standard 1 & 2
TRANSCRIPT
National Reading Programme
Standard 1 & 2
Teacher Training Facilitator’s Guide
Continuous Assessment and Remediation
Produced and printed with support from
Table of Contents
DAY 3 AGENDA……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1
Activity 3.1: Welcome, Logistics and Registration……………………………………………………………. 1
Activity 3.2: Training Objectives………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Activity 3.3: Overview of the NRP CA&R……………………………………………………………………………2
Activity 3.4: Continuous Assessment for Remediation in Standards 1 and 2……………………. 3
Activity 3.4.1: Purpose of Continuous Assessment………………………………………………………….. 3
Activity 3.4.2: Continuous Assessment Instruments………………………………………………………… 4
Activity 3.4.3: Understanding the Skill Chart……………………………………………………………………. 4
Activity 3.4.4: Procedure for Administering Continuous Assessment………………………………..5
Activity 3.4.5: Assessment and Skill Chart Practice…………………………………………………………… 6
Activity 3.4.6: Continuous Assessment Timeline……………………………………………………………….7
Activity 3.4.7: Principles of Developing a Continuous Assessment Instrument………………….7
Activity 3.5: Show What You Know!..................................................................................... 8
Activity 3.6: Exit Slip………………………………………………………………………………………………………….9
Activity 3.7: Facilitator’s Reflection & Planning………………………………………………………………… 9
DAY 4 AGENDA …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10
Activity 4.1: Registration & Logistics for Day 4…………………………………………………………………. 10
Activity 4.2: Energizer/Recap of Day 3…………………………………………………………………………….. 10
Activity 4.3: Day 4 Training Objectives…………………………………………………………………………….. 11
Activity 4.4: Remediation for Standards 1 and 2………………………………………………………………. 11
Activity 4.5: When to Conduct Remediation in Standards 1 and 2 …………………………………….12
Activity 4.6: Preparation for Practicum……………………………………………………………………………. 13
Activity 4.7: Show What You Know!..................................................................................... 13
Activity 4.7.1: How to Group Learners for Remediation.......................................................13
Activity 4.7.2: When to Conduct Remediation..................................................................... 14
Activity 4.7.3: Procedure for Conducting Remediation.........................................................15
Activity 4.7.4: Practicing Remediation Activities.................................................................. 15
Activity 4.7.5: Creating Remediation Activities………………………………………………………………… 16
Activity 4.8: Preparation for Practicum……………………………………………………………………………. 17
Activity 4.9: Show What You Know………………………………………………………………………………….. 17
Activity4.10: Exit Slip…………………………………………………………………………………………………………18
Activity 4.11: Facilitator’s Reflection & Planning……………………………………………………………… 19
DAY 5 AGENDA……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20
Activity 5.1: Welcome, Registration & Logistics……………………………………………………………….. 20
Activity 5.2: Practicum…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Activity 5.3: Practicum for Continuous Assessments and Remediation..........................…...21
Activity 5.4: Group Feedback…………………………………………………………………………………….. 22
Activity 5.5 Draft a School Action Plan……………………………………………………………………………. 23
Activity 5.6: Final Consolidation………………………………………………………………………………………. 23
Abbreviations
CA&R Continuous Assessment and Remediation
CA1-7 Continuous Assessment Number 1-7
FG Facilitator’s Guide
NRP National Reading Programme
MoEST The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
Preface
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) recognizes that learning to read and write is a cornerstone of providing learners with quality education. Given the role that reading and writing play in education, as well as the lifelong benefits of literacy, learning to read in the early primary grades is a critical goal for Malawi's education system. Providing all children in Malawi with excellent reading instruction, and the materials they need to learn to read, is fundamental not only to their completion of the basic education cycle, but also to their future personal, academic and social success. Moreover, the MoEST is committed to helping all children learn to read - boys, girls and learners with diverse needs.
However, results from both the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality and the Monitoring Learning Achievements, have revealed that many children in Malawi are unable to read even after spending five to six years in school. These revelations point to the dire need to improve reading instruction and reading outcomes in order to achieve the goal of universal primary education.
Your Facilitator’s Guide (FG) contains:
A daily schedule, including training objectives, and content of the day's training
Specific activities to conduct with participants to help them understand how to administer continuous assessments and implement remediation activities to support the National Reading Programme.
Opportunities to determine whether participants grasped the day's learning through debriefing and exit slips.
The Resource Handbook that participants will receive on the first day of training supports the content of your FG. The Resource Handbook is designed to alleviate the amount of materials that the facilitator will need to prepare and distribute, thus increasing the time that can be devoted to preparing for each day’s training by becoming familiar with the content, activities and time table.
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STANDARDS 1 & 2 TEACHER TRAINING
DAY 3 AGENDA Time Activity
08:00 – 08:15 3.1 Welcome, Logistics and Registration
08:15 – 08:25 3.2 Training Objectives
08:25 – 08:45 3.3 Overview of Continuous Assessment & Remediation (CA&R)
08:45 – 10:45 3.4.1 – 3.4.3 Continuous Assessment for Remediation in Standards
1 and 2 – (purpose, review of instruments, and skill chart)
10:45 – 11:00 Health Break
11:00 – 12:30 3.4.4 – 3.4.5 Continuous Assessment for Remediation in Standards
1 and 2 – (administration and practice)
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 – 14:30 3.4.6 Continuous Assessment Schedule
14:30 – 15:15 3.4.7 Principles of Developing a Continuous Assessment Instrument
15:15 – 15:30 Health Break
15:30 – 16:15 3.5 Show What You Know!
16:15-16:20 3.6 Exit slip
16:15 – 16:40 3.7 Facilitators’ Session for Reflection & Planning
Activity 3.1 Welcome, Logistics and Registration 15 minutes
Facilitator’s Note: Prior to beginning Day 3 activities, be sure that each
participant has access to the following materials:
Teacher’s Resource Handbook
Sample Continuous Assessment Instruments for standard 1 and 2
Materials for Sample Remediation Activities: Starter Sets for standard 1
and 2
Do: Welcome participants and explain that the next three days of the training is
for teachers to learn how to administer the continuous assessments, and how to use
the results to inform the remediation process for Chichewa in Standards 1 and 2.
Explain that this Continuous Assessment and Remediation (CA&R) is part of the
National Reading Programme (NRP) framework and that it will also be expanded in
the near future to include English and Standards 3 and 4. Remind participants that
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they will be required to sign in twice daily. Tell them about the logistics including
transport reimbursements and allowances.
Do: Review the day’s training objectives:
Participants will review and understand the purpose of the NRP continuous
assessment documents (assessment instruments and skill chart)
Participants will practice how to assess using the instruments and record
results using the skill chart
Participants will understand when to conduct assessments and how each
assessment is aligned with the review units of the Learner’s Book
Participants will understand the main principles of developing a continuous
assessment instrument
It is expected that you will continue to take this training seriously and
participate fully in all the sessions so that the objectives of our training for Day 3 are
met and all questions are clarified.
Activity 3.3 Overview of CA&R 20 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will be aware of the NRP CA&R component in relation to the national curriculum.
Do: In pairs, review and discuss the 2017 National Reading Assessment
results and the continuous assessment and remediation framework given on page 1
of the Resource Handbook. Use the following points to guide your discussion:
The NRP has a new component that includes continuous assessment and
remediation (CA&R) and will begin with Chichewa in Standards 1 and 2, and
will later add English and expand to Standards 3 and 4. The goal of the CA&R
programme is to enhance the development of essential reading skills for all
learners. The process has the following features:
There are two main components of the programme – Sample continuous
assessment and remediation.
The purpose of these two components are (i) to ensure that each learner’s
reading levels are measured periodically and (ii) to use this information to
conduct skill-specific remediation activities to improve learner performance.
The continuous assessments will be short, one-on-one tests focused only on
essential reading skills (letter names, sounds, syllables and words). The skills
Activity 3.2 Training Objectives 10 minutes
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of sentence and paragraph reading will also be assessed when the programme
expands to Standards 3 and 4.
Assessments will be administered to allign with each review unit in the
Learner’s Books of Standards 1 and 2. In this way, learners are being assessed
on what they have learned so far, at a time when no new content is being
provided in the curriculum.
Standard 2 learners will additionally be assessed at the beginning of the school
year using Continuous Assessment number 5 (CA5) of Standard 1, to estimate
initial reading levels.
The results of each continuous assessment will be recorded and used to group
or re-group learners for remediation during the following weeks.
Remediation will be done by Standard 1 and Standard 2 teachers five days a
week for 35-40 minutes a day. This is in addition to the regular Chichewa
instruction period.
The whole class will participate during the remediation period. During
remediation, learners will work in small groups based on their reading skills, as
indicated by the continuous assessment results.
Be in pairs. Using the information given, do you think additional support is
necessary for learners to improve their basic reading skills? How will using
continuous assessment help to improve outcomes? How will remediation help
learners?
Do: Allow 3 minutes for pairs to share their views among themselves. After 3
minutes, at a clap by the facilitator, allow the participants to move around the room
and share the same with partners from other pairs. After the participants reconvene
for plenary, ask individuals to share at least one of the points discussed.
The training will focus on how to develop and administer continuous
assessments, record the results, and use these results to plan and provide
remediation to learners who have not yet mastered basic reading skills.
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Activity 3.4 Continuous Assessment for Remediation in
Standards 1 and 2 5 hours 15 minutes
Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will: Describe what to assess, how to administer, when to conduct continuous assessments and be able to conduct continuous assessments in their classroom
Activity 3.4.1 Purpose of Continuous Assessment 15 minutes
Do: Ask participants to be in pairs and discuss the purpose of continuous
assessment with reference to page 2 of the Resource Handbook. After 5 minutes,
ask them to share their discussion points in plenary.
Short, continuous assessments of basic reading skills are necessary to (i)
periodically measure class performance in reading (ii) review progress in reading skills
and (iii) gain information about individual learners’ reading levels. The continuous
assessments developed by NRP will help teachers identify the basic reading skills the
class has mastered and those that need additional practice. Since each learner is
assessed individually, the continuous assessments will also help teachers understand
each learner’s skill level to group him/her for remediation accordingly.
Activity 3.4.2 Continuous Assessment Instruments STD 1-2 1 hour
Do: Guide the participants to be in pairs, read the description of the Continuous
Assessment Instruments in the NRP Assessment Procedure section of the
Resource Handbook (pages 2-4). Distribute sample copies of the continuous
assessment instruments (CA1 – CA7) for each standard, and remind participants that
both samples of skill charts are in Appendix 1 of the Resource Handbook. Let the
teachers review and discuss the continuous assessment instruments and share their
feedback in plenary.
Each continuous assessment instrument provided for you assesses learners on
four basic reading skills – letter names, sounds, syllables and words. Every continuous
assessment is cumulative and the instrument is developed to assess learners on the
content that has been covered from the beginning of the school-year up to that point.
(For example, in Standard 1 Chichewa, the first assessment is on content covered
from Unit 1 through review Unit 6, and the second assessment is on content covered
from Unit 1 through review Unit 11.)
There are two instruments (Sample A and B) for each continuous assessment.
Teachers can use these instruments alternately for learners. This is to prevent
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learners from being influenced by response of the learner who was assessed just
before him/her.
Activity 3.4.3 Understanding the Skill Chart 45 minutes
Do: Ask the participants to work in pairs. Allow them to study the concepts
about the skill chart in the Resource Handbook on page 4, and review the sample
skill charts for Standards 1 and 2 given in Appendix 1. Let the participants
reconvene in plenary and report on the purpose of the skill chart, how to record
learner scores, and how to record the skills mastered by each learner on the skill
chart.
The skill chart helps teachers identify learners who have not mastered each of
the targeted skills. We will see later how this information will be used to group learners
for remediation. It also informs teachers about the overall percentage of learners in
the class who have mastered the targeted skills at the time of each continuous
assessment.
To fill the skill chart, start by recording the serial numbers and names of all of the
learners in the classroom in the first and second columns from the left. As each learner
is assessed, the teacher records the learners’ skills in the 4 columns (letter names,
sounds, syllables, words) under the continuous assessment currently being done.
Under each skill, there are two sub-columns - one where the score (number of items
correctly identified or read by the learner) is marked, and the other where a tick mark
is made, if the learner identifies or reads at least 7 out of 10 items correctly.
At the end of each continuous assessment, sum up the tick marks for each skill, and
fill up the totals in the last row of the skill chart. This gives an indication of the overall
performance of the class in each reading skill.
Every teacher needs to make his/her own skill charts for the class using the templates
provided in Appendix 1 of the Resource Handbook. Please note that the same skill
chart is used for the whole term. A new one is to be made by teachers at the beginning
of a new term.
Activity 3.4.4 Administering Continuous Assessment 30 minutes
Do: Ask the participants to be in pairs. Direct them to Continuous Assessment
Procedure section on pages 4-5 in the Resource Handbook to review the
procedure and steps to administer the continuous assessment. Ask participants to pay
attention to the Dos and Don’ts of assessment given on page 6 of the Resource
Handbook. They must also review the sample of the skill chart with the results
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recorded given on page 7 of the Resource Handbook. Ask participants to present
their observations in plenary using the following guiding questions:
1. What is the best way to arrange your class for assessments?
2. How can the teacher put the learner at ease before and during the assessment?
3. Which skill should a learner be assessed on first? How should the teacher
proceed from assessing one skill to the next?
4. How is the ‘Score’ cell in the skill chart to be filled in?
5. How does the teacher determine if a learner gets a tick mark at each skill level?
6. How does the skill chart inform you of overall reading skills of the class?
7. Check if your understanding correlates with the sample skill chart on page 7 of
the Resource Handbook.
Teachers must plan the arrangement of the class effectively to enable
conducting assessments individually with each learner. The assessments will be
administered during each review unit so that they do not happen while learners receive
new content from the curriculum. If there is a second teacher in the classroom, that
teacher should assist with the assessments.
You should ensure that there is a good rapport built with the learner when
administering the continuous assessment. Starting with letter names, take the learner
through all the skills, one by one, even if the learner does not clear the first skill or any
of the subsequent skills of the continuous assessment.
The teacher needs to be patient during the assessment and allow learners reasonable
time to respond. Pay attention to the number of items answered correctly by the learner
during assessment, so that the scores and tick marks can be recorded accurately in
the skill chart. Keep the skill chart handy while conducting the assessment. Record
the scores and tick marks on the skill chart right away, as the learner goes through
each level. The teachers must not prompt or teach the learner during assessment, and
need not inform the learner if his/her response was correct or not.
Activity 3.4.5 Assessment and Skill Chart Practice 60 minutes
Do: Ask for a volunteer to pretend to be a learner. Then demonstrate the proper
way to administer the assessment and complete the skill chart. Do this, multiple times,
with the volunteer assuming the role of a learner at a different reading level each time.
Ask participants to be in groups of 5. Let them practice how to assess using the
continuous assessment instruments, and how to record the results on the skill chart.
After discussion in the group, ask participants to reconvene. Ask each group to
demonstrate the proper way to administer the assessment and complete the skill chart.
Ask groups to demonstrate the assessment process for learners at different reading
levels.
Next, ask for a volunteer to be a learner, while you assume the role of a teacher. Ask
the group to ‘Spot the errors’ as you purposefully demonstrate incorrect ways of
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administering the assessment and filling the skill chart. Ask participants to note down
the errors and list them at the end of the demonstration. Discuss the correct way that
should have been followed at each instance.
Discuss the process in plenary.
In Standard 1, Term 1, the skill chart records the results of CA1 and CA2. In
Term 2, the skill chart records the results for CA3, CA4 and CA5. Term 3 records the
results of CA6 and CA7.
In Standard 2, Term 1, the skill chart records the results of the initial assessment that
estimates the reading levels of the learners at the beginning of the school-year, and
then the results of CA1 and CA2. In Term 2 the skill chart records the results for CA3,
CA4 and CA5, while the term 3 skill chart records the results of CA6 and CA7.
Activity 3.4.6 Continuous Assessment Schedule 60 minutes
Do: Ask the participants to form pairs and direct them to the Resource
Handbook on pages 8-9 to study the assessment schedule and let them respond to
the following questions:
1. What differences have you observed between the two schedules (Standards 1
and 2)?
2. How many times are the continuous assessments being administered in a year
per standard?
3. Which assessment is administered to Standard 2 learners at the beginning of
the school-year to test initial reading levels? Why? Why are Standard 1 learners
not assessed initially?
4. When are Continuous Assessments 1 and 2 for Standard 1 administered? How
does the schedule align with the curriculum?
5. Explain why CA3 for Standard 1 is administered in the second term.
Each standard has 7 continuous assessments that are aligned to the review units
in the curriculum. In standard 1, the first continuous assessment is administered at the
first review unit. In Standard 2, there is an initial assessment (Standard 1 CA5) during
the first week of school followed by 7 continuous assessments to be administered
during Standard 2 review units.
In this school-year, you will start implementing the CA&R component in schools in
Term 2. For Standard 1 learners, you will administer CA3 in the second week (Week
16) of the term to coincide with review unit Mutu 16. So, you can use the first week of
the term to introduce/demonstrate the remediation activities to the learners. For
Standard 2, you will administer CA3 in the first week (Week 15) of the term. So you
can use the second week to introduce the remediation activities to learners before they
start working with them on their own.
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Activity 3.4.7 Principles of Developing a
Continuous Assessment Instrument 45 minutes
Do: Ask participants to form pairs. Let them study the principles for developing
a continuous assessment instrument in the Resource Handbook on pages 9 - 11.
Reconvene and present in plenary the responses to the following guiding points:
1. What are the main principles to keep in mind to create a continuous assessment
instrument?
2. Choose any one sample instrument provided and understand the choice of the
10 items included in each of the skills.
The continuous assessment instruments provided were developed using the
following principles:
The continuous assessment instrument assesses only the 4 basic reading skills
– Letter Names, Sounds, Syllables, and Words. Sentences and paragraphs will
be added at a later time.
There are 10 sample items for each of these four skills
To choose the sample items, content was used from previously completed units
as well as from recent units
Content not yet covered in the curriculum is not included
To create the 10 syllables for assessment, as many unique sounds as possible
that have been covered up to that point were used.
Words were made based on the sounds and syllables covered in the curriculum
up to that point, rather than using words given in the Learner’s Book.
Activity 3.5 Show What You Know! 45 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will show what they have learned today.
Do: Ask participants work in groups and discuss the answers to the questions
below. Let them present their answers in plenary discussion
1. What is the goal of CA&R?
2. What is the purpose of continuous assessment?
3. When will continuous assessments take place in Standards 1 & 2?
4. What skills are assessed during continuous assessment?
5. Are there any challenges you foresee in conducting these assessments in
your class? If so, please give suggestions to overcome them.
6. What is the purpose of the skill chart?
7. What information does a tick mark in the skill chart give to a teacher?
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8. Why is it important to document the number correctly read or identified by
each learner in the skill chart?
We have come to the end of Day 3. Today we have learned:
The importance of CA&R component to improve learners’ reading skills
The purpose of continuous assessment
What to assess, how to administer, and when to conduct continuous
assessment in our classes
How to record and review the results of continuous assessment tomorrow, in
Day 4 of this training, we will learn:
How remediation helps in improving reading skills of learners
How to use the results of continuous assessment to group learners for
remediation
How to develop effective remediation activities for each skill
How to manage the classroom and conduct remediation activities for small
groups of learners
Activity 3.6 Exit slip 5 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session , participants will reflect on and share what they learned during today’s sessions
Do: Share pieces of papers to the participants. Ask them to write what they
have learnt and anything they need to be clarified.
Do: Collect the papers, thank participants for their feedback and
participation, and adjourn the training.
Activity 3.7 Facilitators’ Session for Reflection & Planning 15 minutes
Objective
In this session, facilitators will review, reflect, and plan.
Facilitators meet to review, reflect, and plan. Use this time to consider the following:
Reflect on the day’s successes and challenges. Discuss how to improve the
Day 4 training based on your observations.
Review participants’ answers to ‘Show what you know!’ to identify areas that
need more attention.
Discuss how to open the Day 4 session with activities that will address areas
that need attention identified in the ‘Show what you know!’
Review and plan each activity for Day 4.
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DAY 4 AGENDA
Time Activity
08:00 – 08:10 4.1 Registration & Logistics for Day 4
08:10 – 08:30 4.2 Energizer/Recap of Day 3
08:30 – 08:35 4.3 Day 4 Training Objectives
08:35 – 09:00 4.4 Introduction to Remediation for Standards 1 and 2
09:00 – 09:45 4.5 How to Group Learners for Remediation
09:45 – 10:00 4.6 When to Conduct Remediation in Standards 1 and 2
10:00 – 10:15 Health Break
10:15 – 12:00 4.7.1 - 4.7.3 Procedure for Conducting Remediation
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch Break
13:00 – 14:00 4.7.4 Practicing Remediation Activities
14:00 – 15:00 4.7.5 Creating Remediation Activities
15:00 – 15:15 Health Break
15:15 – 16:00 4.8 Preparation for Practicum
16:00 – 16:15 4.9 Show What You Know
16:15 -16:20 4.10 Exit slip
16:15 – 16:30 4.11 Facilitators’ Reflection and Planning Session
Activity 4.1 Registration & Logistics for Day 4 10 minutes
Do: Welcome participants to Day 4 of the training. Share any logistical
announcements. Remind participants that they will be required to sign in at the
beginning of the morning and afternoon sessions.
Activity 4.2 Energizer/Recap of Day 3 20 minutes
Objective
In this session, participants will review topics that need clarification and recap all topics of Day 3.
Do: Recap Day 3 activities. Be sure to use the entire 20 minutes for
clarifications and to reinforce best practices. After the activity, ask a volunteer
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participant to summarize the main points from the activities of the previous day.
Consolidate by reinforcing the purpose of each activity and what it intended to teach.
Activity 4.3 Day 4 Training Objectives 5 minutes
Do: Review the list of objectives below.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Explain the approach to remediation and how it supports the curriculum
Describe the reasons for conducting remediation
Explain how continuous assessment is used to plan for and conduct
remediation
Explain when and how remediation activities are implemented
Activity 4.4 Introduction to Remediation for Standards 1 and 2 25 Minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will be able to explain the key concepts of remediation.
Do: Ask participants to be in pairs and refer page 14 of the Resource
Handbook. Participants must review the content on ‘What is Remediation?’ and
answer the following guiding questions:
1. What is remediation?
2. Why is it important to conduct remediation activities to improve reading skills?
3. To achieve the objectives of improved reading skills, what formats must be
adopted during remediation time? Is it useful to repeat the activities done in
the regular Language instruction period? Why or why not?
Remediation is a process in which learners are provided additional learning
practice on basic reading skills that they are still working to master. The goal of
remediation is to achieve basic reading skills for all learners.
Let us note some important points on remediation:
Remediation uses simple, hands-on learning activities that differ from the
standard classroom instruction.
The learning activities used for remediation must offer learners active practice
on basic reading skills and support more self-directed learning.
To be effective, teachers need to categorize learners who are at similar skill
levels into small groups for remediation.
To create these small groups, you will use the results of the continuous
assessments that we practiced on Day 3.
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Each group will choose a different activity pertaining to the skill they are
working to master
Remediation activities must be planned so that learners can work together in
small groups as independently as possible, so that teachers can pay attention
to the groups of lowest performing learners.
The groups are dynamic - as learners achieve mastery of a skill, as
demonstrated on the assessments, they move on to learn the next skill.
Activity 4.5 How to Group Learners for Remediation
45 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will be able to explain how to group learners for remediation using the results of continuous assessment.
Do: In pairs, review the section ‘Grouping Learners for Remediation using
Continuous Assessment Results’ found on pages 11-14 of the Resource
Handbook. Have participants discuss the process of grouping learners using the
following points as a guide:
Review the sample skill chart in Example 1 on page 12-13 and discuss how
learners are assigned to groups based on their skill levels recorded in the skill
chart.
Review Example 2 on pages 13-14. Create your own sample skill chart and
discuss the grouping of learners based on various class sizes and results.
Discuss why there is just one combined group for learners working to master
Sounds and Syllables.
Share observations in plenary.
Based on each learner’s results in the continuous assessments, learners will be
assigned to four groups depending on the skills they are still working to master: Letter
Names, Sounds/Syllables, Words, or Enrichment.
Learners who do not have a tick mark in Letter Names (irrespective of tick marks in
other skills) will be assigned to the Letter Names group. Learners who have a tick mark
in Letter Names skill, but do not have a tick mark in either Sounds or Syllables skill will
be in the Sounds-syllables group. Learners who have tick marks in Letter Names,
Sounds and Syllables, but do not have a tick mark in Words skill will be assigned to
the Words group.
Learners who have achieved mastery of Words will be assigned to a fourth group –
Enrichment group. Teachers are encouraged to assign these learners as ‘group
leaders’ to each of the lower-performing groups. After group leaders have been
assigned, if there are more learners in the Enrichment group, they can work on reading
enrichment activities using supplementary readers.
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Do: In pairs, have the participants open the Resource Handbook to page 14.
Have them review the section ‘When will remediation be conducted in Standards
1 and 2’ and discuss. Have them answer the following guiding questions:
1. When (time-of-day) can remediation be scheduled in your school, so that it
can be implemented during school hours for maximum effectiveness?
2. What will be required for this?
3. Discuss options that will be most suitable to the circumstances of your school.
Ask participants to share the answers in plenary.
All Standard 1 and 2 learners will participate in learning activities appropriate to
their skill level during remediation time. The remediation will be done outside the
regular Chichewa instruction period. It will be delivered in a special period set aside
during the regular school time table, five days a week. You need to plan the exact
time-of-day for remediation at the school-level, and make sure that it is implemented
every day.
Do: As an introduction to the remediation activities, direct participants to
Appendix 2 of the Resource Handbook on page 23. Ask them to refer to the
Materials for Sample Remediation Activities Starter Set to review the cards/materials
that will be required for each of the activities. In pairs, ask the participants to read the
activity instructions for any one sample activity in Appendix 2 and review it along with
the relevant materials in the Starter Set. Explain that this will be enough to form an
Activity 4.6 When to Conduct Remediation in Standards 1 and 2
15 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will be able to explain their plan on when to conduct remediation for learners in their schools.
Activity 4.7 Procedure for Conducting Remediation 3 hours 45 minutes
Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to describe how to manage small groups of learners in remediation, how to plan activities for each group and how to conduct the remediation activities.
Activity 4.7.1 Overview of Remediation Activities 15 minutes
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overview of remediation activities, and that there will be time later on in the day to
understand and practice all the activities in detail.
Each small group of learners does a different activity suitable to their skill levels.
The activities must be hands-on and must actively engage the learners. Groups must
be able to work with these activities as independently as possible, so that you can pay
attention to the lowest performing learners. Sample remediation activities have been
provided in the Resource Handbook for each skill or group. Using these as examples,
you will develop more activities for each group to help them master the skill they are
working on. We will review and practice these activities in detail before the end of the
day’s session
Activity 4.7.2 Planning Remediation Activities for Groups and
Managing Groups 45 minutes
Do: Direct participants to pages 14-16 of the Resource Handbook. Let them
study the sections on ‘Assigning Remediation Activities to Groups,’ and
‘Managing Different Groups During Remediation,’ Ask participants to discuss in
pairs, using the following points as a guide:
Practice writing down the remediation activities you will choose for each group
every day of a sample week
Estimate the number of learners in your class who would potentially be
assigned to each group. Based on the estimated grouping, plan how you would
divide attention among the lowest-performing groups each day.
Discuss the feasibility of assigning group leaders how they can be used to help
teachers in the remediation period.
Let the initial pairs break up and move around the room. Allow the participants to share
with anyone they meet in the process. Let them reconvene for plenary to share their
responses.
The remediation should follow a plan and schedule, in line with the example
shown in the Resource Handbook (pages 14-16). Teachers need to clearly plan how
to manage small groups of learners, each working on their own activities to master the
next skill. Initially it may take a week for teachers to demonstrate to learners the
remediation activities for each skill before learners can start doing these activities on
their own. Once learners are familiar with the activities, they can start working with
activities appropriate to the skill they are learning in their small groups of 5-8 learners.
To help teachers manage groups, assign learners from the enrichment group to other
lower-performing groups as group leaders. This will help you focus on the 5 to 8
lowest-performing groups (around 40 lowest-performing learners) during each
remediation period.
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If there are more than 40 low-performing learners, rotate among different groups of
learners on different days, so that you are able to work with all of these learners
across a week.
At the beginning of every week, it is important to plan and write down the activities
each group will work with, and the ‘teacher-focus’ groups you will pay attention to
each day.
Activity 4.7.3 Procedure for a Remediation Session 45 minutes
Do: In pairs, ask participants to read and discuss the sections on ‘Procedure
for a Remediation Section’ and ‘Dos and Don’ts of Remediation Activities’ on
pages 16-17 of the Resource Handbook using the following guiding questions:
What preparations must teachers make to ensure that the 35-40 minute time
for remediation is used efficiently?
How can materials for each group’s activity be organized in the classroom so
that learners settle down and start working in groups as fast as possible?
What are good practices to follow that would make remediation effective?
Ask participants to share their discussions in plenary.
Make sure that you prepare well for remediation so the time can be used
effectively. Points to keep in mind:
On the chalkboard, write the activities that each group will work with each day
Organize the materials systematically so that group leaders can easily access
the materials their group needs each day.
Make sure the content of the remediation materials is aligned to where the
learners are in the regular curriculum.
Give group leaders clear instructions of how they can help in the remediation
period.
Plan how you will rotate among the teacher-focus groups to ensure that all
learners are engaged in the correct activity.
Ensure that all learners actively engage with the activities in their small groups.
Use the help of group leaders to collect, sort and neatly store the materials at
the end of the remediation period so that they can be used the next day.
Do: Ask participants to be in groups to practice the procedure for remediation
Ensure that as you carry out the remediation activities remember to observe the
dos and don’ts
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Activity 4.7.4 Practicing Remediation Activities 60 minutes
Do: Ask participants to be in groups of 5 to 8 and prepare a 15-minute
remediation activity for presentation. Refer the participants to the ‘Sample
Remediation Activities’ on pages 18 and to Appendix 2 on pages 23-30 of the
Resource Handbook for selecting activities relevant to a particular skill level. Assign
activities in different skill levels to different groups of participants. Have the audience
take notes for discussion and feedback during plenary.
Each activity is relevant to a particular reading level and targets a specific skill
to develop. When choosing the remediation activities for each skill level, the activity
needs to target the skill that the learner is working to master – letter names, sounds
and syllables, or words. The activity should use content that has been covered in the
regular instruction. The activity for each skill should also be appropriate for learners
to work with in a small group, without disturbing the other learners, who may be
working on other skills.
Activity 4.7.5 Creating Remediation Activities 60 minutes
Do: Ask participants to form pairs. Tell them to turn to Appendix 2 on page 23
of the Resource Handbook for sample activities, and refer to Materials for Sample
Remediation Activities Starter Set. Explain to participants that if they want to use
the sample activities, they can use the templates in the Starter Sets to make their own
materials. Allow participants to think of additional activities that they can create and
use when conducting remediation. Ask them to create materials (cards, charts etc.)
that are needed to conduct the activity. Let them develop the activity, practice it and
reconvene for plenary after 45 minutes. Then let each group present their activity. The
audience can give recommendations about how to improve the activity. After
presentations, any remaining time can be used for plenary discussion about what they
have learned about the development of remediation activities.
The activities provided in the Resource Handbook are samples that can be used
for each group when conducting remediation. As a teacher, you can use any of these
activities and you are also encouraged to create your own activities that are relevant
to the skill levels in each group. Please remember 3 main points when creating
remediation activity materials:
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The activity you create for a group of learners has to be targeted to the skill they
are working to master.
Remediation activities must be suitable for a small group of learners to work
with while other learners are working on different activities. So, remember that
each of these activities must not disturb or distract other learners from their own
work. You can use any suitable, familiar activities and adapt them for the skill
and content to be mastered.
The design of the activities must allow for every learner to have a turn and to
participate actively.
Activity 4.8 Preparation for Practicum 45 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will be able to prepare for Practicum.
Do: Ask participants to be in groups and plan for remediation practicum, referring
to Appendix 3 on page 31 of the Resource Handbook for example skill charts. Let
them discuss the remediation plan for both cases given in the example and review the
differences. Participants must also plan activities to be presented in Day 5, following
the remediation procedure for Standards 1 and 2. Let the participants discuss how
they will conduct remedial activities in a classroom setting.
You will be required to plan for Day 5 practicum in your assigned groups. Please
remember to have with you, appropriate remediation materials such as letter, syllable
and word cards, chart paper and other necessary materials that will be needed for the
activities. Please refer to the procedures for conducting remediation in the Resource
Handbook on pages 16-17 to guide you.
Activity 4.9 Show what you Know 15 minutes
Objective By the end of this session, participants will show what they have learned today.
Do: Ask participants work in pairs. Let them discuss the answers to the
questions below. Let them present their answers in plenary discussion
Reflection Questions:
1. When and how can remediation be scheduled in your school to ensure that
learners get 30-35 minutes of remediation time each day?
2. How will you group learners for remediation?
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3. How are the activities in remediation different from those done in the regular
language instruction period?
4. What preparations will you make to ensure that you use the 30-35 minutes of
remediation time efficiently?
5. How will you manage the groups so that you can pay the attention required to
the lowest-performing learners?
6. How will you use the help of some of the learners in the Enrichment group?
7. What are the most important features of a good remediation activity?
8. How will you plan for remediation activities in your class to ensure that all
groups are engaged in skill-appropriate activities?
We have come to the end of Day 4, today we have learned:
That all standard 1 and 2 learners must participate during remediation time. The
remediation must be done within classroom time table and on daily basis.
Remediation must be done after administering CA of that point. Activities for
remediation are targeted since learners are grouped according to their skill level.
Teachers need to ensure that they have results of all learners from the CA at that
point are available. They should also ensure that learners are assigned to the
appropriate skill level group. Teachers are supposed to focus on 40 of the lowest
performing learners each day whilst the rest of the learners should be helped by
the learners from enrichment group to help them read. Remediation activities
should be skill based, simple and interesting to make reading fun
Activity 4.10
Exit slip 5 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session , participants will reflect on and share what they learned during today’s sessions
Do: Share pieces of papers to the participants. Ask them to write what they
have learnt and anything they need to be clarified.
Do: Collect the papers, thank participants for their feedback and
participation, and adjourn the training.
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Activity 4.11 Facilitator’s Reflection & Planning 15 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, facilitators will review, reflect, and plan for practicum
Do: Meet to review, reflect, and plan. Consider the following in your
discussions:
Reflect on the day’s successes and challenges. Discuss how to improve the
Day 5 training based on your observations.
Review participants’ answers to ‘Show what you know!’ to identify areas that
need more attention.
Discuss how to open and proceed with practicum in Day 5.
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DAY 5 AGENDA
Time Activity
08:00 – 08:15 5.1 Welcome, Registration & Logistics for Day 5
08:15 – 9:45 5.2 Practicum
9:45 – 10:00 Health Break
10:00-11:30 5.3 Practicum for Continuous Assessments and Remediation for
Standard 1 and 2
11.30 -12:00 5.4 Group Feedback
12:00-1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 3:00 5.5 Developing a School Action Plan
3:00 – 4:00 5.6 Final Consolidation
Activity 5.1 Welcome, Registration & Logistics 15 minutes
Welcome to Day 5! Today we will have our practicum. We will be in our groups
to practice how to carry out remediation activities. You will be required to take turns
in carrying out these remediation activities.
Do: Give any other information needed prior to the beginning of the training.
Activity 5.2 Practicum 1 hour 30 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will understand how to group learners and conduct remediation activities for each skill.
Do: Participants should work in groups of 5-8 people. Tell the participants to use
the sample completed skill charts in Appendix 3 of the Resource Handbook to form
groups and determine what remediation activities they will work on. Assign half of the
groups to work on Case A and half to work on Case B. Remind participants to have
with them the necessary remediation activity materials such as letter, sound, syllable,
and word cards, chart paper and other materials that will be used during the
remediation activities. Allow participants 10 minutes for transition. When one
participant is demonstrating the remediation activities, other members should be
taking notes of their observations so that they may provide feedback after practicum.
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Activity 5.3 Practicum for Continuous Assessments
and Remediation in Standard 1 and 2
15 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will be able to conduct Continuous Assessment and Remediation
Do: Ask participants to conduct assessment on the 40 standard 1 and 40
standard 2 learners at the school closer to the place where the training is taking place
Do: Ask teachers to record the results in the skill charts while learners are taking
their refreshments
Do: Ask them to group learners according to their skill level, using the results
obtained from the CA
Do: Ask teachers to conduct whole class remediation for 30minutes
Teachers are expected practice continuous assessment to the nearest school
where the training is taking place. Prior to practicum, it is important to have all
resources available such as CA instruments, Games cards from the starter set and
skill charts with names of students filled.40 standard 1 and 40 standard 2 learners will
be involved in the practicum in separate classrooms. One teacher will lead the process
of getting the classrooms organized but during CA time all teachers will be involved in
assessing learners to speed up the process. Teachers will be expected to record the
learner’s results in a skill chart as soon as they complete assessing them. Guided by
the results from the CA, teachers will be expected to group learners according to their
skill level. Teachers will then proceed to conduct remediation lesson in each class.
The lesson will be expected to last for 30 minutes
Do: Ask teacher to thank learners and release them to go home or various
classes if the practicum was taking place in between the other lessons
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Activity 5.4 Group Feedback 30 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session, participants will note areas of improvement needed based on feedback from other participants.
Do: Ask teacher to be in pairs. Let them reflect on the successes and challenges
during practicum both for CA and remediation. Let them suggest how to improve on
the observed challenges. The reflections will be guided by the following questions:
1) What went on well?
2) What did not go on well?
3) How can we improve things that did not go on well?
Thank you all for participating in today’s practicum. We hope that we all now
understand how remediation is conducted. Let’s give a clap for ourselves for a job well
done! Now, we would like to hear from the different groups how remediation activities
were conducted. A member of the group will report on behalf of the group. Your honest
feedback will help the rest of the participants to conduct remediation activities
appropriately. Please do not be afraid to give feedback on areas that require
improvements.
Do: Ask each group representative to report and allow all participants to provide
their actionable feedback. Tell them that when actionable feedback is given, they
should write suggestions for improvement in their notebooks.
Activity 5.5 Developing a School Action Plan 45 minutes
Objective
In this session, participants will develop draft action plans for implementing CA&R in their schools.
Do: Participants should sit in school teams so that the Standard 1 and Standard
2 teachers can work together to develop a plan for their school. If there are some
teachers that are the only representative from their schools then they can work alone
or sit with other teachers that are the only representative from their school.
Do: Ask participants should make a draft Action Plan for their school and
classrooms.
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Participants will refer to the template for planning in Appendix 4 of the Resource
Handbook. In the plan, participants will specify the time during each day of the week
that remediation will be implemented for each Standard 1 and Standard 2 classroom.
Then participants should draft a week-wise action plan for conducting continuous
assessment and implementing remediation in the school. In this action plan they can
detail the week number and tasks to be done for that week, as shown in the template.
This draft plan may be revised as the remediation is rolled out in each school. For this
year only, the Action Plan will begin at the beginning of Term 2. In future years, the
Action Plan will start at the beginning of the school year.
At the end of the session, ask a few participants to share their plan with the entire
group.
Activity 5.6 Final Consolidation 15 minutes
Objective
By the end of this session participants will share what they will do to improve activities on conducting remediation based on feedback.
We have come to the end of our training. I would like you to reflect on the day’s
activities and the feedback you have received in each session from other participants.
In your pairs, share the summary of the day’s session and what you will do differently
in your school to improve the reading skills of your learners. After you have shared
your views with your partner, move around to share the same with others.
Do: As participants share their views, move around the room to observe and
understand viewpoints. Suggest what they can do differently to improve the basic
reading skills of their learners.
Do: Thank all participants again for their time and effort in participating in the
training. Wish them all the best as they strive to help their learners achieve their goals.