How to Use the New Do You Know? Series at Home

Discover how to use the Do You Know? series at home, from watching the videos to using the quiz to embed their new vocabulary.

The Do You Know? series is a new set of non-fiction EAL (English as an additional language) graded readers based around STEM topics. The books are for inquisitive minds with a focus on questioning and exploring each topic further. They cater to all learning styles with a range of activities to do on each page. The series uses reading as a springboard to integrate all other language skills – for example, speaking, listening and writing. The audio of each book can help with new words and sounds, allowing for better pronunciation. Each book has a good pace and a variety of activities that will engage reluctant readers. Here are our tips and tricks for using this new series at home.

How can you use this new series at home?

There is a clear focus in each book with recognisable features which help learners explore the content further and provide opportunities for further language practice. At times, the focus moves away from reading which can allow for higher learner engagement and motivation and acts as a useful tool to use a range of skills in the reading process.

Each book includes the following:

Contents Page

This lists all the questions in the book and can be used as an elicitation tool before reading. Talk through the questions and see what answers arise.

New Words

The visuals and key words from the book are an excellent focal point at any stage in the reading process. The pictures can be used in a pre-reading task. Discuss what the student can see in the pictures – do they know the word for each picture even if they cannot read them yet? Whilst reading, the pictures can be used to reinforce key words and provide a pit stop and recharge from reading. Use the visuals to talk about what they have seen, understood and remembered so far. Similarly, after reading you can use the pictures to recycle all the key words. Recycling is an important part of remembering new words and keeping them active rather than passive.

Watch

The watch section in the books helps learners reinforce what they have learnt from the text. The watch icon means there is an accompanying video on the website. These videos are extremely engaging and they are a bonus for learners that prefer visuals and audio. Video helps to bring the text to life; it repeats key elements from the page, and this will allow students to repeat key vocabulary. This promotes a unique reading experience that helps embed new words.

Find out

The Find Out sections throughout the book allow learners to research the key points. This promotes learner autonomy allowing them to explore words and themes from the book and keep students interested.

Project

These useful project tasks reinforce key ideas from the book and allow students to show their understanding.

Look

A focal point to explore the visuals and words on the page further. This encourages discussion and is an effective way of repeating language from the page. Again. The repetition process will allow learners to have a better understanding of the new words they have encountered.

Quiz

The end of each reader has a quiz with visuals and questions for the learner. This is a useful way to talk about the overall content and topic of the book and allows repetition, once again, of all the new vocabulary.

Resources and activities

There are many more resources and activities which are ready for use at home with no planning required; these are all available on the individual book pages on this website. You can browse videos, lesson plans, audio, transcripts and the answer key for each book.