Literacy Activities Handbook - Saskatchewan Association of Rehabilitation Centres

Televised sports present learners with an interesting opportunity to learn numbers. A basketball, hockey, or baseball game can be videotaped, and this tape can form the basis for instruction. Some ideas:

Viewing: The learner and tutor can watch a taped match, and the tutor can point out and say the numbers on players’ uniforms as they appear on the screen. Recognition and pronunciation are emphasized.
Copying: The VCR can be paused, allowing the learner to copy a player’s number onto a sheet of paper. Emphasis is on the shapes of numbers and drawing them accurately.
Homework: The adult learner can name numbers and write them down when watching team sports at home. The tutor may want to tape the same game, so that the student’s list of numbers can be reviewed with the tutor. The learner’s family or others in their home environment can help by arranging viewing times and providing writing materials. Independent learning is emphasized.
Scorekeeping: When watching sports, the tutor and learner can focus on the score when it is flashed on the screen. Counting and simple mathematics can be taught in addition to number recognition.

Adapted from:
Mona Arsenault, “Repurposing at the Grassroots: Learning Numbers from Hockey Night in Canada,” in Literacy Across the CurriculuMedia Focus (LACMF), Vol. 15, No. 1. (2000), pp. 32-33. [http://www.nald.ca/PROVINCE/QUE/litcent/NEWSLETT/Vol15/32-33.htm]

Activity: Television Sports