Planning of Reading across the Curriculum

source: The Government of Hong Konghttps://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net

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Outline1. Background

2. Making connection between learning in the English and the GS subjects

Shatin Tsung Tsin School

3. Making connection between learning in the classroom and in real life situations

Mary of Providence Primary School

4. Reflection

Planning of Reading across the Curriculum

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Challenges faced by our students

• Coping with the exponential growth of information and knowledge

• Globalisation and competition

• Meeting the learning demands at the secondary level

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The key – Reading, reading, reading

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Reading habit

Reading skills &

strategies

Reading atmosphere and culture

Reading interest

Making connections

The key – Reading, reading, reading

Reading across the curriculum

Reading skills & strategies

Reading habit

Reading interest

Reading atmosphere and culture

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Why Reading across the Curriculum

• To help students make connections between the reading texts across various KLAs and their life experiences, prior knowledge and global affairs.

• To enable students to gain knowledge of different areas and apply reading skills and strategies to retrieve different types of content knowledge

• To help students extend their horizons, construct knowledge, enhance their creativity and develop positive values.

Source: Basic Education Curriculum Guide for Primary 1 – 6 (2014)

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School practices in promoting Reading across the Curriculum

Mary of Providence Primary School

Shatin Tsung TsinSchool

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Student characteristics

• Average to high performance in English• Most students do not reject reading, yet there is diversity

in their interest in and habit for readingCurrent practices in promoting reading

• Explicit teaching of reading skills and strategies • Adoption of reading schemes • Positive experience in teacher collaboration in promoting

reading

Students’ development needs

Subject development focus

• Prepare senior primary students for learning at the secondary level

• Developing lifelong learning capabilities among students

Promotion of reading across the curriculum – making links between the formal and the informal curricula

Planning of the reading curriculum

to achieve learning to learnInformal curriculum

Formal curriculumØ Key features of each module

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English LibraryGeneralStudies

Set common themes for cross-subject collaboration

Set target reading skills and learning to learn skills

Adopt tools to help students process & organise learning

Increase the quantity and types of reading/viewing materials

Provide opportunities for sharing of reading/learning experiences

Ø Reading schemes • Buddy reading

programme• Extensive reading

scheme• Library periods

Ø Life-wide learning projects

• Study tour

Case 1Shatin Tsung Tsin School

Making connection between learning in the English and the GS subjects

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• Deepen the knowledge about environmental protection

• Apply reading skills and strategies in reading non-fiction books and newspaper

English curriculum

Library

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Planning of the ‘Save our Earth’ module

• Read extensively on environmental protection

• Teach reading skills and strategies explicitly

• Teach the use of graphic organizers to find out main ideas

GS curriculum

• Resource management

• Library periods

Sub-themes: Environmental Protection + Endangered AnimalsTarget group: a class of 30 P.6 studentsPeriod: 4 weeks

Design of the RaC project

Knowledge BuildingEnglish G.S.

Content

Language

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• Causes and solutions of environmental problems

• Effects of environmental problems

Lexical setsExamples: air pollution, fumes, smoke, power stations, factories, use public transport, plant more trees

Lexical setsExamples: global warming, greenhouse effect, ozone hole, acid rain(effects of air pollution)

Grammar structures• Use so much and so many to talk

about the quantities of things (e.g. The traffic makes so much noise.)

• Use should / should not to talk about ways of protecting the environment (e.g. We should stop leaving the tap on.)

• Use connectives to add ideas and to show the cause-effect relationship (e.g. also, as a result)

Useful verbs• Air pollution causes acid rain. • Water pollution causes red tides.• Water pollution affects the

ecosystem and human health.

Design of the RaC project

Design of the RaC projectEnglish G.S.

Reading skills Skills of reading non-fiction texts

Application of reading skills

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• Locate specific information ð Look at contents page, headings, illustrations and captions

• Skim for main ideasð Find out the topic sentences

ð Use graphic organizers to organize the causes, effects and

solutions

• Understand information presented in charts and graphs

• Read non-fiction texts of different topics (e.g. light pollution, noise pollution, environmental problems)

• Extensive reading scheme to encourage students to read non-

fiction books

Design of the RaC project

English General StudiesLearning outcomes

Save our Earth

Design of the RaC project

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• Write an article about the causes, effects and solutions of environmental problems

• Present a group project to show the causes, effects and solutions of an environmental problem

• K-W-L chart• Hold group discussion to

reflect on what have been learnt

English EnglishG.S.

Examples of Learning ResourcesOrganise the ideas of causes, effects and solutions of environmental problems

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Examples of Learning Resources

Distinguish between causes and effects

English

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Examples of Learning ResourcesUse so much and so many to talk about the quantities of things

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Examples of Learning Resources

Extensive reading scheme to encourage students to read non-fiction books

Students borrow nonfiction books of environmentalprotection from the library and complete the graphicorganizers.

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Super Readers’ Scheme

Learning outcomes - EnglishWrite an article about environmental problems (causes, effects and solutions)

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Learning outcomes - English

• Students are able to showthe audience the causes,effects and solutions of anenvironmental problem intheir project presentation.

• Students are able to synthesize what they have learnt from English and G.S. lessons and the books they have read.

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Learning outcomes of - General StudiesUse the K-W-L chart to organise the previous knowledge, decide what to find out and summarise the ideas learnt

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Role of the Libraryü Enrich the resources (non-fiction books of English and G.S.) in

the library.

ü Recommend and display the non-fiction books.

ü Display related newspaper clippings.

ü Read non-fiction books of environmental protection in library

lessons.

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How would students benefit from this RaC project?

ØEnhance students’ understanding of a topic

(environmental protection)

ØEquip students with a wider range of skills

and strategies of reading nonfiction texts

ØIncrease students’ reading amount and

variety of nonfiction books

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Case 2Mary of Providence Primary School

Making connection between learning in the classroom and in real life situations

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Informal curriculum(Outside the classroom)

Formal curriculum(Inside the classroom)

Design of a two-year reading project

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English+

Library

Year: 2014/15Target group: All P.5 studentsUnit: Fun with study toursCurriculum planning features:

Greater variety and quantity of reading materials

Coverage of reading skills & learning to learn skills

Authentic and challenging tasks to prepare students for real life needs

Year: 2015/16Target group: 24 P.6 studentsLife-wide learning project: A 4-day study tour to SingaporeCurriculum planning features:

P Extensive reading on the places to visit in Singapore

P Further practice of learning to learning skills

P Engaging students in planning, documenting and managing their learning

What happened in the classroom?P.5 Unit 4: Fun with study tours

Learning tasks Objectives/Features

1. Read a blog to find out the travelling experience of Ken

• Read for specific information• Learn the features of a blog

2. Practise booking of flight online • Expose students to real life tasks• Practise IT skills• Follow instructions

3. Read hotel reviews and choose a hotel

• Develop critical thinking• Learn the features of a review

4. Conduct research on different scenic spots and recommend a place to visit

• Read extensively on different places• Take notes• Synthesise information

5. Write a travel blog on a place visited

• Integrate reading with writing• Elaborate and organise ideas

6. Review peer’s travel blog against a set of criteria

• Promote self-reflection and peer learning

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What happened outside the classroom?A study tour to Singapore

1. Pre-trip training (Oct 2015 – Mar 2016)

Tasks Objectives/features

Prepare an introduction of a place to visit in Singapore

• Develop reading & research skills• Develop summarising skills• Set learning outcomes

Present the place to the whole group

• Practise presentation skills (confidence,eye-contact, interaction)

• Give and respond to feedback

Make learning pledges and a reminder list on what to prepare/do before, during and after the trip

• Develop self-management skills (e.g. goal setting)

• Develop higher order thinking skill(categorise items on the reminder list)

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What happened outside the classroom?A study tour to Singapore

1. Pre-trip training (Oct 2015 – Mar 2016)

Tasks Objectives/features

Prepare questions for the visit and the interview

• Develop self-directed learning skills (set learning expectations)

Video-tape their own presentation (introducing a place at the school)

• Learn advanced IT skills (photo and video-taking)

• Integrate the use of multiple skills (IT, writing, presentation)

• Prepare for the post-trip sharingShare the videos produced by each group and give feedback

• Promote peer assessment and reflection

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What happened outside the classroom?A study tour to Singapore

2. During and Post-trip activities (May - July 2016)

Tasks Objectives/features Engage in different learning tasks actively

• Practise communication skills• Foster collaboration• Enhance proper attitude and behaviour

Capture and reflect on their learning every day

• Consolidate learning skills (note-taking,summarising, organising learning)

• Apply advanced IT skills (taking photos and videos)• Encourage on-going reflection

Conduct post-trip sharing

• Consolidate presentation skills• Build a language rich environment at school

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Reflection

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Build on students’ strengths• Positive learning attitudes• Good language foundation

Build on teachers’ strengthsExpertiseInterest

DedicationCollaboration

Build on existing programmes

Reading schemesLibrary periods

Flexible curriculum arrangementsTeachers’ professional discretion on the use of textbook to create

space for learning

Holistic planning