In an allophone school in a disadvantaged Montréal neighbourhood, a school principal, an educational advisor and a team of elementary school teachers seeking to perfect their French teaching skills embarked on a research-action project with a trio of researchers.
Promising approaches for reducing difficulties and enhancing learning among elementary school students in this type of context include the frequent use of a wide variety of teaching devices, providing remedial support and models, encouraging reflection, and structuring teaching practices around the use of book webs.
Intensive follow-up led to lasting changes in teaching practices.
In 2012, two of the researchers created a digital journal, Le Pollen, which contains detailed book webs in line with the Québec Education Program and the MELS Progression of Learning.
Intensive follow-up over more than two years with a monthly training session and customized support — including in the classroom — led to lasting changes in teaching practices (more student support, more frequent and more varied reading and writing activities), enhanced the teachers' sense of competence and strongly engaged the students, who developed better literary culture, a greater ability to justify their opinions, and better writing skills including materialization, encoding and enunciation and the ability to effectively correct their texts.
Main researcher: Isabelle Montésinos-Gelet, Université de Montréal
Original title: Accompagnement des enseignants d'une école montréalaise quant au recours à des réseaux d'œuvres littéraires pour soutenir la conscience linguistique en lecture et en écriture
