Total Teaching Blog

To complement our previous post about reading, the Total Teaching team has selected 3 free online read aloud sites to build excitement about reading. We have attached their blurb with the link below. The first is Storyline Online which features stories being read by celebrities to create a love for reading. Second is Story Time from Space , literally astronauts reading stories. Lastly we have KidLit TV , a series of stories written and read by the authors themselves. https://www.storylineonline.net/ Storyline streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Kristen Bell, Rita Moreno, Viola Davis, Jaime Camil, Kevin Costner, Lily Tomlin, Sarah Silverman, Betty White, Wanda Sykes and dozens more. https://storytimefromspace.com/ While in space, astronauts are videotaping themselves reading these books to the children of Earth. These videos are being edited and placed on this Story T...

Here at Total Teaching we place a large portion of our time focusing on reading. Reading has many benefits for people of all ages. It allows us to relax and unwind, increase our knowledge base and have better cognitive skills. In this post I will discuss the importance of reading and why Total Teaching has made it the focal point of our language acquisition programme. Vocabulary All readers increase their vocabulary when they read. When we read we are exposed to new vocabulary and are given the opportunity to see vocabulary repeated and used in different contexts. This helps us develop our own understanding of the language and better use it in our own lives. At Total Teaching we identify new and key vocabulary and look for a deeper understanding of the language to transfer the connection from the text to the students themselves. Knowledge Acquisition When we read we acquire more knowledge. Reading requires us to increase our memory. In a narrative we are remembering characters, unders...

Interaction In the classroom teachers can connect to their students. Students can better read a teacher's expressions, body language and energy, therefore drawing on many more cues to learn from. They also have their peers to learn from and interact with. Students are developing their whole self by interacting with others. They learn social norms and how to be a part of a community. One of the biggest drawbacks with online learning is isolation. Students are learning in isolation. They may not be alone, they may have family members in the home with them, but the learning is taking place without the interactions of their peers to cement what is being taught. Learning Environment In a classroom teachers invest time creating a learning environment that best supports the needs of our students. This is done in a variety of ways. Firstly the organization, students have all materials on hand and readily available. Secondly the visuals, classrooms are filled with stimulants to help student...