Running dictation is a great way to get some movement into your classroom. This activity takes a bit more time for you to create, however, it can have a big impact on student learning if done correctly.
I use running dictation in pairs and in groups of three. It depends on how many students I have in the room and how much content I need to get through. If I have a lot of sentences, I may use pairs because it is quicker and the students have more involvement. If I have less content to use, I may use groups of 3 to make the activity last a bit longer. You decide what content and time you have to complete the activity. Don’t rush it.
In Pairs
Split students up into pairs. You can always make the groups larger, but I like 2’s because it keeps students “on” at all times. Running dictation is like a relay race with language. It works well with reviewing stories but you can also use it to practice common phrases or vocabulary. It is versatile.
Record the words or phrases you want to use. Or you can use running dictation to review cultural items you are trying to cover. Create several different videos. Set up computers in the back of the room or outside your classroom door (don’t disturb your teacher neighbor). Each computer will have a different sentence from a story (or what you are covering). Don’t put them in order. Teams will compete to finish first.
I assign each student-pair a role and after each round, they switch roles. One student views the video and is the “runner” the other person writes the information down and is the “writer” and signs to me. I check for accuracy and after I approve, student teams can move to the next station. You can easily add a third person to share the information with you. So then you would have a runner, writer, and delivery person.
After the relay is over, you can extend the activity by having the pairs put the story in order and make a video.
Alternative to Pairs
If you don’t have time to make the videos, you can write the English sentences on a sheet of paper and tape them to the back of the room. Then, student one can read the sentence and decide how to sign the sentence in the target language. With this, you don’t get the input, but it is quicker and easier to set up.
In Groups of Three
Like I said above, I like to use groups of three if I have more time or less content to get through. however, If I want to add the component of drawing what they understand, then I will use groups of three so I can incorporate an artist. This appeals to multiple modalities.
Place students into groups of 3 for running dictation. Assign students their role. One person will be the translator in the back of the room, the second person will be the runner in the middle of the room, and the third person will be the scribe/artist in the front of the room.
For this, you can pre-record sentences as above, or write the sentence in English and tape the paper to the back of the room. The translator will read the English sentence and think about how to say it in the target language. Then the translator will share the information with the runner. Once the runner understands what is being said, they will run the information to the artist in the front of the room. The artist will draw the picture and bring it to the teacher. If it is correct (you may need the student to tell you what is happening), then the teacher can mark a point on the image. This continues until all of the sentences have been completed.
Alternative for groups
Of course, you don’t have to use an artist. The last person can simply be the scribe and write the information out. This is quicker but not as fun as drawing. There is just something about drawing that makes people relaxed.
Looking for more great activities to add to your lessons? Try one of these.
Looking for pre-made lesson plans to make your life easy, save you time, and engage your students? Try the Creative ASL Teaching Curriculum.
Get Social
If you have questions, let’s talk in the Creative ASL Teaching Facebook group. Join the conversation in our Facebook group.
Don’t miss out on a sale, FREEBIE, or new product. Follow Creative ASL Teaching on TpT.
Check out the teacher swag on Etsy.
