This is what my students have been saying to me after I allowed them a little free time with the iTouch. It started simply enough, I wanted to help some of the students be a bit more motivated to pass their math timings. So, I told them whomever passed could use my iTouch the next day. Of course they had to play a math game on it. That day one boy passed! The next couple of days, as this boy sat in the back playing math games on the Touch, the rest of the students continued taking math timings. On the third day, two more kids passed! Now I was in a predicament, 3 kids and one Touch! But it worked out in the end with the students taking turns playing Pearl Diver or Sum Stacker as the other two watched giving advice when needed. As they walked away all of them said, "I want one of those!"
I have seen how technology works in my home when it comes to my own children and their homework. Any homework that involves hopping on the computer to complete an assignment is the one done first and the printed out sheet of math facts is the homework that never seems to get done without me enlisting in some sort of argument. Kids these days live in the virtual world, it is what excites them and motivates them to attempt new things. So, why wouldn't a teacher use this tool in the classroom? Have you ever given an assignment that involved the students using the technology and seen them spring into action. I know that the students who I worked with never gave me groans or moans when I announced we were taking turns with the Touch.
We need to go with this technology thing. It is here to stay and students connect with it. Plus, don't tell anyone....but it makes learning FUN!
Showing posts with label literacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literacy. Show all posts
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
learning to love to read
When first meeting "J" I was a little worried about his reading level because he walked in with "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", a book that I knew was below a 4th grade level. However, I also feel that if a student desires a certain genre of book and it doesn't fit their level, then so be it because it is more important to get that student to develop the love to read. Yet, when speaking with "J", he told me just that: that he doesn't really like to read except for this book, which he has read over and over. He said that his mom has tried to get him to read the Percy Jackson series but that he didn't like it. We spoke some more and I began to mention other books that I knew were similar to Wimpy Kid, like the "Dork Diaries".
Our next meeting he was excited to tell me that he had placed a library hold on the "Dork Diaries", I was happy to hear that he was venturing on, but soon realized when I heard him read that this boy needed to be in a far more higher level. He read fast and at the end, looked at me with a smile and said, "Did I miss anything" This boy knew that he was being timed and checked for errors, of which he made none. My partner said he did great but that her only advice was that he slow down at the end of sentences because he doesn't stop. She made the fabulous analogy that it was like running a stop sign and crashing into the next sentence.
During the week I felt bad that I had recommended such an easy book for him: "The Dork Diaries" so I went to the public library and used their website. If you click on the KIDS section you can put the name of a book, I used "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", then click BOOKS LIKE IT, then I clicked a higher reading level and out comes a list of the suggested books. I quickly printed this out and brought it to him for our next meeting. When I handed him the list, he glanced at it and them help up a Nancy Drew book, saying that he was reading this now. GREAT, I thought! However, I noticed the following week that he hadn't read very much in the book, so I'm not too sure how much he is loving it.
Overall, "J" is on a great path to becoming a reader. He needs to slow down a bit when reading a loud, but I think that he reads fast mostly because he knows he is being timed. Our goal is for him to expand his reading genres and to say, "I love to read!" At this time we will concentrate on EALR 3: 3.1. Read to learn new information, and 3.4. Read for literary experience in a variety of genres.
Our next meeting he was excited to tell me that he had placed a library hold on the "Dork Diaries", I was happy to hear that he was venturing on, but soon realized when I heard him read that this boy needed to be in a far more higher level. He read fast and at the end, looked at me with a smile and said, "Did I miss anything" This boy knew that he was being timed and checked for errors, of which he made none. My partner said he did great but that her only advice was that he slow down at the end of sentences because he doesn't stop. She made the fabulous analogy that it was like running a stop sign and crashing into the next sentence.
During the week I felt bad that I had recommended such an easy book for him: "The Dork Diaries" so I went to the public library and used their website. If you click on the KIDS section you can put the name of a book, I used "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", then click BOOKS LIKE IT, then I clicked a higher reading level and out comes a list of the suggested books. I quickly printed this out and brought it to him for our next meeting. When I handed him the list, he glanced at it and them help up a Nancy Drew book, saying that he was reading this now. GREAT, I thought! However, I noticed the following week that he hadn't read very much in the book, so I'm not too sure how much he is loving it.
Overall, "J" is on a great path to becoming a reader. He needs to slow down a bit when reading a loud, but I think that he reads fast mostly because he knows he is being timed. Our goal is for him to expand his reading genres and to say, "I love to read!" At this time we will concentrate on EALR 3: 3.1. Read to learn new information, and 3.4. Read for literary experience in a variety of genres.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Assessing the Writing
Analysis:
We had the pleasure of doing a writing analysis on a 4th grade boy named, “J”. “J” read two pieces of writing, one a narrative that seemed to be an introduction letter to his teacher. This piece was shown to us as a final draft so it didn’t give us much to analyze. However, it did help us to know a little about “J”. It said that he has been told by past teachers that he talks a lot, is loud, and has to sit alone because he disturbs others, but that he really likes to do math. When we asked about whether he likes to write, he answered that he likes math. The second piece of writing that he brought was about his hamster, Hammy and it was this writing that we chose to analyze.
Meaning of the Piece:
“J” was very excited to read to us his story on his hamster, Hammy. He wrote about waking up and seeing his hamster on the dresser, who then jumped down and began to speak and how this was going to be the most exciting day, “the day all animals could talk.” The writing continues with the adventure of Hammy talking and “J” attempting to get the hamster off of him. He writes about asking her, “stupid questions” and thinking that he is “hallucinating” yet his first draft jumps around a lot and you wonder things like how does “J” know his hamster is out of the cage upstairs when he is downstairs. He also uses no adjectives to describe during the first draft, something that his teacher must have also commented on since words like the “dull” coffee table and “dirty” bedroom were added in his next draft.
Six Traits Assessment:
The ideas of the paper did consist of one main idea, that one day “all animals” could talk, the writing was only about one animal, his hamster. We were able to understand that the point of the story was to tell us of a journey with the hamster as it ran around his home, free and talking as she went. Overall, he is in the beginning developments of defining the topic, even though it is still basic and very general.
The organization definitely needs to be worked on. There never seems to be clear paragraphs with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Transitions to move from one paragraph to another aren’t there either. Overall, it seems to be lacking a clear sense of direction since his events seem to be going from one direction to another.
We felt that “J” tried very hard with voice. You could tell by reading the piece that he seemed sincere, that his writing had a purpose because he really did wish his hamster could talk and take him on an adventure. We felt that “J” probably really wanted to “pinky wrestle” with his hamster and that J probably had different thoughts about what Hammy would do if she was loose in the house and maybe wondered if she thought that she, “loved this house!” But, unfortunatley, he never seemed to be fully engaged with his writing.
“J’s” word choice definitely could be expanded on. His first draft had no adjectives in it and in the second draft adjectives were added but just basic ones like, “exciting” day, “cotton” shirt, “dirty” bedroom and “dirty” floor. Yet, he also used words in his first draft like “was I hallucinating” and “I totally freaked out!” We could tell he attempted to use colorful language, but his word choices could be expanded on to give his story a more powerful and engaging message.
We felt that both sentence fluency and convention are the biggest areas that J needs to work on. You could tell that “J” enjoyed writing about his beloved pet, but the story jumped around a lot (how did we get from the bedroom to the kitchen and back again) and he went back and forth with referring to Hammy as “he” then later as “she”. This shows that his problems with grammar and usage are not serious enough to distort meaning, but are not accurately applied all of the time.
Spelling:
“J” seems to be a great speller. Looking at the draft it seemed he made few to no spelling errors. The only one’s we noticed was “awnswered” and “hulusinating.”
While doing the spelling assessment on “J” he breezed through the words, never needing them in a sentence except for “cellar”. The only words he misspelled was “civilized” and “opposition.” This would place him at the early to middle intermediate stage in reading and writing.
Lesson Plan
Objectives
Student will apply writing conventions appropriately, use word function properly, and indenting paragraphs when necessary.
Standards
EALR :1. The student understands and uses a writing process.
Component: 1.4. Edits text.
1.4.1. Applies understanding of editing appropriate for grade level.
EALR 3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3:3. Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for the grade level.
3.3.5. Applies usage rules.
3.3.7 Applies paragraph conventions.
Materials
Two unedited paragraphs to show on projector
Copies of unedited paragraph for students to edit
Lined paper and pencil to write out new edited paragraph
Instructional Strategies:
Our overview is to have Jack learn how to begin new paragraphs and know when to transition to the next paragraph, check for grammar errors, spelling errors and to detect whether the paragraph is interesting enough to keep readers engaged. Our demonstrations will include not only the how, but the why as well so the students will be able to transfer the skills to broaden meaning for them (Routman, 147). We will also be pointing out how writing takes time and will include rereading and rethinking throughout the process in order be sure that your piece conveys what is intended and is clear and engaging to the reader (Routman, 148). We will be doing this lesson as a way to frontload. Doing this before expecting our students to write in the future will ensure that they understand our expectations, the task they will be assigned, and so that they will be prepared to succeed at this, and future, writing assignments (Routman, 220-221).
Teacher will begin by showing students an unedited, one-page paper on the projector. Using the “I do, we do, you do” strategy, instruction will begin by explaining the process of a properly written paragraph.
The teacher explains that a properly edited paper is organized with each paragraph having a topic sentence, 2-3 supporting sentences that focus on the main idea, has a closing sentence and that the paragraph is interesting.
The teacher continues editing the paper shown on the projector showing the class where a new paragraph should begin, by looking for the topic sentence. The teacher inserts the paragraph symbol where necessary and instructs students to add the symbol to their paper as well. The teacher will think out loud searching for the next topic sentence, asking for student feedback. When it appears that all students understand how to separate paragraphs they will be instructed to work independently at their desks to finish editing the paper until all necessary sections have been marked with the paragraph symbol. The teacher will then bring the class back together and they will talk about where the paragraphs should be separated.
The teacher will perform the same tasks as illustrated above - one task at a time, until the paper has been completely edited. The following tasks will entail determining whether the supporting ideas are interesting, if not, the teacher (and students) will insert adjectives to make the sentence(s) more interesting. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will also be corrected. (This lesson will take place over several days).
Finally, the teacher will show another un-edited paper on the projector and ask the class to work together to make the corrections. The teacher could give hints such as, “Oh, I see we have four mistakes in this paragraph” or “I see that the pet in the story is referred to as he, and as she – does that make sense?” or “What adjective could we use to describe this word and make the sentence more interesting?”
Once the entire class correctly edits the paragraph, the teacher will give each student an unedited paper to correct on their own. They are to correctly re-write this paragraph on their lined notebook paper to turn in for assessment.
After this, the teacher will then be able to assess the students to make sure they are ready to apply this on their future writings (assignments)done in class.
Assessment:
The teacher will be able to assess each student’s final edited paper, looking for paragraph organization, correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Works Cited
Routman, R. (2005). Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
We had the pleasure of doing a writing analysis on a 4th grade boy named, “J”. “J” read two pieces of writing, one a narrative that seemed to be an introduction letter to his teacher. This piece was shown to us as a final draft so it didn’t give us much to analyze. However, it did help us to know a little about “J”. It said that he has been told by past teachers that he talks a lot, is loud, and has to sit alone because he disturbs others, but that he really likes to do math. When we asked about whether he likes to write, he answered that he likes math. The second piece of writing that he brought was about his hamster, Hammy and it was this writing that we chose to analyze.
Meaning of the Piece:
“J” was very excited to read to us his story on his hamster, Hammy. He wrote about waking up and seeing his hamster on the dresser, who then jumped down and began to speak and how this was going to be the most exciting day, “the day all animals could talk.” The writing continues with the adventure of Hammy talking and “J” attempting to get the hamster off of him. He writes about asking her, “stupid questions” and thinking that he is “hallucinating” yet his first draft jumps around a lot and you wonder things like how does “J” know his hamster is out of the cage upstairs when he is downstairs. He also uses no adjectives to describe during the first draft, something that his teacher must have also commented on since words like the “dull” coffee table and “dirty” bedroom were added in his next draft.
Six Traits Assessment:
The ideas of the paper did consist of one main idea, that one day “all animals” could talk, the writing was only about one animal, his hamster. We were able to understand that the point of the story was to tell us of a journey with the hamster as it ran around his home, free and talking as she went. Overall, he is in the beginning developments of defining the topic, even though it is still basic and very general.
The organization definitely needs to be worked on. There never seems to be clear paragraphs with a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Transitions to move from one paragraph to another aren’t there either. Overall, it seems to be lacking a clear sense of direction since his events seem to be going from one direction to another.
We felt that “J” tried very hard with voice. You could tell by reading the piece that he seemed sincere, that his writing had a purpose because he really did wish his hamster could talk and take him on an adventure. We felt that “J” probably really wanted to “pinky wrestle” with his hamster and that J probably had different thoughts about what Hammy would do if she was loose in the house and maybe wondered if she thought that she, “loved this house!” But, unfortunatley, he never seemed to be fully engaged with his writing.
“J’s” word choice definitely could be expanded on. His first draft had no adjectives in it and in the second draft adjectives were added but just basic ones like, “exciting” day, “cotton” shirt, “dirty” bedroom and “dirty” floor. Yet, he also used words in his first draft like “was I hallucinating” and “I totally freaked out!” We could tell he attempted to use colorful language, but his word choices could be expanded on to give his story a more powerful and engaging message.
We felt that both sentence fluency and convention are the biggest areas that J needs to work on. You could tell that “J” enjoyed writing about his beloved pet, but the story jumped around a lot (how did we get from the bedroom to the kitchen and back again) and he went back and forth with referring to Hammy as “he” then later as “she”. This shows that his problems with grammar and usage are not serious enough to distort meaning, but are not accurately applied all of the time.
Spelling:
“J” seems to be a great speller. Looking at the draft it seemed he made few to no spelling errors. The only one’s we noticed was “awnswered” and “hulusinating.”
While doing the spelling assessment on “J” he breezed through the words, never needing them in a sentence except for “cellar”. The only words he misspelled was “civilized” and “opposition.” This would place him at the early to middle intermediate stage in reading and writing.
Lesson Plan
Objectives
Student will apply writing conventions appropriately, use word function properly, and indenting paragraphs when necessary.
Standards
EALR :1. The student understands and uses a writing process.
Component: 1.4. Edits text.
1.4.1. Applies understanding of editing appropriate for grade level.
EALR 3. The student writes clearly and effectively.
Component 3:3. Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for the grade level.
3.3.5. Applies usage rules.
3.3.7 Applies paragraph conventions.
Materials
Two unedited paragraphs to show on projector
Copies of unedited paragraph for students to edit
Lined paper and pencil to write out new edited paragraph
Instructional Strategies:
Our overview is to have Jack learn how to begin new paragraphs and know when to transition to the next paragraph, check for grammar errors, spelling errors and to detect whether the paragraph is interesting enough to keep readers engaged. Our demonstrations will include not only the how, but the why as well so the students will be able to transfer the skills to broaden meaning for them (Routman, 147). We will also be pointing out how writing takes time and will include rereading and rethinking throughout the process in order be sure that your piece conveys what is intended and is clear and engaging to the reader (Routman, 148). We will be doing this lesson as a way to frontload. Doing this before expecting our students to write in the future will ensure that they understand our expectations, the task they will be assigned, and so that they will be prepared to succeed at this, and future, writing assignments (Routman, 220-221).
Teacher will begin by showing students an unedited, one-page paper on the projector. Using the “I do, we do, you do” strategy, instruction will begin by explaining the process of a properly written paragraph.
The teacher explains that a properly edited paper is organized with each paragraph having a topic sentence, 2-3 supporting sentences that focus on the main idea, has a closing sentence and that the paragraph is interesting.
The teacher continues editing the paper shown on the projector showing the class where a new paragraph should begin, by looking for the topic sentence. The teacher inserts the paragraph symbol where necessary and instructs students to add the symbol to their paper as well. The teacher will think out loud searching for the next topic sentence, asking for student feedback. When it appears that all students understand how to separate paragraphs they will be instructed to work independently at their desks to finish editing the paper until all necessary sections have been marked with the paragraph symbol. The teacher will then bring the class back together and they will talk about where the paragraphs should be separated.
The teacher will perform the same tasks as illustrated above - one task at a time, until the paper has been completely edited. The following tasks will entail determining whether the supporting ideas are interesting, if not, the teacher (and students) will insert adjectives to make the sentence(s) more interesting. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will also be corrected. (This lesson will take place over several days).
Finally, the teacher will show another un-edited paper on the projector and ask the class to work together to make the corrections. The teacher could give hints such as, “Oh, I see we have four mistakes in this paragraph” or “I see that the pet in the story is referred to as he, and as she – does that make sense?” or “What adjective could we use to describe this word and make the sentence more interesting?”
Once the entire class correctly edits the paragraph, the teacher will give each student an unedited paper to correct on their own. They are to correctly re-write this paragraph on their lined notebook paper to turn in for assessment.
After this, the teacher will then be able to assess the students to make sure they are ready to apply this on their future writings (assignments)done in class.
Assessment:
The teacher will be able to assess each student’s final edited paper, looking for paragraph organization, correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Works Cited
Routman, R. (2005). Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Friday, November 19, 2010
I Dare You To......
Reading the "Writing Essentials" text has made me realize how important it is to get your students to love to write. There are many teachers out there who use the writing prompts, grade the grammar and spelling, and have the students re-write. But what I have learned is that writing is so much more than that! When a student reads a book, they will read more and more if they like the book, writing is the same way, you need to get a student to like it... but how?
Routman explains that you should have them write about themselves. Gosh, really? Do people like to write about their own experiences, their own idea's? but of course!
In my current Dyad the teacher did an amazing thing that I was so happy to have witnessed because I thought of Routman the entire time he did his lesson. He is currently doing a read-a-loud of "How to Eat Fried Worms", but he isn't the one doing the reading, he has a CD where someone else is. He has explained over the week to listen to the "voice", the excitement it has when reading, and how the speaker makes the reader want to know what is going to happen next. "How does a writer do that?" he asked his students. "How does a writer get his/her audience to want to read more and continue reading the story?"
A week later, after they had finished reading the book, he called them all to the carpet and asked them if they have ever been dared to do something or had they dared someone to do something? (this is because the book they had listened to is about a boy daring another boy to eat 15 worms!) Hands shot up from every student! He called on every single one and they shared the story.
The next day, he called them to the carpet again and this time he spoke about how to start a story to get your readers attention using the dare they shared the day before. It was amazing!! These students were so excited to write that they couldn't wait to get back and begin! As they worked on their stories over the next week, he had mini-conferences with each, making sure they were on track, had "voice" and an enticing beginning and satisfying closing. He never checked for spelling or grammar until the final draft. He did everything that Routman spoke of in chapter 9.
A week after that, the teacher brought in a recorder and let the students record their written story. They used "voice" and expression as they read from the story they had written.
It was an amazing thing to witness and I can honestly say that I have never seen so much excitement in students for a writing assignment.
Routman explains that you should have them write about themselves. Gosh, really? Do people like to write about their own experiences, their own idea's? but of course!
In my current Dyad the teacher did an amazing thing that I was so happy to have witnessed because I thought of Routman the entire time he did his lesson. He is currently doing a read-a-loud of "How to Eat Fried Worms", but he isn't the one doing the reading, he has a CD where someone else is. He has explained over the week to listen to the "voice", the excitement it has when reading, and how the speaker makes the reader want to know what is going to happen next. "How does a writer do that?" he asked his students. "How does a writer get his/her audience to want to read more and continue reading the story?"
A week later, after they had finished reading the book, he called them all to the carpet and asked them if they have ever been dared to do something or had they dared someone to do something? (this is because the book they had listened to is about a boy daring another boy to eat 15 worms!) Hands shot up from every student! He called on every single one and they shared the story.
The next day, he called them to the carpet again and this time he spoke about how to start a story to get your readers attention using the dare they shared the day before. It was amazing!! These students were so excited to write that they couldn't wait to get back and begin! As they worked on their stories over the next week, he had mini-conferences with each, making sure they were on track, had "voice" and an enticing beginning and satisfying closing. He never checked for spelling or grammar until the final draft. He did everything that Routman spoke of in chapter 9.
A week after that, the teacher brought in a recorder and let the students record their written story. They used "voice" and expression as they read from the story they had written.
It was an amazing thing to witness and I can honestly say that I have never seen so much excitement in students for a writing assignment.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Do Not Accept Failure as an Option
I've been thinking a lot about teachers and what makes them think whether a child is a failure or not. Shouldn't the question for them be, "Have I failed a child today?" Does failure occur when a student doesn't pass a standardized test or is it when a student doesn't go beyond what you know they are capable of, yet they stay at grade level, so it's OK?
For some reason these are things I began to think about when reading Regie Routman this week. I loved how she said that, "raised expectations mean that students learn what it means to explore writing in depth" (p54). I think this would go for any subject if a teacher gave high expectations in it and to their students by asking them to explore more. No matter where a student lives, has advantages or disadvantages, they don't need different instruction, they just need more good instruction, high expectations, and support from their teachers.
Literacy is a lifelong skill so by having higher expectations and getting students to "explain their thinking" can only make a student more successful. Yes, Routman uses all of her examples in literacy (writing), but it really does work for everything else too. She continues that, "unless we spend lots of time doing the task with them" (p.76), students will not only master the skills but become confident in them and then become an independent learner.
So share! Share your work, share your ideas and most important share your own failures. this in turn will gain your learners trust which is the most important thing you can do. If you can accomplish that, then you haven't failed a child.
This is something my dyad teacher does. He is an amazing teacher!! Every student in his class is important, every student feels important and every student knows it and believes it! He is truly developing strong readers, writers and mathematicians. He allows a student to voice an opinion and to know that what they say has been acknowledged.
When it comes to reading and writing, he never uses the "usual" writing prompts. His prompts usually go with a book that they are reading together. He gets them excited for the book and the writing. This past week after reading the beginning passages of "How to Eat Fried Worms" he got the class into a great conversation about whether they have ever been dared to do something or not? He listened to all of them as they shared an experienced. The next day the writing prompt was on the board, "have you ever been dared to do something? Well I have. Let me tell you about it". These students were so excited to begin to write that I honestly don't think they even realized that they were doing an assignment!
So, yes, get students excited, get them to share their everyday happenings and get them to want to learn by expecting great things from them!
The other thing I was thinking about during this weeks readings in Fox were phonics and vowels. I still struggle with an ELL student being able to "hear" the correct sound when they are unable to pronounce it correctly. I sat with 4 students in my main placement where my job was to teach them their vowel sounds. All students, while speaking English well, only a slight accent, still had trouble hearing the short "e", "a" if they said the word. However, if I said the word they understood. Just something to think about when working with students who speak a different language, a 2nd language or has an accent.
For some reason these are things I began to think about when reading Regie Routman this week. I loved how she said that, "raised expectations mean that students learn what it means to explore writing in depth" (p54). I think this would go for any subject if a teacher gave high expectations in it and to their students by asking them to explore more. No matter where a student lives, has advantages or disadvantages, they don't need different instruction, they just need more good instruction, high expectations, and support from their teachers.
Literacy is a lifelong skill so by having higher expectations and getting students to "explain their thinking" can only make a student more successful. Yes, Routman uses all of her examples in literacy (writing), but it really does work for everything else too. She continues that, "unless we spend lots of time doing the task with them" (p.76), students will not only master the skills but become confident in them and then become an independent learner.
So share! Share your work, share your ideas and most important share your own failures. this in turn will gain your learners trust which is the most important thing you can do. If you can accomplish that, then you haven't failed a child.
This is something my dyad teacher does. He is an amazing teacher!! Every student in his class is important, every student feels important and every student knows it and believes it! He is truly developing strong readers, writers and mathematicians. He allows a student to voice an opinion and to know that what they say has been acknowledged.
When it comes to reading and writing, he never uses the "usual" writing prompts. His prompts usually go with a book that they are reading together. He gets them excited for the book and the writing. This past week after reading the beginning passages of "How to Eat Fried Worms" he got the class into a great conversation about whether they have ever been dared to do something or not? He listened to all of them as they shared an experienced. The next day the writing prompt was on the board, "have you ever been dared to do something? Well I have. Let me tell you about it". These students were so excited to begin to write that I honestly don't think they even realized that they were doing an assignment!
So, yes, get students excited, get them to share their everyday happenings and get them to want to learn by expecting great things from them!
The other thing I was thinking about during this weeks readings in Fox were phonics and vowels. I still struggle with an ELL student being able to "hear" the correct sound when they are unable to pronounce it correctly. I sat with 4 students in my main placement where my job was to teach them their vowel sounds. All students, while speaking English well, only a slight accent, still had trouble hearing the short "e", "a" if they said the word. However, if I said the word they understood. Just something to think about when working with students who speak a different language, a 2nd language or has an accent.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Literacy- Week 3: Excited to get Kids to Write!
Could there possibly be a better book out there on how to get students to love writing, than Regie Routman’s, Writing Essentials? I love to write, I’ve never thought myself particularly brilliant at it, but I love that I can get my thoughts down on paper and reflect on those thoughts at a later time. So, the question always comes out, “How can you get a student to come to that same realization and make them see the benefits of writing?”
Routman says that too many teachers are either not confident in their own writing or teach writing based on test scores only. They have come to believe that the published programs on writing (curriculum) is the best to teach and have forgotten the fact that if a student is taught to love writing first, then they will do well on the tests. But how do you do that? How do you teach writing so that all students become effective and joyful writers and communicators?
Routman has her 12 writing essentials that lists such things as “write for a specific reader”, “create engaging leads”, and “craft authentic voice”. Apply correct conventions and form is listed as number 10. It was after reading this that it hit me! Teachers are doing it all wrong! We should be helping students find their voice first, we should be celebrating their “risk taking” by helping them find writing topics that they can relate to, and most of all, we should be encouraging them, even if there is only one sentence written in a 30 minute class.
I liked how Routman said that teachers should model writing in front of their class. Explain you should be your heart on the page when writing. Show them how to take a topic that is interesting to them, or an everyday happening, and begin a “list” of things to talk about. It can be a small list written on a post-it note and build on it from there.
Routman’s one line that affected me the most? “Kids enter kindergarten loving school and full of the promise of possibilities. They see themselves as writers…they want to write. It’s our job to ensure they don’t lose that positive, I am a writer spirit” (p. 20).
Isn’t this what it is all about? To make kids love to write! I know that after reading these first three chapters I am ready, and excited, to teach it!
Regie Routman's website:
http://www.regieroutman.com/
Routman says that too many teachers are either not confident in their own writing or teach writing based on test scores only. They have come to believe that the published programs on writing (curriculum) is the best to teach and have forgotten the fact that if a student is taught to love writing first, then they will do well on the tests. But how do you do that? How do you teach writing so that all students become effective and joyful writers and communicators?
Routman has her 12 writing essentials that lists such things as “write for a specific reader”, “create engaging leads”, and “craft authentic voice”. Apply correct conventions and form is listed as number 10. It was after reading this that it hit me! Teachers are doing it all wrong! We should be helping students find their voice first, we should be celebrating their “risk taking” by helping them find writing topics that they can relate to, and most of all, we should be encouraging them, even if there is only one sentence written in a 30 minute class.
I liked how Routman said that teachers should model writing in front of their class. Explain you should be your heart on the page when writing. Show them how to take a topic that is interesting to them, or an everyday happening, and begin a “list” of things to talk about. It can be a small list written on a post-it note and build on it from there.
Routman’s one line that affected me the most? “Kids enter kindergarten loving school and full of the promise of possibilities. They see themselves as writers…they want to write. It’s our job to ensure they don’t lose that positive, I am a writer spirit” (p. 20).
Isn’t this what it is all about? To make kids love to write! I know that after reading these first three chapters I am ready, and excited, to teach it!
Regie Routman's website:
http://www.regieroutman.com/
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Phonics: Week 2
Fox writes that when the teacher is familiar with, “the stages and understand the knowledge and abilities that underpin the use of strategies in the different stages, you can make decisions that will help children move from one stage to the next” (Fox p. 20). As I read this I couldn’t help but remember when I sat with 4th graders from my main placement school to give them a test that dealt with writing words with certain vowel sounds.
Now these students are smart! As we went over the vowel sounds and I asked them to give me examples, I was surprised that they were not able to. I wouldn’t consider them at the “low” end of their reading or writing skills, but these students did come from homes where another language was spoken. It hit me then that for them to use phonics would be harder and that it was probably easier for them to “memorize” the spellings of words then to sound them out. I believe they have phonemic awareness (awareness of the sounds in words) but did they really know the phonics part?
Yes, phonics is one of the basic skills that supports oral reading and also helps children learn new words, develop a larger reading vocabulary, contributes to fluent reading and helps them to become independent readers but when you are teaching an ELL student you have your work cut out for you. Which leads me to ask do students not learn to read or write if they aren’t able to pronounce vowels properly?
When my youngest daughter was in second grade she was having trouble with some of the testing in phonics. She was a bright student and could read and write quite well, her problem was that she had developed an accent and couldn’t sound out her letters properly. The school referred her to a speech therapist because the teacher felt it was harming her performance in phonics testing. When her father and I came to the speech therapist for a meeting, they soon discovered that her accent was a New York one, one that she had picked up because her father talks with an extremely thick Bronx accent. We placed her in speech therapy for a few months, but then withdrew her from it because we didn’t feel her reading/writing was being affected due to her accent, only her phonics tests were.
I guess my point is that while I think teaching kids to read and write based on phonics is a great way to do it, I also think we have to keep in mind those students that have accents or come from ELL homes and don’t pronounce words the same as the school community does.
Now these students are smart! As we went over the vowel sounds and I asked them to give me examples, I was surprised that they were not able to. I wouldn’t consider them at the “low” end of their reading or writing skills, but these students did come from homes where another language was spoken. It hit me then that for them to use phonics would be harder and that it was probably easier for them to “memorize” the spellings of words then to sound them out. I believe they have phonemic awareness (awareness of the sounds in words) but did they really know the phonics part?
Yes, phonics is one of the basic skills that supports oral reading and also helps children learn new words, develop a larger reading vocabulary, contributes to fluent reading and helps them to become independent readers but when you are teaching an ELL student you have your work cut out for you. Which leads me to ask do students not learn to read or write if they aren’t able to pronounce vowels properly?
When my youngest daughter was in second grade she was having trouble with some of the testing in phonics. She was a bright student and could read and write quite well, her problem was that she had developed an accent and couldn’t sound out her letters properly. The school referred her to a speech therapist because the teacher felt it was harming her performance in phonics testing. When her father and I came to the speech therapist for a meeting, they soon discovered that her accent was a New York one, one that she had picked up because her father talks with an extremely thick Bronx accent. We placed her in speech therapy for a few months, but then withdrew her from it because we didn’t feel her reading/writing was being affected due to her accent, only her phonics tests were.
I guess my point is that while I think teaching kids to read and write based on phonics is a great way to do it, I also think we have to keep in mind those students that have accents or come from ELL homes and don’t pronounce words the same as the school community does.
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Read-A-Loud Promotes Knowledge
When my oldest daughter was in pre-school we bought her an easel to do art on, but what actually happened was she began to “write” on it. When I asked her what her picture was of, she commented that it wasn’t a picture but a list of all the names of her stuffed animals. My husband rolled his eyes and commented something about her turning into her mother (me). This is because I constantly make lists and at that time was constantly telling my husband to “put it on the list”. I then realized that this is what my daughter was doing; making her lists and that this was the beginning of her literacy construction.
This was discussed in the article by Teals and Sulzby on how “the link of literacy with experiences and the active use of language is stressed” (p. 6). I fully agree with this statement because you can’t sit a child down and teach them how to read and write without them having the understanding of how it is used in every day life.
My husband and I set up our home with books readily available to our children as they grew up. We felt it important that they know how books, and reading, are. That by reading a book to oneself can take you on a fabulous adventure or that you can learn something new such as a fact that was unknown to you before.
Reading books aloud are also important to us because it shows a child how a book is suppose to be read and enjoyed. In kindergarten my daughter’s teacher read, Caps for Sale daily to the class. When we purchased the book for our daughter she asked my husband to read it, who, according to her, did it all wrong because he forgot to use “voices” when reading and he didn’t stand up and stomp his feet like her teacher did when acting out the story. This is yet another sign of an emergent reader who is, according to Teals and Sulzby, building listening and comprehension skills, building vocabulary, improving memory, and many more skills. Or as Ivey has written, “Engaging students with you as you read to them not only helps them think about the text but also tips them off to how they can read more thoughtfully on their own” (813).
Jump forward seven years to where my daughter is now in the 7th grade and her teacher is reading a loud to them Huckleberry Finn. A controversial book? You bet! The Council on Interracial Books for Children writes that children are exposed to certain attitudes regarding race and sexism that distorts perceptions to where we have stereotypes and sexism. They continue to explain how to look for stereotypes in books. Huckleberry Finn could be considered a stereotype but it is also a book that is so full of history that it has done amazing things to our daughter. It was introduced to her as a book that is on the list of books to be banned because of the stereotypes that is in it. Her teacher reads it to the class to make sense of the content and to allow discussions that may not happen otherwise. As Ivey writes, “reading to students helps them to experience a sophisticated text the way the teacher experiences it” (813). This holds true for our daughter for she now is able to finally understand the stereotypes of race and why certain words are not to be used in today’s society, or should never have been used in the past. But most of all this book led her to want to read more books that have been “banned” so that she can make the informed decisions on what is right vs. wrong and this has led to some great conversations in our home.
Overall, I agree with all articles on the benefits of a read-a-loud and its benefits it has from the emergent reader stage all the way through the middle school years. I have seen this first hand within my own children and am excited to continue with my own classroom.
This was discussed in the article by Teals and Sulzby on how “the link of literacy with experiences and the active use of language is stressed” (p. 6). I fully agree with this statement because you can’t sit a child down and teach them how to read and write without them having the understanding of how it is used in every day life.
My husband and I set up our home with books readily available to our children as they grew up. We felt it important that they know how books, and reading, are. That by reading a book to oneself can take you on a fabulous adventure or that you can learn something new such as a fact that was unknown to you before.
Reading books aloud are also important to us because it shows a child how a book is suppose to be read and enjoyed. In kindergarten my daughter’s teacher read, Caps for Sale daily to the class. When we purchased the book for our daughter she asked my husband to read it, who, according to her, did it all wrong because he forgot to use “voices” when reading and he didn’t stand up and stomp his feet like her teacher did when acting out the story. This is yet another sign of an emergent reader who is, according to Teals and Sulzby, building listening and comprehension skills, building vocabulary, improving memory, and many more skills. Or as Ivey has written, “Engaging students with you as you read to them not only helps them think about the text but also tips them off to how they can read more thoughtfully on their own” (813).
Jump forward seven years to where my daughter is now in the 7th grade and her teacher is reading a loud to them Huckleberry Finn. A controversial book? You bet! The Council on Interracial Books for Children writes that children are exposed to certain attitudes regarding race and sexism that distorts perceptions to where we have stereotypes and sexism. They continue to explain how to look for stereotypes in books. Huckleberry Finn could be considered a stereotype but it is also a book that is so full of history that it has done amazing things to our daughter. It was introduced to her as a book that is on the list of books to be banned because of the stereotypes that is in it. Her teacher reads it to the class to make sense of the content and to allow discussions that may not happen otherwise. As Ivey writes, “reading to students helps them to experience a sophisticated text the way the teacher experiences it” (813). This holds true for our daughter for she now is able to finally understand the stereotypes of race and why certain words are not to be used in today’s society, or should never have been used in the past. But most of all this book led her to want to read more books that have been “banned” so that she can make the informed decisions on what is right vs. wrong and this has led to some great conversations in our home.
Overall, I agree with all articles on the benefits of a read-a-loud and its benefits it has from the emergent reader stage all the way through the middle school years. I have seen this first hand within my own children and am excited to continue with my own classroom.
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