Reading for Life Lessons

Minnesota ABE Supplemental Services, Linda Strand, 2004-2005

And the Minnesota Literacy Council

Focus: Reading a calendar (Reading for Life, volume 1, unit 8: Calendar

Objectives: Learners will be able to interpret information from a yearly calendar.

Key Vocabulary: day, date, to fall on (as in “What day does March 3 fall on?”), calendar

Topics to Review: days of the week, months of the year

Materials: a variety of calendars (from any year), copies of the calendar page for current month and year

Procedure:

Real-life application:

            T shows some of the calendars in class. T asks students: “What are these? What do they show? What do you use them for?”

            T reviews months with the class and their abbreviations. T reminds students that months are capitalized in English. T hands out calendars. T calls out a month and students turn to that month in their calendars or point to it if all the months are displayed on one page. Repeat with a variety of months.

            T reviews days of the week with students. T reminds students that days of the week are capitalized in English. T reviews abbreviations (Sun., Mon., Tues., and S M T).

            T calls out a date, e.g. January 17. Students find the date and tell you what day it is. (Note: Students will have different answers if they are looking at calendars from different years. Write the sentence on the board. “January 17 falls on a Tuesday.” Say the sentence to the students pointing at it on the calendar so that students can see the January 17 is a Tuesday.  Students repeat the sentence. Ask students, “What day does January 18 fall on?” Ask students more using the same question. Divide class into pairs. Have students ask and ask each other about dates using, “What day does _____ fall on?”

T asks students: “How many Saturdays are in July?” Ask students some other similar questions. Divide class into pairs. Have students ask and answer questions about days in the months using the same structure.

Progress to Reading for Life, v.1 competency worksheets: Applicable worksheets: RFL v.1, unit 8

Progress to multiple-choice format activities: Some to be created by MLC – coming soon

Extensions: Some to be created by MLC – coming soon