28/10/09

HALLOWEEN HANDOUT AND ACTIVITIES


Drop Everything and Read!


If you're a reader, you know the irresistible allure of a day spent doing nothing but reading. Snuggling up with a cup of tea on a rainy day with a good read, or basking in the sun on a bright afternoon with a book in hand ... don't you sometimes wish you could just drop everything and read?


The good news is that on Saturday, April 12th, you can do just that! Designated as National Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R.), it's a family-friendly reading event that will let book-lovers get their fill, and encourage reluctant readers to take time out and enjoy the act of reading, too. The event is inspired by the children's author Beverly Clearly, whose classic book Ramona Quimby, Age 8 features D.E.A.R. day, and on whose birthday the event falls. But you don't have to hit up such Cleary classics as The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Henry and Ribsy, or Ramona the Pest to celebrate D.E.A.R. Just take time out to pick up an old classic for a family read-aloud, or spend an hour browsing the stacks at your local library.


ACTIVITIES:


1 ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

- What's the meaning of D.E.A.R.?

- Is there any similar celebration in your own country?

- What's the biggest pleasure foa a reader according to the text?

- Which book is the inspiration of this celebration?


2. Translate into your language the following words:

Pick Up:______________

Drop:________________

Snuggling up:___________

Basking in the sun:________


3 Writing:

Write about your plans for a rainy day at home!


READING "THE BORROWERS"

I leavew this extra information about our compulsory reading this year, for those who want to expand their knowledge about this master piece of imagination. Once you read the book you'll be looking for small people everywhere.




Synopsis:



The Borrowers lived in the secret places of quiet old houses, behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. They owned nothing, borrowed everything, and thought human beings were invented just for their use. Until one of the Borrowers made friends with a human.


Reviews


This is a fine fantasy about tiny people who live under the floorboards and account for the mysterious disappearance of safety pins and boxes of matches. However, when the big people are threatened with eviction it is the Borrowers who must thwart the baddies, which they do with much ingenuity and vigour, and save the house. This was the 1952 winner of the Carnegie Medal and it has lost none of its charm. The numerous dramatized versions for television and a highly successful film are testament to its huge popularity with today's children. (10 yrs +) The Godfather (Kirkus UK)



About The Author


Mary Norton (1903 – 1992), was born in London, the only girl in a family of five children. She was brought up in the Manor House in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, which later became the setting fof her most famous book, The Borrowers. She was educated at convent schools and, after a brief and unsuccessful time as a secretary, she became an actress. She was a member of the Old Vic Theatre Company for two years and always thought of herself more an actress than a writer.

She remembered her most thrilling moment as the time she first went on stage as an understudy at the Old Vic. She gave up the theatre when she got married and went to live with her husband in Portugal. There her two sons and two daughters were born, and she began to write.When war broke out in 1939, Mary’s husband joined the Navy and she brought her children back to England via the United States – she lived there for a while waiting for a passage home. She returned to the stage in 1943.

The Borrowers was published in 1952 and won her the Carnegie Medal, the most important prize in children’s fiction. The story was based on fantasies from her childhood when her short-sightedness made her aware of the teeming life in the countryside around her. C S Lewis, the author of the Narnia books, wrote to her in 1956: “May a stranger write his thanks and congratulations for ‘The Borrowers’ and ‘The Borrowers Afield’? They have given me great and (I anticipate) lasting pleasure…”. Films and TV series continue to bring new generations of children to Mary Norton’s books.


from:


18/10/09

COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES TEST / WORKSHEET

Handout Comparatives and Superlative

LEARN THE COLOURS (SMALL LEARNERS)



THIS IS ONE OF THE FAVOURITE SONGS FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN COLOURS, IT'S REALLY FUNNY!!

A, AN, THE, Zero Articles HANDOUT


10/10/09

Vocabulary: Objects of the class (video)

This video is a funny way to learn about the objects of the class. It's for my students in 1st and 2nd course of ESO (12-14 yrs)and those beginner students, anyway, have a look!

DO YOU KNOW ALL OF THEM?

2/10/09

adverbs of Frequency /Adverbios de Frecuencia


Adverbs of Frequency

The most common adverbs of frequency are always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, and never. The following chart shows the relative frequencies of these adverbs. It is important to understand that the percentages only show approximate frequencies; other sources will have slightly different numbers. What is important is not the absolute number, but only the relative frequency.

What are adverbs?

Traditionally an adverb is defined as a word that modifies a verb, adjective, another adverb, or a whole clause or sentence. There are many kinds of adverbs; common types include adverbs of manner that tell how (easily, quietly), adverbs of time that tell when (afterwards, later), adverbs of place and direction that tell where (there, downstairs, backward, up), adverbs of degree that tell how much (very, almost, extremely) and adverbs of frequency that tell how often (always, sometimes, never).

What do we mean by adverbs of frequency?

Adverbs of frequency tell us how often an action takes place.

Are there other adverbs of frequency?

Yes. In addition to the adverbs in the chart above, other common adverbs of frequency include constantly, generally, normally, regularly, frequently, routinely, repeatedly, occasionally, infrequently, and hardly ever.

Where do we put adverbs of frequency?

The basic rule is that adverbs of frequency come before the main verb but after present and past forms of be (am, are, is, was, were). In the case of tenses that use an auxiliary, we put the adverb between the auxiliary and the main verb. The following tables show the position of the adverbs of frequency in affirmative, negative, interrogative, and imperative sentences.

Affirmative Sentences

Beethoven often went to Baden for the summer
The bus is usually on time

Negative Sentences

Suzanne doesn't usually get involved in politics.
It doesn't often snow here at Christmas.
Iron supplements aren't usually necessary for men.

Interrogative Sentences

Are you always so cheerful in the morning?
Does Kimberly usually have breakfast at home?