Week 11: Assignment #2

A great literacy strategy for a teacher to implement in the classroom is read alouds. Students improve comprehension and literacy, as well as build many foundational skills. They get to see the teacher model fluent and expressive reading. They also enrich their vocabulary and grammar when hearing the teacher read to them.
Teachers should read to students and ask questions while reading. Teachers can stop at certain points of the book and ask the students what they think will happen next, why did this event happen...This engages the students and provides great opportunity to improve their comprehension skills. 

http://www.examiner.com/article/asking-questions-while-reading-out-loud-improves-literacy-new-study-reveals

Ask Students Questions While Reading Aloud to Improve Literacy

The University of Virginia's School of Education conducted a study and found that when teachers read aloud to students and asked questions during the reading process, students showed improved reading comprehension and literacy skills. The study also found that students' literacy improved when they were asked questions and actively engaged with the text, rather than just looking at the pictures while teachers were reading aloud.

I found a great lesson plan for first graders where the teacher reads The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein aloud to the class and turns the reading into a lesson.
http://curry.virginia.edu/reading-projects/projects/garf/First%20Read-alouds/The%20Giving%20Tree.doc

 

Week 10: Strategies for Teaching ELLs

http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cDXbYMQVMn

Week 9: Lesson on Comprehension

Candidate’s Name: Sarah Kovalenko

Grade Level: 2

Title of the lesson: Comprehension

Length of the lesson: 40 minutes

Central focus of the lesson (The central focus should align with the CCSS/content standards and support students to develop an essential literacy strategy and requisite skills for comprehending or composing texts in meaningful contexts) Read a text and comprehend it fully. Use different strategies and methods to help comprehend.

Knowledge of students to inform teaching (prior knowledge/prerequisite skills and personal/cultural/community assets) Students can read age appropriate texts. Now they will focus on comprehending what they are reading, analyzing the text and answering questions.

Common Core State Standards (List the number and text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the relevant part[s].) Common Core Learning Standards for ELA and Literacy) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.2 Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

Support literacy development through language (academic language) Students will analyze a text, make inferences and draw conclusions. Read and write.

Learning objectives Students will learn to comprehend a text. Students will ask and answer questions to help themselves comprehend a text. Students will practice reading and writing.

Formal and informal assessment (including type[s] of assessment and what is being assessed) Informally, ask questions throughout reading to make sure that they understand the text. Also, check on them during the group discussions and assess. Formally, take a look at the drawings and the letters that they wrote to the author.

Instructional procedure: Instructional strategies and learning tasks (including what you and the students will be doing) that support diverse student needs. Read the book Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes, aloud to the class. Ask questions about the story while reading. After each page, have the students draw a picture to demonstrate their understanding of what occurred in that segment. In groups, have the students share ideas and facilitate a discussion in which they discuss how they think the story would continue. (How would the character change? What might he/she do next? Why?) Then have the groups present their ideas to the class. Next, have the students work in pairs to write a letter to the author explaining what they liked about the book, and what their favorite part was.

Instructional resources and materials used to engage students in learning. Book: Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes

Reflection This lesson has many entry points- drawing, reading, writing, working with others.. This allows for each child to learn effectively. I would put more emphasis and focus on teaching vocabulary. I might stop while reading to explain difficult words. This would definitely help ELLs and struggling readers, who need more practice and attention.

Dr. Hui-Yin Hsu Spring 2014

Reflection on Running Record

My experience using running records has been a wonderful one. I have never used it before and at first I was confused about what to do, what it's purpose was, and how to go about doing it. However, after learning about it and practicing how to do some, I've learned that it's an effective and accurate way to assess students' fluency levels.

The first running record I gave was on a pre-recorded reading. I found it pretty hard to catch every nuance and I had to keep on checking myself and resources. I did find it pretty cool the way the student actually did the things (i.e. errors) we learned about!

The next running records were on students. Here, I was more adept at listening to them and recording at the same time. Again, I was amazed at how much I gleaned about the student from one running record alone. I learned, besides for their level, what techniques they use, how they deal with difficult words and how well they understand the text.  Running records give so much insight into a child's reading.

I think running records should be used by all teachers. As a teacher, I would ensure that all students are assessed at the beginning of the year so that they can be addressed accordingly. Based on this, I would form literary groups and leveled reading.

In all, running records have given me a fresh way to analyze my students' fluency levels. It's consistency as well as accuracy and easiness to record make it an ideal tool for all teachers.

Mini lesson on running record

Name: Sarah Kovalenko

Grade Level: 2

Title of the lesson: Comprehending a Text

Length of the lesson: 20 minutes

Central focus of the lesson (The central focus should align with the CCSS/content standards and support students to develop an essential literacy strategy and requisite skills for comprehending or composing texts in meaningful contexts) Key questions: ●     what do you want your students to learn? Comprehension ●     what are the important understandings and core concepts you want students to develop within the learning segment? How to read a text accurately and comprehend the text fully, to be able to retell, answer questions about the text.

Knowledge of students to inform teaching (prior knowledge/prerequisite skills and personal/cultural/community assets) Key questions: ●     What do students know, what can they do, what are they learning to do? Students know how to read age appropriate words and sentences. They are learning to understand what they are reading. ●     What do you know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices, and interests? Students come from different backgrounds. All have families that encourage and support education. A small percentage are ELLs.

Common Core State Standards (List the number and text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the relevant part[s].) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.4.A Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.

Support literacy development through language (academic language) ●     Identify one language function (i.e. analyze, argue, categorize, compare/contrast, describe, explain, interpret, predict, question, retell, summarize or another one appropriate for your learning segment) Retell a story. ●     Identify a key learning task from your plans that provide students opportunities to practice using the language function. Teacher will read a text and ask the students to retell what happened in the story. ●     Describe language demands (written or oral) students need to understand and/or use. Know vocabulary in order to read, understand, and explain. ●     General academic terms: analyze, argue, categorize, compare/contrast, describe, explain, interpret, predict, question, retell, summarize or another one appropriate for your learning segment. Explain and describe what happened in a story, predict what might happen, summarize a story.

Learning objectives 1.     Students will learn how to read and understand a text. 2.      Students will be able to answer questions about a text, and explain and retell a text.

Formal and informal assessment (including type[s] of assessment and what is being assessed) ●     Explain how the design or adaptation of your assessment allows students with specific needs to demonstrate their learning. Consider all students, including students with IEPs, ELLs, struggling readers, and/or gifted students. Informally, I will ask frequent questions to see what the students understand. Formally, I will check their work and see if they have comprehended what they have read.

Instructional procedure: Instructional strategies and learning tasks (including what you and the students will be doing) that support diverse student needs.  First, I will read Monkey To The Topaloud to the class. I will ask questions throughout reading, to help the students understand what is going on. I will have the students answer lots of questions and try to retell the story. Then I will read another text, A Dog For Sally. I will have the students draw a picture for each page that I read. This will allow them to think about what I have just read. It also allows me to check whether they understand the text.

Instructional resources and materials used to engage students in learning. Monkey to the Top A Dog for Sally

Reflection ●     Did your instruction support learning for the whole class and the students who need great support or challenge? There is a drawing activity which most children enjoy. This is especially beneficial for students that are not great in expressing themselves through language. ●     What changes would you make to support better student learning of the central focus? More help for ELLs ●     Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your explanation from evidence of research and/or theory. ELLs need extra assistance and attention since the language is more difficult for them.

Running record and miscue analysis