Of Chalk and Talk

Summer here in the Philippine s has officially started, and it's one of the most awaited time among the young ones and the young once. One thing why kids love summer is because they have all the time to enjoy the water. It may be on the beach, in the pool, in the river, or even in a basin full of water.  So if you're planning to go swimming after the lockdown , here are some things you need to remember before packing those stuff and plunging into the water. Photo by Beautiful Ifugao Photo by Jerry Enrico Puddunan What to Bring 1.  Foods and Drinks  It's either you cook the food at home or bring your cooking utensils and let the adults cook while the kids enjoy the water.  The best viand to bring (according to my hungry tummy) is tinolang native chicken.  Don't also forget the chicha corn (with vinegar), fruits (mango and watermelon are the best), drinks (soft and hard), and sawsawan (for the grilled tilapia or ba...

It's tough to make an engaging and exciting lesson plan if you don't have a bank of activities to help you. So, here are some activities for the three stages of a reading lesson: pre-reading, while reading and post-reading. And as a bonus, I also included a sample lesson plan in reading. Make your reading class a blast! You may also want to know how to use authentic materials in teaching reading. Pre-reading Tasks What are the benefits of pre-reading activities? Pre-reading activities prepare your students for the reading text.   This is the first part of your scaffolding.  It gives learners an overview of the material. It activates their prior knowledge on the topic It ignites the excitement in your learners to read the text. 1.  Use of Pictures  Images are great tools to get the attention of the learners towards the reading text.  In using pictures,  you can ask them to predict the theme of the text.  You just need ...

Are you frustrated in helping your students become better readers?  Well, maybe you can try using authentic materials to help them comprehend a reading text. Using authentic materials can be an excellent way to encourage your learners to read.  These materials are present everywhere, and they are not dull, like other texts.  Your 21st-century learners will surely love them. What are Authentic Reading Materials Authentic reading materials are not intended for classroom use.  Instead, they are meant for native speakers.  They are magazines, blogs, advertisements, receipts, billboards, online newspapers, menus, and websites.  These materials bring the language of the real world into the classroom. What are the Advantages of Using Authentic Materials 1.  Authentic materials, which were initially written for native speakers, give the learners the chance to interact with the language in different contexts.   In the first place, we...

Proverbs 22:6 says, " Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it ." My father died when I was in third-year college. We are eight in the family, and my youngest sibling was only 5 years old. It was a difficult time for the family since my mother was already invalid after her attack when she gave birth to our youngest. Looking back at those times when the only thing I can hold on to was my faith in God, I still become teary-eyed. Aside from remaining steadfast in my faith, one thing that saved us all from those difficult times was how our parents brought us up. Even if my mother left us in 2004, their influence in us, their children, rooted in our innermost beings. I want to share some of the seeds of character I got from my parents and which I can pass to my children. 1. Contentment It's tough to be contented when you look around and see your neighbors enjoying hearty meals, beautiful houses, fancy clot...

What are some fun things to do at home during home isolation? It's just been a week after the lockdown here in the Philippines, and things are getting boring already. Due to COVID-19, everyone needs to stay at home, and now it's taking its toll on the young ones who can't go out and play with their friends.   The lockdown was announced before the end of their classes. The sad thing is, they didn't even have the chance to say goodbye to their classmates for this school year. However, there's something good with home isolation. Families can spend more quality time before hitting the busy road after the lockdown. For my first post, I want to give five fun things I do with my family. And since it's already summer in the Philippines, they can also be fun summer activities for the kids. 1. Get your kids moving. Last year, we bought a badminton set, but we did not use it that much because everyone seemed to be busy all the time. But now, my husband and...