Winter break is just around the corner! Teachers, have you considered how to keep students engaged in practicing English during the holiday break? We suggest a fun and effective approach: combining English reading with Sensay. This helps your students build and expand their vocabulary through reading while also strengthening their listening and speaking skills through practice!
Recommended English Books for Different Age Groups
Books for Elementary School Students
- The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
- Summary: A fun fairy tale filled with rhyming sentences and vivid illustrations that make reading fun and engaging.
- Skill-Building Tips: Create speaking activities based on the story, such as mimicking character dialogues or describing the plot.
- Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
- Summary: A classic picture book about imagination and adventure, with simple yet inspiring content.
- Skill-Building Tips: Encourage students to describe the characteristics of the creatures using Sensay or rewrite the story plot.
Books for Upper Elementary and Middle School Students
- Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
- Summary: A heartwarming classic about friendship and the meaning of life, with clear and engaging language.
- Skill-Building Tips: Create speaking activities so students can practice reading passages aloud or engage in role-playing using the Sensay platform.
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
- Summary: A captivating adventure that blends Greek mythology with the modern world, perfect for students who love fantasy.
- Skill-Building Tips: Create questions or prompts on Sensay, and have students do character introductions or predict how the story unfolds.
Books for High School Students
- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Summary: A classic novel exploring themes of justice, prejudice, and growth, written in elegant and thought-provoking prose.
- Skill-Building Tips:
- In Sensay, prompt students with questions like, “What does justice mean to you?” to encourage thoughtful reflections.
- Recreate key scenes, such as courtroom debates, to help students practice public speaking and explore character motivations.
- Discuss perspectives on characters like Atticus or Scout to foster critical thinking and empathy.
Flexible Choices for Educators
In addition to the recommended books, teachers can also leverage English books that are already available in the school library. This approach ensures easier access for students and fosters greater participation. Teachers can choose books appropriate for their students’ proficiency levels, including extracurricular readers, storybooks, or reading series, and seamlessly integrate them with Sensay for engaging learning challenges.
How to Use Sensay for Learning?
- Daily Reading and Speaking Challenges
Assign a short passage for students to read each day, paired with speaking tasks on Sensay, such as:- “What would you do if you were the protagonist?”
- “Role-play a specific scene from the book.”
- Create Custom Dialogues
Use Sensay’s customization feature to design story-based questions, for example:- “What do you think about the Gruffalo’s clever tricks?”
- “Why did Charlotte help Wilbur? What would you do if you were her?”
- Post-Reading Sharing
Encourage students to record their reflections and insights using Sensay’s recording feature. This helps develop their expression and critical thinking skills.
Benefits of This Approach
- Integrates Listening, Speaking, and Reading: Students expand their vocabulary through reading and improve their speaking and reading comprehension with Sensay.
- Boosts Engagement: Fun stories and practical speaking practices keep students motivated and focused on their learning goals.
- Winter Break Achievements: By the end of the break, students can proudly say they’ve finished reading an English book and improved their English speaking skills!
How Teachers Can Get Started
- Select an English book suitable for your students’ levels or choose one from the school library.
- Plan daily reading schedules and create daily speaking tasks to guide students.
- Use Sensay to create engaging, book-related activities that make learning both fun and effective.
This winter break, let your students explore the magic of language through captivating stories while honing their speaking skills with Sensay!
Feeling inspired? Start creating English speaking exercises for your students now: school.oksensay.com
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