Notes from Amy Roe’s lecture“It Was a Dark and Stormy Night”
TPRS:
Short for: Teaching Proficiency Through Reading and Storytelling
Invented by Blaine Ray
1. Focus on 3~5 new words or grammar structures.
2. Before class, teacher creates a story outline (a basic story with details missing).
3. During class, teacher asks questions.
The teacher doesn’t create the story, but the questions asked keep the story moving forward.
4. Students answer questions.
The questions provide details for the story.
1. Start with the character.
Students can choose the main character in their story, maybe a robot, a lion, or a little boy.
Ask questions like “What’s his/her name?”and “What is he like?” to give depth to the character. Use positive characteristics for the character.
2. Continue with the problem.
The problem is always about the target 3~5 words or grammar structures. The teacher decides the problem, but students fill in details.
E.g., target words: lost, looked for, found
The teacher can decide the character lost something, and students decide what does he/she lost.
3. Keep going with 3 places.
Place 1: Problem is not solved.
Place 2: Problem is not solved.
Place 3: Problem is solved.
IF the places are the target words, the teacher can decide where the character is going so students will have a lot of input on the places.
IF not, the students can decide the specific place by themselves.
However, even if the place is picked up by the teacher, the teacher won’t just tell it, but ask students multiple-choice questions, and make it like a guessing game.
The teacher can add additional characters so the characters can have conversations using the target words.
In TPR, we can use the skills like Circling (ONLY CIRCLE new words or grammar structure, DON’T CIRCLE things student already know) and Personalizing.
In TPR, 3 things go at the same time:
1. The teacher asks questions to keep the story moving forward.
2. The students answer questions to fill in the details of story.
3. Student actors dramatize the story as the class creates it.
Why do we need student actors?
1. Student actors provide visual information.
According to Dual Coding Theory, it will be more effective as the class can listen and look at something at the same time.
2. Student actors add creativity to the story.
They add another layer, such as humor and details,through their performance and make the story more interesting. Students are more likely to remember the story.
3. The teacher can ask questions directly of student actors.
This gives opportunities of additional input and input with different questions.
Teacher asks the actor, “Lion, did you go to the toy store?”
Teacher says to class, “The lion went to the toy store.”
Students can get access to more structures like “Did you…?”
Compelling Picture Books
1. Simple language
2. Engaging story in very few words
Road map: Strategies Picture Books Used
1. The Rule of Three
The Number 3 is the ideal number for storytelling, in fairy tales and books, e.g., 3 characters, 3 wishes, 3 objects,3 tasks…
Representatives:The Three Billy Goats,Three Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Wizard of Oz.
The Rule of Three in TPRS:
There is a ______.
______ has a problem.
______ goes to Place 1. Problem not solved.
______ goes to Place 2. Problem not solved.
______ goes to Place 3. Problem solved.
Three places can be replaced by three actions, or three different attempts to solve the problem.
Example:The Dragon and The Soup
“A dragon is hungry. He goes to a restaurant and orders a bowl of soup, but the waiter forgets to give him a spoon. The dragon asks the waiter to give him a spoon, but the waiter is very busy and forgets what the dragons asks for. The first time, the waiter gives him a fork; the second time, he gives him a knife; finally, the third time, he gives him a spoon.”
This is the end of the story.
HOWEVER, when students get used to TPRS, we need to bring them surprises, or plot twists to make the story more engaging.
For example, the teacher sets for another problem for the dragon.
“The dragon has another problem. He has waited so long that the soup becomes cold. He may have another conversation with the waiter, but this dragon is very creative. He opens his mouth, breathes his fiery breath, and make the soup hot again.”
2. Meaningful Repetition
Words and phrases that are repeated over and over again in children’s books.
E.g.,The Doorbell Rang: and then the doorbell rang.
Are You My Mother? A Little Schubert.
Students can remember the phrase so easily because it is repeated for so many times.
Strategy 1: Repetitions in TPRS:
1. Same action
OR the same sequence of action repeated over and over.
E.g., Bob hears a knock. He gets up. He goes to the door. He opens the door…
2. Character in the story (student actor)
Have the character use the same phrase over and over again.
3. Entire class
Write on the board: IF you want the whole class to be involved, write down the phrase on the board in English and Chinese, pause and point whenever you repeat.
Have a student hold up a sign: write down on a piece of paper.
Strategy 2: Repeated Phrases
1. Rejoinders:
What a deal!
I can’t believe it!
Too bad!
2. Sequencers and transition words:
And then
After that
Suddenly
3. Idioms and proverbs:
This is the last straw!
This is a piece of cake.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Strategy 3: Recap Information
The author didn’t give any new information but reviewed and recapped the story.
E.g., The kitten and the hen were not his mother. The dog and the cow were not his mother. Did he have a mother?
Benefits of recapping information:
1. Additional repetitions in a meaningful way.
2. Slower processors have a chance to catch up.
3. Great way to provide input in the past tense.
The teacher can tell the story in the present tense and recap the story in the past tense.
Strategy 4: Natural Repetition
@Think of real-life situations that involve repetition. How could you make a compelling story from these situations?
1. Packing list
2. Shopping list
3. To-do list
4. Physical symptoms
5. Sequence of event
6. Giving directions
7. Clues in a mystery
8. Trying on clothes in a store
9. Looking for something
10. Selling something
3. Relevant
@What is compelling to our students?
If a student is really interested in drawing, we can have a story about artists. We can also base our story on a popular movie or cartoon.
4. Illustrations
TPRS: actors, props.
PictureTalk: entire story based on an image.
5. Plot Twists
Classic story from a different perspective.
E.g., What if Cinderella were a boy?
What if the bad wolf in Three Pigs were not bad? He just wanted to make friends with the three pigs.
Students can retell the story from the wolf’s perspective.
TPRS stories:
1. Create a story script before class.
2. Students fill in the details of the story.
3. Add an unexpected twist at the end.
Examples and ideas:
https://blog.reedsy.com/plot-twist-ideas-examples/