MAKE YOUR FRENCH READERS COME ALIVE. COMBINE PACED, GRADED READERS AND AUDIO CD’S

 Dr. Doidge: Focus on brain development

Increasing French oral fluency with focused reading and listening:

Merzenich discovered that paying close attention is essential to long-term plastic change. In numerous experiments he found that lasting changes occurred only when subjects paid close attention. When they performed tasks automatically without paying attention, they changed their brain maps, but the changes did not last.

The use of Aquila readers and audio CD’s concurrently using a focusing method was successful in increasing oral fluency, aural comprehension, and reading skills.

Feedback from Aquila clients suggests that linking the written word on the page to the spoken word heard on the CD focuses the brain and inextricably links the sound-symbol association.

Support for this approach comes from the work of Jane Healey (Brain development), Dr. Norman Doidge (The brain that changes itself) and Merzenich's experiments on neural development.

The new Aquila CD’s have the actors deliver their texts in such a way as to facilitate comprehension, anchoring and a focused approach. The audio tracks are also enhanced with contextual cues, effects and music that aid comprehension.

Take-home packs can be used where each student practices reading, focusing and listening every day at home. Each student then reads a passage aloud in class.  Over a two-week period, students alternate between the homework and the class readings.

This approach is effective and flexible. It can support literacy strategies, differentiated learning, modeling, shared and guided reading, work on the four skills, and can be augmented with peer interactions by using the texts as plays. Class-sets of books and their corresponding CD’s  help the group learn in synergy.

Contact Aquila for special pricing on Take-home packs which include: 5 books and 5 audio CD's of one title.