Limited content, maximising skill practise!

Above are the numbers 1 to 10 in Swedish.Today working with a group of primary teachers with a range of language competency and different target language knowledge, we considered how a little content can go along way to exploring skills of language learning and primary approaches to learning in general.

Sometimes we get tangled up in content and quantity of content. Progress in language learning is surely also about the development of useful learning skills. Just how do we, as the grown ups in the room, know which language our young learners may use in the future? What we do all know though, is that the skills of learning a language are transferable and no matter how extensive or limited our own skills are, it is these skills that have allowed us to access language and communication.we can set up activities with limited content that support the development of language learning skills.

Today with a new group of coordinators we set about exploring this and how this could be taken back to school, shared in a staff CPD and  how members of staff could be encouraged to try oout the activities and allow for embedding of language learning as a natural part of the class learning time.

Initially we were exploring "listening attentively and responding by joining in"(a DFE learning objective).You see, when it is new language you need to listen and physically respond before you want to speak on your own.I decided to look at Swedish, firstly  because I know some numbers and secondly because I hoped none of the others in the room would know any Swedish ! It worked a treat!. We discussed engagement of the learner  too - just why should a learner listen? How we need to give purpose and reason to a simple activity such as listening and responding and then repeating the sounds.Well in this instance the listening was necessary to participate in the games that followed. We also discussed how so many learners need to see the words too - so we wrote them down on the third time of listening and there was relief on some faces! I understand this perfectly as my hearing isn't that good - and probably never has been, but I love words and the look and shape of words!  

This led to a pair activity where I just asked the delegates to talk with a partner about any links whatsoever they could see between the Swedish numbers as both sounds and words with other languages.Brilliant - they were now trying to recall,to say and to read the words ....without actually realising how many times they were practising the Swedish. I added a twist by asking the teachers to look for and say the nubers that had two consonants at the start of the numbers.To only say the numbers that were CVC words at the start, to only say the numbers that had the "oh" sound in them etc! Links with literacy etc etc .....

Hopefully here you are getting the drift that a limited amount of teacher knowledge, input and content was taking these learners of Swedish on quite a journey .Now we were in to reading and recognition of familiar words, looking for hooks to recognise and remember words too and saying the new words independently for a partner in  non-threatening activities!

There were quite a few light bulb moments  in this session about limited content and maximising skills but the best one was when we started tapping on the table! (It works every time!) Firstly in pairs all they did, was one partner tapped out the number of taps to represent a number they had learned and the other partner had to really listen attentively and then identify the number and say the number in Swedish. Then the challenge was increased- tapping out two numbers practising the word for "plus" and asking the partner to say the sum but not the answer.Sometimes the answer to the sum was beyond the 1- 10 they knew so we  discussed how a written response as figures on whiteboards would work here. It also led to one group identifying that at this point some children would realise the power of the dictionary to find the new number that they didn't know and to attempt the pronunciation with prior phonic knowledge from 1-10! 

And there's more! A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about Revisiting numbers and physcial listening and responding. . This activity works so well here! We began to consider how this could be a PE activity , how we could make this a drama activity for example each number could be a different shape in a spooky Halloween wood or it could be table activity led by one of the children on each table......

What we  had explored by this time in the session was the skills of listening, speaking, reading , the use of the bilingual dictionary , links between sounds and letter combinations and ways to take 10 simple numbers out of the language curriculum silo and across the whole school curriculum! Limited content, maximising skill practise and hopefully engaging staff not only in delivery in their own classroom but also in discussion about the skills of learning a language

KS2 - KS3 strategic continuum or conumdrum?

So this is my first blog post about transition between KS2 and KS3 this year. I say "this year " because it's an area that over many years I along with other colleagues have tried to encourage networking between KS2 and KS3. Sometimes I made real strides forward and other times it seemed like all the good intentions and the good work just fizzled out!

On reflection there were and still are lots of reasons for this - time, funding, change of staff in either secondary or primary, insecurity about the future of and the direction of primary language learning  or the demands of KS3 and KS4. I am sure you may also be able to add another to the list . . .

I love the phrase "if you want to walk on water you have to get out of the boat"! I think it is true - sometimes you just have to take the first step. 18 months ago, Warrington Teaching Schools Alliance and my network did just that. We applied for a DFE grant to support schools in the Northwest make progress in primary language learning and build bridges between KS2 and KS3. 12 months ago we focused our attentions mainly on KS2 and we are still out there helping primaries.We invited KS3 colleagues to engage too. A limited number were able to do so - time and pressure were  cited as the main reasons but did begin (again) to bring KS2 and KS3 colleagues together.

I knew I needed to have "buy in" from SLT in secondary as well as primary and there had to be common purpose.I knew therefore that we had to argue, show and  prove that learning a language from Y3 on-wards makes a difference both for the young learner, schools and also up at the top end too when it comes to performance. We are at the "showing and proving stage" now  I think. It isn't about "secondary ready"  but  about building from the bottom, bringing as many young language learners successfully along as we progress  and taking stock of what progress has been made and being willing to adapt.In my opinion we  lost too many young learners in the past, because at 11 we couldn't address what they really wanted to talk about and say.We needed to sgtart earlier and build confdence in language learning skills whether they  changed languages or stayed with the same language. How fantatsic  will it be when we can honestly say that offer and develop in as many learners as possible for their own futures, young adults  with the ability to learn languages and with an understanding of how to independently help themselves do this! 

Now we have five up, running and functioning open transition groups. "Open ...Groups" because there has to be the flexibility to bring in new members and to address the ever growing number of schools linking with individual high schools, rather than clusters. We are working with three high schools in Warrington and two high schools in Crewe and  Widnes. We are offering platform to allow teachers to build strategic solid  foundations supported by both SLT in KS3-4 and SLT and coordinators in KS2. The key link is school improvement .The discussions are based  upon the  current guidance- DFE POS and key indicators of progress in language learning skills (including CEFR) that we can measure using our assessment tools (L,S,R,W and grammar acquisition).Behind all of this is the power of the VLE which allows for immediate, virtual and effective dialogue and sharing.

In reality this means that each of the networks (which met or prepared last year  and are currently  part of the DFE MFL KS2- KS3 project ) have met  or are about to meet this half term.The teachers have now gone back to their schools to:

• Create and trial a listening activity (in  year groups in KS2 and also in Y7) which demonstrates either "understanding a range of familiar spoken phrases" or aspirationally for some but not for all "understanding the main points from a spoken passage". This will be evidenced, on the VLE and ready to share and discuss at their next meeting.
• Trial two shared learning tools: physical response game and a  (with language as limited as numbers or as challenging as tenses in Y7) .What we are beginning to try to do here is build a bank of familiar learning activities so should children change languages, the new language and not the expectations of the activity is the  challenge.
• Have a special events focus that all the children learning a language in the school can participate in. The first special events focus is Bonfire Night using the  bonfire poem - in primary classes and also in Y7 and to share the ways the language learners explore the text and what creative outcomes they come up with. The Crewe group has several schools learning German in KS2 and Y7 are being introduced to German so the schools are going to look at ways to explore Sankt Martinstag too  with some support and input at the next CPD provided by Leighton Academy.

Working with a range of schools is one of my great pleasures! What I can see happening already in this project is that the groups are beginning to create their own ways forward. They  are finding their own best ways to collect data - soft and hard data, to offer their own in house group or individualCPD (and this is both KS3 supporting KS2 and KS2 supporting KS3 colleagues), to share and use bespoke materials,which suit the  learning needs of their  pupils. 

Will it work? Well I hope so! That isn't really enough though is it. What I have seen so far this time is that SLT particularly in KS3-4 want to know, are asking questions, reading minutes and asking informally how the meeting went and how they can help move things forward strategically. Truthfully I needed this support many moons ago when I was a local authority consultant trying to  achieve this - so this time I think it will prove to bemore "positive building of a strategic continuums " and less  "strategic conumdrums"!

One size doesn't fit all!

This week I have been in primary schools, high schools and with small groups of coordinators working together in partner primary schools, with larger groups of SLT and LA representatives, with transition groups (can't call them clusters any more). What is really apparent and I knew it already but it was really striking this week - one size does not fit all!

Plus everyone has ideas and wants to share them and wants to build on the ideas they have and adapt and adopt other people's ideas.

Do we need to step away from a straight jacket approach and look at how we can have a common thread in school /s but use and adapt as is necessary - always able to come back to the centre to reflect and build upon good practice? We are building a learning network that is immediate, local, virtual and personal.Thank you to all who contribute and hurrah for our VLE! 

The reactions this week from HTs, from HODs from subject coodinators in primary and from class teachers and associate teachers has all been remarkably positive about the ways they are learning to use the VLE.

As I said at the start of the blog post - one size does not fit all and the VLE is allowing me to reach so many different colleagues. A simple SOW with sound files, lesson plans, support and resources already to go - well there you are!A SOW plus because we want to move on and trial deeper learning - well here are the ideas and the links and the resources!A step away and into the World of the Creative Curriculum - well the VLE allows you to do this too and all can be stored safely in your own folders and shared as you wish! Transition groups have their own secure areas and with a click of a button can upload and add to their own group's blog posts. The VLE is taking on a life of its own!

But it's not just the VLE!  It's the language learning tools, the depth and range of additional resources we are able  to share, the alternatives we are happy to suggest and most noticeably this week-, it has been the Assessment and the knowledge we have built up over lots of years. (Don't be fooled by the statement that the network has been around since 2011 - quite a few of us in this network go back much further than that!) You see we want to share and celebrate progress and  we don't want the children to stand still. We need common dialogue and progress descriptors  which can help us all, help the children and build self efficacy! Now we have a wrap around machine for assessment and it is still growing and being adapted.You may find this blog post interesting .

This morning I have been helping a colleague to adapt our units of work to suit the timetable requirements of a local school - it's all there - we just need to make the best fit for the school! Brilliant.Yesterday at a transition group meeting I was able to share key learning tools and a shared text for a special event to allow colleagues to discuss effectively what soft data they have when they come to the next meeting. The day before at a Transition group meeting we looked at how demands, skill sets and challenges of different ages and key stages  and how they can be met if we look for common ground and use this as our central focus point.

I like to say "it's not rocket science!" and I really believe that it isn't but I do think and this week has certainly reinforced this that one size has never fitted all and that as professionals we need learning networks, listening ears, wise owls and young excited new teachers to build appropriate learning for our specific learning environments. I am excited about the future in the network and the use of the VLE and language learning machine it helps us to build and hope you can tell that too!

Up, running and rolling out second year of DFE project!

So it is the start of the second year of the WTSA/PLN (DFE funded) Language Learning for everyone. This year we look forward to working with collleagues from around the North West across KS2 and KS3 .Our main goals this year are:

•  consolidate the links we have made,
• develop the skills of the teachers now becoming trainers,
• support schools to continue to establish effective primary languages practice and
• develop links that are sustainable within transition groups (cross phase KS2 -KS3)    

Our "Teacher Led CPD" this year will be: 

• Led, organised and supported by Janet Lloyd and WTSA 
• Online training and support for the trainer
• Continue to face to face support
• Online teacher support created by JL and team of teachers
• Quality assured
• Continue to develop 10 local North West network coordinators
• Continue to develop effective and targeted CPD deliverers form our "Teacher Led" growing CPD team so that they can be  Language Up-skilling trainers ,Pedagogy in primary classroom trainers, Subject coordinator support mentors,

·         

Established sequence of CPD events

We will continue to offer  

• Termly LNMs (local network meetings).Held in first half term
•  Termly language up-skilling –  beginners and intermediate(French, Spanish and this year German).Held in second half term
•  Termly invited national speaker for specific CPD – across phase .Watch out this  Autumn term for Reading Skills (Vicky Cooke).
• Offer coordinators and SLT an "Ensuring Primary Progress" focus : this term Assessment (JL)
• Facebook reports of events to share with wider audience
• Online resources accessible from Primary Languages Network website- all delegates receive username and password (resources from previous sessions available still- plus CPD notes and lesson guidance).

German for Primary is a focus this year

• · SOW and CPD are in development,ready for Spring 2016 CPD
•  Small network meetings – each half term (since April 2014 ) for teachers delivering primary German, led by local practitioner and native speaker.

·        

Transition – KS2 to KS3 will continue to be  a key focus this year

Last year we established and will contine to develop the following: 

•  JoBeeG73 blog reports: secondary MFL teacher working also as a  primary language teacher .Blog established and shared from September 2014: to upskill secondary teacher and allow observation time of good primary practice, to reflect and feedback over two year project her observations to a wider audience
• KS2 into KS3  mentor trained during 2014-15 :secondary MFL teacher working also as a  primary language teacher.To work with own cluster in 2015-2016 and to offer support to other KS3 colleagues  in 2015-2016
• Pedagogy CPD (KS2 and KS3 language teachng colleagues) – shared events continuing- 2014-15 :ICT/Literacy and Phonics/ Annual Conference/LNM invites and now in to 2015-2016: Reading Skills/Bespoke CPD /LNM invites/Writing and Grammar (Spring term 2016
• Active transition groups: working alongisde Janet Lloyd to develop effective dialogue and to look at ways to develop shared learning tools and how to transfer and share useful soft and hard data
• Blog reports  on steps toward transition 
• Outcomes this year from the transition group work will be; 

1. KS3 CPD afternoon to be held in Spring term 2016– each of participating high schools to be offered opportunity to deliver on one key area of their own group’s work
2.  Shared portfolio to be established of good practice to be shared with wider audience

Teachers becoming trainers

“A huge thank you to all those who came out in the rain tonight for the Autumn St. Helen’s Local Network Meeting. Was lovely to see you all and share resources and ideas and thanks to Carmelina, was great working with you!”

One of our associate teachers posted the quote above on our JLN Facebook page just after her shared leadership of a local network meeting in St Helens. It caught my eye because I know exactly how thrilled she is- her fourth network meeting and she shared the load with Carmelina, one of our colleagues in St Helens. Together  they have worked through and planned their CPD session on reading and writing using training notes, advice  and resources from myself. The very important fact is that together they are developing their training skills! It is so important to celebrate and congratulate the new young teachers who are willing to step up to the plate and learn how to become a trainer of peers. This is the first of 10 local network meetings, nearly all of them except for one led by myself, will be led by my wonderful colleagues just like Claire and Carmelina! 

My colleagues have come such a long way! It is a delight to see! Take a look at the photo below and let's wind back one year......

September 2014

It's a photo from of our associate language teachers in 2014 at our annual CPD day. Emilie is sharing her presentation from the annual conference in July 2014, where she had shared her work in the classroom and simple activities using ICT with our network members.At our training day in September 2014 Emilie (ICT), Joanne (Drama, games and song) and Claire (role of the subject coordinator) all shared activities and experience with the associate group. I am not sure at this point that the group realised how bit by bit over the course of the next couple of years so many of them would be asked to step away from being just the primary languages classroom teacher to becoming a trainer. And what a difference a year makes! Here is Emilie at the annual conference July 2015, sharing activities, giving key information and setting up opportunities for teachers in the audience to explore for themselves....! (For those who might recognise themselves in thie photo above and below -I hope that some of you may also be working as trainers too in the near future! Christine B looking forward to running Warrington ALL hub from November with you too!)  

Ana, Emilie and Barbara have all up-skilled colleagues in their first languages - Spanish, French and German. Emilie has shared her IT knowledge and growing IT in primary language teaching skills.Joanne has engaged with me in training ITTs and working with our network colleagues to develop their drama and creative skills in the classroom.

Catherine and Claire have supported subject coordinators and schools to develop realistic achievable programmes of learning. Emilie and Joanne have become trainers in unfamiliar staff rooms at staff INSET - always to great effect and praise! And in the background other associates are learning the ropes. attending staff CPD with me in their associate schools- watch this space! 

The DFE project "Language Learning for Everyone" asked us to develop "Teacher Led CPD" in the local areas here in the North West.This funded programme has allowed me to support local teachers to develop their trainer skills and coordinate and  deliver the CPD at local network meetings. This half term, nine colleagues are leading local sessions. What is amazing are the skills that I think we almost lost when previous funding and support disappeared,  but that we  are being able to find again and further develop thanks to the DFE funding.In the group there are three former primary language leading teachers, two ASTs, and high school primary language link teachers and coordinators. Each one is pivotal in the momentum and dynamics of this project. Each one is now making contacts and sharing with others.  

Alongside the local network meetings, we have established transition groups and in these groups are hidden gems! Last year I had the pleasure of supporting a local colleague as she developed her own knowledge of primary by both teaching once a week in  a primary school and also going out to observe and discuss with colleagues primary language teaching and learning. I am thoroughly enjoying bringing teachers together to share their knowledge and grow in their own confidence that they can support each other. I am certain that amongst them there is another dynamic group of trainers in the making - and maybe not all of them are linguists but they share the common determination to try to make language learning work for everyone!

Our teacher led CPD is  allowing teachers  to become local  trainers, supported by some or all of the  steps listed below:

• having the opportunity to attend CPD delivered by national trainers - last year we had the wonderful opportunity to work with Joe Dale,Julie Prince and Elaine Minnett
• observing an experienced trainer deliver in school staff INSET
• working alonside an experienced trainer or consultant at planning meetings with a school subject coordinator or coordinators
• delivering language upskilling or pedagogy alongside an experienced trainer
• feeling yoour opinion is valued
• having the opportunity to plan parts of CPD 
• feeling able to ask questions and to make mistakes
• reflecting on own delivery and practice 
• becoming a facilitator
• reflecting on how much colleague have learned and taken away from a CPD session 
• identifying strengths and building on these
• stepping out of  personal comfort zones and applying teaching skills appropriately to presenting , training or working with adults

Assessing Progress Pitstop!

The tongue twister style title of this post reflects the challenges and twists in trying to sort out  meaningful and sensible approaches to measuring progress of young language learners.Over the last few years we have been considering and developing this in our network. Today I very much feel that we have begun to get it right and we can share this with others confidently !

Hurrah! 

This is very much a pit stop post in more ways than one, as it is lunch time and I have spent the morning in a primary school near Wigan with colleagues from two partner primary schools. Later I will spend  some of the afternoon in a high school in Halton with a transition between KS2-3 group. What is important is that my primary colleagues this morning and my primary and secondary colleagues this afternoon will all be discussing and sharing what progress we can see in language learning in KS2 and  what we regard as the soft and hard data to help us measure this progress.

What was fabulous this  morning  was that as a group of teachers we made progress in how we are going to assess progress across KS2 in two specific schools this academic year in line with the tools within our network.We have created a flexible language learning machine which has a set of tools to assess progress that can be applied to a variety of contexts and content.I was delighted to find that both specialist and non-specialists teachers felt comfortable with the tools and that classroom practitioners and SLT could see how useful the tools are.  to set the scene: two of the five  in the room were specialist linguists, two had primary and secondary language teaching experience, two were subject coordinators in primary, one was a primary headteacher and all of  us were primary practitioners.

By the way, if you are a member of the network, you have access to the VLE and the  the key documents mentioned below. This blog post will appear in the VLE network blog too and will have direct links to the documents mentioned - so you can read and explore at leisure for your own school's purposes! 

Step One
We considered our  KS2 SOW long term overview, how flexible this can be and how we can adapt and add creative learning opportunities.We identified core contexts and content to ensure progression. We considered how we can realign blocks of learning to fit the two schools own creative curriculum requirements. We linked stories  that the schools enjoy already and books we recommend  linked  to units of work. We discussed the importance of developing bilingual dictionary skills across KS2.

Using our medium term planning bubbles we considered how these help inform class teachers, support discussion and could help coordinators to rearrange some LKS2 or UKS2 units. We considered how the school may like to pick up one of our VLE Cross Curricular units e.g. Cavemen and use this instead of or alongside a key block of content such as daily routine.In doing this we revisited the key elements of the teaching and learning and then began to consider how we could track progress.

Step Two
We considered how our tracking sheets allow teachers to keep a simple record of contexts, content / transactional language  covered and skill development across listening, speaking, reading and writing. We looked at how this could be kept as  record for a specific class and how this can easily be shared with coordinators or SLT and kept for record purposes to demonstrate progress. Interestingly we all agreed that this added weight to the learning and the progress made and helped to ensure that language learning was an integral part of the learning process in school.This led us to us discussing primary evidence of progress and what we consider primary appropriate evidence.

Step Three
Using  the Mapping Progress document  created last year for our Progress CPD (and that has now been annotated and tweaked for network sharing) we considered how you can align the 4 basic skills (L,S,R,W) and the DFE POS learning objectives We were able to identify the stages of development as a learner of these four skills and the DFE POS LOs through KS2 Framework Objectives.

This gives us  descriptors to define  beginner, moving on and advanced learner skills in KS2. We looked at how we could identify elements of the four skills and also the development in the 4 skills in the DFE POS LOs.We also considered how  you can link these stages to A1 and possibly A2 of the CEFR. Finally we explored how these elements can be defined for assessment of progress in primary schools and linked  to the simple user-friendly skill descriptors from the Languages Ladder.No one was fazed by this and everyone could see  the steps of progression.I loved gthe fact that  the Headteacher and SLT found this information very reassuring.

Once we had explored Step Four below the team could see how all this came together and enabled the gathering of  evidence, understanding of what is being measured and also how to go back a step if necessary and then why and how the whole reporting progress we use has been created. 

Step Four
We have six week blocks of work which constitute half termly blocks within our SOW in KS2. Each half term has Assessment Benchmarks - the most important part of the benchmark descriptor is the skill level e.g."can understand some familar spoken ......".

Our basic benchmarks define content but of course schools may want to change content to fit their own blocks of work and therefore we help schools to look at progress in language skills whilst still able to identify content covered .

I am creating this year "Puzzle It Out " sheets per half term- with four puzzle activities .Each puzzle can be done at a different time during the half term  but each puzzle focuses on one of the skills.You will shortly be able to download the word document templates of this from the VLE. 

We have created Assessment Clouds for AfL purposes with the children so they can track their own progress termly (thanks to our associate Kate for the hard work here!) 

We are using three descriptors to explain progress: "emerging, meeting and exceeding".We are certain lots of schools are using similar if not the same descriptors.So it seems sensible to use these as we think because these are in line with many schools general progress in subject areas' descriptors.

Keeping a record and being accountable!

This year we are offering a record keeping spread sheet based on emerging,meeting and exceeding the benchmark in one,two,three or all 4 skills .We have made sure it is very easy to use  and can be used for every pupil or a sample of pupils.It is downloadable and shareable amongst teachers in a school and can be kept in the school area of the VLE. The record allows HTs and SLT to monitor progress across all 4 skills and to be able to reference this progress against the Mapping Progress document if so required.

So now I am off to the Transition meeting and hope to share with the group how they too can use these tools to develop a transfer of soft and hard data to inform dialogues and  baselines etc.....A work in progress and no doubt there will be plenty more reflective pit stops on the way!

And the magic is, that as we develop as a VLE network we can share and create new ways forward to enhance what is already there! Look forward to hearing how your school uses our assessment tools and being able to write another pitstop blog post on progress! 

Our Primary Languages VLE - Alive and kicking!

So today I have hung out the bunting! It is to celebrate the start of my blog posts on Primary Languages Network Ltd.This is a huge moment for our local network. In 2001, I set up Warrington Grid for Learning Primary Language Learning pages and I loved those pages!

In 2011 as I changed from an LA Education Consultant to an Independent Education Consultant I started to develop my website. It never quite matched up to the our Grid for Learning and its resources though! Now I am absolutely delighted with our brand new and amazing VLE. We have 151 members and are growing, and we are currently all learning how to share, upload, add and navigate our way around the site. 

This blog post is to share with the wider world what we are achieving as a network and also to help and encourage current and potential users to take a closer  look at some of the facilities, resources, lesson activities etc, etc, etc, we can now offer and build upon!

Primary Languages SOW
Our KS2 SOW online is available in French and Spanish and very soon in German too. We see this as a manual to support non-specialists and to help school subject coordinators help all the staff to teach primary languages week by week. It's not intended as an enforced learning programme if schools feel comfortable and confident to step away from the core lessons, more a guide so that every one sings from the same or a similar hymn sheet! What I love about the VLE is that the SOW is becoming dynamic and we can add to the framework of the SOW and share what we learn this year using the SOW too.

Each language SOW has a SOW Plus section - French SOW Plus and  Spanish SOW Plus - with additional ideas or deeper learning opportunities per half term of the SOW from Year 3 to Year 6. We have  tracking and assessment , both guidance and benchmark descriptors. linked to the DFE POS, KS2 Framework and CEFR.

Just this week we have added Assessment Clouds for children as a direct request from one of our schools and a downloadable spreadsheet assessment record tool to allow data to be fed back to and shared with SLT. Once again this came as a request from one of our Associate Language Teachers.   

Talk and write
I have also created Talk and Write French  lesson planning and Talk and Write Spanish using stories from the SOW so that your children can develop more independent speaking and writing in the target language!

We are asked every year how we work with learners that have met languages in KS1 and so you will find in the SOW folder a PDF suggesting how to approach the planning for Year 3 for these learners .It's called "Extending Year 3 Learners" . Hope it is useful.

Seasonal Specials
Here you will find half term by half term our ideas, plans and ideas plus clips and sound files to celebrate special events across the school year. We have shared "Seasonal Specials" now for the last four years and we have collated and added to these ideas. What is important is that we are able to link language learning, progress and culture together. Network colleagues at the moment might like to look at the resources for Bonfire Night plus ideas for Halloween, Armistice, Christmas, Sankt Nikolaus Tag, Sankt Martinstag and Dia de los muertes.......... 

Each half term has it's own folder and the ideas and lesson activities have been used by ourselves or network members over the last couple of years.

Cross Curricular
The Cross Curricular units are growing!  My colleagues, who are native speakers of the language are helping to bring the deeper learning opportunities to life for network schools. There are all sorts of core focuses in the Cross Curricular Area including Geography, Science, Art, Sport, Food, Creative themes. These resources are in French, Spanish AND German. For example to take get a flavour if you are a network member then you may want to look in the history and geography sections  at "Dinosaurs" or " Cavemen and daily routine " "Castles", "Knights", "Aztecs" with  lesson plans and resources. Thanks to our guest writers too -  for example Sam Snodgrass, Joanne Hornby and Julie Prince and to Elaine Minett, as we now host "Link and Learn".

KS1 Resources
Some of our network members asked me to put up our KS1 resources and we have added French and  Spanish resources so far. There is an "Overview Page" to suggest how you may like to use the focuses and I have divided the focuses up in to French and Spanish. In each subfolder there are stories and songs and then possible YR/Y1 and then Y1/Y2 themes. A new theme for us all in KS1 is "Travel and Transport" .If you don't teach KS1 languages it is still worth looking to see if there is a theme you can use in KS2.

Treasure Chest
The "Treasure Chest Section" was an added extra, during the making of the VLE! I love this part of the VLE as I have emptied my head of all the ideas, clips, articles, websites, documents and technology that I know is out there, that could be useful to you all. Plus you will find a small section of resources and activities in Mandarin and some in Italian too. These two sections will no doubt grow over time.

The  VLE Network Blog  is up and running with alerts on national, regional or topical resources etc.

And there are already 17 shared network news items in our Network sharing Area-thanks to St Barnabas who added a blog post this afternoon too! Some fabulous activities taking place already and the more we share the more we learn and can grow as a support network- so thank you to everyone! What makes this special... is that it is linked to work schools in the network are really doing!

I think this is what you call the tip of the iceberg really .We have transition pages and cluster groups , associate teacher pages and language learning skills PDFs, not to mention the online tutorials (when they are put up) .Yes the bunting is up and the VLE is definitely alive, kicking and growing!

Striding out a sentence

With our young language learners who are now in their second year or beyond of learning a language in KS2 we will be encouraging them all to try to form sentences- both spoken and written- in the target language this year.

These will range from simple noun, verb,adjective sentences  (KS2 second year of language learning)  to sentences using adverbs and maybe prepositions or that use conjunctions to create more complex sentences (KS2 fourth year of language learning). 

Here is a game that can be repeated and it is also a way to measure progress informally- take stock at the beginning of the year and repeat later in the year and see how much improvement there is over the year.

• You need a space and a straight walk way.
• You need a picture or prompt stimulus- with a familiar context and content

When you first play the game , invite a volunteer to stride along the line and make up their own sentence to reach the picture or prompt.Each stride is a part of the sentences

e.g.- take a very simple sentence and picture : the dog is black" 

First stride : "The"

Second stride: " dog"

Third stride: "is"

Fourth stride: "black" 

Can the volunteer complete the four strides independently or does the volunteer need to ask for help?

If he/she needs help then a signpost is needed! The signpost is a second child who can show the first child the word or help the child to create the verb correctly etc, so that the first child can keep on striding to the picture or prompt.

Great opportunity here for AfL

You could ask the rest of the class ot think what thewy would say and to write this on mini whiteboards to show at the end when their classmate has completed his or her "striding sentence". 

To take this further,make it a timed challenge! 

You need a stop watch or timer.

How quickly can a child complete an accurate striding sentence

Klee facial expression flap phrases and picture gallery

I love Paul Klee and the way he uses building blocks of colour in his Art to convey emotion and meaning.... so what an ideal artist to use to allow the children to create their own "facial expression" art work .

I suggest that you use this picture, Senecio:

This Art and writing lesson follows on from the lesson blog post I posted  

Universal facial expressions ,emotions and different languages

.

We will be using the ideas in both these blog posts to celebrate Euroepan Day of Languages 2015.

Additional resources and lessons guides are available on the VLE  for the Janet Lloyd Network

1. Revisit emotions, facial expressions and target language phrases the children can say that add "sound and language" to the emotion.
2. You could hold a "physical face display " here with a card picture frame that the children use, by holiding up and using their face and the emotion and target language phrase to fill the picture frame and become the picture.You will need to model this first.
3. Take a look with the class at Klee's picture "Senecio"
4. Ask the children to follow Klee's model and to draw a picture of  the outline of a face.
5. Give the children coloured card or paper and ask the children to add blocks of colour made from the card on the face .
6. Each block of colour represents an emotion and acts as a flap under which the child draws a symbol or face to represent the emotion and writes the appropriate target language or target languages phrase linked to the emotion.
7. Create a class display of "Klee facial expression flap phrases and pictures"

Universal facial expressions, emotions and different languages

Everyone's face is different , but every face tells a story and can convey emotions. 

We will  be using this clip and the clip below from Marcel Marceau on European Day of Languages this year to celebrate faces, facial expression and how we can convey so many emotions using our faces.

Our theme is " How are you feeling?" and we will explore different languages and how the face is a universal tool to share feelings and emotions but how different languages use differnet sound patterns and words to express the universal message of  "facial expressions" .

I would suggest you only use part of the World Faces clip - partly because it is quite long and also because two of the adult faces appear with a cigarette in hand.

The Marcel Marceau clip below is ideal to explore how you can use your face to change the mood etc.You can discuss with the children how he conveys emotions without speaking and creates lots of different masks with just his face!

We will be creating a pack of resources and a lesson plan guide for network members so we can explore key phrases, their sounds in different languages and how to say and express facially these pharses.This can be accessed on the VLE - should you be a member- in the seasonal specials European Languages folder.

However the simplest approach that everyone can use is shared below.I have based this on  using any the target language that you may be teaching your children.You could teach a new language or combine familiar targte language and a new language or two! 

1. Select some key emotions
2. Select key phrases to express these emotions in the target language.
3. Play a short excerpt of the world Faces clip and ask the children to decide what emotion they think is being converyed by certain faces , when you pause the clip.
4. Can the children think of a phrase or a way of adding spoken language to the feeling they can see?
5. Share you selected phrases and facial expressions with the class
6. Can the children guess what emotion you are trying to convey.
7. Discuss emotions
8. Watch a short excerpt of the Marcel Marceau clip and ask the children to watch how his face can change so quickly.
9. Ask the class to practise facial expressions of emotions with some simple familiar target language phrases (greetings ,farewells, how feeling, birthday greetings, etc)
10. Observing another child in the class ,listening to their target language phrases and if necessary using a  bilingual dictionary to access the language can they read the facial expressions of another person in the class (e.g sad, happy,excited,tired.....)
11. If you can - why not teach key phrases in a new language and ask the children to explore the sound of these key phrases and how they can use the same facial expressions  from the familoar target language activity to explain the meaning of the phrases. 

Revisiting language Observation Game - Watching, Reading, Speaking

This activity works well with a video clip linked to culture or festivals – so a party, an event , a festival, a journey through the target language country, a visit to a famous place or town in the target language country.

At the start of the year it is a great activity to use with moving on learners to revisit familiar language and take a tour around the taret language country or set the scene for the academic year's learning with a cultural focus.

So select your video clip stimulus material!

Watch the clip carefully and select the key words (nouns,adjectives, verbs will all work well here!)

It's a game that I have played lots of times with all age groups of learners.Works well with adult learmers too.

You can revisit know language, practise new language or investigate unknown language using a bilingual dictionary first ..... 

Game One

Give each child five word cards. Each word is a noun of an object, place, person or building they will see in the video.

 Ask the children to watch the video clip and pick up a specific word card and wave it when they think they have seen one of the five words they have in front of them.

Ask the children to then share their order of the written words cards with a partner, by saying them in the order they have placed them and as they observed them appear on the video clip

Game Two

Working in pairs give them all the noun cards. The object of the game is to place the nouns face down in a pile when they see that object. Each partner should be holding 9 cards or have 9 cards face upwards on the table so that they can see the words. When they see one of their objects  , they place the correct word card in a growing pile of cards.

After they have watched the whole video clip, they should compare the words in their pile with those of   another pair. They must carefully pick up the pile. Turn it face up and take it in turns to read the noun at the top of the pile. Once read they should put this word at the bottom of the pile. Do both pairs have the cards in the same order?

Report back

Can the pairs now create a tourist information report using the phrase  e.g. “ A Paris il y a + nouns” in their pile , in the order they saw the places and objects etc.

Volunteer pairs to say their “Tourist information report” to the class.

Let's open the window on the target language World

I love buildings and I love doors and windows.I like to imagine who may be behind the door etc.

With our more advanced learners at the start of the academic year it is a great opportunity to get them talking again! 

Let's give them a picture stimulus for this!

Here are  some photos I have taken this year in France and Spain that we are going to use to get our children using prior knowledge in the target language in a creative way!

All the pictures involve the children pretending to open a window or a door to reveal the person behind the door and create the character.

Just who is behind the door or the window?

This activity and the picture stimulus is a great device to focus on grammar from the previous year.

We can ask the children to use adjectives to describe the person behind a specific window or door.

We can ask the children to use verbs to allow the person behind the window or the door to explain what he/she is doing or whet he/she likes to do

We can use questions and answres to find out more in the first and secind person singular about the person behind the window or door.

All the children need to do is open the door or window of their choice and create the imaginary character behind the door or window! 

Let them stick the picture in their record books and ask them to cut round three sides of their chosen window or the frame of the door and add a drawn sketch of their imaginary person or creature behind the closed window or door.

This can be a spoken activity or it could be a written text ........

Great fun and creative use of language at the same time and an opportunity to revisit and re-use language and structure from prior learning.