What and Why?
Children can have very different levels of participation in the classroom. Some children may appear not to participate at all, while others are very active. Part of the reason for this may be that pupils are learning in different ways. Some children prefer to learn quietly, by themselves, while others like to work in a group or pair, and enjoy the social contact through working. As long as the children work towards the goals that you have set, it is usually best to tolerate different ways of working where this is possible. It is vital that the children feel happy in the classroom and the social aspect of this is important. Some researchers have suggested that as a part of their language development children naturally go through a 'silent period' when they are learning a foreign language.
Practical ideas
- Try to talk to the children individually and find out how they prefer to work. You should be able to find out if they prefer to work alone or in pairs. See Pairwork and groupwork.
- Some children are easily distracted if they work in pairs, and achieve very little. In this case, try to sit them with someone else who works more seriously and see if that helps. If that doesn't work any better, you can give them a chance to work alone.
- Some children are naturally quiet in the classroom, but they achieve good results. Other children are quiet because they feel shy in front of others or afraid to speak. Try to adopt an encouraging attitude and tell them that they can do it if they just try!
- Children who do not participate very much often sit at the back of the classroom. This can increase their feeling of being 'removed from the action'. It is generally a good idea to move the children around regularly, so that all the children have a chance to sit near the front. Often, you will notice dramatic differences in their levels of participation if you do this.
|
