HEROES Teacher's Guide - Book - Page 17
a. Reflection
Each part in the program ends with a reflection activity. This encourages learners to
articulate their thoughts about what they have learned. The reflection activity serves as
a tool for the teacher to sum up the lesson and be aware of what has been
accomplished, what the pupils liked or didn’t like, and use that information for future
reference.
The reflection activity at the end of each part provides an opportunity to discuss new
vocabulary, vocabulary that was reviewed in the lesson, and/or a Course Book page that
allows the teacher to check the pupils’ comprehension of the new material (vocabulary,
lexical chunks, and stories). The teacher should elicit as much material that was covered
as possible. This will clearly show what pupils remember well and what they do not. The
teacher can use this opportunity to review material that pupils may not remember well.
b. End of Unit Assessment Activity
At the end of each unit, pupils engage in a short assessment activity which focuses on
the main vocabulary, lexical chunks, and phonemic awareness skills of the unit. The
teacher leads the activity orally in English. Detailed instructions for each assessment
activity can be found in the Teacher’s Guide. After the teacher has marked the
assessment activity, the marks are recorded on the Assessment Activity Summary Sheet,
which organizes the results on one page. By reviewing the Summary Sheet, the teacher
receives an overall view of class performance and can easily identify areas which need
reinforcement. In addition, teachers can pinpoint specific problems of individual pupils.
Assessment Activity Summary Sheets appear in Appendix V a.
c. End of Unit Self-Assessment
Reflecting on the learning process and assessing progress is a valuable skill for learners
of all ages. Involving pupils in the assessment process allows them to express how they
see their own learning, strengths, and weaknesses. This enables the teacher to
understand the pupil’s learning process from his/her perspective. As Susan Wortham, an
expert on early childhood and elementary education states, “By the time the child is in
the primary grades, self-assessment improves. They can evaluate their progress and
have a voice in how they can best succeed in mastering learning objectives. Assessment
is not just administered to students but accomplished with active participation by the
student.” (Wortham and Hardin 2001).
The self-assessment activity should be completed at the end of each unit. Although it is
in L1, the teacher should read the items together with the class to make sure they
understand what is written. Pupils must be encouraged to answer honestly and be
reassured that the information will help make teaching and learning more effective. It is
not a test and will not be graded.
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