Index

1 Cover
2 Acknowledgements
3 A Word About This Book, Suggestions by Level
4 Weekly Lesson Plan Tips
5-8 Index
9-28 Teacher’s Guide

Reader: A Very Good Student (Lit/L. 1*)

29-32 Concentration Game
33 Student New Word Handout School for Beginners is
34 Overhead Picture Grid (for Lit & L. 1)
arranged by topic, not
35-38 Literacy Reader
39-40 L. 1 Story and Questions
level. However the first 81
41 Syllable Cards pages are centered at
42 Trace  school
Literacy/Level 1. The
43 Trace  friend
44 Draw a Line 
teacher’s guide suggests
45 Story Board Game (for Lit – which
L. 2) activities to do for
46-47 Circle the Same Word  & 
each of these levels.
48 Write: student
49 Draw a Line  Teachers should also add
50-51 Write the Missing Word  & 
items from the
52-54 Crossword Puzzles for Lit & L. 1, Answer Key
55-56 pronunciation,
Yes or No? (Lit); True or False? (L. 1) grammar and
Reader Extension: When do you… dialog sections.
57-58 Big Time Pictures (in the morning, evening, afternoon; at night)
59-64 Big Activity Pictures
65-68 Concentration Game
69 Mixer
70 Dialog

My Family (Lit-Low 1) Originally from “Holidays for Literacy”.

71-74 Concentration Game
75 Family Names (Student New Word Handout)
76 How Many ___ Do You Have?

School for Beginners 5 www.successintesl.ca

 77 Syllable Cards
78 Family Crossword
79 World Map
80 Me and My Family
81 Sound Cards

Kinds of Schools and Levels

82 Kinds of Schools (High Lit-Low 2)
83 Match Cards
84 Kinds of Schools and Levels
85 Syllable Cards An important focus for this
86 Kinds of Schools: Where Do They Go?
87 Family Mixer (lit-high 1)
section is asking questions
88 What Grade Are They In? and giving information about
89-90 Pair Flip Cards (very easy)students, such as age, grade,
91-92 Pair Flip Cards (easy)
93
and school. For lower levels,
Asking About Schools: What’s the Answer
94 this
Question and Answer Match reviews questions while
95 School Children: What’s the Question?
for upper levels, it is a good
96-97 Sons and Daughters
98
intro to linking and
Questions, Questions (Pair Gap for High 1-2)
99 reductions.
Ask Your Classmate (Pair Gap for L. 2-3)
100 Pair Discussion Cards (Review of schools and levels: L. 2-3)
101 Review Questions (follow-up to p. 72: L. 2-3)
102 MORE Questions about Schools and Levels (Pair Gap: high 2-3)

School Subjects
103-106 Concentration Game
107 School Subjects (New Word Handout)
This introduces the
108 Syllable Cards vocabulary needed to read
109 What’s Their Favourite Subject?
report cards, as well as talk
110 School Subjects: Discussion Questions
111
about one’s own schooling.
Who Are They? Who Says It? (L. 1-Low 2)
112 Who Said It? Different Classes (L. 2-3)
113 Pair Discussion Questions (L. high 1-2)
114-118 School Subjects (L. 3)

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 School Communications Do starting in first week.
119-121 Dialog: Calling In Sick
122-123 Dialogs
Leaving a Message with A Classmate and readings about
124-125 Calling the School (Reading and Questions)
contacting your child’s
126 A Note to the Teacher
127-128 Dialog: Calling Your Kid's School school as well as your own.
129-131 Dialog: This is Mr. Barns, the School Principal

Report Cards and Parent-Teacher Meetings

Story: the Report Card (Traditional report cards with simplified language.)
132 New Words (Lit)
133-136 Literacy Concentration Game
137-140 Literacy Reader
141-144 Level 1 Concentration Game
145-146 Level 1 Story
147 The Report Card: Overhead Picture Grid
148 Syllable Cards
149 Trace: report card A simplified, ESL
150-151 Circle the Same Word  & 
report card is
152-153 Dialog: At a Parent-Teacher Meeting (Lit)
154 Dialog: Where is Classroom 2? followed by a more
155 Story Board Game current version
156-157 Crossword Puzzle and Answer Key
using shortened
158-159 Write the Missing Word  & 
160 Yes or No? but not simplified
161 At a Parent-Teacher Meeting: Who Says It? language.
Reading Report Cards
162 School Days: Find Someone Who… (L. 2/3)
163 Lily’s Report Card: Before You Read (L. 3)
164 Lily’s Report Card (L. 1-3)
165-167 Lily’s Report Card: Question Handouts (L. 1-3)
168 Lily’s Report Card: Word Families (L. 3)
169-173 Something New in Progress Reports (L. 3)
174 Ramira’s Progress Report
175 Ramira’s Progress Report: Pair Questions (L. 2-3)
176 Ramira’s Progress Report: Pair Questions (L. 3)
177 Ramira’s Progress Report: Word Families (L. 3)

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 The Progress Report (More current way of tracking progress)
178 Story: The Progress Report (Overhead Picture Grid)
179-180 Story: The Progress Report (L. 1-2)
181 Syllable Cards (L. 1)
182 Story Board Game
183-184 What Happens First?
185-186 Crossword Puzzle (L. 1-2)
187 Scrambled Questions (L. 1-3)
188 Preparing for the Parent-Teacher Conference (Reading) (L. 2-3)
189 Pair Discussion Cards (L. 3)

School Supplies /Borrowing Classroom Items

190-196 Borrowing Dialog & Concentration Game for Lit
197-206 School Supplies & Borrowing Functions for L. 2-3 (*See TG)

More L.2/3 Handouts

207 School Customs in Canada and in My Country
208-209 ForQuestions
Success in Sharing Opinions; Discussion higher levels,
210 Back to School: What happens first?
there are two pages of
211 Important On-Line Information…
212-214 Joke Halves Mixer (L. 2) functions:
215-218 Joke Telling (L. 3) (+ p. 214) borrowing/lending and
Grammar Supplement giving opinions.
219 Grammar Index & Teacher’s Guide
220-229 Grammar Handouts

Pronunciation
230 Pronunciation for All Levels
Phonics Index for Literacy Level
231 Teaching Sequence for Phonics
232-247 Phonics Handouts and Pair Cards

successintesl Books by Level 248

Audio Tracks by Level 249-252

successintesl
We Make English Easy.
School for Beginners 8 www.successintesl.ca
 First Name
________________________

Last Name
________________________
This book comes with two
literacy readers: A Very
Teacher’s Name
Good Student and The
________________________
Report Card, plus all of the
School supporting literacy
activities, such as
________________________
concentration games, trace by Donna Bowler, successintesl
Vancouver, 2019
pages, draw a line and more,
that make English easy.

10 3

They thank Bill takes it home

the tea cher to show
and go home. his par ents.
--------------------- --------------------- ------------------------------------------
Students learn fluency using
a simple dialog card game to
practice “When do you…”
questions. This is a lit-low 1
follow-up to the first reader.

--------------------- --------------------- --------------------- ---------------------

School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca

 Can I borrow…? Date

A. Can I bor row a pen ?

B. Sure. Here you are.
A. Thanks.
B. You’re wel come.

A. Can I bor row a pen ?

B. Sor ry. I can’t help you.
A. No prob lem.

1. 2. 3.
your __________ your ______________ your _________

School Supplies for literacy

teach only those common
4. 5. 6.objects they 7.use every $1
day.
a __________ a ___________ yourStudents
_________ learn the new
a dol lar
______________ words using a concentration
game, then the dialog,
followed by a dialog card
8. 9. game to 10.
gain oral fluency.
an _____________________ $2 $10

11. some _____________ 12. some ______________

School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca

 A. Can I borrow your eraser?
B. Sure. Here you are.
A. Thanks.
B. You’re welcome.

A. Can I borrow your pencil sharpener?

B. Sorry. I’m using it.
A. No problem.

A. Borrowing B. Lending
Can/Could/May I borrow… Sure, no problem.
Can/Could you lend me… Help yourself.// Go ahead.

B. I’m sorry… A. A. That’s great. Thanks…

I’m using it. No problem. a lot. / a million. / so much.
I don’t have one. Thanks anyway.

This is the level 2

highlighter
borrowing dialog,
followed by a level 2
dictionary dialogruler
card game notebook pencil case
using the most
common school
supply items.

er
headphones (a) piece of paper day planner coloured pencils
School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca
 School Supplies
1 4
2 3

7
6 8
5

13

At level 3, 12
students
11 start

9
with a match activity 16
10 15
using all the 14
common school
17
supply items.
18
19 20

21
23 24
22

A. Number the Items

agenda duo-tangs headphones paper clip unlined paper
binder eraser highlighter pencil case white-out
calculator felt pens lap-top pencil sharpener zip drive
coloured pencils glue stick lined paper ruler
dictionary gym clothes notebook scissors

B. Which ones would you need: a) in elementary school, b) in high school, and
c) for a home office?
School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca
 School Supplies: Write the number beside each word in the box.
agenda duo-tangs highlighter pencil sharpener zip drive
binder eraser lined paper ruler
calculator felt pens notebook scissors
coloured pencils glue stick paper clip unlined paper
dictionary headphones pencil case white-out

1. When you don’t know the meaning of a word, you can look it up here.
2. Use this to sharpen your pencil.
3. When you are writing with a pencil and make a mistake, use this.
4. When you are writing with a pen and make a mistake, use this.
5. Write down appointments and things you have to do in this book. (Often called a day
planner.)
6. When you want to show something
A L.3isfollow-up
important, use
to this
theto add a yellow colour over
a word.
7. This is long and thin, andpicture dictionary
used to make a straightpage
line orthat
see how long something is.
8. You write with these. introduces the vocabulary
9. Something to keep your pens andforpencils
schoolin. supplies.
10. A book that you write in. In school students often have one for each subject.
11. Paper with lines.
12. Paper without lines.
13. When you want to make two pieces of paper stay together, use this.
14. Use this to help you work with numbers.
15. You use these to listen to music. They don’t go over your ears, not in.
16. If you want to store or transfer data from your computer, you will need one of these.
17. When you want to colour a picture, you can use either one of these.
18. Use these to cut things, especially paper or hair.
19. People use these to keep paper together:
a) 100 to 400 sheets of paper.
b) 20 to 80 pieces of paper.
c) 2 to 12 pieces of paper.

Discussion Questions
What items would only be used in elementary school?
What other school supplies do children need?
Do parents purchase their children’s school supplies in your country or are they supplied
for free by the schools? How much do schools charge here? What happens if you can’t
afford it?

Vocabulary Expander
1. pencil case: What other things come in a case?
2. sharpen: What other adjectives take “en” to become a verb?

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 A. Borrowing B. Lending
Can/Could/May/Might I borrow… Sure, no problem.
Can/Could you lend me… Be my guest.
Do you think I could/might borrow… Help yourself.
Do you think you could/might lend me… Go ahead.
Would you mind if I borrowed… Feel free.
Would it be alright ifStudents practice the
I borrowed… You’re welcome to.
schoolborrow…
Any chance I could/might supply vocabulary Or first:
+ I just need it forusing borrowing
a minute/a functions
few minutes. How long will you need
I’ll give it right back.
and the level 3 version of it (for)?
I can give it back to youBorrowing
the tomorrow/Monday…
dialog card When will you be able to
give it back?
game. The online follow-up
B. would be sourcing and
I’m sorry, I’m afraid A.
I can’t… prices for items
comparing
I’d love to but… That’s great. Thanks a lot.
at different stores.
…I’m using it. Thanks so much.
…I need it (myself). Thanks a million.
…I don’t have an extra one. You’re the best.
… it isn’t mine. It belongs to Y. I owe you one.
And maybe: I appreciate it.
Why don’t you ask X? And maybe:
Ask X. He/she has one. I can give it back to you…
I can return it to you…
A. …tomorrow/next week…
No problem. Thanks anyway.
No problem. I’ll ask X/I’ll get one from X.

Discuss with Your Group

What things do people borrow from friends in your country? How about
from co-workers or family? Do people always return things they borrow?
Explain. What would you be willing to lend to your family? your friend? your
co-worker? Give some examples.

School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca

School Subjects Date:

Language Arts *
widj
name:
n-a-m-e

1. ______________ 2. _______________ 3. ________________

*E.S.L. = English Second Language

Lit-L.1 New Word

handout (a follow-up to
the concentration
4. 5. 6. 7.
game).
__________ ________ ____________ ______________

Social Studies

8. 9. 10.

_____________ _______________ ________________

_________________ ________________

How about you?

1. Which subjects did you study in elementary school?

2. What was your fāvourĭte ( #1) subject?

3. What was your best subject? Which one was your worst?
4. Did you study English? How many years did you study it?

School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca

Sons and Daughters
A. Read the story with a partner. B. Write the question.

1 1. a) Who is this?
This is my son
b) _______________ name?
Hafez. He’s 13
c) _____ old ___________?
years old. He
d) What school __________
goes to Q.E. Middle School.
_________________?

2 This is my 2. a) Who is this?

daughter Maria. b) ___________________?
She is 20 years c) How ________________?
A core competency in this
old. She is in d) ______ year _________?
book is for Lit/L.1 to be able
second year at university.to identifye)and
What
ask_______________
She wants to be a teacher.
questions abouttofamily,
be?
school, school level, and age.
3. a) Who ______________?
3 This is my son
This worksheet b)-- page one
_______________ name?
Ben. He is one
of two -- focuses on a
and a half (1 ½) c) ___________________?
review of questions (high
years old. He goes to lit/L.1)
Happy and adds d) What _______________
a reading
Day Care. does he go to?
component.

4 This is my grand- 4. a) ___________________?

daugher, Suzy.
b) ___________________?
She is 5.
c) ___________________?
She goes to
d) ___________________?
kindergarten.
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 Lily’s Report Card

Lily
Last Name: ________________ Chan
First Name: _____________
Bill Reid Middle School
School: ____________________________ 7
Grade:________
Ms. Jones
Teacher: ______________ F
Year: ________ Division: ______
May 20
Date: _________________
th

Attendance
Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun Total .
Absent 2 0 1 0 0 1 3 4 1 -- 12
Late 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 2 -- 7

Subject Achievement Effort Comments

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Language Arts
Reading B report Scard really likes reading
A simplified .
Writing C+and follow-up
with intro S works very hard .
Spelling C at different
activities S works hard .
2. French --- reviews
levels. This ---the
3. Math D subjectsU
school Lily needs to do more
introduced in the last homework. .
4. Art B
handout. S
5. Social Studies C- S Lily should listen more.
6. Science B O A great student. .
7. Phys Ed A O An excellent student.

The next parent-teacher meeting is: June 10th, 7-9 p.m.

Parent’s Signature: _________________________________

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 Lily’s Report Card: Questions
1. What is Lily’s last name? ________________
2. What grade is she in? __________
3. What is the date of the report? _________________
4. How many days was she absent in April? ______
Level 1 follow-up:
5. How many days was she absent in total? _____
After
6. In what subject did sheanswering oral _________________
get C plus?
comprehension questions
7. In which subjects did she get “outstanding”?
about the report card,
__________________________________________
students would work in
8. In what subject does she need to listen more?
pairs to answer the
______________________________
questions, adding an
9. What was her mark in Social
important Studies?________
oral component
10. When is the nextasparent-teacher
well as giving them
meeting?
reading practice.
__________________________
11. In what subject does she need to do more homework?
_________________
12. What school does she go to?_________________________
13. What is her teacher’s name? ___________________
14. What division is she in? ______
15. How many days was she late in total? _____
16. What is her best (#1) subject? _____________
17. What was her mark in Art? ______
18. What did her teacher say about her writing?
_____________________
School for Beginners 165 www.successintesl.ca
 Lily’s Report Card: Lily’s Report Card:
A B
Pair Questions Pair Questions
1. What is Lily’s last name? 1. What school does
2. What grade is she in? she go to?

3. What is the date of the 2. What is her teacher’s

report? name?

4. How many days was she 3. What division is she in?

absent in April? This modified4.pair
Howgapmany days was she
5. How many days was late in May?
shestudents understand
helps
absent in total?the report card5. inWhat
depthwas her best
6. In what subject did she subject?
and acquire oral fluency.
get C plus? 6. In what subject does she
This is the Level High
need1-2
to do more homework?
7. In which subjects did she
version.
get “outstanding”? 7. What is her best subject?
8. In what subject does she 8. How many days was she late
need to listen more? in total?
9. What was her mark in 9. What was her mark in Art?
Social Studies? 10. When is the next parent-
10. What time is the next teacher meeting?
parent-teacher meeting? 11. What is her mother’s first
11. Who signed the report card, name?
her mother or her father? 12. What did her teacher say
12. What is the comment for about her writing?
Lily’s reading? 13. What is the teacher’s
13. What is her mom’s last comment for Lily’s spelling?
name? 14. How about you? Do you
14. Is this a good report card? think this is a good report
Why/why not? card? Why/why not?
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 Lily’s Report Card:
Pair Questions: A
1. What grade will she be in next
year?
2. What is the date of the
report? When do the last
reports of the year usually
come out?
3. How many days was she
absent overall?
This is the level
4. In what subject did she
get C plus?
modified pair gap follow-
5. In which subjects did she
up to Lily’s Report Card.
get “outstanding”?
6. Overall, is Lily working hard?
Explain.
7. What was her mark in Art?
8. In what subject do you think
she needs a tutor?
9. What time is the next parent-
teacher meeting?
10. Which parent signed the report
card?
11. What is the comment for
Lily’s reading?
12. In your opinon, is this a good
report card? Why/why not?
13. As far as you’re concerned, which
comments are the most helpful?
14. How is this report card
different from the ones used
in your country?
School for Beginners
Lily’s Report Card:
Pair Questions: B
1. What school does she attend?
2. Is her teacher a male or female?
3. What division is she in?
4. How was her attendance in
June? Explain.
5. In your opinion, what is her
best subject?
6. 3
In what subject does she
need to do more homework?
7. What is her best subject?
8. In what subjects will she likely
do better in the future? Why?
9. In what subject does she
need to pay more attention?
Why do you think she isn’t
paying attention?
10. When is the next parent-
teacher meeting?
11. What is her mother’s last name?
Do parents often have a
different last name in your
country?
12. What did her teacher say
about her writing?
13. In your opinion, what could her
parents do to help her improve?
14. How is this report card
different from the ones used in
schools now?
www.successintesl.ca
Lily’s Report Card: Word Families
A. Fill in the chart with words from the same family.
Show the syllable stress. The first word is done for you.
noun verb adjective
1. achievement
2. attend
3. absent
4. division
5. excellent
6. satisfactory*
*other adjectives in the same word family:
Level 3 follow-up.

B. Fill in the blanks with words from the chart above. Note that words
from the first line go in #1, words from the second line go in #2, and so on.
1. You’ve worked very hard and ________________ a lot in a short time.
2. a) His _________________ isn’t very good: he’s missed a lot of classes.
b) Are you ______________ the meeting tomorrow?
3. a) Bill is _____________ again today.
b) That’s Bill’s third _____________ this month!
4. a) We are going to ___________ the work. You look up the new words
and I’ll fill in the blanks.
b) My son is having trouble with math ______________.
5. a) She _____________ at learning languages. She can already speak
Arabic, Chinese and English.
b) The new boss is really ______________. He’s so much better than
the old one.
6. a) My father was hard to ____________. He always wanted me to do
better in school.
b) When I got a D in math, he said it was _____________________.

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June 25, 2019 Ramira Flores (08)
Communicating Student Learning Bill Reid Middle School
2018-2019 3112 Main Street
Ramira Flores Vancouver, BC
PEN: 1444556 V6Y 2B8
Grade 08 604-987-6543
Susan Hays

Student Self-Assessment of Core Competencies

This term I improved most in French because French is fun to learn and I would like to learn
a third language because French can help in many places. Next term I would like to try
This
harder in writing essays progress
and working report
hard on follows
my Language Arts.
Social and Emotional Developmentthe format currently
We have truly enjoyed having Ramira as a member or our class this year. Ramira made much
used
better use of feedback for ongoing in a school
assignments. Shein BC to demonstrate excellent work
continued
habits during the term. All the best next year, Ramira! Ramira is promoted to grade 9.
(for levels 2-3)
Strengths and Stretches: Ramira received Consultative EAL service to enhance
Accompanying
her English acquisition across the curriculum.exercises

English Language Arts 8 include “Before you read” B

Curricular Competenciesvocabulary intros,
covered this term: Apply pair gap strategies to comprehend
appropriate
written, oral and visual texts, guide inquiry and extend thinking.Exchange ideas and
viewpoints to build sharedquestions
understandingatand
2 levels, and
extend thinking.
Mathematics 8 word charts. B-
French 8 B+
Comprehend key details and supporting information in texts.
Exchange ideas and information using complete sentences.
Social Studies 8 C
Science 8 A
Observe, measure, and record data using equipment with accuracy and precision.
Seek patterns and connections in data from their own investigations and secondary sources.
Physical and Health Education 8 C+
Develop and demonstrate safety, fair play and leadership in physical activities.
Career Education 8 A-

Collaborative Goals and Next Steps: I need to get better at writing and using the
right form of words at the right moment. This goal was set during the student-led
conference in May as a collaboration between student, parent and teacher.

ATTENDANCE RECORD FOR 2018-2019 Principal’s Signature

Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Total .
ABSENT - - 1.0 - 1.0 1.0 1.0 - - - 4.0 .
LATE 1 3 3 3 1 - 1 1 1 3 17

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 Story: The Progress Report

1. _______________
1. Ben Smith is in
_________________
Grade 6 at Bill
_________________
Reid Middle School.
_________________
2. Ben has an
2. _______________
on-line portfolio.
It has samples Ben’s portfolio have?
of his work.

3. His parents 3. Where _________

can see _________________
his portfolio This is page one of a level 2-3 reading
________________?
on-line. about the new ways of tracking progress
that are increasingly being used in some
4. They can see 4. ______________
districts. The high 2-level 3 version is a
what he is doing reading followed by comprehension and
________________?
in school. discussion questions.
5. _______________
5. In November and _________________
March, Ben and his
_________________
parents go a parent-
teacher conference. _________________

6. At the meeting,
6. _______________
Ben shows his
parents _________________
his work. _________________

What questions do parents and teachers ask at the conference?

School for Beginners 179 www.successintesl.ca

 Scrambled Questions
Lisa is very nervous about the Parent-Teacher Meeting
tonight. Most meetings are only 10 to 15 minutes long,
so she needs to be ready. Help Lisa with her questions.

1. Hill mother hello am Maria I Sam’s

__________________________________________________
This is another great way for students
2. son doing reading in how my is
to prepare for parent-teacher
__________________________________________________
interviews.
3. we how help home at can ?
__________________________________________________
1. Students work in pairs to
4. worried are a his
unscramble the we little about writing
questions.
__________________________________________________
2. They check by listening to the audio
5. working he grade level is at
track.
__________________________________________________
6. extra need help work
3. Students what in he
pairsinto write
doesthe
__________________________________________________
responses and then roleplay the
7. friendly helpful and class he is in
interview.
__________________________________________________
8. well Multi-level
what doing activity:
he isL. High
in 1 to 3
__________________________________________________
9. any homework his are problems there with
___________________________________________________
10. anything you else is want me tell to there
______________________________________________________
11. you what way to best the is communicate with
______________________________________________________
12. you all thank your so for much time
______________________________________________________
With a partner: Write the teacher’s answers to the questions.
School for Beginners 187 www.successintesl.ca
Preparing for the Parent-Teacher Conference
Before you go, take a look at your child’s last few report cards
as well as his latest work. Ask your child some questions. What is
the teacher going to say about your work? What is the teacher
going to say about you? What do you think you do really well in?
What do you need to work on more? Do you want me to ask the
teacher anything special?
Story Add-on for L. 203.
1. Copy and cut up the page into 3
Most parent-teachers are only 10 to 15 minutes long, so
sections. 2. Give each pair the first
prepare your questions ahead of time. Here are some ideas:
section. When they are done reading,
Is he working at grade level?
have them turn it over. Collect the
What are his strengthsstrips.
and weaknesses?
3. Have students retell as much
How is his homework? as possible of what they read. 4. Do
What does he need extra helpwithin?
the next strip, but this time
How can we help at home? students must retell from the
How is he getting along with his classmates?
beginning.
What is the best way to communicate with you?

Let the teacher know if your child has any problems with
schoolwork, other students or the teacher. Be sure to tell the
teacher if anything special is happening at home, such as a divorce,
sickness or new baby. These all can make a difference in how your
child learns.

Be A Volunteer
Schools are always looking for parents to help with field trips
and other activities. Check with your child’s school to see how you
can help.

Helping at Home
What can parents do at home to help their child in school?

School for Beginners 188 www.successintesl.ca

Calling the School
It’s Monday but Wayne can’t
go to school. He has a fever and
a sore throat. On Tuesday he is
still sick. His mother takes him
to the doctor. Oh no! Wayne has

the measles. Other

children in his class may have it
too. His mother phones the
school to tell them.
Did You Know? Level 2-3
1. If your child is sick for one or two days, write a note
After reading aloud the
to the teacher. Your child should give the note on their
handout with a partner,
first day back to school.
students turn it over and see
2. If your child is sick for more thanhow
2 days,
manyphone the office.
questions they can
answer (something
3. If your child has a com mun i ca ble disease on the follow-up
other
children can get from your child),question handout
phone the office.on the next
page. After which, students
4. If your child is late, he may have to sign in at the
skim to check their answers.
office before going to class.

5. If you work, you have to phone if you will be late or absent. And
you may need a doctor’s note if you are away for more than 2 days.
Many doctors charge $25 for each note they write.

How About You?

Which things are the same in your country? Which ones are
different? Have you ever needed a doctor’s note for work?
School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca
Calling the School: How Much Do You Remember?
1. What day is it?
2. What’s wrong with Wayne?
3. How is he on Tuesday?
4. What does his mother do?
5. What does Wayne have? Level 2-3
6. Why does his mother Reading
phone the school?
follow-up.
7. When do you have to write a note to the teacher?
8. When do you have to phone the office?
9. When does your child have to sign in at the office?
10. When do you need a note for work?
11. How much does a doctor’s note cost?

Fill in the Chart: Write Y for Yes and N for No.

sign in phone write a note
at the office the school to the teacher
1. late for
school
2. sick for 1
or 2 days
3. sick for more
than 2 days

What do you think? If your child is sick for more than 2 days,
do you need to call the office and write a note?

School for Beginners 125 www.successintesl.ca

 School Customs in Canada and in My Country
1. What do students wear to school?
Do they wear uniforms?
2. How do students get to school?
3. Do students change classes or do they study in the same room?
4. How do students greet the teacher? What do they say?
Do they stand up?
Levels High 1-3
5. Do students bring gifts to the teacher? If so, when?
Comparing customs is not just a
What kind of gifts?
great speaking activity, but also
6. What do students call thetoteacher?
alerts students (first name? last name?
differences
Mr.? Ms.?inTeacher?)
customs. For upper levels,
7. When does this can lead
the school to some
year start?great
How long is it?
discussions.
8. How long is the school day?
9. Who decides what a student will study?
10. What happens if a student does something wrong?
11. Do boys and girls study together?
12. How many hours of homework do students have?
13. Can students ask questions in class? Explain.
14. Do students talk to each other in class?
15. If you fail one subject, do you fail the year?
16. Do students sit in rows or in groups?
17. How much group and pair work is there?
18. What other differences are there between school here and in
your country?
19. How have schools in your country changed since you were young?
School for Beginners 207 www.successintesl.ca
 Phone Dialog: This is Mr. Barns, the School Principal
A. Hello?
B. Hello. Could I speak to Ms. McDonald please?
A. Speaking.
B. This is Mr. Barns, the school principal.
A. Yes?
B. Your son Jimmy started a fight this morning.
A. Really?! _________________________
B. ________________________________
A. Okay… I’ll talk to him about it when he gets home**.
Thank you for calling.
B. You’re welcome.
What should the parent ask? What does B answer?
talk to, speak to, have a word with  letting me know

1. Mark isn’t 3. John is

doing his cutting
homework. classes.

Mr. Lane Ms. Smith, Mark’s Mr. Bean Ms. Wright, John’s
This dialog is for high 1-low 3.
math teacher English teacher
Lots of dialogs, substitution cards,
_____________________________? ________________________?
mixers, and pair questions help
students’ fluency and ensure sentence-
levelSilvia
speechis always
at all levels. verb
2. Often it’s not
latethe
formaterial,
class. as much as I -- me
how you use it, that determine the he -- him
level. The intro &Mr.
Ms. Jefferson follow-up
Jackson, Silvia’s she -- her
suggestions in the teacher’s guideteacher
homeroom help they -- them
you to adjust handouts up or down.
___________________________________? we -- us
you -- you
4. With a partner: write your own dialog.
Be ready to do it next class (no papers!).
School for Beginners www.successintesl.ca
 Important On-Line Information from Your Children’s School District
Find the online school calendar for your school district by googling: your city’s name, the
province and “school district”. Then find the answers to the following:

A. School Calendar
1. When is the winter break?
2. When is the summer break?
3. When is the next ProD day? A great on-line
4. What is a district-wide Pro-D day?
activity that gives
5. What does “flexible” mean?
parents
6. What is the exact date and name of the holidays for this important
school year in:
a) September d) Februaryinfo as well as
b) October e) April
experience in
c) November f) May
skimming
7. When is: a) the first day of school, and b) the last day of school? websites.
Theschool
8. Why do they give the proposed dates for the next two follow-up
years asactivity
well?

B. Summer Courses adds an oral

1. How many free courses can students take at: a) elementarycomponent.
school?
and b) secondary school?

2. Take a look at the map of summer school locations. Find the elementary and
secondary school nearest to your home. Write the name and address of each.
a) nearest elementary school: _________________________________________
b) nearest secondary school: __________________________________________

 In BC, go to the Translink Trip Planner and find out the time and route to get
to each school by public transit. Write the steps on the back of this page.

3. Take a look at the summer school flyer. Find a course that would be good for an
elementary and a high school student. Write the name, days, and times for each course.
a) elementary course: __________________________________________________
b) high school course: __________________________________________________
4. What are four ways to register?
5. How much is the book deposit fee?
6. How much does the course cost for international students?
7. What is the deadline to apply for summer courses?

C. What other important or interesting information is on the website?

Write about one item on the back of this page and share it with your partner next class.

School for Beginners 211 www.successintesl.ca

 Pronunciation for All Levels
ALL LEVELS: Use the MP3 Audio Tracks from our website.
Give Ss the list of audio tracks for their level (from p. 249-252)
For Lit, mark the appropriate audio track on all handouts before photocopying.
 Lit/L.1: Have Ss listen to the audio track, pausing after each word or sentence to
repeat. Hint: Model this in class. Send the students the MP3 track or show
them how to download or share it from our website.
 L.2/3:
a) Readings: Have Ss listen and pause the audio track after each group of words to
repeat. (For longer readings, have Ss mark the pauses where the reader “chunks”
the sentence into shorter sections.)
b) Dialogs, Pair Gaps: Have Ss mark the stressed words as well as linking and reductions.
c) For some handouts, such as “Before You Read” or Word Charts, have Ss finish the
handout at home and then listen to the audio track to check their work.

Use Success in Teaching Pronunciation to Levels 1 & 2 as follows:

 Lit/L.1: use the In
vowel and numeracy
addition sections.
to complete phonics
 L.3: Some Ss may benefit from a quick overview of vowel sounds, using the intro
sequences for Literacy, both
handout, pair dictations, and minimal card games. Otherwise just use the
teachers
sections on reductions and consonants
& linking, students+le,canwords with -gh, doubling,
the 3 sounds of past “-ed”endings, er, and the 2 sounds of “can”.
download the MP3 audio tracks
Phonics Index for Literacy Level
from our website (no purchase
Words with Short U
232
necessary): a great way to
Student Handout for Day 1
233-234 review and
Double-sided Pair improve student’s
Cards for Days 2-3
235 Bunny’s Family
Words with M listening and pronunciation.
236 Student Handout for Day 1
237-238 Double-sided Pair Cards for Days 2-3
239 Mark’s Story
Words with ER Sound (er, ir, and wor)
240 Student Handout for Day 1
241-242 Double-sided Pair Cards for Days 2-3
243 Back to School
Words with EN
244 Student Handout for Day 1
245-246 Double-sided Pair Cards for Days 2-3
247 The Dollar Store

School for Beginners 230 www.successintesl.ca