|
|
» What is H.E.L.P.?
For Students
For
Teachers
» Features
» Benefits
» How does H.E.L.P. work?
» How do you choose the songs used in H.E.L.P.?
What is H.E.L.P.?
For
Students:
H.E.L.P. is a monthly periodical & reading
supplement designed to bridge the literacy gap and
address the needs of deficient readers particularly
between the ages of 13-18, although the unique literacy
activities are designed for students of all reading levels
and learning styles. The H.E.L.P. activities range from
Beginner (K-2), Elementary (3-5), Intermediate (6-8), and
Advanced (9-12). As a group warm up activity, students listen
to the featured hip-hop song while reading the lyrics, review
their respective level-appropriate vocabulary lists (compiled
from the lyrics of the song), then finally, complete a
daily, literacy based activity. Each activity is aligned
to standards, reinforces the teacher's instruction, and
motivates students to read and write. A unique benefit of
H.E.L.P. is that it addresses different learning styles,
as students are encouraged to demonstrate their learning
through authentic writing opportunities, music, discussion,
poetry, and dramatic performance. The goal of H.E.L.P. is
to enable students to make a connection from their interests
and experiences to their reading and writing through the
medium of Hip Hop music.
For Teachers:
Teachers frequently worry about how to keep their students
interested in learning and struggle to compete against the
world outside school and popular culture. Many students feel
that they cannot relate to their teachers, or are even being
prepared to fully understand or know about the world in
which they live. H.E.L.P. is designed to bridge the communication gap between students
and teachers by using popular Hip Hop music to teach literacy.
As we all know, Hip Hop music has a wide-reach that expands
across all boundaries of culture, race, language, and socio-economic
background. In essence, H.E.L.P.
uses the language of the youth with authentic literacy activities
to teach reading and writing skills and foster a culturally
responsive dialogue between students and teachers. Teachers
can use H.E.L.P. to
reach out to students who are unmotivated to read or write
with confidence that they are addressing the five essential
components effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics,
fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Features
- Easy to read instructions
- All activities aligned with National Reading Standards
and designed to address different learning styles and
skill levels
- H.E.L.P. activities are developed by experienced educators:
teachers, reading specialists and speech therapists, to
aid teachers in making culturally relevant connections
with their students
- 15 activities in each of the four reading level sections:
beginner, elementary, intermediate, and advanced
- Comprehensive, clearly outlined teacher guide including
artist bio, annotated lyrics, enrichment activities, scope & sequence
and writing rubric
- Enrichment activities designed to address each of the
multiple intelligences
Benefits
- Improves reading ability
- Increased interest in reading among students
- Provides a powerful, culturally responsive teaching
tool for teachers
- An increase in reading ability
- Exposes the positive, well informed side of Hip Hop
music & culture
- Allows students to critically analyze the content of
the music and themes being addressed
- Opens the lines of communication for a broader discussion
between teachers and students
- Students are encouraged to demonstrate their learning
through writing opportunities, music discussion, poetry,
and dramatic performance
- Serves as a culturally relevant and responsive motivating
activity for teachers to use as a supplement in reading
and language arts instruction
How does H.E.L.P. work?
Here are the steps of a suggested motivating lesson using H.E.L.P.:
Step 1: Teacher plays the song out loud in the classroom while students
read the lyrics
Step 2: Students read and review the vocabulary words identified throughout
the song
Step 3: Students complete one of the H.E.L.P. activities identified
on their respective reading level
Step 4: Upon completion, teacher moves students into the next
phase of the general lesson plan
The H.E.L.P. activities
may also be used in a variety of classroom settings
and incorporated into your literacy instruction in a variety
of ways. You can use H.E.L.P. activities for:
- Warm up
- Literature Analysis and Discussion
- Independent Work
- Reading/Listening Center
- Literacy Mini-Lesson
- Concept Reinforcement / Remediation
- Extension Activities
- Enrichment Activities
- Reward / Incentive Program for Students
- ESL instruction
How do you choose the songs used in H.E.L.P.?
Typically,
the songs that we have used for this program fall under the following
criteria:
- Socially redeeming qualities or important themes being addressed
in song's lyrical content
- Rich vocabulary usage
- Popular artists of Hip Hop and R&B genres
|
