Starting in Week 4, grade two students at Pudong campus began their “Book Buddy Talks” – presentations that were a part of their show and tell grade in English.

Students were assigned presentation days and were given a planning worksheet to help organize their thoughts. Last semester, we did similar “Book Talks” in which students recommended a book to their classmates. This semester, the “Book Buddy Talks” were centered on character development – something they have also been working on in their narrative writing. For this task, students were asked to choose a book they liked and to pick a character to tell their classmates about. In the worksheet, they were asked to determine the character’s “inside traits” (what the character acts like) and their “outside traits” (what the character looks like). Each presentation day, students gave wonderful descriptions of their characters and all of their unique qualities. Some students chose humorous main characters while others chose the villain of their stories. The variety made the students excited to hear about each one. This semester, students have been working on speaking loudly and clearly, using expression in their presentations, and making eye contact with the audience.

Perhaps most impressively, students were required to do the “Book Buddy Talks” without their planning worksheet. They amazed their teachers and the other students with their ability to remember so many details!  

(Written by Kirsten Franks       Pictures by Gu Jingyang)