I don't know about anyone else, but this year it seems I am having the hardest time getting my students (my first graders) to use both meaning and visual cues. They are relying heavily on one or the other and cannot integrate the two. Granted, these are some of the lowest students and it is very difficult for them to put the pieces together in general. However, it seems that I have not yet effectively taught them to use both cues to help them solve unknown words. I know this is a complex process for the brain, but many students can do this naturally with ease. For some, its like putting the pieces of a puzzle together when you don't even know what the end picture is supposed to look like!
Let me explain the issue in more detail. They either rely heavily on visual, only trying to "sound out" the tricky word, or give the first sound and that's it-totally neglecting meaning altogether. Or, I have children that re-read but nothing pops out when they get to the tricky word. It seems this issue is the most difficult to get a shift.
Like I said, I STILL cannot get them to use first letter to problem solve unknown words. They still make a miscue that makes sense, but doesn't begin the same at all!! Or when they come to the word, they just sit and I must prompt them to "get your mouth ready", then they make a guess that makes sense and looks right. But how do I get them to do that on their own???
I was thinking that I haven't supported them enough or scaffolded them in the right way. I started thinking about some strategies and tools that maybe I hadn't utilized enough. I thought about how when the students get to the unknown word, after prompting for meaning, the prompt should be, "do you know a word that starts like that?" If they say no, I need to get the magnetic letters out and make a word that they know that begins the same. For example, if they are stuck on lost, I would make like, right on top of the word in the book with magnetic letters. Have the child read the known word and ask, "what does your mouth do here? pointing to the l in like, and so what will your mouth do here?, pointing to the l in lost. Now re-read and make that sound when you get there."
I think they may need that scaffold to make the shift. I need to keep my magnetic letters armed and ready when working with students during the first read in my guided reading lessons. I'll let you know how it turns out:) Does anyone else have suggestions?
As far as students relying heavily on visual, I think as long as I keep emphasizing the meaning, I can fix that more easily.
Happy Teaching!!!
Brooke
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
A Simple Tool for a Complex Problem:The Slider Card
As I have been working with students this year in guided reading, I have noticed that students from first grade, on up to 4th grade, have a common issue. Many are not checking all the way through a word when they make an attempt at an unknown word, or are problem solving an unknown word.
This year I work with students in guided reading in all the grades, 1-4. I was noticing on my running records and notes that many students are trying the first letter and making a guess that looked almost right, then not checking. These were mostly first graders- example: they said grass for ground. My second graders were doing the same thing, except maybe sliding for slipping. My third graders might say blushing for blistering. My fourth graders were doing the same thing, except their words were even more complex, with more parts. I thought about what I could do to help them notice. They were not monitoring with visual information from left to right. Sometimes, they were stuck on the word and would just blend the beginning sounds and that's it! bl, bl, bl.... Say more!!! (I thought).
What to do?
I started thinking about what I would do when I was a Reading Recovery teacher. Ding!! (light bulb) One of the strategies that I would try was to get the good ole slider card out and show the student how to effectively process through the word left to right. Sometimes it is very important to show the kiddos EXACTLY where to look and how to look through the word. Sometimes kids just grab on to a feature that stands out in the word, not good! I had to show them how to look at the first part, the middle part and then the last part. The slider card can isolate the word and focus the eyes. The slider card can do many things. You can isolate the beginning sounds, a certain part or chunk of the word that may be known, or show the whole word. The slider card is easy to make and a great tool to help teach students how to look left to right through a word. It is just one tool that you can use to help teach kids during guided reading.
I found it helpful even when working with third and fourth graders who were having trouble chunking multi-syllabic words in smaller print. They were having a hard time really seeing the parts they knew in longer words. I only used the tool for a short time as a scaffold until they could do it on their own with their finger and then their eyes only.
All you need is some heavier card stock paper and a thinner sentence strip or regular paper cut into a strip. I have uploaded a picture of one to show you if you haven't seen one before.
I hope this may help someone out there who is having the same issue. Happy Teaching!!
Brooke
This year I work with students in guided reading in all the grades, 1-4. I was noticing on my running records and notes that many students are trying the first letter and making a guess that looked almost right, then not checking. These were mostly first graders- example: they said grass for ground. My second graders were doing the same thing, except maybe sliding for slipping. My third graders might say blushing for blistering. My fourth graders were doing the same thing, except their words were even more complex, with more parts. I thought about what I could do to help them notice. They were not monitoring with visual information from left to right. Sometimes, they were stuck on the word and would just blend the beginning sounds and that's it! bl, bl, bl.... Say more!!! (I thought).
What to do?
I started thinking about what I would do when I was a Reading Recovery teacher. Ding!! (light bulb) One of the strategies that I would try was to get the good ole slider card out and show the student how to effectively process through the word left to right. Sometimes it is very important to show the kiddos EXACTLY where to look and how to look through the word. Sometimes kids just grab on to a feature that stands out in the word, not good! I had to show them how to look at the first part, the middle part and then the last part. The slider card can isolate the word and focus the eyes. The slider card can do many things. You can isolate the beginning sounds, a certain part or chunk of the word that may be known, or show the whole word. The slider card is easy to make and a great tool to help teach students how to look left to right through a word. It is just one tool that you can use to help teach kids during guided reading.
I found it helpful even when working with third and fourth graders who were having trouble chunking multi-syllabic words in smaller print. They were having a hard time really seeing the parts they knew in longer words. I only used the tool for a short time as a scaffold until they could do it on their own with their finger and then their eyes only.
All you need is some heavier card stock paper and a thinner sentence strip or regular paper cut into a strip. I have uploaded a picture of one to show you if you haven't seen one before.
I hope this may help someone out there who is having the same issue. Happy Teaching!!
Monday, January 16, 2012
A New World for Me
Hey everyone!!! I started this blog to help me connect to other teachers, reading intervention professionals, and just readers!!! This blog will have posts related to my teaching, my favorite books, and anything related to literacy teaching and learning. The first thoughts that are coming to my mind are the thoughts that have been consuming every teacher's mind; how to fit it all in!!
I am a reading acceleration teacher, which is code for reading intervention provider. I spent the last five years as a Reading Recovery teacher, which was amazing. I learned from one of the best Reading Recovey teacher leaders in my opinion, which makes me really lucky. Through my training and the years of Continuing Contact, I learned how to effectively observe, assess, and then teach early literacy behaviors and reach the most struggling of students. I want to continue to keep learning and growing as a literacy teacher and I no longer have my monthly professional development meetings with the rest of my colleagues. Those sessions were so helpful to me as a teacher. We learned from each other. I have learned from so many amazing people; Donna, Barb, Ann, Cheryl, Kathy, Merla, Carrie S., Karen, Melissa, Carrie R., Stacy, Rebecca, Rebekkah, to name a few!
So my first questions to all of you teachers out there is this; how do you maximize your groups with only 20 minutes, without Reading Recovery? I have been racking my brain on how to be more effective. I am trying to fit in all the components of a good lesson, based on the needs of the students. For example, in my first grade acceleration group,(I do have a tad bit more time with them), but the needs are so varied. I am struggling with how to maximize the instruction and get the best bang for my buck! These are some of the lowest first graders and I have been following this general framework.
Sometimes as teachers, we get caught up with going through the motions and getting everything done, that we don't stop and think "is this really working?" That is what I realized when we started up after the break. I thought, "what am I doing?" Has anyone else ever thought that? I hope so. Well, I am happy to have successfully posted my first entry on my new blog:)
I hope that everyone is having a great new year so far!!!
<3 Brooke
I am a reading acceleration teacher, which is code for reading intervention provider. I spent the last five years as a Reading Recovery teacher, which was amazing. I learned from one of the best Reading Recovey teacher leaders in my opinion, which makes me really lucky. Through my training and the years of Continuing Contact, I learned how to effectively observe, assess, and then teach early literacy behaviors and reach the most struggling of students. I want to continue to keep learning and growing as a literacy teacher and I no longer have my monthly professional development meetings with the rest of my colleagues. Those sessions were so helpful to me as a teacher. We learned from each other. I have learned from so many amazing people; Donna, Barb, Ann, Cheryl, Kathy, Merla, Carrie S., Karen, Melissa, Carrie R., Stacy, Rebecca, Rebekkah, to name a few!
So my first questions to all of you teachers out there is this; how do you maximize your groups with only 20 minutes, without Reading Recovery? I have been racking my brain on how to be more effective. I am trying to fit in all the components of a good lesson, based on the needs of the students. For example, in my first grade acceleration group,(I do have a tad bit more time with them), but the needs are so varied. I am struggling with how to maximize the instruction and get the best bang for my buck! These are some of the lowest first graders and I have been following this general framework.
- high frequency word practice(words that should be known): write on whiteboards, make with magnetic letters, etc. prompting for fast and fluent writing & reading the words
- new book: interactive introduction, predict and locate
- teaching during the first read
- teaching after the first read
- interactive writing about the book-teaching page/writing page/boxes/words to fluency etc.
- more word work-either teaching a new word or learning how words work
Sometimes as teachers, we get caught up with going through the motions and getting everything done, that we don't stop and think "is this really working?" That is what I realized when we started up after the break. I thought, "what am I doing?" Has anyone else ever thought that? I hope so. Well, I am happy to have successfully posted my first entry on my new blog:)
I hope that everyone is having a great new year so far!!!
<3 Brooke
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