Teachers love incorporating reading logs into their curriculum. Even Libraries have Summer Reading Programs that get in on the act…
ACA Explorers does one better, replacing a Reading Log with an Input Log, encouraging visual as well as auditory comprehensible Input.
Today, in the first class in our new physical school, we:
- discussed The Spacing Effect – with Michael being especially concerned with his name cropping up in the example…
- while completing the Guided Notes together – which even including making our own Leitner Boxes out of cardboard and decorating them with stickers – sadly, no one remembered to get photos… D’oh!
- we made flash cards, reiterating a second time the importance behind the Image Effect (using images instead of translations) and the Personal Effect (using ‘self-referential words/phrases to more ‘deeply encode’ the new memory)
- and we introduced the Input Log
Reading Log Meet Input Log
Input. Output. Fundamentals. Mastery.
Right now, our four ACA Explorers are starting as Scholars, and as thus are focused especially on the Input stage of the ACA Method:
1- The Scholar
Values: Curiosity and Love of Learning
Focus: INPUT
The Scholar is focused on being curious and being exposed to quality INPUT in order to foster a love of learning.
So, in order to further cement the lessons from this stage, and on the activity of seeking out quality, comprehensible INPUT, I made them an Input Log to help encourage them to find their own sources outside of class:
Basically, it has them give the title of the video, movie, article, book, story, etc. (since Input is Listening, Seeing)
As well as any notes, including new words or phrases they learned and how much they understood.
Finally, it asks them to date it and get a family member to initial it.
I’ve never attempted either a paper-based spaced repetition flashcard system like the Leitner Method before (using only software-based solutions like Anki) so we shall see how it goes. I’m expecting a few hiccups as they slowly come to understand just what comprehensible input, i+1, should mean.
