Personalization is an important part of a CI (comprehensible input) class. Students thrive on hearing about themselves, talking about themselves, and feeling like others care about them (especially if others genuinely DO care about them!). Personalization can also be one of the hardest aspects that...
Are you presenting a "CI friendly" session at ACTFL this year? Please let us know if you would like your session to be included in our list of recommended sessions! Simply email TPRS Publishing info@tprstorytelling.com, and let us know: Title of your session Date and...
If someone would have asked me six months ago what TPR (Total Physical Response) is, I would have replied that basically, it is giving commands in the target language, with the student responding to that command physically. I mistakenly thought that simply by telling my...
Recently, a teacher posted the Five Working Hypotheses by Alice Omaggio-Hadley on one of the ACTFL listservs. (Omaggio, 1986, pp. 44-53; and Omaggio-Hadley, 2001, pp. 89-105) The teacher posted: Alice Omaggio-Hadley familiarizes us with "five working hypotheses, which have been the building blocks of proficiency-oriented language curricula...
Oh my word, everyone! Do you have ANY idea how hard this was for us? We were honestly overwhelmed by the creativity, beauty and LOVE that we felt inside your classrooms. You are ALL winners! We can only have 3 official winners...
As I start my 19th year as a Spanish “meaning maker” I decided to do things a little differently. First off, I’ve never been a big fan of grading. I used to call it a necessary evil, but now I’m wondering if it’s even necessary....
My school year begins TODAY! My students will be noticing something new…I’m deskless! Yes, I’ve done it! I got rid of MY large unnecessary crap-storage unit metal teacher desk, and I’ve moved all tables to the back and sides of the room....
My favorite units of study are Biodiversity and the water crisis. Whether we are comparing the Carlyle Lake watershed with the Panamá Canal or investigating water borne illnesses and solutions for lack of potable water around the world, these units are anchored in the concept...
When asked to write a blog post I was so excited. I set about to decide what to write and time just passed and before I knew it August arrived. Well, now I'm ready. I LOVE CI methods and teaching and believe that it holds...
Teaching your first novel can be a daunting task. Logistically it is quite different from the textbook chapters I was used to in the past. Some teachers integrate novels into an existing curriculum as a one day per week supplement, but I have chosen to...
When I first became a teacher I handed out study guides for tests, sent notes home telling parents to remind kids to study, and spent time reviewing in class. Over the last 11 years in the classroom, my attitude has changed significantly on this topic....
Calling all classroom world language teachers! We have an awesome opportunity for you to win a FREE classroom library or set of novels! All you have to do is give us a "PEEK" into your classroom space! We are looking for the most beautiful, creative, comfortable,...
My love of reading was rejuvenated today. A textbook adoption, followed by a Chromebook adoption, redirected the spotlight, and my novels took backstage for a couple of years. New technology is useful, and new textbooks have lots of bells and whistles, but in the end...
The goal of TPRS Publishing is to give teachers the tools and techniques to teach so effectively that their students end up LOVING to read in the target language! We are continuing our series of quick, affordable webinars for teachers who would like a little...
Rebecca (Becky) Moulton attended the iFLT16 conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee in July 2016 and presented her first Ignite® Talk in which she shared valuable insights for both new and experienced CI teachers. CIPeek invited her to share that presentation with our readers. Becky has adjusted...
When I first started teaching using TPRS/CI it was hard, it was really, really hard. In fact, for the first time since student teaching (many, many years ago) I had to script out every single word I said. For a single 15 minute story, this...
Wow! I am SO lucky that today was my designated blogger day for iFLT 16. I didn’t have time to see nearly enough sessions but the two I was able to attend were wonderful. I’ve been stalking after teachers using BreakoutEDU for a...
Whew! I have been running around like a crazy lady this morning at iFLT trying to catch a glimpse of everything that’s going on. I couldn’t get everywhere, but I made a valiant effort. Here are some tidbits and takeaways for those of you joining...
Carrie Toth presented a fantastic workshop “Advancing Student Proficiency with Novel Studies.” She began by discussing what proficiency is and what can be expected at various proficiency levels. She pointed out that only 3.7% of high school students can speak at Intermediate High level after...
The excitement in the room is palpable as the teachers prepare for the conference opening. It is always so awesome to me to think about the number of teachers who give up a week of their precious summer to learn and grow. But in...
ATTENTION!: #iFLT16 keynote with Bill VanPatten & Round table with Stephen Krashen will be LIVE STREAMED! Join us Tues., July 19 at 8:50a.m. & 1:15p.m. (EST) To join us remotely, go to www.mycsas.com. Scroll down past the iFLT announcement and click on CSAS Broadcasting. Many thanks to our host...
There are many activities that can be done while reading a story or a chapter of a TPRS Publishing novel. In my classroom, one thing I try to do is use a variety of activities to try to avoid a monotonous feeling that could cause...
Join our team of teacher-authors on July 27 for a series of live webinars! Carol will demonstrate how to connect to the character(s) and the text, how to increase comprehension and how to inspire HOT (higher order thinking). Learn how to prepare the class using strategic...
Are you attending iFLT 2016 next week? We are hoping you’ll help share the iFLT love! Tweet your favorite photos from iFLT 2016 between July 19-21 and you’ll be automatically entered into the #iFLT16pics Photo Contest. Tweet your photos for the chance to win...
After teaching with CI and TPRS for a couple of months now, I know that I can never return to my old ways. Here’s why: 1. Teaching Children with Down Syndrome I teach at an elementary school that has several students with Down Syndrome. These students are integrated into...
Creating stories with your world language students is a powerful way to help students acquire the language. Having students serve as actors in those stories catapults student engagement and takes the story to another dimension. The student actors bring the story to life, aid comprehension...
Back in March, I attended the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Language. It was my first time to attend any such conference, and though I was not really sure what to expect, I was hoping to come back with some new tools for my...
The first part of this article shared important features of Embedded Reading. The final version of the text is one that students might not be confident of reading at first glance. The teacher reduces or limits the text to critical elements for the first version....
The power of reading as a means to facilitate language acquisition is well-supported by both anecdotal evidence and research. But what is a teacher to do when students don’t like to read? What if students give up, sure that they won’t understand a text, usually...