expression, and information texts that need to be read more slowly and very clearly. Learners need to learn about tone of voice, pacing and projecting their voices. Fluent readers scan several words at a time while they read so that they know what is coming. This enables them to change their tone of voice according to the meaning of what they read. This important skill is learned through practice. Reading aloud is best done as part of group or


pair work. Reading aloud to the whole class can be very intimidating for individual learners and very boring to all the other learners who have to listen if the texts are not well read. You should also try to spend time with individual readers when you can. Parents and other adults can also be asked to come into the class to assist with reading aloud activities.


Visual literacy


Learners are exposed to many different types of texts and most of the texts have photographs, illustrations and/or diagrams which support the texts. Learners need to develop visual literacy in order to view these visual elements. This in turn will help them to understand what they are reading. Learners will also gradually learn to be critical


when they view texts. For example, they need to become aware that some illustrations show stereotypes. They need to become aware of the way in which advertising appeals to our emotions and attempts to persuade us to buy and do things.


Using the Grade 6 poster


With this Teacher’s Guide you will also receive a free double-sided poster. This poster can be displayed in class and used for various activities during the year. On one side of the poster there is a beautiful


full colour picture of children cleaning up in nature. This poster will link to and support the work you do in Units 2 and 13 when they focus on environmental issues and the threat to animals. Keep the poster up on the board while you cover the work of those units. On the other side of the poster is an annotated


dictionary extract to support their dictionary use. Keep this side of the poster up as often as you can, so that you can refer to it when you are doing dictionary work with the class. You can have the poster laminated or you can cover it with plastic yourself so that it lasts well.


Vocabulary Vocabulary is a key factor in the development of language skills. We provide a key vocabulary list at the beginning of each teaching plan for one week in this Teacher’s Guide. We have also glossed some words that may be unfamiliar to the learners in the texts that they will read. Here are some ideas for teaching vocabulary:


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• Pre-teach words in some lessons. Do not do this all the time though as learners also need to try and work out the meanings of words by themselves sometimes.


• Make lists of words on the board or on posters. Group these words in word families or in topics. Add pictures to the lists if necessary.


• Write up dictionary definitions of words for the learners to read, especially if they do not all have access to a dictionary.


• Make your own posters with pictures and labels.


• While reading texts, help the learners to see how prefixes and suffixes are used to make new words from the same root.


• Discuss compound words (like playground) that occur in reading texts and help the learners to work out the meaning from different parts of the word.


• Discuss collocations (words that are often used together, like Happy Birthday) and help the learners to learn these.


• Play word games like I spyand Charadesand Scrabble.


• Let the learners do crossword puzzles and wordsearch puzzles. These are sometimes published in local newspapers and magazines.


Dictionary skills


Learners should have access to dictionaries in the classroom. They can use bilingual dictionaries (in which words are translated from one language into another language) and monolingual dictionaries (in which words are explained in one language). They will have developed some dictionary skills in the Foundation Phase, but they will need to develop these skills further in the Intermediate Phase. Good dictionary skills will help them cope with language in their other subjects as well. If dictionaries are not available, make a poster


with some simple dictionary entries on it and help your learners to read the entries. You could also start a list of interesting new words for the class. Make a poster or dedicate part of the board in the class for this purpose. Try to add words every day and write short definitions of the words. Learners can copy these words into their personal dictionaries. See the notes above about using the dictionary poster to support your learners as they learn how to read a dictionary.


Personal dictionaries


Learners will also be instructed to make and use personal dictionaries. They will be instructed to write their own words and definitions in these dictionaries during the year. To be effective, you will need to make sure that the learners enter words correctly in their dictionaries and that they use them in each two-week cycle.


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