3/19/2012
3/06/2012
We Write
Nonfiction writing is an important skill for students to master. First, second and third graders have been learning and practicing sentence writing and are now moving on to paragraph writing. Instruction comes from The Write Tools manual by Alice Greiner.
Writing instruction began when students created a single sentence about a picture or a drawing. We brainstormed words we might use in each of the three parts of a sentence, then wrote the sentence. After writing, students conference with me about their work so they can see their strengths and weaknesses.
Students are also encouraged to use the CUPS acronym - does my sentence contain proper Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling? First graders sing "My Sentence Needs a Check." (Ask your first grade student to sing it to you.)
Currently, students are learning to put their ideas into a single topic paragraph. It's important to plan for a paragraph by first making a web of ideas, then narrowing those many ideas into a T chart of three or four Big Ideas and then adding Tell Me More information. (Ask your second or third grader to name the three parts of a paragraph.)
So far students have written about favorite recess games, colors they like to use, yummy fruit, snacks, and school supplies. Writing is hard work. Just ask them! But it is a necessary skill that also helps students become more proficient readers.
Writing instruction began when students created a single sentence about a picture or a drawing. We brainstormed words we might use in each of the three parts of a sentence, then wrote the sentence. After writing, students conference with me about their work so they can see their strengths and weaknesses.
Students are also encouraged to use the CUPS acronym - does my sentence contain proper Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, Spelling? First graders sing "My Sentence Needs a Check." (Ask your first grade student to sing it to you.)
Currently, students are learning to put their ideas into a single topic paragraph. It's important to plan for a paragraph by first making a web of ideas, then narrowing those many ideas into a T chart of three or four Big Ideas and then adding Tell Me More information. (Ask your second or third grader to name the three parts of a paragraph.)
So far students have written about favorite recess games, colors they like to use, yummy fruit, snacks, and school supplies. Writing is hard work. Just ask them! But it is a necessary skill that also helps students become more proficient readers.
2/08/2012
1/24/2012
Play the "uh-oh" game...
If your child continually misreads some words in context that he normally can read correctly from a practice list, play this game.
On a piece of paper write" Uh-Oh" on the left side and "I got it" on the right. After he reads each sentence give him a tally mark for each mistake under the "Uh-Oh" side and a tally mark for each perfect sentence under the "I got it" side. He'll pay closer attention to the words to get more "I got its" and soon stop making those errors.
Source: Preventing Misguided Reading by Jan M Burkins & Melody M. Croft
If your child continually misreads some words in context that he normally can read correctly from a practice list, play this game.
On a piece of paper write" Uh-Oh" on the left side and "I got it" on the right. After he reads each sentence give him a tally mark for each mistake under the "Uh-Oh" side and a tally mark for each perfect sentence under the "I got it" side. He'll pay closer attention to the words to get more "I got its" and soon stop making those errors.
Source: Preventing Misguided Reading by Jan M Burkins & Melody M. Croft
Don't tell them the word...
Want your reader to be more independent? Don't tell her the word. Give her a reading prompt like this:
#1 - "Say all the letters in the word" (This forces her to notice all the letters. Make sure she spells the word.) If she gets it say, "Sometimes you can figure out a word by looking at all the letters."
#2 - "Keep your finger under the word, finish the sentence, then go back and try it again." (This might give her some context clues.) If she gets it say, "Sometimes you can figure out a word by thinking about the rest of the sentence."
#3 - Direct her to the picture for some clues. Make sure the word she tries starts with the correct sounds. If she gets it say, "Sometimes what goes on in the picture helps you figure out the word."
#4 - "That word (spell it) rhymes with ______ (spell it)." If she gets it say, "Often you already know a word that ends the same as a new word."
#5 - "What is _____ doing in the story that starts with ___?" (Say the beginning sounds of the word.) If she gets it say, "If you think about the sentence and the beginning sounds, you can figure out the word."
#6 - If all else fails, you're still not going to tell her the word. Give her two choices of what it could say making sure one choice is so obvious, she can't get it wrong. (Does it say "The puppy licks her nose." or "The puppy loses her nose?") Say "Wonderful! Let's read some more."
source: Phonics They Use by Patricia M. Cunningham
#1 - "Say all the letters in the word" (This forces her to notice all the letters. Make sure she spells the word.) If she gets it say, "Sometimes you can figure out a word by looking at all the letters."
#2 - "Keep your finger under the word, finish the sentence, then go back and try it again." (This might give her some context clues.) If she gets it say, "Sometimes you can figure out a word by thinking about the rest of the sentence."
#3 - Direct her to the picture for some clues. Make sure the word she tries starts with the correct sounds. If she gets it say, "Sometimes what goes on in the picture helps you figure out the word."
#4 - "That word (spell it) rhymes with ______ (spell it)." If she gets it say, "Often you already know a word that ends the same as a new word."
#5 - "What is _____ doing in the story that starts with ___?" (Say the beginning sounds of the word.) If she gets it say, "If you think about the sentence and the beginning sounds, you can figure out the word."
#6 - If all else fails, you're still not going to tell her the word. Give her two choices of what it could say making sure one choice is so obvious, she can't get it wrong. (Does it say "The puppy licks her nose." or "The puppy loses her nose?") Say "Wonderful! Let's read some more."
source: Phonics They Use by Patricia M. Cunningham
1/14/2012
Accelerated Reading
As students engage in the next reading battle to see who can earn more points, K-2 vs. 3-5, you as parents, can follow your student's progress in the Accelerated Reader (AR) program at home. Follow the instructions on this link to become part of the fun. You will need to know your child's username and password: http://ar.burlington.k12.ia.us/RenaissanceServer/HomeConnect/Login.aspx
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)