學與教資源

Sharing of Teaching Resources 2024︰The Art of English: Crafting Character and Language Competence through Experiential and Reading Adventures*

Teachers' Information

Ms SUEN Chung-ling, Christina, Ms MO Ion-chi, Ms TONG Miu-yin, Fina and Ms YUNG Tsz-tsun, Fiona
HKUGA Primary School
Teachers presented with the Certificate of Merit of Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2023/2024)
Subjects Taught: English Lauguage

Teaching Philosophy

As teachers, our goal is to foster a deep love of the English language in our students. We use captivating texts, experiential activities and project work to infuse values, meaning and skills in learning. We aim to create a warm, supportive environment where students feel secure, confident, and excited to explore the richness of the English language. Our teaching nurtures both student minds and hearts.

Teachers’ Sharing

Enhancing engagement and accountability using jigsaw reading

As our focus is to increase cooperative learning and to encourage students to take ownership of their own learning, we often use jigsaw reading as an instructional strategy. This method involves dividing a text into sections, assigning each section to different students or groups, and then having them teach their section to their peers. Since each student is responsible for a specific part of the text, they must thoroughly understand their section to explain it to their peers. To provide more support to them, the use of expert groups and the careful allocation of differentiated texts to students ensure that students will succeed in their tasks. As students must work together to piece together the entire text, much like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, this encourages communication, teamwork, and the sharing of ideas, which can lead to a deeper understanding of the material. When students are responsible for teaching a section of the text, they are more likely to engage deeply with the material.

However, the use of jigsaw reading takes a lot of preparation. This includes the careful selection and division of appropriate texts; forming groups and assigning roles with clear expectations; monitoring and providing support during the activity; and debriefing what students have learnt in the process. Last, but not least, teachers have to be well-supported in order for them to use this strategy regularly and effectively.

The materials we have included demonstrate a step-by-step approach to implementing jigsaw reading. There is a PowerPoint for use as a short professional development workshop. This is followed by an activity worksheet to learn about the life of a famous author. To support the teaching, there are divided reading texts of differentiated levels of difficulty and a PowerPoint teachers can use to support the explanation of the task.

By carefully preparing and considering these steps, teachers can create a structured and supportive environment that maximises the benefits of jigsaw reading, promoting student engagement, collaboration, and accountability.