The practice of dictation in school is very old and yet it has not lost its positive and practical effects in all this time. The teacher reads a phrase or text aloud and the students have to reproduce what they hear in written form.
But what seems simple a priori, can be complex for those children who still do not have a correct development and understanding of language . And it is that written expression is much more complex than oral expression, since it requires a whole series of grammar and spelling guidelines that it is necessary to learn. Dictation consists of listening carefully and understanding to achieve the ultimate goal of the exercise, which is none other than power and knowing how to write.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
5 tips for effective dictation in the classroom
- Always choose texts according to the educational level of the classroom.
- Select texts with simple or medium level words, but never so complex that they cannot be transcribed by the child.
- Read the dictation with good pronunciation and at a leisurely pace that allows it to be captured by all the students in the classroom equally.
- Make several readings of the text, for example, a first one in a row and others later, pausing between each sentence with greater or less intensity depending on whether it is a period and followed or period and end.
- Choose texts with attractive themes for children, since they can make the process and objectives much more effective since they will feel a greater interest in what they hear and a greater motivation to perform the exercise correctly.
Dictations allow the teacher to assess a child’s level of reading comprehension , as well as their level of written expression and command of spelling and grammar rules. The dictations are, therefore, an excellent educational exercise for the improvement of learning that does not go out of style and that should continue to be put into practice.
Improved attention and concentration, or knowledge of different topics or news inserted in the text, are other important benefits that a dictation can bring to improve the class and the evaluation objectives.
So, if you are one of those who has already banished this traditional exercise from the classroom, feel free to put it back by providing originality or fresh and fun themes that attract the attention of the little ones.
You will not regret!
Excellent. It has always seemed to me the fundamental dictation, for the child’s learning, that’s why all of them. the mornings after the initial routine. I start with a fun dictation that always tells an interesting story for them.