Last modified on 29 June 2022
During my first year at the teacher training college, one of my French instructors introduced us to a new type of dictation exercise. It's a way to learn vocabulary to prepare for weekly dictations, which I've since adapted throughout my teaching career. This dictation exercise is called: the sports dictation.
We now know how important it is for a child not to remain static in the classroom or while learning at home. Each child's needs are different, and their attention span varies. Therefore, this method of learning words will be more suitable for students with strong kinesthetic learning needs. We can implement it in the classroom as well as with our own children at home.
How to set up a sports dictation?
We can equip ourselves with sticky notes on which you write the words to remember. Next, the words will be placed around a room. The adult will have the list of words and will ask the child to find one. The child should not take the sticky note with them but should look at the word carefully so they can write it correctly on a piece of paper or a slate near the adult.
The adult will check the spelling. If the word is spelled correctly, the adult will suggest a new word to find. If the word is misspelled, the child will have to go back and write it with the correct spelling. They will make as many trips back and forth as necessary until the adult validates the word. This system will working on the child's memory who, during his journey, must not forget the letters that make up the word.
To make the game more challenging and thus engage less immediate memory, the sticky notes (or labels) can be placed in larger spaces: several rooms in a house, a gym, or outdoors if the weather permits. The child will then have to ignore external stimuli to complete the task of recalling the word. In a gym, for example, an obstacle course can also be set up. At home, a route can be indicated to follow before writing the word.
My practical application of sports dictation in the classroom
When I take all my students to the gym for a sports-themed dictation exercise, it quickly becomes difficult and time-consuming to receive each child's answer; that's why it is It's more practical to have the students work in pairs. Student number 1 has the list and sends student number 2 to find one of the words. Once student number 2 has memorized the spelling, they return to their partner to spell it. Student number 1 confirms or corrects the answer and, in the same way, sends student number 2 back to the same word if the answer is incorrect. If the answer is correct, then a second word is given. When the entire list has been completed, the roles are reversed.
From the students' perspective: a practice that can be managed entirely independently
Some of my elementary school students work independently when doing their homework. So, during this phase of learning words for dictation, Those who wish to revise using sports dictation can also do so without adult assistance. They can then write the words on sticky notes, which they place around their room or any other room in their house. On their desk, the list of words to memorize will be placed face down, along with a sheet of paper or a whiteboard. They randomly choose a sticky note, concentrate on writing the word they want to memorize, and write it down when they return to their desk. In this process, they will write all the words they see on the sticky notes before checking their spelling. Then, they can remove the sticky notes from the words they have correctly written and repeat the process with the remaining words.
In short:
The sports dictation can be done in several stages during the week, either by not putting all the words in at once, or by evolving the game in the course modalities.
This form of preparation for dictation is generally very popular. It is dynamic and less burdensome for the child during their learning process. Thus, memorizing spelling will happen through physical activity and play.
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