppreciationAre my efforts noted?

Securing these 5As can restore a teachers self worth, making it easy for her to value her students.

Remember that discipline means to teachnot punish. Words that hurt your students will not

teach them anything except to be hurtful in return, advises de Vera. As role models, at least for

one school year, teachers must be respectful, kind, patient, and loving. Teaching is not all about

the facts, but the values your students can learn from you.

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Setting the Stage for Positive DisciplineMonday, February 28th, 2011

Research shows that when discipline is positive, it reaps the best results. Heres how

you can introduce it in your classroom today.

A lot of teachers equate the word discipline with punishment and dictationhow to correct a

mistake, how to get your students to obey rules and turn in their homework on time, and more.

Discipline is indeed a form of training or molding of behavior in accordance to rules or standards.

Time Lifes Teaching Good Behavior Guide for Parents aptly describes discipline as an art that takes

time to learn and practice. Jane Galambos Stone, author of A Guide to Discipline, says that caring

and control are both essential ingredients for all good teachers to receive the output they expect

from children.

Good teachers do not force obedience, but neither do they constantly give in. Theres always the

delicate, sometimes confusing balancing act between becoming too strict or too lax. According to

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Stone, it depends on how much our teaching style combines caring with control. The key is in

caring enough to provide good, clear rules for your students protection.

PREP TIME

Prevention is the first and best solution. Its always best to avoid circumstances that will require

you to reprimand a student. Heres what you can do:

Come to class prepared. Be in class way before your early bird arrives. Give yourself ample

time to set up your classroom, prepare yourself, fix your lessons, and relax. This way, youve got

your class covered from start to end, leaving no window for your students to question your

capabilities or want to do other things.

Put personal problems aside. We all have bad dayseven your students do. Make your

classroom a respite from outside challenges for both you and your students.Make your classroom student-centered. Set up your learning environment in such a way

that your students have the freedom to learn, interact, and express themselves.

Fill your class with learning tools. Equip your students with tools that will train them to work

with very minimal supervision. As David Isaacs says in his book Character Building, If certain

virtues are to be acquired, it seems logical that children should be actually required to do certain

things. They should be required to do things and often to think about what they are doing and why

they are doing it.

Set your mind. No matter how impossible you think your students are, always psych yourself,

and believe that each day will be a day of fun and learning. Keep in mind that no matter how hard

you try, problems will occur. This is where your knowledge about each of your students will be

helpful, and your judgment and quick thinking will be tested.

Think about what is causing the problem. Why is your student misbehaving? It could be as

simple as not getting enough sleep the night before or not eating breakfast that morning.

Assess your approach . Plan how you intend to tackle the problem. Some students can be told

using a soft voice and they will understand. There are some that require a more stern voice and

manner to make them listen. But make sure you use a manner that will not discourage them or

affect their self-esteem.

ALTERNATIVES TO PUNISHMENT

Do you often ask yourself, when is it time to punish a student? And is there such a thing as

appropriate punishment? Even the best teachers reach a breaking point and snap at their students.

Maybe you have reached this point once in your teaching career. Surely, you may have regretted

losing your cool and thought about how you could have handled the situation better.

Stone says, whether a student admits it or not, he needs an adult to guide him through the

emotional roller coaster he is inthat is, growing up. Your students need to know that you are not

the enemy and snapping at himin any formwill not achieve this goal. If you do, discipline may

have broken down, stresses Stone.

Here are some ways you can get a student to stop misbehaving and eventually learn to manage

his emotions without becoming childish yourself.

Non-verbal. When a student hits a fellow student, you can put your arm around the student to

let him feel that you are ready to lend a listening ear. You can further say that you dont want

anyone getting hurt, and that includes him. You might have to restrain the student further if he

tries to hit you while you are holding him.

Verbal. Use a firm voice and stand your ground. Your students need to know that you are in

control and you mean what you say, without making any of them feel terrorized.

Level with them. Literally. When a group of students begin to get rowdy and start to wreak

havoc in the classroom, a stern voice may not be enough. You might need to go over to them, sit

them down, and kneel down to their level to take control. Once you have the situation under

control, this is when you start talking to them.

PRAISE AND ENCOURAGEMENT

Positive reinforcement is definitely more effective than punishment. Students like the attention

given to them by their teachers. Recognizing their good behavior is like hitting two birds with one

stoneyou feed their desire to be noticed and encourage repetition of a good deed done.

According to Time Life, recognition can come in many formsfrom well-chosen words of praise, to

an embrace or a thumbs-up, to more tangible rewards. However, Time Life points out that the

form is as important as the timing in which you provide recognition. Praise should be immediate, so

your student can make the connection between his deed and the reward that follows.

In the book Teacher & Child, Dr. Haim G. Ginott throws in a word of caution. Praise can be both

constructive and destructive. He says, praise is like drug, it may make a child feel good for a

moment; however, it may create dependence. And that will work against all your efforts in

imparting self-discipline.

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You must be very specific about what exactly it is about the behavior that you like versus giving

generic praise: You did a good job finishing your art project on time! versus Good job! There is

also no need to wait for a task to be done. Give encouragement and praise along the way. And

more importantly, give praise to make them realize that what theyve done is something that

makes them feel good and proud of themselves and not just something that pleases you. Im sure

you enjoyed making that project because it shows in your work!

As teachers, most of us are products of a system that used to punish and zero in on the negatives.

Practicing positive discipline means changing the way we think and react to our students behavior.

Try it out and see how much more effectiveand pleasant!your classroom interactions will be.

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Which Classroom Manager Are You?Sunday, February 27th, 2011

The way you manage your classroom has a lot to do with you style of disciplining. Find out what

style you tend to use and how this affects your students.

1. In my classroom, I

a. Let the children do whatever they want because its too difficult to make them do what I ask.

b. Do not care what the children do as long as I can deliver the lesson.

c. Am the boss and whatever I say should be followed.

d. Make sure the rules are followed, but I know there will be days when I need to be more flexible.

2. My classroom rules are

a. Established, but seldom followed.b. Made up as we go.

c. Rigid and cannot be bent.

d. Established, but negotiable.

3. When the children misbehave, I

a. Let them get away with it as long as I have enough time to give them their assignments.

b. Blame them and make sure they know that they were wrong.

c. Take it very personally and make sure I take control of the situation.

d. Realize that it may not be my fault and try to f ind out what may be causing this.

4. My students are mostly

a. Directionless.

b. Indifferent.

c. Defiant.

d. Able to control themselves.

5. When playing or working together, my students are

a. Timid.

b. Prone to emotional outbursts.

c. Lacking in social skills.

d. Cooperative.

6. In terms of school performance, my students

a. Show no interest in success.

b. Are poor performers.

c. Need lots of stimulation in order to do something.

d. Work hard to accomplish tasks.

7. as a teacher, I believe thata. I am responsible for making sure my students get at least the basics they need so we can get

through the day.

b. My students owe it to me to behave appropriately because I am doing them a great favor by

educating them.

c. My students should do everything I tell them even without understanding why because I am the

boss in the classroom.

d. My students will have good days and off days and I must be sensitive to these so I can react

appropriately.

RESULTS:

If you answered

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Mostly As: You are Permissive.

You are very accommodating, but you are not in charge of the classroom. You also have few

requirements for your students.

The Outcome: Children turn out to have no direction, are hesitant and have no self-confidence,

and do not feel like they can achieve anything.

Mostly Bs: You are Rejecting-Neglecting.

You have no middle ground and either reject children or neglect them when they exhibit negative

behavior. You do not really care about the child as long as your agenda is met. You can resort to

ignoring the children or berating them and refusing them everything.

The Outcome: Children become confused and emotional problems arise. They also perform poorly

in school because they do not know when they will be ignored, rejected, or if they will even be

praised.

Mostly Cs: You are authoritarian. You always have to hold the power in the classroom and

demand that the children do as you say. Negotiation is not an option and children can never

question your authority. Punishment is usually how you manage negative behavior.

The Outcome: Children become rebellious, lack in social skills, and will always rely on other

people.

Mostly Ds: You are authoritative. You are firm and gentle at the same time and realize that

children behave in certain ways for different reasons. Your rules are fixed and determined, but can

be negotiated to avoid power struggles. When children behave negatively, you apply logical

consequences instead of punitive punishment methods and do not go on power trips.

The Outcome: Children learn to be responsible for themselves (their things, actions, tasks, etc.),

they work well with others, are independent, and can control their emotions, actions, and wants.

With disciplining children, balance is key. You have to find the right mix of firmness and flexibility

and let go of the belief that you will always have to be right. Give children more credit and believe

in their ability to measure up to what is expected of them, provided that the expectations are

appropriate, of course. If you show children respect and a positive attitude, you will get the same

in return.

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How do you encourage your students to be more creative and imaginative?Sunday, February 27th, 2011

TEACHERS SAY:

I encourage my students to be more

creative and imaginative by giving them

a lot of choices and opportunities. I

advise my students to follow their

interests whether in writing, oral

communication, dancing, singing, etc.

During our class, as much as possible, I

avoid negative phrases or negative

comments because these will prevent

them from using their imagination.

MR. JULIUS ARATA

TEACHER-IN-CHARGE

RICOS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,

UMINGAN, PANGASINAN

In my science lessons, I remind my pupils to be environment friendly: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

I show them projects made of recycled materials to arouse their creativity and imagination. Then, I

encourage them to submit their own projects made out of recyclable materials like used compact

discs, bottles, candy wrappers, and a lot more. By doing this, they become creative, imaginative,

and an Earth Saver.

GRACE G. DE VERA

LIBERATO DAMIAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

KAPITAN ATO ST.,

BARANGAY STA. CRUZ, PASIG CITY

Our aims, aside from developing the love of reading, are to encourage creativity and imagination

among our 4th graders. Every time the pupils read stories, they are provided with imaginative and

creative impetus. They do creative drama. They also make stick puppets of one of the characters in

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the story they have read. Theywrite paragraphs about how they would want the stories to end. I

believe that encouraging pupils to use their imagination will help develop creativity, resulting in

better writers and more enthusiastic pupils.

ROCHELLE T. TALLUD

NEMESIO I. YABUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

In art classes, I will just show the finished product/art project for a short time so that they will

have an idea of what to do, then Ill just leave it up to them to think and create their own designs.

In English classes, concepts can be recited or sung by creating their own poems, rap, or

songs.They will be asked to create a story by completing the phrase: Imagine you are a butterfl y,

princess, monster etc. Write what would your life be like.

GINA B. YONQUE

LAGRO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

As the saying goes, you cant give what you dont have. Therefore, I myself must be creative and

imaginative so that my students will imitate what they see from me. For example, setting up a

well-structured classroom and giving my pupils some different activities such as fi lling up various

graphic organizers and letting them play some exciting games related to the lessons. I also include

creativity as one of the criteria in every group work and presentation. Lastly, I boost the students

morale by appreciating their work.

ERQUILY B. ESCOBAL

EMS SIGNAL VILLAGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,

TAGUIG CITY

I expose them to different stories and have them do something from the story. For example, I ask

the students to draw an object from the story or do group role play. In role playing, they became

creative and resourceful when they use different costumes. They also feel that they are one of the

characters. We also have pantomiming, character sketch, and using graphic organizers in

summarizing or retelling the story read.

KATHERINE MAPA

COMEMBO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MAKATI CITY

During my post-reading activity, I group my pupils and let them pick from my engagement activity

box what they are going to do and present as a group. Here are some of the following activities:

1. Illustrationillustrate their favorite scene in the story

2. Song compositioncompose a song, jingle, or rap related to the story

3. Puppet makingmake puppets of the different characters in the story

4. Slogan makingwrite slogans related to the story

5. Acrostic compositionwrite a composition in which the initial letters of each line form a word or a

phrase

These activities help them discover and enhance their talents and multi-intelligences and they also

boost their confi dence and self-discipline.

EDEN H. VINCULADO

LAGRO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,

MAKATI CITY

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The Importance of VocabularySunday, February 27th, 2011

Help your students build their vocabulary to

improve their communication skills and be better

speakers and learners for life.

What are words? A word, according to the Merriam-

Webster Dictionary, is something that is said. Infants

enter a world full of sounds that flow and ebb into a

stream of unintelligible chatter. As they grow, they begin

to understand that these sounds mean something. Words

take shape as they realize that pretty baby refers to

them and that no means Mommy is about to get angry.

Toddlers add to their arsenal of words slowly, usually

starting from mama and papa, then moving on to no

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and want. Language explosion comes soon enough, usually by the age of three. Children at this

stage will have about 1,000 words in their word bank.

How do children learn words?

Children are bombarded with words every moment of their waking hours. The giant billboards on

EDSA advertising everything from instant noodles to popular clothing stores. The radio blaring the

news for the day. Store signs from the neighborhood sari-sari stores right beside rows of houses

with their numbers and street names emblazoned on their gates. Exposure is the key for learning

new words. It is important for parents to read the billboards with their children, listen to the radio

and talk about the news for the day, look through the childrens section of the Sunday newspaper

and look for words that are unfamiliar, and read the street names and find out who or what they

were named after. Every sign, every corner, every experience is a learning opportunity for new

words to emerge.

What is vocabulary?

Children use words to convey their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. As language develops, they string

words together to make meaningful statements. Words then grow into a vocabulary, which

according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is a sum or stock of words employed by a language,

group, or individual.

Why is vocabulary important?

The number one reason why vocabulary is important is for success in later life. In a country such

as the Philippines, where call centers are rampant and English is spoken widely, having a large

vocabulary is an important requisite for job hunting. Even the mere act of scanning through the

advertisements in the classified ads section of a newspaper requires a good vocabulary.

Words Have Multiple Meanings. There are quite a few words in the English language that can

mean several things. Sound. Noise or good? Bear. The animal or to endure? Boot. A kind of shoe

or to fire up your computer? Mouse. The animal or a computer tool? If you are not aware of the

different definitions, then the statement, It was a sound investment is going to confuse you.

Vocabulary is an important component for comprehension.

Vocabulary is a Key Factor in Academic Success. Students who achieve in school basically do

so because they understand the material they are given. They read the books, listen to the

lectures, and write their essays, quizzes, reports, and examinations to the best of their ability. This

would be impossible to accomplish if these students did not have the vocabulary needed to

comprehend their lessons.

Self-confidence and Social Skills are by-products of a good vocabulary.

How can we best teach vocabulary words?

Reading is a good way to introduce new words to children. As you come across new words in the

text, ask your students whether or not they are familiar with the meaning. Write the word on top

of a piece of paper and list the definitions of the children under it.

Another great way to teach vocabulary words is to have a list of words per week. Games are the

perfect way to internalize these words. Here are a few games your students will enjoy.

1. Gather together a few reading materials that contain the target words for the week. Scour

newspapers, books, magazines, advertisements, journals, and even the Sunday comics. Lay these

out in front of your class and have your students hunt for the words. Ask them to read the

sentence that contains the word out loud to the class and brainstorm about the possible

definitions.

2. Ask your students to use the words in context. Instead of having a written assignment

about it, why not make it a fun game to challenge your students? Each sentence that contains a

target word earns one point. At the end of the week, tally the points and find out who the Word

Leaders are.

3. Start each day with a guessing game. Think of synonyms for each word and use these to

make your students guess the target words. You can also think of antonyms and ask your students

to guess what the target word is based on your vocabulary list for the week

4. Divide your class into groups of four and give each group a piece of paper and a pen. The

group that has the most definitions under one minute wins the game.

5. Artistic children in your class willmost likely benefit from a creative activity, such as drawing or

finding visual aids that can help them remember the target words better. A great way to motivate

these students is to give them the opportunity to create visual aids, such as coloring a sheet of

paper gray for the word dull or drawing Ben 10 for fearless.

6. A great collaborative activity is to create a story with your class using the target words. Divide

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your class into groups and have them sit in a circle (if possible and the size of your class is not

too big) and ask each one to use one word in a sentence. To minimize using the same words over

and over again, ask each child to choose a word or assign the word. Choose a child to start the

story, such as My ancestorscame from the province. The next child must continue the story using

his target word, for example, They were very wearywhen they arrived. Continue on with the story

and watch the children laugh their hearts out, as the story gets more and more hilarious with each

passing sentence.

English as a Second Language

Teachers have the responsibility to teach their students the foundations of the English language as

well as to expand their vocabulary skills in order to enable them to be competent in other areas,such as mathematics, science, and health. What are some of the challenges of this task and how

can teachers overcome these challenges?

1. Different Levels Students, no matter how closely grouped they are by age, will always have

varying academic skill levels. The fourth-grade students in your class may have as little as two or

as many as 10 skill levels. This discrepancy in levels can be addressed in multiple ways.

a. Group the children according to levels.

b. Ask the children who are academically advanced to tutor those who need help.

2. Lack of Practice The children do not speak the language outside the classroom. They tend to

fall back on their home language, thereby losing out on the invaluable experience of practice. The

only way to address this problem is to ask your students to speak English outside the classroom.

After all, the old adage, practice makes perfect was coined for a reason. Angela Mapa, an

instructor at the Berlitz Language Center, also recognized the fact that although some students

know the meaning of words, they do not practice with the help of the teacher. They consequently

do not learn how to use these words in context.

3. Significance of the Second Language Another barrier to learning English is the importance

children attach to this task. After all, how many times in their lives will they encounter the words

esoteric, obtuse, and antiquated? The best way to combat this misconception is to read

books, watch the news, and listen to songs. There are so many words out there that never make it

to mainstream conversations but are frequently used in print, radio, and movies.

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The Write StuffSunday, February 27th, 2011

Teach your students the proper writing skills through these fun activities.

No matter what your age, good communication skills play a vital role in keeping you connected to

the world. Teaching children proper writing skills early on can help establish a good foundation and

allow them to hone their abilities as they grow older. Like any other subject, writing can be taught

formally and technically. Sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, and grammatical rules are all

necessary components when teaching English. The challenge for teachers is finding activities that

dont just instruct their students, but also allow them to practice the rules of proper writing while

helping them grow creatively as young writers.

Set Your Standards

Before you can assess your students performance and growth, its important to establish a set of

writing criteria to guide them as they write. Writing is assessed through a set of criteria shared

with students prior to writing. These are developed by the teacher according to the genre of

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writing or even the level of writing that a class is able to do, says Ina de Vera, a current primary

years teacher with 13 years of experience as a pre-kinder to grade 5 teacher. It is a good idea to

allow students to participate in creating their own writing goals because it enables them to assess

their own work, as well as that of their peers. Having a defined set of criteria makes it easier for

both teachers and students to create a common vision as to what good writing should be.

You may have to guide students in creating their own writing goals. Start with an example that

can be directly related to your lesson of, for example, subject-verb agreement, Always make sure

the subjects and verbs agree. Then you can ask them for other rules that they feel should be

present in the work they are about to write such as, Start with an introduction and end with a

conclusion, or Make sure each statement has examples. You can be as specific as you want to

be so as to reinforce a lesson.

Ready, Set, Think!

Bobbie Bautista-Ramirez, grade 5 class adviser and MAGIS English teacher at Ateneo Grade School,

explains that writing criteria and writing goals are customized according to specific areas of

strength and/or weakness of the students, and according to what is being gradedwhether it be

sentences, composition, etc.There are no hard and fast rules to coming up with different criteria in

your classroom, although following a general framework can provide a basic backbone that can be

worked into your syllabus. Ina de Vera offers an example you can use as a guide. Of course you

must adjust these according to the level of your students:

1. Ideas How effectively does your student choose a topic, develop an idea, collect information, share

insight, and make connections?

2. Voice How clear is the authors purpose? How engaging is the piece? Does the author take the

audience into consideration?3. Organization Are the introduction and conclusion connected? Does the piece follow a logical

sequence? Does it follow a good pace?

4. Sentence Fluency Are the sentences written correctly? Is the piece easy to read?

5. Word Choice Are the words properly used? For more advanced writers: Does the author show,

and not tell, the story? Is creative, figurative language effectively used?

6. Conventions Are the spelling and grammar accurate?

Strategies to Try

Creativity plays a large role in coming up with ways to incorporate language lessons into your

students activities. Use the essentials as a springboard for fun and interesting gamesthis can

help you intersperse technical topics with activities that allow children to absorb and learn new

ideas more easily.

Poster Gallery

Aim: Introduce your students to the idea of coming up with their own writing criteria and goals

and allow them to form their own expectations as to what constitutes a good piece of written

work.

How to:

Group students into threes or fours.

Discuss in class the different traits you would like to use in assessing their pieces.

Ask them to brainstorm what theyd like to see whenever they read a piece. Help them pick out

examples of stories or books theyve encountered, which have particular qualities that resonated

with them.

Have the members of each group collaborate in making a poster that displays all their

expectations.

Create a poster gallery so that students can examine each others works and discuss the criteria by

which the entire classs written works can then be assessed.

Leave the posters up so that throughout the school year, students can look back on these criteria,whenever they feel lacking in inspiration or want to double check their own work against the

standards they set at the beginning of the activity.

Mind Map Graffiti

Aim: Train students to spin a major theme into a piece of writing through word associations and

mind mapping. Give them a chance to see how one major theme can branch off into many ideas

that they can use to enhance their own writing.

How to:

Cover one classroom wall or bulletin board with a blank sheet of Manila paper that everyone can

scrawl on.

Give students a rundown of very general topics that they can start withthe class may vote on a

particular subject, such as friendship, love, family, etc.

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Write the chosen topic in big, bold letters in the middle of the graffiti wall and encircle it.

Anybody can come up and connect the topic word to another word. Get the ball rolling by giving

them one or two examples in the beginning. For example, friendship can spin off to going out with

friends, or eating lunch together at the canteen.

Get students to take turns writing their own ideasmaking their written words as creative as they

can so that the mind map becomes just like a wall of graffiti.

When the wall is done, explain to students that a major theme can branch out into any of the

associations theyve made. A written exercise can help reinforce the activity.

QUICK TO DOS

These short and simple activities can help reinforce writing skills without taking too much time.

Comic book (teaches Logical progression). Have kids lay out a familiar story using thumbnails

and jumble them up to create an interesting spin to a tale.

Dress Up (teaches Voice). Have kids pick out a popular character from a book and write a short

speech in that persons voice.

How To (teaches Sequencing). Get kids to write all the rules for how to make a peanut butter

sandwich, for example, and have them act it out but miss a stepthis can make for a very funny

skit!

While fun and games can make any class interesting, the rudiments of teaching proper writing

skills, such as reading, spelling, punctuation, grammar rules and listening, must never be forgotten.

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How does the Internet help you in your teaching?Sunday, February 27th, 2011

TEACHER SAYS:

The World Wide Web helps me a lot inmy teaching. Its easier, cheaper, and

more exciting to teach science, since

this subject needs a lot of motion and

illustrations. By just clicking the mouse,

I can get pictures and important

information I want to present to my

pupils. My students are very eager to

attend my science class because they

are excited for the next presentation I

will show them. Besides, I can save

time, money, and effort in preparing my

visual aids. Goodbye to markers and

Manila paper!

GRACE G. DE VERA

LIBERATO DAMIAN ELEMENTARY

SCHOOL

BARANGAY STA. CRUZ, PASIG CITY

The Internet helps me find creative and artistic ways to carry out my lessons effectively. It serves

as my open library in finding the easiest, funniest, and most enjoyable ways of teaching the

head-cracking and boring lessons on grammar and hekasi. It also helps me get new ideas on how

to apply things to actual classroom instructions. Some suggestions found online, especially in

education and teaching-related websites, contain multimedia presentations (usually in PDF format)

which are downloadable, easy to view, and can be shared with my class and fellow teachers.

PEPITO I. DEL VALLE,

JR.BOLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CAMARINES SUR

If I want to learn more about the topics were about to discuss, I just surf the Internet. Only

yesterday, we tackled the life of Helen Keller and my research work helped me a lot. I even advise

my pupils to try researching online to help them with their homework but I make sure that they

read and understand what they search for because I will surely ask them questions.

MARIA CECILIA OPAO

EMILIO JACINTO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

TONDO, MANILA

Most of my students pass computerized assignments and projects, which theyve copied or

downloaded from different websites, thats why lecture-based presentations are no longer exciting

for them. Because of this, I really took time to explore and learn to download videos from Youtube

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Copyright 2011 Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation.

All rights reserved. Reproduction of material from Starteacher.ph without written permission is prohibited.

which I use to WINpresent my lessons especially in science. This results in lively discussions, 100%

attention, and decreased absences in my class. Lack of science equipment like the microscope is

not a problem anymore since my students can see the real parts of the blood, chlorophyll, and

others from the downloaded picture. I was able to relate with the class and present the lesson in a

realistic way.

ESTRELLITA R. LITAO

BAMBANG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BULAKAN,

BULACAN

The Internet helps me with my teaching in five ways:

1. It gives me the opportunity to learn current innovations in teaching from other countries that may

be utilized in my class to strengthen my pupils self-esteem.

2. It adds further information about the topic I am teaching. Im not just depending on what is

printed in the textbook. I research more so I can answer my students questions. In fact, I

subscribe to some websites, like MathGoodies.com and Maria Millers blog

(homeschoolmath.blogspot.com), which give tips to math teachers around the world.

3. It tests my decision-making skills. I can choose what strategies or teaching styles I should and

shouldnt apply.

4. I can easily communicate with people far away via e-mail.

5. It is the cheapest way to travel and to be aware of whats happening around the world.

IRENE R. CHUA

GOODWILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BAGBAG,

QUEZON CITY

Children are different these days. We must know their interests, listen to their music, sing the

songs they sing, watch the movies they see, and read their posts on Twitter, Facebook, and other

social networking sites. I created an online test in hekasi connected to Facebook. As of now I am

one of the many quiz creators on the site!

EVELYN R. DEL PRADO

RIZAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

MAKATI CITY

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