What is Red?
David Lisgo

• English language education seems about to become mandatory from elementary school in Japan. However, it appears that reading and writing are not to be taught at this level. Long-time EFL materials writer, instructor and school owner David Lisgo is concerned that teachers will be unprepared to teach the new curriculum.* Using picture cards from the Finding Out series by David Paul, and many others he has made, Lisgo gave us an evening of songs, games and activities that he has developed to introduce pre-reading and initial reading skills—and a CD full of materials to use.
• It was all hands-on and participatory; we lined up to receive picture cards and shout out what they were, or "I know, I know" to solve a riddle from hints. We challenged our blending and segmenting skills to figure out what words were spelled from initial letters of other words (very important groundwork for learning to read and write) and our short-term memories by jumping up to identify the missing card, and we sang songs together. (Parents are happy if you send kids home tired.) His target audience--teachers of kindergarten, elementary and 1st grade junior high school children, got lots of good ideas – and we all went home tired.
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