One of the stories I've read was Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish. If anyone has read the Amelia Bedelia books, you would know that she turns figurative sayings into literal actions. An ESL student probably wouldn't understand some of the figurative language. In fact, my Dutch roommate who is fluent in English, did not understand some of the sayings. I think this book would be a good way to introduce figurative language vs. literal language. As an activity to better understand this I would have students partner up. One student can act out the literal part and the other student can state what the phrases are trying to say. Another component that might affect the students' comprehension is the vocabulary. There are lots of medical vocabulary that students may not understand such as thermometer, shot, headache, etc. With this, I would ask questions prior to the story about their experiences with sickness. I would also post up the words on the board and have the students raise their hands if they heard the word from the book. If they did, I would ask them what they thought the words meant and I would draw the objects on the board. With some cultures, people do not go to the hospital so some students may not understand what is going on. With this, I would have students pair up and discuss how they get treated and compare and contrast their experiences to what was said in the book (maybe use a venn diagram).
The other book I read was the Magic School Bus Get's All Dried Up by Joanna Cole. The Magic School Bus books might really frustrate some students because there is so much information packed in, it contains lots of scientific terms, the story is hard to follow along, and there is a lot of sarcasm that students might not pick up. I would read this book after a desert unit. That way students will be familiar with the vocabulary. If they still did not understand some words, I would have them do more research and use graphic organizers as well as adding on to the word wall or word bank. To help the students follow along the story, I would use a story map that contains both sketches and words. After some pauses, I could ask the students to clarify what happened before. There's also some sarcasm in the book which I'm not sure how I would teach that. I may just have to use some examples and have them decide if it's sarcasm or not.
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I didn't use a word wall with my selections but should have. I love Amelia Bedelia.
ReplyDeleteGraphic organizers are a great way to process information and a good idea. I think that the vocabulary in the Magic School Bus book is a bit challenging for ELL learners. Great way to tie in a desert unit with this book.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of the Amelia Bedelia books, but they would be an excellent source for introducing figurative language. That concept is so hard for ELL students, and for an introduction would work well.
ReplyDeleteOne of the books I selected also used figurative language. I agree that Amelia Bedelia books would be the perfect illustration of the difference between literal and figurative! Acting out or visually representing the figurative language seems to be an appropriate strategy. Thanks for sharing this idea!
ReplyDeleteSarcasm is difficult... (I teach kindergarten, so they really don't get it!) i liked your ideas. Teaching a desert unit before reading this book, is an excellent introduction to the vocabulary. It would also be important to stop and check for understanding, a story map would be a great resource.
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