Grammar · Text level
Dictogloss
Read a short subject text aloud twice while students note key words, then groups rebuild the text in accurate English. It combines listening, grammar and writing in real subject content.
- Bands
- 2 to 5
- Stages
- Upper elementary, Middle school and High school
- Settings
- Mainstream class, Pull-out support and Small group
- Prep
- Medium prep
How to do it
- Choose or write a short text of 60 to 120 words that uses the grammar you want to target.
- Read it at normal speed while students just listen.
- Read it again while students note key words.
- In small groups, students pool their notes and reconstruct the text.
- Compare their version with the original and discuss the grammar differences.
In a lesson
Science (middle school)
The teacher reads a paragraph on the rock cycle written in the passive: “Rocks are broken down by weathering. The pieces are carried by rivers…”. Groups rebuild it and compare. One group wrote “Rivers carry the pieces”, which leads to a short discussion about why scientists often use the passive.
What commonly goes wrong
- The text is too long.
- The reading is so slow that it becomes a dictation.
- The comparison is skipped, and that is where the learning happens.
Adapting it
For a lower band
Use a shorter text and provide a word bank.
For a higher band
Use a denser text and ask groups to match the original’s style.