MORNING LESSONS

Lesson 1 - Reading

The children will have the opportunity to improve their reading skills with the set book being “The Guard Dog” by Dick King-Smith, Children’s’ Author of the Year by the British Book Awards. ‘There are six puppies in the pet shop window; five posh pedigree puppies and a scruffy little mongrel with a grand ambition – to be a guard dog!’ A hilarious, entrancing and captivating read for young children. Additional material from textbooks relating to themes will also be used.

Lesson 2 - Writing

Coursework will be based on the themes for the week and will be supported by workbooks such as Longman’s ‘On Target English-Comprehension and Writing Skills 2.’ For example units 4, 5 and 18 relate well to Week 1; units 6, 7, 14 and 19 for Week 2 etc. Letters home will also be a focus of the writing lesson.

Lesson 3 - Speaking

As well as learning useful everyday phrases and expressions using role-play in the classroom, lesson 3 will incorporate ‘Oxford Reading Tree Play scripts.’ Written specifically for youngsters and with plays of five and six speaking parts they are ideal for our small class sizes and fun ways to improve confidence in speaking. Titles such as “Gran”, “The Dragon Tree” and “Land of the Dinosaurs” are a few of our play scripts.

Lesson 4 - Listening

To improve listening skills, an audio tape recording of ‘The Guard Dog’, the set reading book, will be played in class. With music and sound effects, the tape will reinforce the skills learnt during the earlier reading lesson. Fun listening games will be used regularly. For example, a pair game where two children have pictures of the same clown and each has to make sure that the others is identical by giving instructions and listening carefully and colouring in their pictures. Simple but fun and demands good listening skills!

To increase the ‘fun power’ to the First Time Away Programme, a popular and fun Disney type movie will be segmented and used professionally in the reading, writing, speaking and in particular the listening class. The movie for summer 2005 will be …”Shrek 2” Fun worksheets have already been produced and the fairy tale story with Shrek and Princess Fiona will create fun and stimulating activities in the classroom.

AFTERNOON LESSONS

Lessons 5, 6 & 7 - Project Preparation

These will be the fun lessons where children will use all the skills learnt earlier and put them together into a project of their choosing with support and inspiration from their teacher. The themes of the week and the cultural excursion will all go toward the choice of project. Some children may request to work in pairs on their project. This will be at the discretion of their class teacher. Where possible, projects may be presented to all the students at Downe House.

Lesson 8 - Entertainment Rehearsals

A regular and very popular part of Lines Summer School is the weekly Entertainment Evening. Lesson 8 has been, and will continue to be the time when preparations are put in place for what can only be described as ‘showtime’. A memorable part of the summer programme.

Wednesdays:

Cultural Excursion: accompanied this year by class teachers, the children will gain a great deal more and will have skills learnt in the classroom reinforced outside.

Arts & Crafts relating to excursion & project: fun practical activities based on the days’ excursion.

Fridays:

Lesson 1 Review and revise this weeks reading

Lesson 2 Review and revise this weeks writing

Lesson 3 Review and revise this weeks speaking & listening

Lesson 4 End of Week Test.

Needless to say, not the most popular part of the week! However this test will give teachers and students a good opportunity to show what has been learnt during the week. If time permits, the themes of next week may be introduced in order for the children to make some preparations etc. For example if the theme is to be nature then they can begin collecting items of nature over the weekend.

Lessons 5-8 - Project Presentation

Depending on the style of each project, the presentation may be to each other within the class, or to other classes and may even involve senior staff attending presentations.