1. Teaching Proficiency Through Reading Stories
TPRS®
Jessa Waterhouse – RBERN Resource Specialist
October 20, 2017

2. Agenda Introduction to TPRS methodology Examine lesson design
Share out best practices
Gallery Walk
Assessing Student leaning
Lesson/unit sharing

3. TPRS Methodology How familiar are you with TPRS?
Not Sure Totally Confident

4. Acquisition vs. Learning
What is Learning?
What is acquisition?

5. Second Language Acquisition
What is actually acquired?
Basic interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS)
Generally takes 2 – 3 years to acquire
May or may not be acquired through explicit instruction
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)
Generally takes 5 – 7 year to acquire
Is learned through explicit academic instruction

6. What is TPRS
TPRS is based on making class comprehensible, repetitive and interesting.
To make it comprehensible we use words students know (define the word when a student doesn’t know it) and speaking slow enough for the students to process.
We make it repetitive by asking repetitive questions, starting over in the story often, adding details to a sentence, using multiple locations in a story and using parallel characters.
We make a story interesting by letting students guess details of a story and personalizing the stories.
Blaine Ray – inventor and author

7. TPRS Classroom Fluency Model
Main elements:
Making the class 100% comprehensible
Frequent aural repetition of the targeted materials in the development of stories
Keeping the class interesting
Oral interactions about students themselves, topics of interest to them and stories that they hear and that they read

8. Main Components of TPRS
Establish Meaning
Ask a Story
Read and Discuss

9. Step 1. Establish Meaning
Translation
2-3 phrases in a mini-story
Ask personal questions using the words
Two ways to effectively establish meaning
Pre-teach the vocabulary with gestures
Begin to ask the story – when the teacher gets to a target phrase it is said slowly and translates orally while making a gesture that represents target phrases

10. Step 2. Ask a Story
Post the question words with their English translations
Any word a student doesn’t know should be translated
Start with a mini story
Students should be involved in the creation and interaction of the story. (add personal details)
They can provide part of the language being used while the teacher controls the content
Post the story phrases and their translations
Retell the story

11. Step 2. Ask a Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Eq1vaaX FLA
What do you notice about the class?
How much of the class is in the target language?

12. Step 3. Read and Discuss There are four steps to reading:
1. Translate by paragraph
2. Ask the facts of the story
3. Explain to the class that the readings don’t include all the information about the story
4. Develop a parallel story

13. Additional Strategies for Read and Discuss
Relate the situation, characters and plot to students
Ask if they have ever been in such a situation
Capitalize on the cultural information in the story
Use the story to teach life lessons
Act out a scene from a novel
Discuss character development, choices and values

14. Circling An essential part of TPRS Begins with a statement
Basic technique that helps create repetition
Begins with a statement
Question that gets a yes or no answer
Either/or question
Question that gets a negative answer
State the negative and restate the positive
Who, what and where questions
Restate the positive

15. Circling
V8U

16. Circling
Lets practice!

17. Grammar Pop-up Grammar
Quick questions that the teacher puts to the class about grammatical features when they occur while dealing with a story or a reading
Very brief explanations of grammatical points
To get students to focus on the actual meaning of a word instead of the general meaning of a word

18. How to Teach Grammar
Students learn grammar by hearing and understanding language.
Always explain the grammar guidewords from a meaning point of view
Teach verbs in your stories
Constantly ask students the differences between verbs ie “is and was”
Use essays to teach accuracy

19. Writing Timed Writings Speed Write Relaxed write
Students enter class and start writing, they are given 5 minutes to write on the given topic
The goal is to continue to write without stopping
No editing or correcting during this time
This activity is to gage fluency not accuracy
Timed writings without editing is an great way to assess fluency
Relaxed write
Similar to a speed write except students may ask questions and edit
Goal is to write as accurately as possible
Can be done with teacher, student or book help

20. Technology for Engagement
Add in list of Sites and show examples of technology for “retelling” or telling a story
Shadow Puppet edu – app
listening-and-math-centers/
Toontastic 3D app
PuppetPals

21. Application
How can we use all or parts of this methodology to increase student engagement?

22. Session II 1. Examining Lesson Design for Engagement and Creativity
2. Share Best Practices
3. Gallery Walk

23. Activity Expectations: At your table discuss the following questions:
How do you make your learning memorable?
How do you engage students in learning?
How do you show your students that you care?
Create a poster that captures your conversation. Be creative…. use pictures, symbols, words etc., to reflect your discussions.
Be prepared for a 1 minute share of highlights.

24. Session III
1. Assessing Students
2. Lesson/Unit Sharing

25. Activity
At your table share a lesson plan you brought with you.
In groups of 3: Look for evidence of the 5 E’s
What do you notice?
What comments or suggestions do you have?
Be prepared to share something of interest!

26. Resources: https://tprsbooks.com/what-is-tprs/