The Tok Ples Program uses the Interactive Whole Language teaching approach to accomplish the following goals:

• Students should be able to learn how to read and write in their own local language, as well as practice thinking skills and creativity.
  
• Lessons should be student-centered and incorporate their own life experiences.
  
• Students can learn effectively in many different settings and with a diverse set of materials.
  

There are many different learning activities that Tok Ples can incorporate:

Reading Activities

• Cued Reading: The teacher holds up a large book for the class to read together. Using a pointer to keep the class on the same word, every student can follow along and learn from the class words that are unfamiliar.
  
• Repeated Reading: Either as a class or small group, certain sections of a story are repeated so the class can practice saying and reading new or complicated words.
  
• Shared Reading: A small group can read a story together, so that students can learn from other students. The teacher moves around the room to monitor the work.
  
• Silent Reading: Students get the opportunity to read by themselves. Again, the teacher moves to each child to monitor.

Writing Activities

• Language Experience: The class goes outside into their local environment and to explore. They then come to the classroom and write about their experience.
  
• Book / Story Making: Students can take any writing assignment and create a book from it. These stories are collaborative and can be illustrated. A classroom's library can be augmented this way with stories and books created from the children's imagination and experience.
  
• Word Trees: With sticks and strings, students write words on paper and then hang the words up, making word trees. Word trees can spell out sentences or words that have something in common.
  
• Writing Practice / Writing for Accuracy: Using their personal chalk board tablets, students practice writing and copying sentences and words. The students can also practice writing a number of sentences together. In all cases, the teacher moves around the room to monitor progress.

Quicktime Movie: Language Experience

T1 Connection (1.7 MB)
28.8 Modem (536 K)

Discussion / Speaking Activities

• Play / Puppet Acting: Students can act out stories by themselves or with puppets that they can create with crayons, sticks, paper, and string. Performances can be acted out in class or outside.
  
• Story Sequencing: After drawing scenes from a story on cards, students then place the cards in the correct order of action of the story. Discussion can center around the different parts of the story and how important they are. Also, students can create different endings.
  
• Say-It Fast-Game: An example of "bottom-up" or "phonics," a particular word is broken up into its syllables or letters. The teacher sounds out the word slowly by saying its component parts, then the students repeat the word back to the teacher very fast. The student and teacher roles can be interchanged. In this activity, students are encouraged to "break down" and "sound out" words.
  
• Story Discussion: The whole class discusses the action and meaning of a particular story and then they read the story out loud together. This is an example of "top-down" whole language since the students are encouraged to associate meanings with complete words or sentences.
  

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