In the English area, we focus on creating meaningful texts, that is texts that are based on real and motivating experiences for students. Working on festivals in English-speaking countries, such as Diwali, allows us to give cultural context to language learning and make it much closer and more experiential.
With fourth graders, we discover Diwali in the first term and, as a closing activity, the students paint Rangolis in the playground in small groups. These Rangolis become the perfect excuse to write in English. During the second term, each child describes their creation using a vocabulary of colours, shapes and sizes, as well as simple expressions that they already know. By doing this, writing ceases to be a mechanical exercise and becomes a tool to express what they have created and experienced.
