The purpose of homework is to extend the students' learning. Students will not be asked to do something that they aren't familiar with. Before students are released, I will make sure that they understand their assignement by modeling a portion of the homework, answering any questions the students may have, and assigning them a study buddy so that they can call each other if no one is around to help at home. At the elementary level homework should not exceed more than 20 minutes. Homework will mostly consist of reading logs, math problems, journals, and observations.
Parents: At the beginning of the year, parents will receive information about my homework policy and their roles. Parents need to "help" with their child's homework by encouraging, listening, monitoring, praising, and discussing, and brainstorming; not giving them the answers. If necessary, homework will be written in their first language so that they may help their child. Homework is meant to be worked on independently. If a student needs lots of help then I need to be aware of this and make some adjustments. Parents may contact me with questions or concerns via email or phone.
Students are expected to finish their homework. If students did not complete their homework then I will have a conference with that student and ask why they weren't able to finish. They may complete their homework during recess, lunch, or after school with my guidance. Homework will be graded either by me or the students. They will be given feedback the next day.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Fiction vs. Non-Fiction
I once observed Kindergarten students taking a district text. One of the questions that was asked was if the story they have just read was a fiction or non-fiction book. Before the student answered, the teacher had to first explain what each term meant. This caught me off guard because the test was asking for something the students haven't learned yet. Because the teacher explained what each genre meant, most students were able to answer the question correctly. After the test, we were required to ask students if a story was fiction or non-fiction during the guided reading groups.
To introduce fiction and non-fiction stories, I would have the students investigate the differences betweeen a fiction book and a non-fiction book (about the same topic, if possible). What does one book have that the other doesn't? To benefit ELL students, I would make a class T chart and give them their own copy (T chart G.O) so that we could write down the differences together. I think this would be the simplest way to do it. In order for ELL students to understand the graphic organizer concept, I would need to model first, model again but having the students remind me of what I should do, and then allow them to do it on their own. This is not a one day lesson however. I would repeat his process with fiction and non-fiction and then later on with other genres.
To introduce fiction and non-fiction stories, I would have the students investigate the differences betweeen a fiction book and a non-fiction book (about the same topic, if possible). What does one book have that the other doesn't? To benefit ELL students, I would make a class T chart and give them their own copy (T chart G.O) so that we could write down the differences together. I think this would be the simplest way to do it. In order for ELL students to understand the graphic organizer concept, I would need to model first, model again but having the students remind me of what I should do, and then allow them to do it on their own. This is not a one day lesson however. I would repeat his process with fiction and non-fiction and then later on with other genres.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Sheltered Lesson
I thought this clip was more of a lecture than a sheltered lesson. The teacher did provide some sheltering aspects but I do not think it was enough, especially for ELL students. I did like the PLAN, DO, STUDY, ACT graphic organizer posted on the board. She kept going back to this to remind them of what they will be learning throughout the week. When describing the word "grievences," she defined it, gave an example that can relate to the students, and then related it to the topic they were studying. This was a good verbal explanation, but there was no visual. She should have had the students fill out a graphic organizer to help them define and comprehend the word since this was a crucial vocabulary word to know. She did ask about the students' background of knowledge of the Declaration of Independence which was good, but I think she could have done it in a more effective way. Students could do a think-pair-share about what they know about the Declaration of Independence or just have them quickly jot down what they remember about it. If questions are used, there needs to be more wait time. When I think of a sheltered lesson, I see more visuals and more engagement. I feel like this lesson did not provide much of that.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Running Record
Information about how to do a Running Record:
-Teacher or student chooses a book that is at appropriate level (you may change the level after results)
-Have a sheet ready to mark what the student is reading (the reader should be sitting right next to you)
-What to look for:
- Self corrections
- Insertion of words
- Omission of words
- Repetition
- Substitutions
- Long Pauses
-Miscues (mistakes) are either:
- Meaning - uses background knowledge to identify words (semantics)
- Visual - Letter-sound smilarities
- Structure - how our language goes together (syntax)
http://ww2.chandler.k12.az.us/tarwater-elementary/teacherresource/Running%20Records.htm This website helps it explain if you've never done it before
I've done a running record before but it's been awhile so I observed a teacher to refresh my memory. Running records are extremely helpful because they are quick to use and they give you results instantly. You can also use them as much as you need to. Instead of taking an assessment at the beginning of the year, and then again at end of the year, running records can be used weekly to see a student progress.
The student that was assessed with a running record was a 5th grade bilingual (English and Spanish) male. The running record was part of the DRA used. I was informed before hand that this student could read aloud very well but his comprehension could improve. The piece that he had read was a non-fiction story about storm-chasers. After marking and analyzing his performance, the student had 9 miscues, read about 82 words in a minute, and had a 96% accuracy. What surprised me was that he hit the warning area in the accuracy part. I thought 96% was a good thing.
The miscues from the student included omission and substituting. The words he omitted were oncoming, Arch, and big. I could understand that he missed "big" because it's a small word and something that he automatically knows. He could have just read too fast during that part. However, it's hard to determine why he missed "oncoming" and "Arch". These two words aren't used much in everyday language so possibily it could be a semantic mistake (doesn't have background knowledge about these words). The other words that were miscues were substitutions. These were visual miscues because the words that came out looked similar to the words on the print (i.e severe said as seven, and researchers said as reachers). This could mean that he was simply reading too fast.
For teaching points, I would have this student slow down first. I would tell him to use his eyes and to get his mouth ready. He seems to have good phonological and phonemic awareness, but his comprehension needs to be imporoved. To help him do this, I would have him stop, think, and react to what he had just read every other paragraph or so. He could also mark places that were of interest in the book.
-Teacher or student chooses a book that is at appropriate level (you may change the level after results)
-Have a sheet ready to mark what the student is reading (the reader should be sitting right next to you)
-What to look for:
- Self corrections
- Insertion of words
- Omission of words
- Repetition
- Substitutions
- Long Pauses
-Miscues (mistakes) are either:
- Meaning - uses background knowledge to identify words (semantics)
- Visual - Letter-sound smilarities
- Structure - how our language goes together (syntax)
http://ww2.chandler.k12.az.us/tarwater-elementary/teacherresource/Running%20Records.htm This website helps it explain if you've never done it before
I've done a running record before but it's been awhile so I observed a teacher to refresh my memory. Running records are extremely helpful because they are quick to use and they give you results instantly. You can also use them as much as you need to. Instead of taking an assessment at the beginning of the year, and then again at end of the year, running records can be used weekly to see a student progress.
The student that was assessed with a running record was a 5th grade bilingual (English and Spanish) male. The running record was part of the DRA used. I was informed before hand that this student could read aloud very well but his comprehension could improve. The piece that he had read was a non-fiction story about storm-chasers. After marking and analyzing his performance, the student had 9 miscues, read about 82 words in a minute, and had a 96% accuracy. What surprised me was that he hit the warning area in the accuracy part. I thought 96% was a good thing.
The miscues from the student included omission and substituting. The words he omitted were oncoming, Arch, and big. I could understand that he missed "big" because it's a small word and something that he automatically knows. He could have just read too fast during that part. However, it's hard to determine why he missed "oncoming" and "Arch". These two words aren't used much in everyday language so possibily it could be a semantic mistake (doesn't have background knowledge about these words). The other words that were miscues were substitutions. These were visual miscues because the words that came out looked similar to the words on the print (i.e severe said as seven, and researchers said as reachers). This could mean that he was simply reading too fast.
For teaching points, I would have this student slow down first. I would tell him to use his eyes and to get his mouth ready. He seems to have good phonological and phonemic awareness, but his comprehension needs to be imporoved. To help him do this, I would have him stop, think, and react to what he had just read every other paragraph or so. He could also mark places that were of interest in the book.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Learning/ Word Recognition vs. Acquisition/Sociopsycholinguistic
Label each activity (L) for learning/word recognition or (A) for acquisiton/sociopsycholinguistic view.
Some activities can have both labels. Be prepared to explain your choices.
The students:
__L___look up words in the dictionary to write definitions
__A___make a Venn diagram to compare two stories
__L__practice sounding out words
__L___read in round~robin fashion
__A___correct peers when they make a mistake during reading
__A___identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound
__A__group cards with classmates' names by a criterion on such as first or last letter
__A___write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound
__L___ask the teacher how to spell any word they don't know
__L__read a language experience story they have created with the teacher
__A___work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences
__L___divide words into syllables
__L___on a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound
__A___make alphabet books on different topics
The teacher:
__L___pre-teaches vocabulary
_L/A___does a shared reading with a big book
__L__makes sure that students read only books that fit their level
__L___has students segment words into phonemes
__L__writes words the students dictate for a story and has students help with the spelling of difficult words
__A___asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter
__L___uses decodable texts
__A___sets aside time for SSR (sustained silent reading) each day teaches Latin and Greek roots
__A___has students meet in literature circles
__L___conducts phonics drills
__L___chooses predictable texts
__A___teaches students different comprehension strategies does a picture walk of a new book
__L___uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills
I think of Word Recognition/Learning as breaking down the fundamentals of reading and writing. Students learn the fundamentals first, and then the message second. I also think of this as the skill and drill approach. The teacher teaches the lesson and then the students practice the learned skill through worksheets, basal reading, etc.
With the Acquisition/Sociopsycholinguistic view, the message is first and the fundamentals come next. I believe this is more student-based teaching where the students learn from themselves, each other, and the guidence of the teacher. I visualize a lot of group work, student-teacher conferences, individual work, etc. I personally like this approach better.
Some activities can have both labels. Be prepared to explain your choices.
The students:
__L___look up words in the dictionary to write definitions
__A___make a Venn diagram to compare two stories
__L__practice sounding out words
__L___read in round~robin fashion
__A___correct peers when they make a mistake during reading
__A___identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound
__A__group cards with classmates' names by a criterion on such as first or last letter
__A___write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound
__L___ask the teacher how to spell any word they don't know
__L__read a language experience story they have created with the teacher
__A___work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences
__L___divide words into syllables
__L___on a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound
__A___make alphabet books on different topics
The teacher:
__L___pre-teaches vocabulary
_L/A___does a shared reading with a big book
__L__makes sure that students read only books that fit their level
__L___has students segment words into phonemes
__L__writes words the students dictate for a story and has students help with the spelling of difficult words
__A___asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter
__L___uses decodable texts
__A___sets aside time for SSR (sustained silent reading) each day teaches Latin and Greek roots
__A___has students meet in literature circles
__L___conducts phonics drills
__L___chooses predictable texts
__A___teaches students different comprehension strategies does a picture walk of a new book
__L___uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills
I think of Word Recognition/Learning as breaking down the fundamentals of reading and writing. Students learn the fundamentals first, and then the message second. I also think of this as the skill and drill approach. The teacher teaches the lesson and then the students practice the learned skill through worksheets, basal reading, etc.
With the Acquisition/Sociopsycholinguistic view, the message is first and the fundamentals come next. I believe this is more student-based teaching where the students learn from themselves, each other, and the guidence of the teacher. I visualize a lot of group work, student-teacher conferences, individual work, etc. I personally like this approach better.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Review of Children's Books
One of the stories I've read was Calling Doctor Amelia Bedelia by Herman Parish. If anyone has read the Amelia Bedelia books, you would know that she turns figurative sayings into literal actions. An ESL student probably wouldn't understand some of the figurative language. In fact, my Dutch roommate who is fluent in English, did not understand some of the sayings. I think this book would be a good way to introduce figurative language vs. literal language. As an activity to better understand this I would have students partner up. One student can act out the literal part and the other student can state what the phrases are trying to say. Another component that might affect the students' comprehension is the vocabulary. There are lots of medical vocabulary that students may not understand such as thermometer, shot, headache, etc. With this, I would ask questions prior to the story about their experiences with sickness. I would also post up the words on the board and have the students raise their hands if they heard the word from the book. If they did, I would ask them what they thought the words meant and I would draw the objects on the board. With some cultures, people do not go to the hospital so some students may not understand what is going on. With this, I would have students pair up and discuss how they get treated and compare and contrast their experiences to what was said in the book (maybe use a venn diagram).
The other book I read was the Magic School Bus Get's All Dried Up by Joanna Cole. The Magic School Bus books might really frustrate some students because there is so much information packed in, it contains lots of scientific terms, the story is hard to follow along, and there is a lot of sarcasm that students might not pick up. I would read this book after a desert unit. That way students will be familiar with the vocabulary. If they still did not understand some words, I would have them do more research and use graphic organizers as well as adding on to the word wall or word bank. To help the students follow along the story, I would use a story map that contains both sketches and words. After some pauses, I could ask the students to clarify what happened before. There's also some sarcasm in the book which I'm not sure how I would teach that. I may just have to use some examples and have them decide if it's sarcasm or not.
The other book I read was the Magic School Bus Get's All Dried Up by Joanna Cole. The Magic School Bus books might really frustrate some students because there is so much information packed in, it contains lots of scientific terms, the story is hard to follow along, and there is a lot of sarcasm that students might not pick up. I would read this book after a desert unit. That way students will be familiar with the vocabulary. If they still did not understand some words, I would have them do more research and use graphic organizers as well as adding on to the word wall or word bank. To help the students follow along the story, I would use a story map that contains both sketches and words. After some pauses, I could ask the students to clarify what happened before. There's also some sarcasm in the book which I'm not sure how I would teach that. I may just have to use some examples and have them decide if it's sarcasm or not.
New Language Decoding
The language I chose to read was Dutch. My roommate is from Holland so she had some Dutch books lying around. Now the only Dutch word I know is my last name (Kuipers) which means "barrel maker" so you can imagine how I felt when I attempted to read an adult-level book. I read the first page of a novel and I honestly could not recognize anything except for names like Katie. I did see some words that were pretty frequent and I just assumed that they were our sight words such as the, of, to, and, etc. However, I wanted to throw the book after I tried to read the first few sentences.
Luckily, my roommate had a children's book that I could look at. The book actually had songs in it and it was about Santa Clause. The pictures were helpful to get a gist of what the songs were about. In Dutch, Santa Clause was spelled Sinterklaas which almost sounds like and looks like Santa Clause.
Teachers need to use lots of repetition to increase fluency but we need more visuals, more role-playing, more activities to increase a student's comprehension.
Luckily, my roommate had a children's book that I could look at. The book actually had songs in it and it was about Santa Clause. The pictures were helpful to get a gist of what the songs were about. In Dutch, Santa Clause was spelled Sinterklaas which almost sounds like and looks like Santa Clause.
Teachers need to use lots of repetition to increase fluency but we need more visuals, more role-playing, more activities to increase a student's comprehension.
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