I like to have my beginning writing students make cloze booklets at the end of each unit related directly to the themes we study or songs we sing.
I use Microsoft Word to compose and add clip art from Word and other sources like www.clipart.com. They are designed as bilingual books because the children and parents BEG me for a full translation of song lyrics and texts anyway, and I tell them to wait until the end of the unit so the children can really acquire meaning via the target language and manipulate the text in different ways. The text in English should appear directly aside of the target language text for maximum benefits of comparing/contrasting in the acquisition process.
First use the "Portrait" page set up (click on “File”) and the “Print Layout View” (click on “View”) so you have a visual ruler on your left. Then enter the first text and place the clip art above on the top four inches (not counting the default one inch top margin). Then copy the same text onto the very bottom four inches (not counting the bottom default inch margin). That leaves a space between the last line of the top text and the top of the second picture for easy cutting with a paper cutter. I collate the booklet pages and format the copy machine to staple twice on the left margin, along with sort. Then I cut the double booklets in half, right along the imaginary five and one half inch line (from top of the paper to the middle).
It is best to use black outline clipart because most young children really enjoy coloring their own book in class or at home. Sometimes it is mandatory so children can color in the correct color indicated in the text. To change color Microsoft clip art into black outline, right click on the object and go to “Grouping.” Go to “Ungroup." White dots will appear on object. Do not move cursor over picture now or it will become distorted! Click again on the object to make dots disappear. Carefully place the cursor over each color part to change to white and double click. Change “Color Fill” to white. Enter "OK" and then click once to make the small group of white dots disappear. Click "Save."
I put a word bank with words out of order of use in the booklet on a chart, and children fill in the blanks with the correct word or phase. Sometimes there is something that is missing in the illustration. I ask “¿Qué falta?” ["What is missing?"], and the children add the missing element which personalizes the book further. I try to include a blank page at the end for highly motivated and/or achieving students. There they have the opportunity to extend the story/song or add their own thoughts with illustrations.
Children then take turns reading their books in front of the class to applause. They are very familiar with the vocabulary at this point. These booklets are usually sent home as "homework" to read to a parent and then to return a signed form for mini-prizes or a big raffle.
Click on the grandmother and grandson below to see a booklet I composed for the song "En la casa de mi abuela" from COLECCIÓN: CANTOS PARA JUGAR by Francisco Aquino from Spain, available from:
NOTE: THE UNDERLINED WORDS IN THE BOOKLET WOULD APPEAR AS A BLANK FOR THE CLOZE EXERCISE.
