Topic 2: Supplementing MaterialsExpanding Textbook Activities

Topic 2: Supplementing Materials

Expanding Textbook Activities

There are several ways to expand textbook writing activities. By changing activities, you can give students more practice. Look again at the file from Topic 1 (see screens 4-7). Refer to it while you read about ways to expand common textbook activities. 

Personalization Many activities in your students' textbook already do or can involve personalization. Activity 9, for example, has students draw and write about their own present. In Activity 8, you can have your students write about their own routine after they complete the activity. You can ask students to write about themselves, their lives and routines, or their family and friends as the characters in their books do. Activities involving personalization usually motivate students.

Interest You can change the topic in an activity so it is more interesting for your students. In Activity 7, for example, you can have your students compare bicycles and skateboards or some other type of transportation more familiar to them. Interests are part of personalization. Writing about things or people that interest students is motivating for them.

Games You can play bingo games to give students spelling and sentence word order practice.  You can put letters on cards and have students put them in the correct order to spell words. You can also put words on the cards for students to order in a sentence. Sometimes students enjoy when this is competitive. The winning students put their cards in order the fastest. 

Go online When possible, you can ask students to research content such as information or pictures from their textbook. Students can respond to other people's blog posts, or write feedback, responses, or opinions.