4 Summary

This unit has described the importance and value of exploiting your students’ home and community-based experiences in developing their language and literacy skills in school. Your students will feel more confident and motivated to learn in school if they notice that the things that they do and the languages they use outside school are valued by their teachers. You can show that you value your students’ experiences by regularly having chats and discussions with them to find out more about their out-of-school interests.

The unit has also outlined a number of ways that you can make textbook topics more meaningful and relevant to your students by drawing on their knowledge, as well as that of members of their family and community. You can adapt these kinds of activities to any textbook topic, and any level of student.