Authentic Oral Resources - Using Newspaper Articles as Thinking Prompts

Thinking is where intelligent actions begin. We pause long enough to look more carefully at a situation, to see more of its character, to think about why it’s happening, to notice how it’s affecting us and others. 

                                                                                                                       —Margaret Wheatley 

To prepare the child for the stimulus-based conversation in the Oral examination, parents can use newspaper articles as thinking prompts to engage their children in topics related to life experiences or situations around them. 

What are thinking prompts?

Thinking prompts are devices that provoke conversation dialogue and deep thought. 

Types of thinking prompts:

Video clips, newspaper articles, cartoons, photographs, works of art, artifacts

What thinking prompts accomplish?

Promote dialogue

Help the child make connections

Provide background knowledge

Engage the child

Today we will share how an interesting newspaper article on a crinkly plate can be used as a thinking prompt.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/20/want-to-lose-weight-eat-in-a-crinkly-plate-obesity

After reading the article together with your child, you could ask your child to summarise the article by telling you in one to three sentences what the article is about.

Next, you could engage your child in a discussion on the following questions:

1. Why is there a need to address the obesity problem in many parts of the world?

2. How can the crinkly plate help to address the obesity problem / encourage people to eat more healthily?

3. What are some other ways to address the obesity problem?