How to Teach English Starters to Secondary School

A starter will enrich an English class at the high school level.

An English starter or mini lesson helps teachers narrow in on a specific teaching point. A starter can last anywhere from five to 15 minutes and can be taught one-on-one or with an entire class. Use English starters to introduce concepts or skills students will need to know before they can tackle the larger lesson that will follow. A mini lesson can introduce a new topic, elaborate on a previous lesson, or review a difficult concept.

Things You'll Need

• Dry erase markers
• White board, projection device or chart paper

Instructions

Planning and Preparation

1. Write down a specific objective or concept that you want the students to learn. The objective is your teaching point and it will determine the focus of your mini lesson.

2. Write out a plan for your English starter. The entire mini lesson should last no longer than 15 minutes. For each section, write down specific instructions. Include the following sections: introduction, demonstration, skill or concept to be taught, practice and discussion.

3. Plan a lesson or activity to follow the English starter that will directly relate to the skill or concept the students have practiced.

Execution

1. Demonstrate exactly what you want your students to do. Utilize a white board, projection device or chart paper to show the steps students should take.

2. Speak out loud while you model what students will do to show your thought process. You want students to fully understand the methodology behind the skill or concept you are teaching.

3. Instruct students to actively complete the task you demonstrated. They can complete the activity individually, in pairs or in a group. The point is that they practice the skill or concept.

4. Monitor and assist students as they are working on the task. If students are having difficulty, provide further explanation on the concept or skill.

5. Select volunteers to share their work. Ask them to share their methods to demonstrate that they fully understand the thought process behind the concept or skill.

References

• Teacher Vision: Focused Mini Lessons