We are Busy Beavers Blog

By Busy Beavers www.wearebusybeavers.com

Any experienced teacher knows that students’ minds move very fast and they become bored very quickly.

A great teacher changes the rhythm of a class often to keep learning exciting and fresh.

The We are Busy Beavers “5 Component Teaching Method” offers suggestions for teachers to control the energy of the classroom by switching from one component to the next about every 5 minutes.

For example, a typical 30 – 45 minute English lesson in an ESL classroom could flow something like this.

• Play a Video or Audio File and begin with the whole class singing along to a Song. (5 mins.)

• Next the teacher could use Flash Cards to review material from the previous lesson. (5 mins.)

• Students could perform a role playing activity to demonstrate their mastery of the old material. (5 mins.)

• The teacher could introduce a new concept with an Interactive Video File. (5 mins.)

• Students could then pair up and use the textbook to practice asking and answering questions with each other. (5 mins.)

• One or two Work Sheets can be completed in class to practice reading and writing or assigned as homework. (5 mins.)

• The entire class can join in a Bingo Game using the new vocabulary taught in today’s lesson. (5 mins.)

• Lastly, the entire class can sing or chant along once more with an Audio or Video File. (5 mins.)

There’s a 40 minute class that incorporates review, new material, speaking practice, role playing, writing, comprehension and FUN!

Why don’t you take a look at our Online Resources for Book 1 or Book 2 and give it a try in your classroom.

These are free samples for visitors to try out – paying subscribers can access everything.

Happy Teaching!

By Busy Beavers www.wearebusybeavers.com

By Busy Beavers www.wearebusybeavers.com

The We are Busy Beavers teaching method is founded on several key principles.

Songs, images, questions, answers, sentence structure, repetition and review are the fundamental elements of our teaching method.

The information below discusses how these elements come together in the We are Busy Beavers material.

Let’s begin by looking at the basic elements used throughout the We are Busy Beavers series.

• Songs – Music is used as a memory tool to help students remember common phrases. The melody acts as the glue that holds the sentence structure together.

• Images – We are Busy Beavers is a “picture-based” learning method. Students discuss the images they see in full sentences before seeing any written words on a page.

• Questions and Answers – Asking and answering questions in full sentences is the basis of every lesson.

• Sentence Structure – Why let them only say “Hat” when they can say “It’s a Hat”? Why let them only say “Black” when they can say “The hat is black”? Students build grammar skills automatically by always speaking in sentences.

• Repetition – These exercises are repetitious for a reason – to build good habits. There is no easy solution to learning. Practice and repetition are the only ways to improve.

• Review - We suggest 2 steps forward and one step back throughout the material. It will boost the students’ morale and ensure that they are retaining what they are learning.

Watch how these videos illustrate all of the points above:

The Alphabet Song below combines images with melody and repetition.

The accompanying lesson Alphabet Words combines the images and words that we’ve learned in The Alphabet Song with questions and answers in full sentences.

Likewise The House Song uses a catchy melody to help learners remember the sentence structure of the question “Where’s…” and “He’s / She’s in the…” It teaches both vocabulary and grammar at the same time – and it’s fun!

This lesson Everyday Activities builds on the line of questioning “Where is he/she?” “What is he/she doing?” as learned in The House Song, but expands on it with many new examples to help build vocabulary.

By learning English in this way students will learn to form sentences and communicate rather than simply memorize vocabulary. The We are Busy Beavers method is the opposite of simply reading words from a page. It is about being able to speak perfect questions and answers based on the images on the screen.

You may be thinking “How does a teacher combine all of these elements into every lesson?” That is where the We are Busy Beavers “5 Component Teaching Method” comes in. Read the next article here to learn more about it.

By Busy Beavers www.wearebusybeavers.com

By Busy Beavers www.wearebusybeavers.com

This is Billy Beaver and his sister Betty.

They are always busy doing something!

They sing songs and play games.

They study English and learn with their friends.

Are you a Busy Beaver?

You can have fun with Billy and Betty and all of their friends.

Come along! It’s fun!

We are Busy Beavers is a fun, unique series of books and digital material for teaching English to beginners.

Our products and online services include: Textbooks, Work Sheets, Teachers’ Tips, CDs & DVDs & Online Resources.

The We are Busy Beavers system combines Textbook activities with Classroom activities, Songs, Interactive Media, Work Sheets and Games.

This variety of approaches to studying English makes learning fun and exciting for all students.

• Textbooks - Guide students through the material. They can be used in the classroom or at home.

• Work Sheets – Allow students to practice reading and writing with a variety of lessons, activities and games.

• Teachers Tips – Provide teaching ideas, tips and instructions how to make every lesson challenging and fun.

• CDs and DVDs – Videos and Audio files that can be played in the classroom or at home.

• Online Resources – Interactive Video / Audio files make presenting and practicing new material fun and exciting. Plus access over 350 Work Sheets and Teaching tips.

Whether you are a teacher of English, an English Student, a Parent or a Young Learner – you will find our website helpful and fun!

There are tons of Free Songs Videos, Lesson Videos, Work Sheets, Flash Cards and Games available for you to try at www.wearebusybeavers.com

Come and have a look!

Do you want to read more about our unique English learning and teaching method for kids, young learners, ESL English Students, ESL teachers, Parents of kindergarten, preschool and early childhood kids around the world?

Then click here to learn more about the We are Busy Beavers Teaching Philosophy.

By Busy Beavers www.wearebusybeavers.com