Benefits

How can a teacher benefit from VERBATHON?

With Verbathon, a teacher will be able to:

• Reduce wrist-twisting and backbreaking blackboard work from writing verbs and sentences over and over again by using cards and a specially designed wallchart
• Use proven strategies for teaching verbs and grammar in a unique, fun and effective way
• Encourage students to study verbs and grammar by playing games
• Organize a "race against the clock" tournament based on verbs that students will absolutely adore
• Use COOL "Rap" and "Rock" rhythms to teach verb conjugations
• Integrate verb and grammar learning with other subjects like Math or Social Studies
• Create a well-organized verb conjugation or grammar filing system that students can easily access
• Adapt or modify the Verbathon system according to level or need
• Evaluate the language skills of students
• Actually have fun with the students!!!

How can students benefit from VERBATHON?

Verbathon's effectiveness lies in the application of the following five principles to achieve the goal of captivating the student's interest and keeping their motivation:

_____ Interactivity
_____ Empowerment
_____ Fun Through Activities and Games
_____ Application
_____ Integration

Interactivity

Verbathon is able to meet the needs of students who have different learning styles. Visual or tactile learners will find manipulating the cards on the wallchart with great clarity in learning the different parts of grammar and verb conjugation. Abstract learners will easily relate to the "mathematical equation" approach to understanding patterns inherent in grammatical structures and verb conjugation.

Empowerment

The Verbathon system offers opportunities for peer teaching and making students responsible for their own learning. Verbathon enables the students to discover, analyze and apply the rules of grammar and verb conjugation. More than anything else, students are stimulated by their own learning.

Fun Through Activities and Games

Verbathon creates a paradigm shift in the way students view learning verbs and grammar. Games and activities that are fun will reduce, if not eliminate the perception among students that verbs and grammar are boring, tedious and gruelling to learn. Students will absolutely adore the "race against the clock" tournament based on verbs as well as other games that reinforce grammar.

Application

Students must demonstrate that the verbs and grammar they have learned have been internalized through application. In many activities, students are required to put together sentences and verbs with ever increasing speed. As a result, their thought processes tend to get faster and these skills become an integral part of their ability to communicate in the target language. After working with Verbathon on a consistent basis, students have been shown to transfer what they have learned to their overall language skills.

Integration

Verbathon integrates other subject areas such as Math and Social Studies. Math skills such as graphing and data management are incorporated. For example, Students can do research work on the country they have chosen for their team as part of the Social Studies curriculum.

Students will appreciate how VERBATHON engages them through its interactive strategies, self-empowerment, fun games, integration and application to their language skills.