WALT: we are learning to…( or today)The Learning Objective should be concrete and clear for children from the beginning in every lesson

WALT = We Are Learning To…Sometimes called a Learning Intention, a WALT  makes the learning, concept, understanding or skill clear to students. For example, “We are learning to use talking marks in our writing”. I find WALTs extremely useful in differentiating between the task or activity and the actual learning. Without some element of explicit teaching, students prove very competent in articulating what they are ‘doing’ rather than what they are ‘learning’ by doing it. I learned this in my very first week of teaching when I was attempting to teach children the ‘count on’ strategy for totalling two numbers by getting them to play a simple die-rolling game called Cover Up. When I asked them to explain their learning, most answered with some form of “I learned to play Cover Up” rather than what I’d hoped for – “I learned to add the numbers by counting on from the bigger number”.

I have made stars with the name of the children. Blue colour for 4ºA, red colour for 4ºB.

I use to award students when:- They are ready to start

the lesson in silence.- They participate in a good

way.- They answer correctly.- They are paying attention.- Etc.

I used to register all the “well done” stars at the end of each day and at the end of the week, the best student will have a special present like:- Choose the songs during the arts and crafts lesson.- Choose a game like a starter.- Be the first in the line during the hole

week…- Etc.

I used to put the chairs in pairs or like a U, but now I realized that is really much better to work in groups.Students can help each other, they can talk each other to find the answer for different questions, you can check their work easily, etc.

I have divided each classgroup into 4 groups. I use to award them and do the register with sticking smile faces in these cardboards.

I use a special Science corner with all the vocabulary that we are learning during the unit.

Children can stand up and check it when they need it.

Children use small whiteboards to answer specific questions, to do spelling activities, to make games, etc

We are playing games like the “true or false” game, to review the contents. My american assistant, Sam, help me to do it and she have fun too.

To be continued.

This page will be always in process…