🎭 ADVANCED TPR FOR ACADEMIC LANGUAGE 🎭

From Simple Actions to Complex Concepts

💡The Big Idea

Stop representing WORDS.

Start representing CONCEPTS!

🔥 Instead of: Point at a forest picture for "ecosystem"

✨ Do this: Students BE the ecosystem!

  • ☀️ Sun student shines light
  • 🌧️ Rain student sprinkles water
  • 🌳 Tree grows and absorbs
  • 🐰 Rabbit eats grass
  • 🦊 Fox hunts rabbit
  • 🍂 Decomposer breaks down

🎯Academic Process Gestures

Create standard class gestures for thinking verbs:

📍 ANALYZE = Pull apart with hands
⚖️ COMPARE = Hold up two fists, look between them
↔️ CONTRAST = Push fists away from each other
⚖️ EVALUATE = Balance scales with hands
🤏 SUMMARIZE = Sweep hands from wide to tight
🧠 INFER = Point to temple, then point out

🔗Connectors in Motion

Make logical relationships physical:

🛑 HOWEVER

Stop gesture ✋
Then point different direction ➡️

➡️ THEREFORE

Point to causes 👈
Sweep to effect 👉

📝 FOR EXAMPLE

Hold up one finger ☝️
Point to general concept 👉

🎪Grammar in Action

Embody complex structures:

🌧️ CAUSE & EFFECT:

"The drought caused crops to fail"

👤 Drought student mimes heat → pushes energy → 👤 Crop student wilts and falls

📜 PASSIVE VOICE:

"The treaty was signed by leaders"

👤 Student holds treaty prop ← 👥 Leaders perform signing action

🎬The Academic TPR Lesson Flow

🔄 7-Step Process

  1. 🎯 INTRODUCE: Present word + definition + visual
  2. 👨‍🏫 MODEL: Teacher demonstrates the gesture/sequence
  3. 👥 GROUP PRACTICE: Whole class does gesture together
  4. 📢 COMMAND SEQUENCE: Mix old and new vocabulary in commands
  5. 🎭 ROLE-PLAY: Act out entire concepts and scenarios
  6. 🔄 REVERSE: Teacher gestures, students shout the term
  7. ✍️ WRITTEN: Use words in text AFTER physical practice

🔥Why This Works

🧠DEEPER PROCESSING: Creating physical metaphors requires serious cognitive engagement
🎯ENHANCED RECALL: Multi-sensory experience creates multiple memory pathways
😌REDUCES ANXIETY: Physical play lowers stress around scary academic words
🔗SHOWS RELATIONSHIPS: Illustrates how concepts connect to each other

⚡Quick Examples

🗳️ DEMOCRACY:

Class divides into "parties" → Debate lunch break issue → Physically move to vote → Learn majority/minority

❄️ IF/THEN:

"If it rains, game canceled"

Point down for IF condition → Sweep cancel gesture for THEN result

📊 SEQUENCE:

Physical timeline across room → Students place events in order → Walk through the sequence

🎉 THE BOTTOM LINE

When students EMBODY concepts instead of just memorizing words,
abstract academic language becomes FAMILIAR and MANAGEABLE! 🚀