Monday, January 31, 2011
kwl
I love KWL charts I use them in my classroom all the time. I have written a lesson plan using KWL chart with the book The very hungry caterpillar.
CindySummerhill: Module One
CindySummerhill: Module One: "Cindy Summerhill READ 5772 Dr.Swanson and Dr. Thompson Module One January 23, 2011 1. Three concepts I gleaned from the readings are, firs..."
Sue Ann Mayberry
Module #4
Fluency
One important thing I learned from chapter four was that fluency consisted of so many components. The components are word recognition, accessing word meaning, deciding on the correct meaning of the word, grouping words into grammatical units, generating inferences, and using reader knowledge to construct a coherent, understandable model of text. I knew some of the components; however, reading it in the chapter really made me think about the process of being a fluent reader.
Another important aspect I thought about while reading the decoding section was how the Jewish children could read the Hebrew text in preparation for their confirmation. However, they could not speak or understand the Hebrew language, which means no comprehension was taking place. So a student can be a fluent reader without constructing meaning of the materials that are read.
On page 178, it suggests that students should reread a passage four times to gain reading speed, word recognition, error reduction, and expression in oral reading. Students reach these goals with their teacher or in groups. Page 179 says that “students who are often embarrassed by poor oral reading skills achieve confidence and accomplishment through rereading of a text.”
The way I implemented research in my classroom was through chalk talks, hand puppets, and stick puppets while reading and retelling stories. The changes I made in my classroom were reading a story more than once, and giving students materials in centers so that they could make their own puppets.
The before strategy I used in my classroom was that I asked students questions that made them think about the events they thought were in the story. After students answered questions they were written on the board. The next day I re-read the story with the puppet. I asked the students the same questions to see if their answers changed. After questions were answered I put puppets, materials to make puppets and books in centers so that students could interact with the materials.
The effects of this activity was motivational, hands-on and creative for the students. I will continue using activities like this to help build a love for reading in my classroom.
Module #4
Fluency
One important thing I learned from chapter four was that fluency consisted of so many components. The components are word recognition, accessing word meaning, deciding on the correct meaning of the word, grouping words into grammatical units, generating inferences, and using reader knowledge to construct a coherent, understandable model of text. I knew some of the components; however, reading it in the chapter really made me think about the process of being a fluent reader.
Another important aspect I thought about while reading the decoding section was how the Jewish children could read the Hebrew text in preparation for their confirmation. However, they could not speak or understand the Hebrew language, which means no comprehension was taking place. So a student can be a fluent reader without constructing meaning of the materials that are read.
On page 178, it suggests that students should reread a passage four times to gain reading speed, word recognition, error reduction, and expression in oral reading. Students reach these goals with their teacher or in groups. Page 179 says that “students who are often embarrassed by poor oral reading skills achieve confidence and accomplishment through rereading of a text.”
The way I implemented research in my classroom was through chalk talks, hand puppets, and stick puppets while reading and retelling stories. The changes I made in my classroom were reading a story more than once, and giving students materials in centers so that they could make their own puppets.
The before strategy I used in my classroom was that I asked students questions that made them think about the events they thought were in the story. After students answered questions they were written on the board. The next day I re-read the story with the puppet. I asked the students the same questions to see if their answers changed. After questions were answered I put puppets, materials to make puppets and books in centers so that students could interact with the materials.
The effects of this activity was motivational, hands-on and creative for the students. I will continue using activities like this to help build a love for reading in my classroom.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Module 3 Response and case study
Sue Ann Mayberry
Dr. Swanson
Read 5572
Module #3
Reading chapter 7 made me more aware that children growing up in poverty have a limited amount of vocabulary, which influences their reading and comprehension. The book also talks about the “lack of vocabulary can be crucial factor underlining the school failure of disadvantage students” (p. 141). With this knowledge, I will have students write new words down, that they come across during their readings in the back of their journals, so that when they write they can use these new words in their daily writings. Doing this activity will build vocabulary as well as reading and comprehension skills.
Chapter 7 also talks about the use of sensory webs to enhance children’s writing, speaking, and comprehending skills. “The lines leading from the word outward provide places for students to fill in what the word smells like, taste like, looks like, sounds like, and feels like” (p. 147).
The example given in the text is “anger smells like hot burning coals, tastes like dry sand burning in the desert, looks like shattered glass on the pavement, sounds like fingernails screeching on the blackboard, and feels like a cold wind” (p. 147).
In chapter 7, I also liked the way it made me think about the words I use everyday. An activity they suggest using with middle school students is to have them analyze the adjectives used by cartoon charters to build vocabulary skills. More advanced learners could work with smaller children and record their vocabulary in a natural setting for ten minutes to draw conclusions about the wide range of word usage in the child’s speech.
Some of the changes that I made because of my readings from chapter 7, were that some of the questions that I down loaded from the think clouds. Some of the questions are” I thought_________ was important because….,” “ I made a connection when________, “I wondered_____________,” “ This was mostly about___________.”
Using think clouds in a classroom gave students a chance to think about the material they were reading. It also gave them a helpful tool to keep their mind focused on their readings.
Vocabulary and word recognition was taught through the use of the Frayer Model, which includes a list of characteristics or attributes of the concept. For example, “if the concept is reptile, the essential characteristics would include animal, cold-blooded, and vertebrate. If the concept is vegetable essential characteristics would include nutritious foods, found in non-woody plants, and contains vitamins and minerals” ( p. 56).
I used the Frayer Model, as well as think clouds and Venn diagrams in my classroom to give visual aids to my students. These helpful tools also keep the students’ minds focused on their readings. Students are making connection to the text as they read. Students are also building vocabulary skills as they are reading. The changes I made in my classroom because of these new strategies gave me and my students more ways to build their vocabulary, reading, motivation, and comprehensions skills.
Another during strategy I used was the Verbatim Split Page Procedure (VSPP). This system was designed to help students learn how to take notes. I had students divide their paper into a 60/40 fold. The left side of the paper represents 40% and the right side has 60% of the page. My students took notes from the board on the left side of their paper. Taking lecture notes on the left side of the paper gave students more of an opportunity to listen to the lesson that was being taught. Students were instructed to expand their notes on the 60% side of their paper so that they could fully understand them for later instruction. I helped students learn how to put them in an outlined format. Students learned how to put the notes in their own words so that they could understand what they needed to know. I gave more information during this time when students did not know how what material was important for them to know. This helpful tool will build the note taking skills that my students will use in my classroom as well as in future classrooms and in college.
Module Case Study 3
Amy could use the Read the TEXT Backwards, RTB strategy during her tutoring session. She could also use the Verbatim Split Page Procedure during this time. As her student is reading the summary of the book, Amy could have him/her write words down on the left side of his/her paper whose meaning was unclear so that he/she could look them up later. Later on the student could look up the meaning and write a sentence on the right side of the paper to build comprehension skills as well as vocabulary skills.
The strength of teaching the RTB is that Amy’s student will read the summary first. During his/her reading the student will have some clues what the story is going to be about. It will also help Amy to explain words that her student comes across that he/she did not know. Using the Verbatim Split Page Procedure during reading will help Amy as well as the student, to see if words that he/she looked up and wrote the dictionary meaning down go along with the story he/she is reading.
The weakness of this plan would be read the story with no idea on how to help her student gain comprehension and vocabulary skills. Another weakness would be having stories that are not on the independent level or motivational level the student needs. Students need to have stories that they like as well as a level they can read.
One of the strategy programs I would use is to have the student fill out the Garfield Interest survey. I would then go to the library and pick books out that are on the students’ independent and motivational level. The rationale is that I want my student to feel confident as well as motivated to want to read. I would also incorporate the Marzano’s approach, “which includes a nonlinguistic representation to build vocabulary, and clarifies meaning through the usage of metaphors” (p.73). I also learned this strategy through the readings on the case study. “He stresses subject-specified terms are the best target for direct vocabulary instruction” (p. 88). He also provides a list of 7,923 subject-specific terms in his book that could be used to help build vocabulary skills. A way I would use his program is to have the student pick a few of the words from his list and we would work together creating metaphors and writing a short story. My goal as well as Amy’s would be through this process the student will gain vocabulary, comprehension, and a love for reading.
Dr. Swanson
Read 5572
Module #3
Reading chapter 7 made me more aware that children growing up in poverty have a limited amount of vocabulary, which influences their reading and comprehension. The book also talks about the “lack of vocabulary can be crucial factor underlining the school failure of disadvantage students” (p. 141). With this knowledge, I will have students write new words down, that they come across during their readings in the back of their journals, so that when they write they can use these new words in their daily writings. Doing this activity will build vocabulary as well as reading and comprehension skills.
Chapter 7 also talks about the use of sensory webs to enhance children’s writing, speaking, and comprehending skills. “The lines leading from the word outward provide places for students to fill in what the word smells like, taste like, looks like, sounds like, and feels like” (p. 147).
The example given in the text is “anger smells like hot burning coals, tastes like dry sand burning in the desert, looks like shattered glass on the pavement, sounds like fingernails screeching on the blackboard, and feels like a cold wind” (p. 147).
In chapter 7, I also liked the way it made me think about the words I use everyday. An activity they suggest using with middle school students is to have them analyze the adjectives used by cartoon charters to build vocabulary skills. More advanced learners could work with smaller children and record their vocabulary in a natural setting for ten minutes to draw conclusions about the wide range of word usage in the child’s speech.
Some of the changes that I made because of my readings from chapter 7, were that some of the questions that I down loaded from the think clouds. Some of the questions are” I thought_________ was important because….,” “ I made a connection when________, “I wondered_____________,” “ This was mostly about___________.”
Using think clouds in a classroom gave students a chance to think about the material they were reading. It also gave them a helpful tool to keep their mind focused on their readings.
Vocabulary and word recognition was taught through the use of the Frayer Model, which includes a list of characteristics or attributes of the concept. For example, “if the concept is reptile, the essential characteristics would include animal, cold-blooded, and vertebrate. If the concept is vegetable essential characteristics would include nutritious foods, found in non-woody plants, and contains vitamins and minerals” ( p. 56).
I used the Frayer Model, as well as think clouds and Venn diagrams in my classroom to give visual aids to my students. These helpful tools also keep the students’ minds focused on their readings. Students are making connection to the text as they read. Students are also building vocabulary skills as they are reading. The changes I made in my classroom because of these new strategies gave me and my students more ways to build their vocabulary, reading, motivation, and comprehensions skills.
Another during strategy I used was the Verbatim Split Page Procedure (VSPP). This system was designed to help students learn how to take notes. I had students divide their paper into a 60/40 fold. The left side of the paper represents 40% and the right side has 60% of the page. My students took notes from the board on the left side of their paper. Taking lecture notes on the left side of the paper gave students more of an opportunity to listen to the lesson that was being taught. Students were instructed to expand their notes on the 60% side of their paper so that they could fully understand them for later instruction. I helped students learn how to put them in an outlined format. Students learned how to put the notes in their own words so that they could understand what they needed to know. I gave more information during this time when students did not know how what material was important for them to know. This helpful tool will build the note taking skills that my students will use in my classroom as well as in future classrooms and in college.
Module Case Study 3
Amy could use the Read the TEXT Backwards, RTB strategy during her tutoring session. She could also use the Verbatim Split Page Procedure during this time. As her student is reading the summary of the book, Amy could have him/her write words down on the left side of his/her paper whose meaning was unclear so that he/she could look them up later. Later on the student could look up the meaning and write a sentence on the right side of the paper to build comprehension skills as well as vocabulary skills.
The strength of teaching the RTB is that Amy’s student will read the summary first. During his/her reading the student will have some clues what the story is going to be about. It will also help Amy to explain words that her student comes across that he/she did not know. Using the Verbatim Split Page Procedure during reading will help Amy as well as the student, to see if words that he/she looked up and wrote the dictionary meaning down go along with the story he/she is reading.
The weakness of this plan would be read the story with no idea on how to help her student gain comprehension and vocabulary skills. Another weakness would be having stories that are not on the independent level or motivational level the student needs. Students need to have stories that they like as well as a level they can read.
One of the strategy programs I would use is to have the student fill out the Garfield Interest survey. I would then go to the library and pick books out that are on the students’ independent and motivational level. The rationale is that I want my student to feel confident as well as motivated to want to read. I would also incorporate the Marzano’s approach, “which includes a nonlinguistic representation to build vocabulary, and clarifies meaning through the usage of metaphors” (p.73). I also learned this strategy through the readings on the case study. “He stresses subject-specified terms are the best target for direct vocabulary instruction” (p. 88). He also provides a list of 7,923 subject-specific terms in his book that could be used to help build vocabulary skills. A way I would use his program is to have the student pick a few of the words from his list and we would work together creating metaphors and writing a short story. My goal as well as Amy’s would be through this process the student will gain vocabulary, comprehension, and a love for reading.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Sue Ann Marberry: Sue Ann Marberry: CindySummerhill: You have been p...
Sue Ann Marberry: Sue Ann Marberry: CindySummerhill: You have been p...: "Sue Ann Marberry: CindySummerhill: You have been put on Blackboard. ...: 'CindySummerhill: You have been put on Blackboard. Please look and..."
Sue Ann Marberry: CindySummerhill: You have been put on Blackboard. ...
Sue Ann Marberry: CindySummerhill: You have been put on Blackboard. ...: "CindySummerhill: You have been put on Blackboard. Please look and ...: 'You have been put on Blackboard. Please look and make sure it is t..."
CindySummerhill: You have been put on Blackboard. Please look and ...
CindySummerhill: You have been put on Blackboard. Please look and ...: "You have been put on Blackboard. Please look and make sure it is there."
Module 2 Response
Sue Ann Mayberry
Dr. Mary Swanson
Module 2
Phonological Awareness and Phonics
One important thing I gained from chapter 6 is that phonemes monitor the changes that occur in your mouth as you pronounce words (p. 111). For example gestures: your lips are closed for /p/, and then your tongue is tapping the roof of your mouth for /t/ also hissing of /s/ or buzzing of /z/ (p.111).
I also learned from chapter 6 that Spanish and Chinese students’ confusion will become apparent when they “segment English words into phonemes and write letters into representing the phones” (p. 114). Therefore, I realize that these students will benefit from explicit phoneme instruction.
Chapter 5 of our book states that “students who have doubts about their ability to learn something are less likely to try to learn it and more likely to give up when they encounter difficulty” (p. 89). Chapter 5 of our book it also says “One of the most important aspects of motivation is self-confidence (also called self-efficacy) (p. 89). With this information I know that as a teacher, I will need to have an encouraging atmosphere in my classroom so that students will want to learn.
One way I plan to implement research into my classroom is through Quick-Writes. Students will write a paragraph describing what they liked best from the book they read at home. After students have written down their paragraphs, they will go back and underline the phoneme that we are working with. This will help me determine whether students understand phonemes and to reinforce the phoneme skills we are working with. Another way I could use Quick-Writes, which would change how I teach in my classroom, is have a sentence on the board and have students write a few sentences down that will go along with the sentence I have on the board. While students are writing, I will be taking roll or lunch count.
When I used Quick-Writes in my classroom it gave me the opportunity to take lunch count and attendance in a quiet atmosphere. It also allowed me to determine if students knew the phoneme that we were working with, when I had them underline them in the paragraph they wrote. It was a helpful tool to use in my classroom.
The article “Phonemic Awareness”(2006), it states that “rime-based instruction is used in a number of successful reading programs. “For example, when wheat is used in a sentence, such as The little red hen gathered the wheat; a student might be taught to compare it to meat and say, “If m-e-a-t is meat then this is wheat” (p. 623). Then students would use wheat in the sentence to see if it made sense. In doing this exercise students are learning comprehension as well as decoding skills. Rime-based instruction worked well in my classroom to teach patterns of letters through sounding out words and showing similarities between words.
Another good point the Phonemic Awareness article talks about is that when teachers are using the basal reading program, they may want to “rearrange the phonics lesson, so that a more appropriate element is taught with each story that is being read” (p. 622). “For example, Trachtenburg (1990) suggests beginning by reading a quality children’s story as Angus and the Cat, providing instruction in a highly utility phonics element appearing in that story (short a in this case), and using that element to help read another book (such as The Cat in the Hat or Who Took the Farmer’s Hat?)” (p. 622). When I used this approach in my classroom, it reinforced the phonics skills that I wanted students to obtain.
Dr. Mary Swanson
Module 2
Phonological Awareness and Phonics
One important thing I gained from chapter 6 is that phonemes monitor the changes that occur in your mouth as you pronounce words (p. 111). For example gestures: your lips are closed for /p/, and then your tongue is tapping the roof of your mouth for /t/ also hissing of /s/ or buzzing of /z/ (p.111).
I also learned from chapter 6 that Spanish and Chinese students’ confusion will become apparent when they “segment English words into phonemes and write letters into representing the phones” (p. 114). Therefore, I realize that these students will benefit from explicit phoneme instruction.
Chapter 5 of our book states that “students who have doubts about their ability to learn something are less likely to try to learn it and more likely to give up when they encounter difficulty” (p. 89). Chapter 5 of our book it also says “One of the most important aspects of motivation is self-confidence (also called self-efficacy) (p. 89). With this information I know that as a teacher, I will need to have an encouraging atmosphere in my classroom so that students will want to learn.
One way I plan to implement research into my classroom is through Quick-Writes. Students will write a paragraph describing what they liked best from the book they read at home. After students have written down their paragraphs, they will go back and underline the phoneme that we are working with. This will help me determine whether students understand phonemes and to reinforce the phoneme skills we are working with. Another way I could use Quick-Writes, which would change how I teach in my classroom, is have a sentence on the board and have students write a few sentences down that will go along with the sentence I have on the board. While students are writing, I will be taking roll or lunch count.
When I used Quick-Writes in my classroom it gave me the opportunity to take lunch count and attendance in a quiet atmosphere. It also allowed me to determine if students knew the phoneme that we were working with, when I had them underline them in the paragraph they wrote. It was a helpful tool to use in my classroom.
The article “Phonemic Awareness”(2006), it states that “rime-based instruction is used in a number of successful reading programs. “For example, when wheat is used in a sentence, such as The little red hen gathered the wheat; a student might be taught to compare it to meat and say, “If m-e-a-t is meat then this is wheat” (p. 623). Then students would use wheat in the sentence to see if it made sense. In doing this exercise students are learning comprehension as well as decoding skills. Rime-based instruction worked well in my classroom to teach patterns of letters through sounding out words and showing similarities between words.
Another good point the Phonemic Awareness article talks about is that when teachers are using the basal reading program, they may want to “rearrange the phonics lesson, so that a more appropriate element is taught with each story that is being read” (p. 622). “For example, Trachtenburg (1990) suggests beginning by reading a quality children’s story as Angus and the Cat, providing instruction in a highly utility phonics element appearing in that story (short a in this case), and using that element to help read another book (such as The Cat in the Hat or Who Took the Farmer’s Hat?)” (p. 622). When I used this approach in my classroom, it reinforced the phonics skills that I wanted students to obtain.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Amanda Anderson: Welcome to READ 5572. This course is to introduce ...
Amanda Anderson: Welcome to READ 5572. This course is to introduce ...: "Welcome to READ 5572. This course is to introduce you to the best research-based strategies which should be implemented into your classroom...."
Donna McFerran 5572: HI! Welcome to READ 5572, the course which will i...
Donna McFerran 5572: HI! Welcome to READ 5572, the course which will i...: "HI! Welcome to READ 5572, the course which will introduce you to the best research-based strategies. Once you learn them, you will surely ..."
Case Study
As a group, we discussed that one of Susie’s strengths is that her parents have always encouraged her and provided her with books to read. Another strength is that she is motivated and wants to read. She also has “highly developed skills and has a great deal of understanding when it comes to reading.
Susie needs more challenging work at school so that she does not feel “bored.” Suzie needs to spend more time with children her own age. She can do this by inviting children over and reading to them . She could also ask parents if she could give some of her books away to the children. Susie’s parents could replace the books with new and more challenging books to help keep Susie’s interest up.
A strategy the teacher could suggest to the parents is to take Susie to a book store and let her pick out books that are on her independent level of reading. In doing this it will keep Susie’s motivation up as well as her love for reading. Susie could also invite neighborhood kids over and read to them from her new books. In doing this she is helping the children learn that reading can be fun. She is also gaining fluency and comprehension skills as she reads and rereads her books. Another strategy the teacher could suggest is to have Susie write her favorite part of the book down and draw a picture. She could share this with her friend at home, parent, or the teacher. In doing this it will help keep Susie’s love for reading level up. Our goal as teachers is to create lifelong readers and encouraging our students to read is how we will accomplish our goal.
One activity the teacher could have students do in class is students could read their favorite books to the class. Students could write in a journal at home or at school discussing details in the story that they liked. The students could write and learn about the main characters and discuss the plot of the story in their journals as well. Another activity or extension could be to have students get in small groups discussing and critiquing each others’ work. Students could also write a story and share with the class using the main characters from the book they liked.
Susie needs more challenging work at school so that she does not feel “bored.” Suzie needs to spend more time with children her own age. She can do this by inviting children over and reading to them . She could also ask parents if she could give some of her books away to the children. Susie’s parents could replace the books with new and more challenging books to help keep Susie’s interest up.
A strategy the teacher could suggest to the parents is to take Susie to a book store and let her pick out books that are on her independent level of reading. In doing this it will keep Susie’s motivation up as well as her love for reading. Susie could also invite neighborhood kids over and read to them from her new books. In doing this she is helping the children learn that reading can be fun. She is also gaining fluency and comprehension skills as she reads and rereads her books. Another strategy the teacher could suggest is to have Susie write her favorite part of the book down and draw a picture. She could share this with her friend at home, parent, or the teacher. In doing this it will help keep Susie’s love for reading level up. Our goal as teachers is to create lifelong readers and encouraging our students to read is how we will accomplish our goal.
One activity the teacher could have students do in class is students could read their favorite books to the class. Students could write in a journal at home or at school discussing details in the story that they liked. The students could write and learn about the main characters and discuss the plot of the story in their journals as well. Another activity or extension could be to have students get in small groups discussing and critiquing each others’ work. Students could also write a story and share with the class using the main characters from the book they liked.
Reflection over the readings
One important thing I learned from the readings was the Building Language Together (BLT) program “that focuses on the literacy of the child while parents act as facilitator and supporter” (p. 694). The hands-on centers introduce children to real life concepts; for example, in the third unit, a table is set up with food and the child can have a blue plate that chapter 3 suggest, with “broccoli, bread, and bacon” on it. This activity teaches initial sounds.
Another important thing I learned from the readings in chapter 3 was that teachers blame parents whose children fail to learn to read successfully. I have heard from my parents that it was the teacher’s job to teach the children how to read. As an adult I realize that it takes both the teacher and the parent working together to help most struggling readers learn to read. However, most parents do not know how to teach or what level of books they should have their children read. Chapter 3 in our book talks about the “Even Start Program that is the largest federally funded family literacy intervention program in the United States. It offers parents reading, storytelling, and prereading activities to use with their children.”(p. 51) As a teacher I will find out more about programs that involve parents and children working at home to help build the skills the students need to become lifelong readers.
From chapter 17 in our book I learned about acting, where the student is playfully misbehaving and testing the teacher to see how much he/she can get away with. This is where classroom management and rules should be set up during the first part of the year. The chapter goes on to say if the teacher does not have balanced, strict, kind, and fair rules, the student will have increasingly disruptive behavior (p. 396), which means that the whole class could suffer from one child’s behavior.
How I plan to implement the knowledge that I gained from reading this material is to promote parent involvement. I will have hands-on centers in my classroom that parents and students can interact with. Students will make flyers or newsletters inviting parents to come join our class.
The changes I will make in my classroom will include different ethnic materials in each center. I will have students tell me what they think their parents would like to see in our centers from their culture. Another thing that will be added to centers is books from each culture that correlate with the centers unit. I will also ask parents if they would like to read and explain their culture to the class.
Some of the before strategies I would use in my classroom will be prediction and questioning. I will ask students’ questions before the centers are set up and build the centers around students answers. I will ask students what rules should be placed on the centers. For example, how should we act during center time? Rules would be placed in each center after the students have worked with me to create them. I feel that this will help them to remember the rules. When misbehavior happens I will have the student read the number he/she is demonstrating to encourage a change in his/her behavior.
An after strategy I will use is to have each student write a thank you letter to their parents for their participation in our class. I will also ask students what they liked about center time. We will discuss what changes they think should be made to improve our centers for the next parent involvement activity. The effects will be positive because parents, students, and teachers are all working together to create a motivational learning environment.
Another important thing I learned from the readings in chapter 3 was that teachers blame parents whose children fail to learn to read successfully. I have heard from my parents that it was the teacher’s job to teach the children how to read. As an adult I realize that it takes both the teacher and the parent working together to help most struggling readers learn to read. However, most parents do not know how to teach or what level of books they should have their children read. Chapter 3 in our book talks about the “Even Start Program that is the largest federally funded family literacy intervention program in the United States. It offers parents reading, storytelling, and prereading activities to use with their children.”(p. 51) As a teacher I will find out more about programs that involve parents and children working at home to help build the skills the students need to become lifelong readers.
From chapter 17 in our book I learned about acting, where the student is playfully misbehaving and testing the teacher to see how much he/she can get away with. This is where classroom management and rules should be set up during the first part of the year. The chapter goes on to say if the teacher does not have balanced, strict, kind, and fair rules, the student will have increasingly disruptive behavior (p. 396), which means that the whole class could suffer from one child’s behavior.
How I plan to implement the knowledge that I gained from reading this material is to promote parent involvement. I will have hands-on centers in my classroom that parents and students can interact with. Students will make flyers or newsletters inviting parents to come join our class.
The changes I will make in my classroom will include different ethnic materials in each center. I will have students tell me what they think their parents would like to see in our centers from their culture. Another thing that will be added to centers is books from each culture that correlate with the centers unit. I will also ask parents if they would like to read and explain their culture to the class.
Some of the before strategies I would use in my classroom will be prediction and questioning. I will ask students’ questions before the centers are set up and build the centers around students answers. I will ask students what rules should be placed on the centers. For example, how should we act during center time? Rules would be placed in each center after the students have worked with me to create them. I feel that this will help them to remember the rules. When misbehavior happens I will have the student read the number he/she is demonstrating to encourage a change in his/her behavior.
An after strategy I will use is to have each student write a thank you letter to their parents for their participation in our class. I will also ask students what they liked about center time. We will discuss what changes they think should be made to improve our centers for the next parent involvement activity. The effects will be positive because parents, students, and teachers are all working together to create a motivational learning environment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)