The Freire lesson

A lesson in a Freire instructional program centers around a discussion of a theme. Generative words, which have been carefully chosen by the facilitator, are introduced after the discussion. The participants and facilitator look at new words together, avoiding the situation in which the facilitator is in any way superior to the participants. Together they make new words from combinations of new and previously taught syllables. Freire rejects the idea of primers. (Bendor-Samuel, M. 1977)

The words and drills used in the lesson may be written on a chalkboard or on charts large enough to be seen by the group.

Here are the typical parts of a Freire reading lesson:

• Participants discuss an illustrated theme.

  Example:

  Discuss the Portuguese word favela 'slums'.

• The facilitator introduces the generative word.

  Example:

  favela

• The facilitator breaks the generative word into syllables.

  Example:

  fa-ve-la

• The participants drill syllables in one syllable family.

  Example:

  fa-fe-fi-fo-fu

• They drill another known syllable family.

  Example:

  va-ve-vi-vo-vu la-le-li-lo-lu

• They drill three syllables families together.

  Example:

  fa-fe-fi-fo-fu va-ve-vi-vo-vu la-le-li-lo-lu

• Participants create and write new words and personal thoughts using new and previously taught syllables.
• They read the new words and written personal thoughts.
• Participants take home a discovery card with a syllable chart and possibly an illustration on it. The discovery cards may be previously prepared by the facilitator or by the participants themselves as they copy what the facilitator has written. They try to made other words, which they bring to the next meeting.

• The Freire instructional program

• Structure module: Freire lesson, by Martha A. Lane (contributor) and Leah B. Walter (contributor)
• In overview module: Current instructional programs, by Leah B. Walter, Glenys Waters, and Trudy K. Stewart (editor)
• In overview module: Instructional programs, by Kenneth A. Boothe (contributor), Leah B. Walter (contributor), and Glenys Waters (contributor)
• In modular book: Implement a literacy program, by Carole P. Spaeth (compiler) and Leah B. Walter (compiler)
• In bookshelf: Literacy

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 4.0, published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 1999. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 28 June 1999

© 1999 SIL International