Bicol University Graduate School Name: Mr. Don Don D.

Nopre Course: Approaches in Teaching Listening and Speaking Title of Discussion: Suggested Activities across the Curriculum A. STORYTELLING What is Storytelling? A statement by the National Storytelling Network defines Storytelling as an ancient art form and a valuable form of human expression. Because story is essential to so many art forms, however, the word storytelling is often used in many ways. Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listeners imagination. Storytelling is interactive. Storytelling involves a two-way interaction between a storyteller and one or more listeners. The responses of the listeners influence the telling of the story. In fact, storytelling emerges from the interaction and cooperative, coordinated efforts of teller and audience. In particular, storytelling does not create an imaginary barrier between the speaker and the listeners. This is part of what distinguishes storytelling from the forms of theatre that use an imaginary fourth wall. Different cultures and situations create different expectations for the exact roles of storyteller and listenerwho speaks how often and when, for exampleand therefore create different forms of interaction. Reference: http://www.storynet.org/resources/whatisstorytelling.html B. STORY RETELLING Story retelling is the process by which a child listens to or reads a story and then summarize, or "retells," the story in his or her own words - is a technique that ties into these learning experiences and is an effective way to improve children's reading comprehension. For young children who are just starting to develop their reading skills, this exercise can be extremely helpful. Studies on story recall have found that extended use of the technique of story retelling leads to large improvements in story comprehension, making inferences, and understanding of story structure. Rather than having children answer specific questions about story details, story retelling requires children to focus on the bigger picture of the story and therefore allows the teacher to see how well a child understands the story as a whole. By having children tell the story in their own words, educators can identify children's strengths, and specific areas of difficulty that arise for individual students. While a child is retelling a story, the teacher can help by asking open-ended questions when the child pauses or seems confused. Questions such as "what happens next?" and other general content questions can help the child without influencing how they respond. The goal should be to encourage students to think critically about the story and to improve their comprehension and vocabulary by having them articulate their thoughts. As children become more comfortable with retelling stories, their language and listening skills will improve. Reference: The Power of Story Retelling, A. Gibson , J. Gold, and C. Sgouros, The Tutor, 2003. http://www.factsinaction.org/classroom/cljul03.htm C. READERS THEATER Reader's theater is often defined by what it is not -- no memorizing, no props, no costumes, no sets. All this makes reader's theater wonderfully convenient. Still, convenience is not its chief asset.

Like storytelling, reader's theater can create images by suggestion that could never be realistically portrayed on stage. Space and time can be shrunk or stretched, fantastic worlds can be created, and marvelous journeys can be enacted. Reader's theater frees the performers and the audience from the physical limitations of conventional theater, letting the imagination soars. Readers Theater involves children in oral reading through reading parts in scripts. Unlike traditional theatre, the emphasis is mainly on oral expression of the part. Readers Theater is "theatre of the imagination". It involves children in understanding their world, creating their own scripts, reading aloud, performing with a purpose, and bringing enjoyment to both themselves and their audiences. Readers Theater gives children a purpose for writing, for reading, and for sharing their learning by bringing others into the joyful "imagination space" they create. Readers Theater "succeeds in giving the same suggestive push to the imaginations in the audience that the act of silent reading gives to the imagination of the perceptive silent reader". It is a simple, effective and risk-free way to get children to enjoy reading. As children write, read, perform and interpret their roles they acquire a better understanding of the literature. "Everyone needs to talk - to hear and to play with language, to exercise the mind and emotions and tongue together. Out of this spirited speech can come meaningful, flavorful language, worth the time and effort of writing and rewriting, phrasing, rehearsing, and reading aloud."

D. READING ALOUD Reading aloud is widely recognized as the single most important activity leading to literacy acquisition. Among other things, reading aloud builds word-sound awareness in children, a potent predictor of reading success. "Children who fall seriously behind in the growth of critical early reading skills have fewer opportunities to practice reading. Evidence suggests that these lost practice opportunities make it extremely difficult for children who remain poor readers during the first three years of elementary school to ever acquire average levels of reading fluency." Torgeson, J. Avoiding the Devasting Downward Spiral, American Educator. (2004) Reading aloud to young children is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory. Bardige, B. Talk to Me, Baby!(2009), Paul H Brookes Pub Co. Reading aloud stimulates language development even before a child can talk. Bardige, B. Talk to Me, Baby!(2009), Paul H Brookes Pub Co Reference: http://www.reachoutandread.org/why-we-work/importance-of-reading-aloud/

E. DIRECTED LISTENING AND THINKING ACTIVITY The directed listening and thinking activity (DLTA) is a strategy that was first identified by Stauffer (1980). It is used with early childhood students or students who are not yet successful independent readers. Teachers use this strategy to establish a purpose for reading with their students. With the use of this strategy students can become engaged in a text that they could not otherwise read on their own. Students are prepared to listen to a story that will be read by their teacher by being given specific information that they are to focus on as they listen. The strategy utilizes pre-reading, reading, and post-reading questions and discussions. Teachers use this strategy in an attempt to build on the knowledge that students already know and apply it to new information and situations. Students are provided with a framework to organize and recall information from storybooks. The directed reading and thinking activity is a very similar strategy that can be applied once this strategy is mastered and students become more advanced, independent readers. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed_listening_and_thinking_activity