When using open-ended activities in a mixed ability class, teachers need to ensure that they engage all learners in a full-class participation mode. Single-student responses such as asking one student to the board is both time-consuming and does not promote student learning. Using open-ended activities where there is more than one answer is generally a good way to ensure that all students are activated.
Open-Ended Activities in a Mixed Ability Class
An open-ended activity encourages students to work at their own pace. Teachers should include a variety of engaging tasks that all English language students in mainstream classes can do with and without the assistance of the ESL or general education teachers. The teacher checks students' answers using eye contact and corrects wherever possible without disturbing the flow of the lesson.
Open-ended activities for the beginning of the lesson
- Use brainstorming activities (many responses to one word) which also helps students show what they know.
- In elementary classes, teachers can encourage students to respond in unison by pointing to things, raising hands or fingers, answering in chorus, moving their bodies, ticking off items or writing responses.
For example, if you are teaching numbers or food, you could have students open their textbook and point to the item (in this case, number or food) that you mention.
You can blue-tack pictures on the wall and number then. Call out a picture, have students say the word. Spell the word, have students say the number and vice-versa. If you want to control the noise, have students raise the number of fingers according to the picture.
Open-ended activities for the end of the lesson
- Students can use the picture-number sequence (listed above) or simply point to the pictures in their textbook.
- Differentiated dictation. Lower-performing students can write down the first or end sound or even words that make no sense. Middle-level students can write the word in its entirety, and more advanced students can write down the phrase or sentence.
- Command games – simply telling students to do things or Simon Says.
- Quick guessing games based on a rough sketch on the board.
In encouraging full-class participation, the emphasis should be on how well students are engaged. A well-balanced lesson should have diverse open-ended activities for both the beginning and end of a lesson.
Dorit Sasson - Hello! I'm an ESL instructor, teacher diversity coach and writer for the educational markets who writes on English language learners ...
