Order in Understanding – straight? diagonal? circular?
How do students learn? All students have their own style; they know what the style is, even if they can’t articulate it. As teachers, we need to figure it out, not only to teach more effectively, but also to help students in learning everything!
Below is a sample chapter from De Discendi Natura, which is a CANEPress book (originally published by ACL). Here are several ideas of how to present the relationship among the tenses and relative pronouns. For example, a time line might work for some students, but non-linear thinkers might do better with curves. A family tree that moves down (or up) through the generations is another way to show time. For relative pronouns, using birds in a PowerPoint, where they swoop in, can help the non-linear ones. If a student is linear, but still having difficulty, try having the chart go in a different direction (left to right, or down a column). Take a look and see what would work for you.
Don’t forget to go to CANEPress and download your own copy of the full book (free for CANE members)!
By Ruth Breindel, who taught Latin, Greek, Linguistics and Mythology at Moses Brown School for 30 years.