Dictado is a culturally relevant teaching strategy, comprised of mini-lessons and dictado sentences commonly used in Mexico and other Latin American countries. The dictado sentences are currently paired with an Imagine Lectura passage.
The Dictado routine takes place over three or more days and has two mini-lessons that focus on different language conventions such as accentuation, punctuation, and common spelling rules. The same dictado sentences are repeated throughout the week. The repetition of the Dictado helps reinforce the language conventions and skills taught in the mini-lessons. In each session, students apply the language convention they have been taught as they recite, write, and correct dictado sentences.
Before Teachers lead a Dictado Lesson, they should prepare for the lesson and print offline materials, then follow the Dictado Lesson Plan.
Teachers can personalize the Dictado Lesson to their student's needs and skills. Some ideas for variation:
- Record yourself reading the Dictado so students can listen to it as many times as needed. Students who finish quickly can begin another related task, while those who need more time do not feel pressured to rush.
- While students work in pairs on Day 2, work with intervention groups to provide more individualized support.
- On Day 2, ask students to identify anything they are still struggling with and how they will improve. Have them write this in their Dictado notebooks.
- For students who need more support, print out the Dictado but leave out some keywords or phrases for students to fill in. These keywords or phrases should contain the language convention. This exercise will help students feel successful in practicing the new skill.
- To increase motivation and provide a reference to the skills learned, list the language conventions on the first page of the students’ Dictado notebooks. As students showcase their proficiency in language conventions with Dictado formative assessments, acknowledge this by checking off, stamping, or giving stickers for each skill mastered.
To access the Dictado Lesson Plan
- Log in to the Literacy Suite. If this is your first time logging in, choose Imagine Lectura.
- Click Unit Library in the upper navigation bar and choose a unit.
- Select Dictado Lesson in Step 2: Deep Reading Cycle.
Teacher Preparation
Instructions on how to prepare for each Dictado Lesson are provided in the Lesson Plan. Read or review the Dictado Protocol for details on the materials, protocols, and information about each step of the lesson, and print any offline materials.
Print Offline Materials
Before leading a Dictado Lesson, Teachers should print the Dictado lesson materials found in the Dictado Lesson Plan.
To print offline materials
- In the Dictado Lesson Plan, scroll to Teacher Preparation, then click Signos de correccion poster and any other available offline materials.
- Print the materials from your browser.
Follow the Lesson Plan
The Dictado Lesson Plan includes step-by-step instructions to lead a Dictado Lesson, including:
- Introducing the Language Convention
- Correcting Dictado
- Formative Assessment