Practicing Skimming

Lesson Plan Title : Practicing Skimming
Age Range: Grade 6 through Grade 8 (Middle School Level)

Overview and Purpose : Skimming can be very useful when you want to quickly find information in a large document. This technique will be one that students will want to master for use in future research assignments.

Objective: The student will be able to skim an article and pick out answers to questions asked by the teacher.

Resources:

One newspaper per pair of students

Activities:

Ahead of time pick out several facts from the newspaper. Pass the papers out to each pair of students. Tell them which section you are going to ask your question from and wait for them to get to that section. Ask a question about one of the articles. The first pair of students to find the information stands up. If they answer correctly, then they get a point. The first team to 5 points wins.

From: http://www.teach-nology.com/

What makes a good teacher?

Here are some suggestions from most students:
1. You should make your lessons interesting all the time.
2. I like a teacher who has lots of knowledge, not only his subject.
3. I want my teacher to be an entertainer.
4. A good teacher must be able to draw out the quiet students and control the talkative ones.
5. I'm in a class with lots of students; my teacher can't remember my name.
6. He should be able to correct my mistakes without offending me.
7. ...

Summary or Own Words?

"OK.Now for your homework, please summarize this text and return it tommorow.", a teacher said.
"Oh....", students complained.

Have you ever experienced this in your class? I am sure that 90% of teachers has this one.

My students always complain about the way that I ask them to summarize the reading or listening. I didn't understand why they do this. I just wanted them to improve their speaking or writing. I had always wondered this until I became a teacher of NTS (Newton Thylay School). For the part time program the teachers are supposed to use True Color series as the main course book. Most of the the activities that the sutdents have to do are intruduced by phrases like: in your own words. Then I realized that the students didn't show their frustrations anymore eventhough the outcome of the work is the same, but they were happy to do it and got to the point that I want.

I had been thinking about this for a while and soon after that I figured it out.

The word "Summary" may mean that the students has to do things according to the teacher's idea or the context. It means that they have to find the right answer as the teacher's. They may think that the teacher has his own answer key or answer that they have to try to find the same thing too. It is a preasure and the students won't feel like doing it. So since then I change my words. Instead of saying"Now summarize the story", I say that"Ok, now. Write the story again using your own words. Just say from what you can remember as much as you can."

Does this sound more relaxed? I think you should try this.