The document discusses various techniques for Directed Activities Related to Texts (DARTs) that can be used to teach English language learners and native speakers across different subjects. It describes DARTs such as sequencing, labeling diagrams, completing tables, gap fills, underlining or highlighting parts of texts, and writing questions as alternatives to typical comprehension questions that encourage deeper understanding. The document also provides examples and guidelines for implementing different types of DARTs like specific cloze exercises, total cloze, vanishing cloze, and gap fills using a particular part of speech.

1. Kamil Trzebiatowski
(EAL Coordinator, Newland School for Girls, Kingston-upon-Hull)
@HullEALTM TeachMeet: 27 April 2015
The power of DARTs:
teaching EAL and native speakers
across the curriculum
http://valuediversity-teacher.co.uk/

2. Alternative to typical
comprehension questions
Encourages students to work
with texts in a way that
promotes greater
understanding
Chance for learners to “read
between the lines” (implied
meaning) – not only basic
understanding
Supporting learners in
analysing and reconstruction
of texts
DARTs:
Directed activities
related to text

3. Sequencing –
words,
paragraphs,
sentences
Labelling a
diagram
Grouping parts of
texts according to
categories
Completing a
table, diagram
or flowchart
Gap-fills:
missing words,
phrases or
sentences
Underline or
highlight parts of
texts: e.g.
adjectives, adverbs,
connectives
Give each
paragraph a title
Draw a table or
diagram using
information from a
text
Write questions
about a text
CHANGE THE TEXT A LITTLE USE THE ORIGINAL TEXT

4. First and last sentence should remain unmodified – so that students have a context for reading it all.
SPECIFIC
CLOZE
•Remove only
certain types
of words, e.g.
subject-
specific
words, parts
of speech or
tenses
A ___________ is a group of ____________ teachers that have got together to
____________ ideas.
_____ TeachMeet is a group ________ enthusiastic teachers that have got together
_______ share ideas.
Many different possibilities to fill in the gap
Functional (grammar words): one option only
Discuss when there are many possibilities and when
there is just one!

5. TOTAL CLOZE
• Only a title
• Many gaps, each
representing one
word
• Punctuation is left
intact
• Use a text students
already know (at the
end of a unit)
• Use a short text –
one paragraph
• As a class, students
guess the missing
words
BLOOD CIRCULATION
Blood is pumped at high pressure
away from the heart in arteries. It
travels through networks of
thin capillaries, where it
can exchange materials with the
tissues. It's then collected up and
returned to the heart at low
pressure in veins.
BLOOD CIRCULATION
________ ___ ________ ___ ____
_______ ______ _____ ___ ______
___ _______. __ ______ _______
________ __ ____ _________,
_____ __ ____ ________ ________
____ ___ _______. ____ ____
_________ __ ___ ________ __ ___
____ __ ___ ______ __ _____.
The original Total Cloze
Discuss parts of speech, articles, tenses, prepositions,
subject+verb with your students!!

6. VANISHING CLOZE
• Write a few
sentences on the
board – what
you feel needs
practising
• Get them to read
it out loud
• Erase one word –
they read it
• Repeat until all
words are erased
VANISHING CLOZE
length.
sidesthreeallwith
equalof
triangleaistriangleequilateralAn
!
A great tool for students to explore parts of speech and
sentence structure bit by bit.

7. GAP-FILLS WITH A
DIFFERENCE
• Provide a list of
words in a box
• Ensure they are
all one category
(e.g.
prepositions or
verbs)
• Discuss how
they’re used in
sentences (word
order)
A PREPOSITION GAP FILL
She was dressed __ rich materials - satins, and lace, and silks - all __ white.
Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent ____ her
hair, and she had bridal flowers __ her hair, ___ her hair was white. Some
bright jewels sparkled __ her neck and __ her hands, and some other
jewels lay sparkling __ the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she
wore, and half-packed trunks were scattered _____. She had not quite
finished dressing, ___ she had ___ one shoe __ - the other was __ the
table ____ her hand - her veil was half arranged, her watch and chain were
not put __, and some lace ___ her bosom lay ____ those trinkets and ____
her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers, and a prayer-book-, all
confusedly heaped _____ the looking-glass.
Choose from the words in the box
In near on of
with about but from
for
What part of
speech are all
these words?
Are the verbs
before or
after them?

8. QUESTIONS
BLANKSFORANSWERS

9. Sentence and paragraph
scrambler:
http://davidbrett.uniss.it/eLearningTools/paragra
ph%20scrambler.html
Gap-fill generator:
http://random-idea-
english.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/tools-gapfill-
generator.html
Cloze generator (removes
specific types of words):
http://l.georges.online.fr/tools/cloze.html
Total Cloze generator:
http://esl.fis.edu/learners/writing/misc/star1.htm
DO NOT
spend hours on this!

10. Available from:
http://valuediversity-
teacher.co.uk/
Twitter: @ktlangspec