Some websites mentioned in the 6th session (11th Dec.)

Bristol schools:
Fair Furlong Primary School
Clifton College

Tools for creating puzzles:
Puzzlemaker

How to say 'mantala' in English?

It seems that 'smock' or 'school smock' could be appropriate terms for referring to the overalls used in many classrooms.

Smock: n. A loose coatlike outer garment, often worn to protect the clothes while working. (Answers.com)

Information on the history of school smocks




Little girl with school smock and carrying backpack with books.
Village: Volce.
Date: 1978 June

from http://www.library.umass.edu/spcoll/galleries/halpern78f.htm

Education in Britain: information, documentaries, interests...

These are some links to websites related to primary education in the UK:

Teachers TV. Lots of videos about different subjects and issues related to primary and secondary education in the United Kingdom. Here you can find reports on classroom management, class routines to reduce disruptions, foreign language teaching, etc.

TeacherNet. Information on the British Education System, resources for assemblies, etc.

Starshine Music. This firm publishes scripts and supplementary materials for teachers and other people in charge of children's activities to organise musicals, choirs, etc.

Crickweb. Educational interactive activities linked to the British curriculum.

Getting printable worksheets

Here you have a couple of websites which offer printables for the English class (although not for free!):


Magic vocabulary. You are requested to pay for a subscription but the home webpage allows you to test this tool by creating samples of activities with the vocabulary you want your students to practise.


ESL printables. Worksheets here are not given for free either but this time the price consists of sharing a printable. For each printable you upload, you get permission to download ten.

eTwinning

'eTwinning is a framework for schools to collaborate on the Internet with partner schools in other European countries. eTwinning is the main action of the European Union's eLearning programme. It promotes school collaboration in Europe through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by providing support, tools and services to make it easy for schools to form short or long term partnerships in any subject area'.

This is an example of project carried out through the eTwinning net:
Culture in a box

Links to several online resources

Montessori Real E-Fun Books. Some simple stories to be read along while listening to them. There are English and Spanish versions.


Teacher Express is a directory aimed at giving British teachers easy access to a series of useful websites related to education.


The Internet Picture Dictionary offers pictures with their corresponding words, flashcards and exercises to practise vocabulary.

WatchFilms offers the possibility of watching some old films, cartoons, commercials... online.

Old Curriculum

Here you have several links to documents created in 1997 in order to help schools build their ICP/PCC within the LOGSE legislation:

- Atzerriko Hizkuntza Lehen Hezkuntzan.
- Lengua Extranjera en Educación Primaria.

General documents about INEBI project also include guidelines for building school ICP/PCC's.

Spanish version.
Basque version.

Heinemann syllabi: Programaciones

New Curriculum

Here you have several direct links to access different parts of the new curriculum document:

Primary Timetables:
- Ordutegiak
- Horarios

Competences:
- Oinarrizko konpetentziak
- Competencias básicas

Curriculum for languages: Basque, Spanish & Foreign Languages in primary:
- Hizkuntzak
- Lenguas

EHAA-BOPV New Curriculum

This is a link to the official resolution about the implementation of a new curriculum for the compulsory levels of education in the Basque Autonomous Community.

English classrooms: resources and organisation

Anglès 365 is a web for primary teachers of English. The section devoted to 'Learning Stations' or 'English Corners' shows pictures taken at different Catalan primary schools.

Montte On-line contains a catalogue of furniture and supplementary materials for schools and offices.

British Council for Kids: suggestions

LEARNENGLISH KIDS proposes the following resources for this month:

Fantasy animal resources

Objectives:

-To practise listening with an online activity.

- To listen to the descriptions and find the right dragon.

- To learn about mythical creatures from stories and legends* listen to a song about mythical creatures.

- To read and listen to a story about a princess and a dragon

Phonics

Phonics is a widely used method of teaching children to read, although it is not without controversy. Children begin learning to read using phonics usually around the age of 5 or 6. Teaching English reading using phonics requires children to learn the connections between letter patterns and the sounds they represent. Phonics instruction requires the teacher to provide students with a core body of information about phonics rules, or patterns. (from Wikipedia)

These are two links to webpages offering resources based on this methodology:

Free Phonic Resources

BBC Words and Pictures

English Teaching Theatre Companies

Here you have some links to companies that offer plays in English for primary students:

Blue Mango Theatre

Hello Yellow (no webpage, phone numbers: 945410145 & 945410042)

IPA Productions

Videos

Caillou

Caillou is a children's television show based on the books by Christine L'Heureux and illustrator Hélène Desputeaux.

Here you have several links to resources from the Caillou Official Site:

Memory Game. Printable handouts to make a set of cards to play 'pelmanism' game.
Paper Dolls. Printable pictures of characters and clothes to be coloured and cut out. Useful for colour dicatations and work on clothes.
Storybook. A printable small book with a story. Useful for some simple dictation, copy short texts from the blackboard and further reading.
Colouring Book. Twelve pictures of characters from Caillou's stories.
Several songs like this one about the Days of the Week.

Online resources

Here you have a series of links to songs, stories and games for young students:

Songs:
The Muffin Man.
EFL Playhouse: Songs for Young Learners

Stories:
"Do Not Open" A rhymed story, easy to follow.
"Woodpecker Knocking" A sung story with repetition of "Knock, knock. Who's there" sentence.

Games:
Count for Fun. A simple activity useful for practising oral and written forms of birds, fish, bees, flowers, beetles and grasshoppers.
Count the Couloured Balloons. Similar to the previous one but this time with the language focus on colours.
Jigsaw puzzles. Not much English but entertaining as a treat for young children.

Other resources:
Pictures to print and make a picture alphabet freeze or booklet.
Jokes for older students to try and get the punchline.


Source: Might Books, free resources.