the application of text comprehension strategies

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The Applicationof Text ComprehensionStrategies:

International Practice

Project number: 2017-1-LT01-KA219-035226

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Content

Relevance and Importance 3

The International Erasmus+ KA2 project „Literacy Education through Teaching Effective Reading Strategies“ (LETTERS) 5

The Analysis of Informative Text. Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods 9

Additional material: The presentation prepared during a meeting in Italy 11

The Analysis of Epic Text. Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods 16

Additional material: The presentation prepared during a meeting in Romania 19

The Analysis of Drama Text. Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods 26

Additional material: The presentation prepared during a meeting in Lithuania 30

Strength and Weakness of Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods 38

Effects on the Participants 54

Links to Project Materials 56

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The written word is present everywhere and therefore reading is a fundamental skill which is increasingly needed in almost every sphere of life. A wide range of reading skills, including digital reading, are essential for an individual’s personal and social fulfilment, for taking an informed and active part in society and exercising full rights of citizenship. Furthermore, these skills are essential for entering and advancing in the labour market. Those with inadequate reading skills have their life chances limited in today’s society. In essence, acquiring the ability to read well is a basic requirement for the social and economic demands of 21st century society. [Teaching Reading in Europe: Contexts, Policies and Practices/ EACEA P9 Eurydice, 2011]

Especially since PISA the notion of reading literacy has been prominent in Europe and beyond: “Reading literacy is understanding, using and reflecting on written texts, in order to achieve one’s goals, to develop one’s knowledge and potential, and to participate in society.” [OECD/PISA]

RelevanceandImportance

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Accordingly, reading literacy has been named a key-competence within knowledge-based societies. The acquisition of knowledge is very often based on the use of text in a broad sense – including multi-modal texts that operate with different sign systems (combination of text and diagrams, of text and pictures…). A competent reader is – according to the PISA-definition – able to make use of text with regard to goals she or he sets herself/himself including the development of knowledge. She or he can make use of texts so as to be able to participate in society and culture. The contexts of reading are formulated in an abstract manner. Their specific form will depend on individual tasks. A narrow approach which isolates reading strategies from the “what” and “what for” does not cover the whole field of reading literacy. It is especially within language as subject that a broad spectrum of reading activities is aimed at.

The training of reading strategies has become a prominent field within the teaching of reading, partly in response to unsatisfactory achievements especially with disadvantaged learner groups. The term “strategy” is used in various ways for different methodological approaches to texts such as activating prior knowledge, keeping attention to headlines, skim- and scan-reading, marking key-terms while reading, summarising essentials. However, schematic strategies do not automatically lead to sufficient understandings of texts: a central task within the teaching of reading strategies is to enable students to use them in accordance with specific texts and reading goals which have to be set.

Relevance and Importance

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The International Erasmus+ KA2 project

„Literacy Education through Teaching Effective Reading Strategies“

(LETTERS)

The project‘s „Literacy Education through Teaching Effective Reading Strategies“ (LETTERS) main goal is:

To develop reading competences and critical thinking, through the comprehension strategies that are used in the partner countries schools, in the context of plurilingual and international education.

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The realization of the project goal enables:

To develop literacy and foreign language skills through work-ing in the multilingual classes.

To apply a holistic approach while learning languages, to take advantages of more common plurilingualism in nowadays classes, in this way to improve the integration of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants through education system.

To stimulate critical thinking, to develop literacy skills taking into account of environmental and (or) cultural circumstances.

To raise literacy in the media area and to use effectively infor-mation and communication technologies (ICT).

To develop social, civil and intercultural skills.

Objects:

1. To master the good experience of the comprehension strate-gies that is used in the partner countries schools.

2. To try recommended comprehension strategies that are used in the partner countries schools through analysing informa-tive, epic and drama texts.

3. To visualize the analyzed text through using various informa-tion technologies.

4. To present visualizations of analyzed text during the transna-tional training time and to discuss advantages and disadvan-tages of used comprehension strategies.

5. To try the application of comprehension strategies in plurilin-gual and multicultural classes during the transnational train-ing time.

The International Erasmus+ KA2 project „Literacy Education through Teaching Effective Reading Strategies“ (LETTERS)

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The project LETTERS which is carried out internationally (Lith-uania, Romania, Italy) enables: to get acquainted with original texts of partner countries and with comprehension strategies used there; to assess how the differences of culture affect com-prehension. Teachers and students’ project activities through working in the international teams during the transnational training time will imitate the work in plurilingual and multicul-tural class. This type of practise will enable teachers’ to distin-guish the most effective working methods in the plurilingual class and to gain some experience in multicultural classes. The students through working in the international teams will get social and intercultural skills; also theywill develop the tol-erance towards foreigners.

One major project LETTERS aims is to give learners, during their school education, language and intercultural competences which will enable them to operate effectively as citizens, ac-quire knowledge and develop open attitudes to otherness: this vision of the teaching of languages and cultures is referred to as plurilingual and intercultural education.

The activities of the project are divided into three stages A1, A2, A3. Each partnership school is responsible for organization of separate stage. The Partners have chosen to organize the stage depending on their opportunities to give the biggest surplus value while trying to achieve the goals of the project LETTERS.


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The activities of the project LETTERS are divided into three stages:

A1 activity. The analysis of informative text.

A2 activity. The analysis of epic text.

A3 activity. The analysis of drama text.

Each partnership school is responsible for the organization of the concrete stage:

IIS G. Malafarina, Sovierato (Italy) – is responsible for organizing A1 activities.

National College “ Vasile Alecsandri” Galati (Romania) – is responsible for organizing A2 activities.

Kaunas Rokai Gymnasium (Lithuania) – is responsible for organizing A3 activities.


KAUNOROKŲGIMNAZIJA

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The Analysis of Informative Text Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

2018 March 11-17 At the Italian school Istituto Tecnico Tecnologico G. Malafarina (Soverato), organized the exchange of students’ of learning methods for the international project Literacy Learning through Teaching Effective Reading Strategies (LETTERS).

During the whole project week, teachers shared their experiences with learning methods, and students improved their learning, social, and cultural competences. Our gymnasts presented the homework well, they also created, laced the masks of success, and the teachers discussed, discussed other steps in the project, shared their experiences with learning methods, and planned a future meeting at the Romanian School in Galati. In addition, after having analyzed the information text, having prepared an excellent presentation, Lithuanian, Italian, Romanian students learned about the activities of southern Italy, i.e. Calabria, the region of Tropea, the resort town of Pizzo and the castle of Le Castel.

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After cultural education, gymnasts trained in different strategies for reading and comprehension learning methods. The goals and objectives of the LETTERS project were presented at the International Conference “Borders Are Made by Men”. So, we completed the first part of the project successfully. All the students were wonderful, responsible, creative, not afraid of challenges and aiming for adult goals.

The Analysis of Informative Text. Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

The presentation prepared during a meeting in Italy:

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LETTERSREADING STRATEGIES

ERASMUS+KA2 PROJECTLiteracy Education through Teaching

Effective Reading Strategies LETTERS

2017-1-LT01-KA219-035226

CONTEXTUALISATION

▪ Old Calabria is a travelguide written by NormanDouglas in 1915. In thiswork he describes themarvelous scenario ofCalabria, its history andinhabitants’ traits.

▪ Douglas was born inAustria but lived most ofhis life at Capri in Italyand was made a citizen ofthe island.

Additional material The presentation prepared during a meeting in Italy

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FLIPPED CLASSROOM

In the flipped lesson ("upside-down lesson"), theteacher, provides students with her assistance inthe classroom to make significant observationsand considerations that emerge through websitesgiven before.

SKIMMINGSkimming refers to looking only for the general or

main ideas.Students should get the information they need

quickly without wasting any time.Skimming takes place while reading and allows to

look for details in addition to the main ideas.

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ANALYSIS OF THE TEXT

The students work through cooperative learningand problem solving.

http://www.viaggioincalabria.it/lettura/libro/sulle-tracce-di-norman-douglas/

https://it-it.facebook.com/pg/francescobevilacqua.sentierimeridiani/about/?ref=page_internal

INSIGHT Cultural aspects on the Sila (traditions, ancient

jobs) and geographical prescience (Sila mountainflora and fauna).

laying out multimedial ppts

https://it.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Douglas

http://www.oldcalabria.it/grand-tour-norman-douglas.php


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MULTICULTURAL WIDENING IN ITALY

Comparing all partners’ products

CONSOLIDATION PHASE

Building of maps and schemes


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EXPANSION

Metatext Analysis of another passage

from the informative chosentext:”Musolino” following thesame methodological approach

EXPANSION

Metatext meeting with Francesco Bevilacqua, the author of a

book reviewing the chosen text, inside theDissemination activities.


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The Analysis of Epic Text Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

On the 5 – 9 of November the students from Lithuania, Italy and Romania gathered in Romania, national Vasile Alecsandri lyceum for the project L.E.T.T.E.R.S. (Literacy Education through Teching Effective Reading Strategies) activities and discussed how to read epic text in the way that it would be not only informative but it would also provide satisfaction. The representatives of all the three schools presented the reading strategies of Romania author Mircea Eliade “Diary of a Short-sighted Adolescent”.

The students chose the particular section of the novel and read it using informative and explanatory strategies – they trans-lated the English text into their native languages, grouped the text into fragments and identified the main ideas of each frag-ment, compared the linguistic aspects. Then they applied the exploratory, critical and interpreting reading, contextualization and creative writing.

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The students shared their experience on getting to know the personality, activities, creative work of the writer Mircea Elia-de and discussed the ways to interpret the title of the novel, formulated the themes, perspectives, tried to understand the characters of the novel and their behavior. Mircea Eliade’s novel was compared to other diary genre novels with the attempt to find similar style expressions, characters. They were found in the songs as well. These reading strategies encouraged par-ticipants’ creativity. The analyzed text was interpreted using IT. Rokai gymnasium students were the only ones to try mind maps that are really effective in developing critical thinking. To make it easier for the students to understand place and time of the epic text, the students visited ethnographic Romania museums, villages, communities, observed the customs. It is a rare opportunity to understand the text knowing its context – to visit the place where it was created. The students could feel the spirit of the beginning of the XX century working in the 151 year old Vasile Alecsandri lyceum. The rich history of the country was revealed visiting Galati, the sixth largest city in Ro-mania, museums. The students learned about the eating habits and the national dishes, everyday life, dances, songs and cus-toms by visiting Ethnographic Buzau village and participating in the concert organized in the lyceum. During the concert the students not only learned about the national songs, music, in-struments, clothes but also met the Dracula. Moreover, the stu-dents had the possibility to visit volcanic mountains, the only ones in Europe, swim in Dunay. All the activities mentioned above are the context of the epic text. Also, the experiments in the physics labs, participation in Lithuania and Romanian lan-guages classes, creation of the national attributes which gives a meaning to the national identity.

The Analysis of Epic Text. Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

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Working in the project teams the students improved analyses of the epic text, compre-hension, critical things, languages and com-municative skills as well as understood values of the European culture, their own identity, boosted their motivation. Whereas, the teachers improved professional skills, gained more work motivation and satisfaction. In spring the participants of the project are going to visit Lithuania and share their expe-rience on the drama text reading strategies.

The Analysis of Epic Text. Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

The presentation prepared during a meeting in Romania:

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1READING STRATEGIES - LTT 2

EPIC TEXT

Colegiul Naţional „Vasile Alecsandri” – Galaţi, România



2017-1-LT01-KA219-035226November 5-9, 2018

Additional material The presentation prepared during a meeting in Romania

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THE LITERARY TEXT -A JOURNEY TOWARDS ONESELF

Reading a literary text does not only mean entering the fictional universe of the author, but also

helping the readers become aware of their own feelings, interpret and motivate the way the text touches

them.

1. INFORMATIVE READING

=> Aims to grasp the main idea of the text; the reader is to look for landmarks that can help him contextualize the text. the title, names of characters, names of places, the chronological order of events, the author-narrator-character relations.


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2. EXPLORATORY READING

=> consists in recognizing a symbol or a group of symbols from the text: when or where the action takes part types of characters, differences between the time of the action and

the time of the narrative.

3. CRITICAL READING

carefully reading the text, trying to make possible connections, comparisons to texts belonging to the readers’ own cultural universe.

Find other literary texts, myths or allegorical writings that can be connected to the given text.


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4. EXPLANATORY READING

=> Identifying and explaining words/groups of words/new linguistic structures.

Select and comment on the artistic expressions, Break the text into fragments and identify the

main ideas, Identify the message of the text.

5. INTERPRETATIVE READING

=> Presenting some representative facts from the author’s life and work.

Integrate the text into the author’s literary work, Identify the distinctive characteristics of the epic

text- story elements,- types of characters.


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6. CONTEXTUALIZATION

=> The readers get involved in the events and in imaginary actions; Identify themselves with the characters,

Identify feelings and beliefs from their own group of values (to what extent the character’s feelings relate to the age of the readers dealing with the text).

7. "JURNALUL CU MAI MULTE INTRĂRI"

The readers manage to set a strong connection betwen the text and their personal experience.

Write in the 3 columns: 1 – suggestive passages from the text 2 – the main idea of the passage 3 – draw a suggestive image for the main idea

of the passage

1. Suggestive passage 2. Main idea 3. Graphic representation

„....................” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ☺▲☺ ♣☺


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8. CREATIVE WRITING

=> consists in writing an argumentative text starting from one of the themes of the text (time, teenage, school life)

Structure of the piece of writing:• hypothesis, • opinion,• at least 2 arguments supported by examples,• conclusion.

9. LITERARY PROJECT

=> Complex investigation of the elements of the epic text: narrator, character, action time and space.


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10 MIND MAP

=> consists of ideas derived from the text, Rearrange ideas/passages so that readers can

find links between what they believe in, what their moral and cultural background is like and the main ideas of the text.


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The Analysis of Drama Text Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

On the 8 – 12 of April in 2019 in Kaunas Rokai gymnasium there was the last period of the international project „Literacy Education through Teaching Effective Reading Strategies“ (LETTERS) exchange of the students and sharing of the leaning methods. All the week the students of all the three countries: Lithuania, Romania and Italy have been discussing the ways of reading drama text so that it could be not only informative but it would bring emotional satisfaction. Besides, the representatives of all the three countries presented reading strategies of the drama “Barbora Radvilaite” extracts written by Lithuanian author Juozas Grusas.

In the beginning of the week the partnership schools present-ed their homework (reading strategies and historical context, focusing on Renaissance in their country) and changed their ideas about the implementation of the project and expecta-tions.

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The Analysis of Drama Text. Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

To make the analysis of the drama extracts easier there were various integrated trips organized, such as “Expedition to XVI century tracking one love story”. During it the participants were presented with the basic Zygimantas Augustas and Barbora Radvilaite, Bona Sforza’s biographical facts, family genealogy, the noblemen’s everyday life and cultural environment in the XVI century in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, historical-politi-cal situation and architecture. The participants worked in four international teams. Each team was responsible for different topic which were “Architecture”, “Everyday life and culture”, “Love and Death” and “Religion and politics”.

During empirical-practical educational activities the students had a possibility to travel in time in the old Vilnius under-ground. The excursion started with the richest and most im-pressive underground of the Vilnius Cathedral, where they saw Lithuania’s noblemen and priests’ burial places, the place of the first Cathedral, got to know the mysteries of the Vytautas Mag-nus grave.

Besides, they visited the legendary beauty Barbora Radvilaite’s grave and found out how she looked in reality and what the reason of her death was.

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Moreover, the students visited Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and participated in educational activity on the topic Renaissance. The students learned the main facts of the pro-ject topic. In the XVI century there were a lot of changes in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania caused by the humanistic ideas from the West. During that period not only the manners of the high society changes but interest, interior and exterior of the houses as well. And Bona Sforza was one of the most well-known rulers of the Poland-Lithuanian Commomwealth. When she came here from Italy together with her she brought a rich dowry, a lot of escorts and the ideas of the Renaissance which quickly spread in all her kingdom.

Moreover, all the four students groups tried another reading comprehension method which is orienteering. The students were provided with the maps of gymnasium with the marked stops. The students had to find the places and fulfil the tasks they found in the stops. Then they analyzed the text in English and created mind-maps that they presented to their project friends. Also, they got to know Kaunas city history while play-ing the orienteering game using “Action bound” in the old city of Kaunas.

At the end of each day the reflection of the day’s events was carried using the “Luggage” method. Each team had to share their experience, photos and any other notes or ideas related to drama text analysis.


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The team worked helped the students to improve their drama text analysis and comprehension, critical thinking, language and communicative skills. The students now know the European culture values better and their identity and improved their learning motivation. And the teachers improved their professional skills, gained more motivation and satisfaction of the work.

The presentation prepared during a meeting in Lithuania:

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Additional material The presentation prepared during a meeting in Lithuania

READING STRATEGIESDRAMA TEXT

Kaunas Rokai GymnasiumKaunas, Lithuania



2017-1-LT01-KA219-035226April 8-12, 2019

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1. BEFORE READING: BRAINSTORMING

Discover what students already know by tapping into their prior knowledge base. Often students know more than we credit them for. Before starting any unit, give the students in your classroom a chance to reveal their thoughts and ideas on a topic.

Several strategies encourage students to access prior knowledge.

Two classroom favorites tend to be LINK (List, Inquire, Note, and Know) and Story Impressions.

BEFORE READING: BRAINSTORMING. LINK. Select a key word or concept

– Write the word on the chalkboard or transparency – Give students three minutes to list on paper their associations

for the word – Ask students to share associations – Begin with students who are less likely to share. – List student ideas without comment

Give students a chance to inquire of each other– Clarify

– Challenge – Model with questions – Establish ground rules for sharing ideas

Following discussion, students turn over papers and note what they have learned about the original idea or concept.

– Definition – Paragraph – Summary

After reading, students reflect on what they now know after completing the lesson.


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BEFORE READING: BRAINSTORMING. STORY IMPRESSIONS

Story Impressions help students develop ideas about a concept. The simple activity requires a small amount of preparation on

the part of the teacher but engages the classroom prior to reading.

Steps: 1. Select words or phrases that represent important elements of a fiction or nonfiction reading. 2. List the clue words/phrases according to the sequence of the original text. 3. Students use the words to create their own stories - their ideas of what the text will actually be. Students share, compare, and discuss predictions. 4. After reading the “real” story, students compare their versions with the one from the text. Students describe similarities and differences. They should focus on setting, characters, plot, and other literary elements if reading fiction

DURING READING: KWL

KWL guides students through their reading material. Although the process begins as a before reading activity, its primary purpose is to develop a framework which students can use as they read.


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DURING READING: KWL

Steps: 1. Provide students with the opportunity to brainstorm and list the ideas and details that they already know about a topic.

2. Next, they review the topic again and consider what they still want to know. They list these items in the W section of the chart. Items should be listed as questions.

3. As they read or after they read, students add details that they have learned while reading. They list these items in the L section of the chart.

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS. KWL.

Tips for K…

• Prepare questions in advance to help students brainstorm their ideas. Prompt students: “Tell me everything you already know about ______.”

• Require that students explain their associations. Explaining associations helps students provide specific details and requires them to put some thought into their answers. You might ask them: “What made you think of that?”


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Tips for W…

• Explain that want is best defined as what they need to know or learn. Students have a tendency to proclaim, “I don’t want to know anything about it.”

• Ask alternate questions in order to prompt student responses. Questions may include: “What do you think you will learn about this topic?”

• Refer back to the K section of the chart. Ask students “What more could you learn about this idea?”


Tips for L…

• Remind students that they should try to answer their W questions as they fill in the L column.

• Encourage students to write any new and interesting information that they learned.

• Suggest students search in other sources for the answers to questions that were left unanswered in the text.


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DURING READING: INSERT NOTES

Purpose:INSERT is an active reading strategy designed by Vaughn & Estes (1986). It is a particularly helpful way for less skilled readers to become more aware of breakdown in comprehension so that they can remember to clarify the issue at a later time. This is a particularly useful strategy when students have their own books and can mark in them. However, students can use post-it notes, separate sheets of paper, strips of paper in the margins, etc. to deal with an “in common” textbook.

DURING READING: INSERT NOTES

INSERT Marking System:

X I thought differently + New & important information ! WOW ?? I don’t get it * VERY important to remember


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OTHER ACTIVE METHODS WILL BE USED

Integrated education

Through integration, the student acquires and develops a holistic approach to what he or she is

learning, and the consideration of each subject has a greater meaning.

INTEGRATED EDUCATION

During the project, the pupils will analyze the drama text about the love story of Sigismund Augustus and Barbora Radvilaite and broaden their knowledge of the cultural, historical, and political context.

Also, through integrated training, they will better understand the concept of the drama text and the basic idea.


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English History Information

Technology Ethic Geography Physical Education Art Dance Drama

„Luggage“ Method PowerPoint program Excursion Scanning Mind Map Orientory Discussion Public speaking Active Experience

(Dance, Drama, etc.)

Interdisciplinary integration Teaching methods


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Strength and Weakness of Reading Strategies and Teaching Methods

During the project various methodological activities were carried out in order to improve students‘ reading comprehen-sion competencies. After each meeting and working in inter-cultural classes, teachers discussed the strength and weakness of the methods used.

Skimming. Insert Notes Flipped Classroom Analysis of the Text. Informative, Exploratory, Critical, Interpretative Reading Insight Multicultural Classroom Consolidation Phase Creative Writing Mind Map Brainstorming KWL: “Know – Want to Know – Learned” Contextual Education Practical Educational Activity – Excursion Educational Orientation Practice Experiential Learning Public Speaking

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Method Skimming.Insert Notes

Strength Read according to purpose and get the information quickly without wasting time.

Skimming takes place while reading and allows to look for details in addition to the main ideas.

It will also increase the amount of usable material obtain for research.

Weakness Refers to looking only for the general or main ideas, and works best with non-fiction (or factual) material.

This method is not very useful for fiction reading.


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Method Flipped Classroom

Strength Students can consume lecture materials at their own pace. Students can review and replay any parts of the lecture that they’re having trouble with as many times as they need.

If students continue to have issues, they are able to come to class prepared to ask specific questions about the concepts that give them pause.

Weakness One of the most prominent issues is the necessity for students to have access to a computer and internet in order to view the lectures. This is particularly hard on students from low-income districts who already have limited access to resources.

There are some who believe that if every teacher starts flipping their classrooms, students will spend hours in front of a computer watching the lectures. One may argue that this has the potential to cause serious problems to student’s learning processes, as not everyone may be as adept to learning through a computer.


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Method Analysis of the Text.Informative, Exploratory, Critical, Interpretative Reading

Strength Content analysis is valuable in reading research be-cause it allows researchers to recover and examine the nuances of characters behavior and feelings.

It is also an important bridge between purely quanti-tative and purely qualitative research methods.

In one regard, content analysis allows researchers to analyze socio-cognitive and perceptual constructs that are difficult to study via traditional methods.

Weakness This method has been successful, but it was found a problem of different motivation and personal skills of the students.


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Method Insight

Strength Translates research on reading – and reading instruc-tion – into practical teaching materials that help ed-ucators meet the needs of every student, even in the most diverse classrooms.

Accommodates a wide range of settings, from whole class to small groups and individuals.

Supports not only developmental reading, but reme-dial reading and Special Education students as well.

Weakness This method has been successful, but it was found a problem of different motivation and personal skills of the students.


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Method Multicultural Classroom

Strength One of the challenges of communication is interact-ing with people from different backgrounds.

Each student can share their own cultures with their fellow classmates. They may even exchange stories about their countries and other interesting informa-tion about their nations as well.

Allows students to be open-minded and to get a deeper understanding and appreciation of each oth-er’s culture.

Being exposed in a multicultural classroom will defi-nitely give students and teachers the opportunity to show their empathy to each other, no matter what their backgrounds are.

Weakness Most people have a difficult time interacting with other people with different nationalities, as factors like language and cultural barriers make it a real trial.

Stereotyping. Foreigners and locals alike both have perceived notions about certain nationalities as well, which may make it more difficult.


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Method Consolidation Phase

Strength The new material is reviewed, and hopefully learning is reinforced.

As well as helping learners retain material and rein-forcing it, consolidation is an opportunity to clarify and address any doubts.

It can also offer a different “angle” on new language, which is productive for learners with different styles.

Weakness This method has been very successful.


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Method Creative Writing

Strength Creativity has been proven to have positive effects on health, self-esteem and vitality.

Writing is good for brain, creates a state similar to meditation.

Writing hones powers of observation.

Writing hones powers of concentration and attention.

Writing strengthens imagination.



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Method Mind Map

Strength Mind Maps help put things in perspective. It makes it easier to deal with associated problems regarding a certain project or task.

Mind Maps can also help prevent mistakes in the operational stage.

Mind mapping increases creativity and productivity because it’s an excellent tool to let generate more ideas, identify relationships among the different data and information, and effectively improve mem-ory and retention.

Weakness Mind mapping may be difficult for those people who are very logical. Mind mapping encourages to let the flow of ideas go freely. It is even need to let intuition work. For logical people it will be hard to trust their intuitive side because logic is telling them that this way of thinking is not possible.

To be able to fully understand the meaning of a mind map active participation is important. You have to know that mind maps provide a self explan-atory information and structure that can be under-stood best by the person or people who took part in making it. So it might be a little difficult for other people who did not witness the activity to make complete sense out of the mind map.


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Method Brainstorming

Strength The biggest advantage is the high amount of gen-erated ideas. Participants with different knowledge and different experiences come together. They bring together various ideas and suggestions. Sometimes “non-professionals” have the best and ideas and inspire the expert with their unusual ideas.

Because the ideas are not criticized or rejected dur-ing a brainstorming session, interesting proposals can be refined gradually. The participants of the brainstorming build their solutions on the ideas of others, “think them up” and improve them.

Joint brainstorming improves the working atmos-phere. Working creatively motivates participants.

The solutions found are generally more accepted by the team and will be implemented with more sup-port in the organization.



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Method KWL: “Know – Want to Know – Learned”

Strength KWL help engage students in their learning by ac-tivating their background knowledge and having them ask questions and participate in discussions about a new topic.

KWL charts are a great way to start a new unit/topic or to use before reading a new book.

The students are responsible in a way for their learn-ing by asking questions, but at the same time are di-rectly guided through the chart by their teachers in order to clarify any misunderstandings and to offer assistance with what to write in the columns.

Weakness With no background knowledge it is very difficult for students to comprehend.

Students may think they “know” a lot. This is when teachers need to clarify and fix any incorrect knowl-edge.

As a teacher can be challenging and ultimately frus-trating („I don‘t know anything“, „I‘m not interesting“, „I don‘t care“ and etc.), but it is needed to find ways to engage the students.


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Method Contextual Education

Strength Learning to be more meaningful and real. This means that students are required to be able to un-derstand the relationship between the learning experience at school with real life. This is very impor-tant because with correlating material that can be found with the real life, not only for the students of that material will serve functionally, but the material he had learned would be closely embedded in the memory of the students. So, will not be easily for-gotten.

Learn more productive and able to encourage the reinforcement of concepts for students to learn methods because CTL embraced constructivism, where the flow of students was led to find it yourself. Through basic philosophical Constructivism, stu-dents are expected to learn through their own expe-rience, not through memorization.

Weakness The teacher gives the opportunity to students to find or implement your own ideas, and invite stu-dents to knowing and knowingly using their own strategies for learning. And this method has been very successful.


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Method Practical Educational Activity – Excursion

Strength Educational excursion is described as a distinctive form of education and method that activates the educational process, linking theoretical knowledge with practical life, forming a worldview, and at the same time different relationships between teachers and students and the students themselves.



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Method Educational Orientation Practice

Strength Educational Orientation Practice is a great way to improve physical, mental health and learning, which gives you a sense of success.

The ability to quickly absorb information and read maps is a successful outcome.

Orienteering sports do not require special conditions. It can be run almost everywhere.

Educational orientation can be applied to all learning subjects.



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Method Experiential Learning

Strength Young people need active activity so that they can not only discharge, but also test themselves, set goals that they would be interested in pursuing and pursuing these goals. In this way, the self-esteem of the pupils increases, the experience of staying in the group is accumulated, the self-functioning is experi-enced and the general abilities increase.



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Method Public Speaking

Strength Students who often have to speak in public, have more self-confidence, are able to relax and manage tension, can control and exploit the potential of ver-bal and non-verbal language, improvise and speak boldly in public and influence their language.

Weakness Public speaking is one of the most common human fears.


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Effects on the Participants

Students:

Increased reading competences;

Better knowledge of foreign languages;

Increased motivation to learn languages;

Higher level of digital literacy;

Increased critical thinking skills;

Better social, ethnic, linguistic and multicultural awareness;

Increased empathy/ tolerance and eliminated the causes of xenophobia;

Increased understanding about the value of the European citizenship and a sense of identity;

Improving communication skills;

Increased motivation to learn.

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Effects on the Participants

Teachers:

Better linguistic and multicultural understanding;

Challenge to work in a multilingual and multicultural class-room;

Improved competences of teaching the youth;

Trying out and enable to use the teaching methods from the collaborating countries;

Improving the quality of work with students;

Improved communication, social and multicultural compe-tences;

A better understanding of the education practice and poli-tics in European countries;

Increased sense of European identity;

Improved foreign language skills;

Improved opportunities of professional skills and career development;

Bigger motivation and satisfaction at work;

Improved ability to promote changes in order to modernize the organization.

Impact on organizations:

Increased capacity to work at EU level: enhanced cooper-ation with partners from other countries, higher quality in preparing EU project, its monitoring and follow-ups;

A more modern, dynamic, responsible and professional organizations of the environment: preparing for the integra-tion of positive teaching practices and new techniques into daily activities.

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Links to Project Materials

L.T.T.E.R.S. Home page: http://letters.altervista.org/?fbclid=IwAR2MRogoQ_bRSKB6xIybYOS2G3eW82s0GUBKQBwrFTtWNae-AYkz4P21Uio

eTwinning: https://live.etwinning.net/projects/project/162578

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/159776661421726/

Kaunas Rokai Gynmasium, Kaunas, Lithuania: https://www.rokai.kaunas.lm.lt/veikla/projektai/tarptautiniai-projektai/tarptautinis-erasmus-ka2-mainu-projektas-literacy-education-through-teaching-effective-reading-strategies/

ITT Malafarina, Soverato, Italy: https://itmalafarina.edu.it/

Colegiul National “Vasile Alecsandri”, Galati, Romania: http://www.cnva.eu/

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The publication made by

Kaunas Rokai Gymnasium, Lithuania:Daiva Klimavičienė,Kostas Klimavičius,Sandra Šimoniūtienė, Laima Zailskienė, Rūta Buinickienė, Vanda Mažeikienė,Rita Miliūnienė, Modesta Motijauskienė

ITT Malafarina, Soverato, Italy:Savina Moniaci,Antonella Morrone,Sandra Macrina

Colegiul National “Vasile Alecsandri”, Galati, Romania: Mariana Anton,Artemiza Lovin,Aniela Ioana MogaGabriela CiubotaruRomeo Zamfir

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Project number: 2017-1-LT01-KA219-035226

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the au-thors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the informationcontained therein.

The International Erasmus+ KA2 project„Literacy Education through Teaching Effective Reading Strategies“ (LETTERS)

the application of text comprehension strategies

Documents