Herbert Puchta, Günter Gerngross & Peter Lewis-Jones
Primary Education
Teaching Programme 6
INDEX
1 Teaching Methodology
1.1 Theoretical Basis
1.2 What does Quick Minds contribute?
1.3 Course Components
2 Objectives
3 Key competences
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Quick Minds' contribution to acquiring Key competences
3.3 Key competences in Quick Minds
3.4. Multiple Intelligence
4 Contents
4.1 Contents blocks
4.1 Minimum contents
5 Learning standards
6 Evaluation
6.1 Presentation
6.2 Evaluation criteria
6.3 Evaluation in Quick Minds
6.4 Evaluation tools in Quick Minds
7 Specific needs
8 Development of teaching units
8.1 Contents
Block 1. Comprehension of oral texts
Block 2. Producing oral texts
Block 3. Understanding written texts
Block 4. Producing written scripts
Ø Linguistic knowledge
- Communication functions
- Vocabulary
- Syntactic-discursive contents
- Pronunciation and spelling
- Classroom language
Ø Learning strategies
Ø Socio-cultural and socio-linguistic features
8.2 Key competences: Descriptors – Activities
8.3 cross-curricular subjects and values education.
8.4 Inter-disciplinary focus
8.5 Evaluation criteria
8.6 Contents - Evaluation criteria - Key competences
Annex - COMPETENCES EVALUATION FORM
1 INTRODUCTION TO THE METHOD
1.1 Theoretical Basis
Quick Minds initiates pupils in the pleasure of learning English and allows them to improve their standard gradually throughout the six books in the series. Quick Minds 1 to 6.
Quick Minds has been designed specifically for schools in Spain, taking the Spanish syllabus into account, and so that the linguistic competences taught are appropriate for the pupils' age groups and their cognitive development.
Th series has been written taking into account the proposals included in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). CEFR objectives are those of the Cambridge English exams: Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Young Learners:
Cambridge English: Starters (below A1 level)
Cambridge English: Movers (equivalent to A1 level)
Cambridge English: Flyers (approximately CEFR A2 level)
Quick Minds covers the contents of the YLE exams; the contents of the first three levels (Quick Minds 1, 2 and 3) prepare pupils for the Starters exam and and the remaining three levels (Quick Minds 4, 5 and 6) prepare pupils for Movers.
All levels include examples of the type of activities used in the exams.
These six levels contribute to developing the pupils' competences in four areas (oral comprehension, oral production, written written comprehension and written expression) while, cognitively, it presents them with a challenge and helps them to feel e a real sense of progress in their learning. This point is particularly important because one of the keys to this teaching method is personal experience.
As Plutarch reminds us, “The mind is not a recipient to be filled up but, rather, a fire to be lit”. Quick Minds is based on this idea of learning. As pupils learn most when they are interested and paying attention, one of the features of Quick Minds is the continual use of attractive materials and entertaining activities which keep pupils mentally and physically involved and encourage them to understand the language by themselves.
Quick Minds is an exceptionally flexible method which can be used at different schools, in which the number of teaching hours for English may vary. Each unit of Quick Minds is divided into eight sessions, distributed between the Pupil's Book and the Activities Book.
The first six sessions present new language structures, including a chant, a song, an illustrated story (a picture story) with matching activities. Sessions 7 and 8 deal with specific work on the various competences along with a section designed to develop and encourage pupils' creativity and develop an inter-disciplinary subject (CLIL).
For groups with more teaching hours of English each week, there is extra material included the exercises in the (worksheets) in the Teacher's Resources Book.
1.2 WhatQuick Minds contributes
The materials in Quick Mindshave been put together with the attitude that the pupils are not mere language learners. The pupils are taken to be, at all times, explorers who are investigating every facet of the process of learning. The method allows the pupils to sharpen their wits in three ways:
· There is a methodological basis which develops reasoning competences, which are marked with the appropriate symbol, as well as activities connected with this aim. These reasoning or thinking competences are the basis on which learning is based. Contents and activities will become increasingly complex as the pupils gain in maturity during each school year.
· This method also offers CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), which will lead to greater thinking competences, presenting contents which are directly connected with the other subjects in the syllabus.
One of the reasons integrated learning offers such good results is that English is increasingly not just another subject: it is also becoming the language in which Natural Sciences and Social Sciences are taught. This change means that pupils are exposed to the new language and can start to use it in a natural way at the same time as The pupils acquire non-linguistic knowledge.
· Games and work in pairs are used to improve pupils' memory and concentration competences.
In Quick Minds 6 activities are presented which contribute to the development of different competences, from observation to more complex reasoning activities such as memorizing, sequencing, categorizing and deciphering coded messages.
Other strategies which Quick Minds use to awaken pupils' interest and enthusiasm include:
· Practical tasks such as songs, games,chants, activities in pairs, etc, related to pupils' surroundings. To make language learning a satisfying experience, pupils need activities which are contextualised and relevant to their surroundings. Quick Minds offers numerous opportunities to practice the language actively.
· Creativity and learning through actions and activities. Drawing, colouring in, ‘make and do’, songs, games and chants are all activities which, at first sight, may arouse suspicion and seem to be of limited teaching value for learning acquisition. However, these types of activity are an integral part of the learning process, allowing pupils to be creative and they contribute to pupils retaining what they have learned in an efficient way.
· Connection between the outside world with the classroom. Pupils learn about the world around them at the same time as they learn English. This helps them to understand that English is more than just a school subject and to see ways in which it can be used as a means for learning other things too.
· Discovering and developing pupils' autonomy to help them become able to learn in an efficient way and continue with their learning process. Pupils are encouraged to learn things by themselves.
· Using theportfolio so that each pupil is able reflect about his/her learning and remember what has been learned in each unit. In this way pupils are given the chance to write a great variety of texts.
Quick Minds 6 a greater number of productive activities with which pupils can develop their competences with written and oral expression (speaking and writing competences), as the same time as they continue developing their oral and reading comprehension (reading and listening competences).
Pupils of this age are already aware of the structures and models which repeat in languages. This is why there is a Grammar Focus section which provides visual reference for the grammatical structures learned and exercises for consolidating this knowledge. Additionally, at the end of the Activities Book there is a list of irregular verbs which lets pupils work individually.
Quick Minds awakens and feed pupils' imagination. To do so, the method continues the story de the Time Travellers, characters which the pupils became familiar with in Quick Minds 5. At the start of the book, the three friends, Phoebe, Alex and Patrick have got back to their school playground, just before the Science class. Phoebe and Alex do not let Patrick do the experiments this time but, while they are playing with his protective glasses, they make another explosion happen. He comes back to the door and the friends' adventures being, travelling in space and time, visiting different places and historical times.
These stories are intended to motivate the pupils to discuss things and come with more activities in the Activities Book which allow pupils to look further into less obvious values and in greater depth. At the same time, positive values such as listening with attention, admitting mistakes, helping people in danger and respecting other cultures are worked on.
The teacher becomes a guide and and facilitator for learning during work in pairs, groups and role plays. This type of communication activities give pupils the chance to work independently, without the teacher. During this type of activities, the teacher stays to one side and only supervises and intervenes as necessary.
1.3 Course Components
Quick Minds 6 includes a Pupil's Book (Pupil’s Book), Online Interactive Activities, an Activity Book (Activity Book), audio CDs of the Pupil's Book and the Activity Book (Class Audio CDs), Teacher's Book (Teacher’s Book), Teacher's Resource Book (Teacher’s Resource Book), 5 CDs de audio , 3 A1 posters and a CD-ROM for using on a digital board during class with an interactive DVD-ROM (Digital Minds) and a generator of editable tests in the style of Cambridge English Young Learners (Test Generator).
The Pupil's Book has 88 full colour pages and is divided into 9 units. There is an introduction unit, Back to School, which reminds pupils about the method characters and revises ideas which the pupils are already familiar with, such as ordinal numbers from 1 to 31, the contrast between present simple and present continuous and the structure going to. There are 8 pages in each of the other eight units. There is a revision section after every three units.
At the end of the Pupil's Book there are various pages on which all the grammar from the Student's Book is revised and practised.
The pupils' Online Interactive Activities include various games and activities, animated versions of the picture stories, animated songs and a karaoke version which the pupils can record and listen to again and activities included in the videos which pretend to be real, videos which give pupils the chance to record themselves playing out different roles (videokes).
In the Activities Book there are 88 pages designed to offer pupils further practise with new vocabulary and help them to improve comprehension. Every three units there is a double revision page, which also gives explanations about the culture of the English-speaking world.
At the end of the Activity Book, all the units include a section called My Review in which the pupils carry out their own self-evaluation “I can do” and “I can remember”.
The Teacher's Book offers teaching steps for each lesson as well as the transcriptions of the recordings in all the listening activities and the answers for all the activities, an overall view of the syllabus in each level and extra activities. Additional ideas are given in coloured boxes:
· Warm-up: ideas for starting each session, showing the vocabulary from the previous session or new structures and vocabulary.
· Reinforcement activities: simple ideas to reinforce each session's contents without needing to use extra materials.
· Extension activity: optional activities to make greater use of the contents of each session.
Posters. Quick Minds includes 3 A1-size posters for vocabulary and grammar revision every three units.
The audio CDs contain all the necessary listening material for the Pupil's Book and the Activity Book, including the songs and picture stories. The songs are also available in karaoke format.
The Teacher's Resources Book includes a wide range of activities in order to offer variety, as well as Revise and expansion activities, a page of related optional activities, notes for the teacher with suggestions for other possible activities and two tests in each unit – with two levels of difficulty – on the basic vocabulary and structures studied along with reading, writing and listening activities.
Digital Minds material includes the digital formats of the pages in the Pupil's Book and all the material in the audio CDs. There are also game and interactive activities to be used in the class.
2 OBJECTIVES
Law 8/2013, 9th December, for the Improvement of Educational Quality,
defines the syllabus as a series of objectives in each subject and educational stage; competences, or the ability to activate and apply the contents of each subject and educational stage in an integrated way, competences, or all the, abilities, competences and attitudes which help achieve the objective of each subject and educational stage and the acquisition of competences; didactic methodology, which includes the description of teaching practices and the organization of teachers' work; gradable standards and learning results ; and criteria of evaluation of the degree of competence acquisition and the objectives of each subject and educational stage.
The general objectives for this level are connected with the competences which pupils will have to use in all areas[1]:
a) Learning about and appreciating the values and norms of coexistence, learning to behave accordingly, preparing to become an active citizen and respect human rights, and the plurality typical of democratic societies.
b) Developing individual and team work habits, effort and responsibility when studying, confidence in oneself, critical capacity, personal initiative, curiosity, interest and creativity when learning, and an enterprising spirit.
c) Acquiring competences for preventing and solving conflicts which allow pupils to work independently in the family context and in other social groups.
d) Learning about, understanding and respecting cultural differences and differences between people, equal rights and opportunities for men and women and the non-discrimination of disabled people.
e) Learning about and using the Spanish language appropriately and, if there is one, the co-official language of their Autonomous Community and developing reading habits.
f) Acquiring basic communication competences in at least one foreign language, allowing pupils to express and understand simple messages and get by in every day situations.
g) Developing basic mathematical competences and starting to solve problems which require basic calculation competences, knowledge of geometry and estimations, as well as being able to apply this knowledge in daily life.