Spin!

Grammar, Vocabulary, and Writing

Diane Pinkley and Genevieve Kocienda


Spin! is a six-level beginning grammar course organized by theme that makes learning grammar fun and engaging for students. Spin! offers clear grammar presentation and systematic writing practice. It can be used as a standalone text or as a supplement to other series. Characters and mascots that appear throughout each level keep students' attention and involvement in learning.

Features:

  • Fun games and puzzles help consolidate lessons.
  • Review sections appear after every two units with listening comprehension practice.
  • A picture dictionary is in the back of each student book.
  • The audio program encourages production of words.
  • Grammar is presented in a familiar and useful context.

Each level of Spin! contains the following components:

  • Student Book
  • Teacher’s Guide
  • Audio Program
  • Reproducible Picture Cards

The Student Book
The Student Book contains ten units and five review units.

Each unit features an interesting and practical theme within an appropriate vocabulary and grammar context. After the vocabulary is introduced on the first page of the unit, it is used in a series of exercises which explain and practice the grammar point.

Each unit also includes a chant and/or a game that allows students to practice the featured vocabulary and grammar in a fun and stimulating way.

Review units, which appear after every two units, give students the opportunity to consolidate what they have learned through listening and pronunciation practice.

At the back of each Student Book is a picture dictionary to help students develop research and dictionary skills.

The Teacher’s Guide
The Teacher’s Guide features lesson plans and reduced Student Book pages. The reduced Student Book pages incorporate the answers for each exercise. Each lesson plan consists of a warm-up, an explanation of how to use each page of the Student Book, and games and activities to extend the lesson and reinforce the material learned.

The beginning of each lesson includes a guide to grammar, the lesson vocabulary, materials needed, and helpful words and phrases that the teacher can use in the classroom to explain the lesson’s activities. The review unit lesson plans also include the recording script of the Audio Program.

Physical movement to develop language skills in activities is adapted in Spin! from Total Physical Response (TPR), as developed by James J. Asher. This technique is ideal for students at the early stages of learning, when their capabilities for verbal response are as yet undeveloped. TPR provides both intense listening practice and repeated exposure to basic vocabulary items.

The Audio Program
The Audio Program consists of a recording on cassette or CD. The Audio Program models the vocabulary words, the new grammar patterns, and the chants.

The Picture Cards
Reproducible Picture Cards of vocabulary words appear at the back of the Teacher’s Guide. Sets of Picture Cards can be made for the students as well as the teacher. The Picture Cards are utilized in the lesson activities and can be used in a variety of ways to enhance classroom learning.