GLAD Strategies
Project GLAD is a professional development program that supports English language learners (ELL). My school sends teachers to this training to learn classroom strategies to ensure all of our students are able to develop a deep understanding of the content, make connections to the content, and apply their knowledge. GLAD strategies are used differently across grade levels. In kindergarten we focus on engaging chants, visual representations, and students using body movement to learn. I have learned how to effectively use many graphic organizers, chants, and Total Physical Response (TPR) motions. Students become invested and engaged in lessons because they are able to access the content. I use many GLAD strategies through my reading comprehension lessons. Many of these strategies include chants, charting all STORY elements, charting retells, and strategic use of anchor charts.
Below are examples of GLAD strategies I have used in my classroom.
Below are examples of GLAD strategies I have used in my classroom.
This is an example of an anchor chart in my classroom that describes the STORY elements students must identify during a reading comprehension read aloud. Prior to reading, we begin our lessons with the STORY chant. During the chant, students are stating the STORY elements, describing them, and using TPR motions to make connections to the STORY elements. TPR motions are a vital portion of the chant, and core GLAD strategy, because students are more inclined to make connections and recall the content if there is a motion or movement associated.
The story chant goes as follows: S T O R Y a story a story S T O R Y a story a story S is for setting, setting is where and when the story takes place. T is for talking characters, talking characters are people, animals, or creatures who talk or act in the story. O is for oops there's a problem, oops there's a problem, a problem is what a character wants or needs but can not have. R is for attempts to resolve the problem, that means when the character tries and tries but it does not work. Y is for yes a solution, yes a solution, a solution is when the problem is solved. While reciting the STORY chant, students are able to access the visuals to the left to recall the story elements. The visual also help students make connections to the elements as visual descriptives. |
GLAD strategies encourage teachers to use many visual representations and anchor charts students can access. Many of my visuals have pictures, colors, and text descriptions. My charts are color coded and use a variety of visuals for my pre-readers to access. To the right is an example of a chart and organizer I use to teach character traits. I define character traits as the type of person a character is. There can be positive or negative traits. I introduce one trait a day throughout a unit and sort them as positive or negative traits. For students to understand the definition of traits, I use a cadence along with TPR motions to define traits.
Teacher (T): Character traits (with hands on hips) Students (S): Character traits (with hands on hips) T: The type of person a character is (while pointing to self) S: The type of person a character is (while pointing to self) As the unit progresses, I just need to say "character traits" and students complete the definition with the TPR motions. As we go throughout the text, students are showing a variety of TPR motions to non-verbally state the traits they are noticing in different characters. |
These are images of GLAD charting strategies I use to show students what they are saying can be turned into writing and learning skills to retell stories. Students use the chart on the left to see how to retell a story by explaining the setting and talking characters in the beginning, the problem and attempts to resolve in the middle, and solution at the end. After each read aloud, students engage in a discussion to retell the story. During this time students do not raise their hand and engage in "college talk." I call discussions "college talk" for students to make connections to their future in college and understanding in a real discussion or professional setting, we do not raise our hands.
On the right, is an example of a charted retell from the text, "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse." Students engaged in a discussion to retell the story and I was charting the retell on the white board. Students were able to understand the words they say can be written, this supports their writing progress. Also, by capturing the retell, students feel their words are valued. Students are able to recall the story by referencing the board during independent work. |