AE Live! Teacher Professional Development Events - AE Live 23.3 - A Backwards Approach to Teaching Graph Literacy

Presenter: Mina Gavell Reading graphs and tables is an important academic skill. These elements present valuable information on their own, supplement and summarize dense texts, and appear frequently on proficiency tests such as the IELTS. However, graph literacy is a common challenge for many learners, who may feel intimidated and struggle to identify key information. This session introduces a “backwards” approach that begins not with reading graphs, but with learners conducting their own simple surveys and then creating graphs from their findings. This task-supported, collaborative method helps demystify graph reading through a hands-on, integrated skills experience. By shifting the sequence of instruction, the approach promotes learner confidence and a fun, engaging classroom environment. Though often associated with higher-level academic work, this strategy can be successfully used for learners of all levels and a wide range of classroom contexts. To learn more English or to get additional resources for English language teaching, see: http://www.facebook.com/AmericanEnglishatState  http://www.facebook.com/AmericanEnglishforEducators http://americanenglish.state.gov http://openenglishprograms.org