Grade 3 Semester Oultine 2

Grade 3 Semester Outline

English Conversation (生活美語)

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January 5, 2012

So how are we doing in Grade 3?  I tested all four classes today, and almost all of them seem to have mastered the alphabet.  This is a great thing.  Moving on from the alphabet, most of them have some knowledge of a word associated with each letter, at least for A-J.  The Longman 1 books doesn’t really use many sentence patterns, so it is too early to comment on their grammar and ability to answer questions in English.

The Longman 2 textbook is very similar to Longman 1.  The alphabet from N-Z is covered, though most students seem to know these letters already.  This is a serious weakness in Taiwan’s English curriculum: spending longer than a semester on the English alphabet.  Questions included in this book follow the “How old are you?”, “Is this your _____?”, “What color is your _____?”, and “Can you ______?” patterns.  There are also a number of commands used, but these are rarely discussed in class.

The phonics this semester is more basic letter sounds.  I should definitely work more on having the students sound out words.  Should they acquire enough skill in this area, it should serve them well in Grade 4.

Given the volume of information introduced in the Grade 3 English curriculum, I feel that the students are performing up to expectations.  Hopefully there will be time in class to expand upon the information provided in the textbook.  This, I feel, would be more rewarding for everyone.

Week	Topics Covered
1	Starter unit, review, numbers above 10, “How Old Are You?”
2	Starter unit, review, numbers above 10, “How Old Are You?”, art project
3	Starter unit, review, numbers above 10, “How Old Are You?”, ball game
4	Starter unit, review, numbers above 10, “How Old Are You?”
5	Written Test #1/DVD
6	Pets/animals, “Is it your _____?”, letters Nn-Qq
7	Pets/animals, “Is it your _____?”, letters Nn-Qq, art project
8	Pets/animals, “Is it your _____?”, letters Nn-Qq, ball game
9	Pets/animals, “Is it your _____?”, letters Nn-Qq, review
10	Written Test #2/DVD
11	Colors, “What color is your _____?”, letters Rr-Uu
12	Colors, “What color is your _____?”, letters Rr-Uu, art project
13	Colors, “What color is your _____?”, letters Rr-Uu, ball game
14	Having fun, activities, verbs, “Can you _____?”, letters Vv-Zz
15	Having fun, activities, verbs, “Can you _____?”, letters Vv-Zz
16	Having fun, activities, verbs, “Can you _____?”, letters Vv-Zz
17	Special Topic #1
18	Special Topic #2
19	Special Topic #3/DVD
20	Oral (Speaking) Test #1

Notes

l   This class follows a month-by-month schedule, with an art project, a ball game, a test, and a DVD presentation presented with a four-week timeframe.  Not every class will have their lessons on the same week.

l   Written tests are tests of written English and reading comprehension.  The oral test is a test of listening comprehension and speaking ability.  All of the material tested is to be found within the book.

l   Every class will be made as interactive as possible, with a variety of learning styles accommodated.  I use songs, movement, and other methods throughout the semester.

l   Each semester we have a “special topic,” which is an extension of something in the textbook.  The subjects/vocabulary covered during these “special topic” sessions will not be the subject of any test.