English historical monuments

English historical monuments

In the subject of English focuses on the four skills, should also motivate students to learn about the culture and history of the country.

I have chosen several websites where information on several important monuments in the UK, so that throughout the course students seeking information and individually expose you to their classmates, in order to know not only the language but also the country.

The students can expose this work in many ways, making a power point, making sketches, drawings, even a model of what will expose.

 

An exemple: 

http://www.colegiosfranciscanasrm.es/cadiz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=251:semana-de-las-lenguas-extranjeras&catid=57:noticias-generales&Itemid=157

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/10549001/englands-best-buildings-top-ten-best-buildings-britain-english-heritage-simon-thurley-westminster-abbey.html

The ten most important buildings in England.

The head of English Heritage picks the 10 buildings that have changed the face of the country.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/architecture/10535400/Architecture-the-best-and-worst-of-2013.html

Architecture: the best and worst of 2013.

From a gloriously refurbished Tate Britain to the glaringly unloved 'Walkie-Scorchie', Ellis Woodman chooses his five best and five worst works of architecture in 2013.

http://www.londonpass.com/london-attractions/historic-london-buildings.html#.VJDchyuG_U1

Historic Buildings in London

Explore the best historic buildings in London for free with The London Pass!

Historic sights included on the London Pass are world famous 'must sees' such as the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Tower Bridge and many more landmarks that are certain to fascinate any visitor.

Visiting London is an unforgettable experience and there is a true breadth of history going back hundreds of years. Round almost every corner there are landmark sights with their own story, and architectural style.

Paying a visit to many historic places would normally be expensive, but whilst you are here you really shouldn’t pass on London greatest landmarks. The London Pass will guide you round everything you wish to see with free entry and fast track admission at so many amazing sights.

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/landmarks.htm

England is a land of ancient cities, royal palaces, massive cathedrals, and legendary sites. Mighty castles, stately homes, glorious gardens, and tiny picturesque villages enhance the natural beauty of the countryside.

http://www.historvius.com/historic-sites-in-england/pl89

Reflecting a wealth of myriad influences, the Historic Sites in England are as diverse as this island nation's history.

Indeed, the country we know today as England has witnessed the rise and fall of many cultures, civilisations and empires. From pre-historic peoples to Celtic tribes, Roman conquerors and Anglo-Saxon and Norman invaders, England is a country forged of many influences.

The rise of the English state and its eventual transformation into the United Kingdom has also ensured that many remarkable historic sites remain to remind us of the diverse story of the country.

Today, the historic sites of England range from the most famous and popular tourist destinations - such as Buckingham Palace, Stonehenge and Windor Castle - to lesser-known and often hidden sites well off the standard visitor trails.

In reality, there’s a huge selection of historic sites in England and you can plan some great things to see on your trips by browsing our list. Once you’ve explored the historic sites of England you can use our itinerary planner tool to plan out your trip and then print off a free pocket guidebook and use it when visiting your favourite historical places in England.

Our database of English historic sites is growing all the time, but we may not cover them all. Remember, if you know of other historic sites in England, you can always add them to Historvius now by visiting our uploadpage.

FOUR BASICS SKILLS (PART 2)

FOUR BASICS SKILLS (PART 2)

Spelling: is not the same talk and write, speak and write well. The difficulties associated with learning the English language is in most cases that English spelling is not their phonetic one hundred percent. This means that students can not be guided to the time of writing for their oral skills, have difficulties in acquiring good writing. This section seeks to remedy this need.

http://www.momto2poshlildivas.com/2012/10/75-fun-ways-to-practice-and-learn.html

 

- Writing & Fine Motor Practice - you can do the old stand-by and write your words on a piece of paper, maybe even the dreaded 5x each or you can.......

 Play Dough Words, Pipe Cleaner Words, Yarn Words, Stamp It!, Finger Paint,  Rainbow Words, Salt/Sand/Flour Tray, Alphabet Blocks, Letter Tiles, Hidden Spelling Words, Flashlight Words and many more.

  

 

 

- Oral Practice - sure you can just practice spelling your words out loud but wouldn't it be more fun to........

Sing, Partner Spell, Cheerleader Chant...

   

- Gross Motor Practice - we like to make spelling practice fun by getting active while practicing our words. This gets the Oldest Diva moving and playing while studying, which she really enjoys.

Jump Rope, Bounce a Ball, Swat & Spell...

- Games and Online Fun - you can use flashcards or you can take your spelling practice to a whole new level by playing games and even having some online fun.

Memory Game, Which is Correct?, Word Puzzle Scavenger Hunt, Unscramble, Spelling BINGO, 

 

http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/spelling_games.html

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/interactive/literacy.html

http://www.funenglishgames.com/spellinggames.html

http://www.superteacherideas.com/spelling.html

Reading: the act of communication is complex, requires give full meaning to a text, for what is needed together use all the language skills acquired. These games encourage these unions based on family contexts of education, public and personal areas, favoring the use of knowledge previously worked in other sections.

http://www.education.com/activity/reading/

A child’s journey towards literacy involves learning to speak, listen, read, understand, watch, draw and write. The foundation for building these skills begins at birth. Here are some literacy activities to get you and your child started.

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/activities_to_promote_literacy.html

   

http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/comprehension.html

http://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/reader/part5.html

- Activities -- Helping Your Child Become a Reader

What follows are ideas for language-building activities that you can do with your child to help her build the skills she needs to become a reader. Most public libraries offer free use of books, magazines, videos, computers, and other services. Other things that you might need for these activities are not expensive.

For each set of activities, we give an age span that suggests when children should try them. From one activity to the next, we continue to talk about children at different stages: babies (birth to 1 year), toddlers (1 to 3 years), preschoolers (ages 3 and 4), and kindergartner/early first-graders (ages 5 and 6). Remember that children don't always learn the same things at the same rate. And they don't suddenly stop doing one thing and start doing another just because they are a little older. So use the ages as guides as your child learns and grows. Don't consider them to be hard and fast rules.

You'll see that your role in the activities will change, too. Just as you hold up your child when he's learning to walk, you will help him a lot when he's taking his first language steps. As he grows, you will gradually let go, and he will take more and more language steps on his own. That is why in most of the activities we say, "The first activities . . . work well with younger children. As your child grows older, the later activities let him do more."

As a parent, you can help your child want to learn in a way no one else can. That desire to learn is a key to your child's later success. Enjoyment is important! So, if you and your child don't enjoy one activity, move on to another. You can always return to any activity later on.

FOUR BASICS SKILLS (PART 1)

FOUR BASICS SKILLS (PART 1)

In English there are established four main sections of playful learning that revolve around the four basic skills:

Grammar: focuses on developing communication skills from the elements of the English language and their possible combinations, from a functional and experiential methodology and grammatical perspective. These games improve the correct expression and interpretation of both spoken text as written.

http://www.anglomaniacy.pl/grammar.htm

English grammar for kids

This section contains online lessons, activities and tests plus printable worksheets that can help children develop their grammar skills. Our activities, suitable for beginners and young learners, focus on the main grammatical topics taught on elementary English courses.

The material is organised in grammatical categories: Nouns and Verbs. Each category is divided into relevant units. Each unit focuses on a particular grammatical area and has the same format consisting of four parts:

1. LEARN
online presentations of grammatical structures through simple examples and colourful illustrations

2. PRACTISE
short and easy exercises which help learners practise the grammar points

3. TEST YOURSELF
animated quizzes which allow pupils to check their understanding of the grammar lessons in a fun way

4. PRINTABLES
printable worksheets for each online unit (flashcards, activities and games, tests with answer keys)

Also, the material is arranged in four sections: Lessons, Games, Tests and Quizzes,Printables.

http://www.education.com/activity/grammar/

Among other activities...

http://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/en/grammar

Vocabulary: means the ability to correctly access information that is received or transmitted. Selection of the vocabulary of English games coming refers to situations students concerning their needs, motivations and interests. Being a common vocabulary in education.

http://www.education.com/activity/vocabulary/

 http://www.vocabulary.co.il/

How to teach children English (part 2)

                        How to teach children English: tricks, games and toys (part 2)


-Music

Music is a great tool to teach English to the little ones children who are still developing their language skills. For children to learn English with music, on the website of Super Simple Learning give us some interesting tricks:

http://supersimplelearning.com/resource-center/teaching-tips/how-to-introduce-a-new-song/

         - In the Classroom


Music is a great tool to use in the classroom for young learners developing language skills. But what is the best way to introduce new songs to children? In this article, we’ll give you a few ideas and suggestions.



         - Play Songs as Background Music First

When you hear a song on the radio for the first time, you don’t start singing along with it right away. You hear it a few times, and before you know it, even if you haven’t been actively listening, you soon find yourself singing along. Nobody “teaches” you the song.

When we’re helping students learn a new song, we can’t focus only on the words. Kids also need to learn the tune, the tempo, the rhythm, and sometimes even gestures and dance. Even if they know the words, they can’t really sing the song until they know the tune. If you play the song as background music as students enter the classroom or while they are doing a quiet activity, they will start learning the tune without even thinking about it. Then, when you start teaching the song in class, you will be able to focus more on the words.

For example, if you plan to introduce a song in class, play the song (on “repeat”) in the background as the students are doing a sorting activity, making a craft, or coloring. Often, the children will start humming or singing the song on their own after hearing it once or twice, especially if the song is at their level.

In the following lesson, play the song quietly (again on “repeat”) in the background as students enter the class and during the warm-up activities and greetings. By the time you “teach” the song, the students will already be familiar with it and may even know some of the words (even if they don’t yet know what they mean).

           -Input Comes Before Output

Listening comes before speaking, or in this case, singing. Don’t expect your students to sing the songs right away. The first time or two that you play a new song, ask the students to listen and to do the gestures with you. You can also do simple activities such as passing a ball around or playing rhythm instruments in time with the music. As they do this, they’ll be learning the song. After one or two times, without any prompting from you, you’ll likely find them singing along.

            -Some Songs Don’t Need Much Pre-Teaching…

When using active songs or songs with lots of repetition, you don’t need to do much “pre-teaching.” For example, to introduce an action-verb song like “Walking Walking,” or “We All Fall Down,” start by making a circle with the students. Play the song and do the actions together. Don’t worry if the students don’t know the words right away. They’ll have fun doing the actions, and will learn the meaning by following you. Next time, use the song again, and encourage the kids to sing along. Now they know the words and actions!

Active songs like this can be used again and again. Each time you use the song, kids learn a little more. You don’t need introduce the words with flashcards or other teaching tools because the students learn the language by doing the actions.

           -…But Some Songs Do 

Some songs are active but include a lot of new language. In this case, you may want to “pre-teach” some of the words. For example, if you are going to sing “The Pinocchio,” you can introduce the parts of the body before you sing the song. Just say, “Everybody show me your right arm,” hold up your right arm, and ask the students to follow your example. Ask them to say, “Right arm.” Next say “Everybody show me your left arm.” Continue through all of the parts of the body in the song and then “quiz” the students: “Right arm!” (Students hold up their right arms.) “Right leg!” (Students hold up their right legs.)

After reviewing the body parts, play the music and do the gestures. It’s easy to follow, and there is lots of repetition, so even if the students can’t follow at first, they will definitely be able to by the end of the song (and will be asking you to sing it again in the next class!).



Some songs require a more in-depth introduction. You can pre-teach words by using drawings, flashcards, or even realia (real objects that you bring into the classroom). But pre-teaching the vocabulary doesn’t mean doing repetitive drills. Try using different methods to introduce the vocabulary to create interest. Use a Mystery Box, or hide the cards around the room and discover them together. Play a guessing game, like charades, to introduce the new words. Draw pictures of new vocabulary on the whiteboard.

You can also use picture books to introduce the story and language in some songs. For example, you can find many picture books for classic rhymes or stories like “Five Little Monkeys,” The Wheels On The Bus,” or “Ten In The Bed.” Read the book aloud first, so that students understand the story. As you read the storybook, sing some of the words to introduce the tune.

Once the students have learned some of the new vocabulary, it’s easy to introduce gestures for the key words or phrases in the lyrics. You can make up your own gestures together, or see the song pages on our website for some suggestions.

                 -Repetition is Good

Remember that very young learners (4 years and younger) enjoy hearing the same songs over and over. You can use their favorites in many lessons. If you are using a song a lot, it’s OK if they don’t sing right away. Let them become comfortable with it and sing when they are ready—they will! As children grow older, they won’t want to repeat songs as much. Students will still have favorites, but you won’t be repeating songs like you do with the younger learners. In this case, you’ll need to focus on the song in one or two lessons, and then go back to it every once in a while.

                 -At Home

Some parents might be hesitant to sing at home. They may be worried that they don’t know the words or don’t have a good singing voice. But singing at home with your child is a great way to share time together. Kids don’t mind if you are a bit off-key, and singing with them sets a good example. It says that you are not afraid of a challenge—and they shouldn’t be either!

If you don’t know a song or the words to it, try searching YouTube. There are usually several versions to choose from, and many of them have closed captioning, so you can see the words (click on the CC button on the bottom right of the screen to see if captions are available). Now, get ready to sing together. You can even make up your own actions or dance.

How to teach children English (part 1)

How to teach children English: tricks, games and toys (part 1)

It is extremely important that children begin to familiarize with the English language since childhood. So in addition to learning the basics of grammar and vocabulary also inure ear to different sounds of English. But remember, to help them develop their speaking, before they need to be exposed to listening so that they can play the sounds without any difficulty.

Let's see some basic advice for children to learn English in a natural way.

- Do not force the situation.

When children are exposed to English from small, tend to see the language in a positive way and learning English becomes a task with which they feel comfortable. However, if you force a child to speak English, you run the risk of closing band because I see it more like a punishment than a game. So the important thing is to present the language in a fun and positive way ... as full of curiosities and mysteries game worth discovering!

Therefore it is important not to force them to talk until they decide not to. It is totally counterproductive to force a child to speak a language that is not yours.

If you do not want to answer, nothing happens ... .you already will speak. You need patience and perseverance.

So I propose, but your level is not too high, try to speak English naturally as you would in Spanish: with short, simple sentences, for example:

"Come here"

"Pass me the bottle, please."

"Well done!"

"You are the best!"

"Today is Tuesday!"

"Let's call dad"

"I love this pizza"

You can also ask basic questions that need no other answer than a simple gesture on your part, but you confirm that you have understood you, for example:

"Where are your toys?"

"Would you like an ice cream?"

- View original cartoon.

I recommend to adults who see movies in the original version; children have to do the same with their favorite cartoon characters. Today you can find on any channel the option to view the programs and series in original version. If no subtitles are better, can the child has not yet learned to read and, indeed, what we want is to see the pictures and words relating to the time you become accustomed to the sounds, rhythm and accent English. If from tiny it is customary to watch your favorite shows in the original version, you can not imagine what you might learn without you even realize you know!

 

- Flash Cards.

The Flash Cards are great to introduce new words to the children because they capture their attention and, more importantly, their curiosity. And with the Flash Cards, with full color drawings and large text, you will get your child understands what you see without too many extras explanations.

When using these Flash Cards do not just pass the cards one by one while you say the new word aloud ... that's a bore. No, try to create an atmosphere of mystery ... How should I say this animal in English? ... Try you look expectantly too ... How should I say ... ?. Your curiosity will call yours.

 

Do not try to teach all the words the first day. Play with three or four stuff one day and then when you have learned, place them in the conversation in a natural way.

Here I propose a few interesting Flash Cards you can get from Amazon. Some of them have used them with my little ones students.

- Teach them to read English.

One of the best ways to teach children to read English is through bilingual stories. Today in the market you can find very complete resources. You can find the typical tales of life as Red Riding Hood or Snow White, who besides being in Spanish-English bilingual version comes with an interactive DVD for kids can hear the stories and interact with them. With this kind of stories can read themselves, listen to the story, play with the characters and, above all, tremendous fun!

 

Bilingual Stories:

Caillou At the Zoo / Caillou At the zoo: English-Spanish Bilingual book! (Caillou Bilingual)

The World of Strawberry Shortcake. Bilingual stories in English

Disney Inglés. First Words (First Words) + DVD: Bilingual English-Spanish.With interactive DVD

Bilingual dictionaries for Children:

Disney Inglés. Picture Dictionary. 1000 words in English: Bilingual English-Spanish

My house. Spanish bilingual English.