Creating Word Walls – Teaching Reading And Writing
Walk into any primary grade classroom and you’ll find the twenty-six letters of the alphabet displayed on a bulletin board, or along the edge of the ceiling. Teachers and parents need to expand this teaching tool into classroom or home Word Walls.
How? Under the alphabet letter Cc card tack up high frequency sight words* such as: can, come and came. Whereas, under the alphabet letter Aa card tack up: all, as, and are.
Here are a few suggestions for developing Word Walls
Only introduce five new words a week—a manageable number of words children can memorize,
Encourage children to refer to the “Word Walls” when reading or writing—foster independent learning,
Use down time, such as waiting to line up for recess or for special teachers to arrive to review each week’s new words,
Most importantly, make sure words are written in clear recognizable manuscript letters.
“Word Walls” are specially designed to support teaching words, and a reference area for students when they are reading independently, while concurrently helping children develop automatic word recognition.
* The terms sight words and high frequency words refers to words children learn visually and must learn to read automatically, without sounding them out.
One More Thing
Scholastic SIGHT WORD READERS (PAPERBACK) Everything You Need to Teach the First 50 Sight Words. Jumpstart reading success with this collection of 125 little books that introduce and reinforce the first 50 must-know sight words! Each set includes a sturdy storage box stocked with 5 copies of 25 stories–each presenting two high-frequency words in a predictable format.
Try It!
Happy Mother’s Day
The idea for a “Mother’s Day” is attributed by many to Julia Ward Howe, who lived during the late 1870s. Although, several historians believe Anna Jarvis who lived at the turn of the twentieth century should be given credit for this day, which honors mothers. However, it is agreed both these ladies wanted a holiday dedicated to a day of peace.
By 1911 many states were already celebrating a “Mother’s Day”. It was not until Woodrow Wilson lobbied Congress in 1914 that “Mother’s Day” was officially recognized as the second Sunday of every May. President Wilson announced on the first publicly acknowledged “Mother’s Day”, “ . . . this holiday offered a chance to publicly express our love and reverence for the mothers of our country”.
Summer Reading For Tweens and Teens
When parents think about reading aloud, or with their children they usually associate this activity with children in pre-school, kindergarten and the elementary grades. Reading aloud and with your children should not stop in the primary grades. Parents should continue this “learning to read activity” into their children’s middle school and high school years. Why? Many students in their middle school and high school years are still struggling to read well.
Frank Serafini and Cyndi Giorgis authors of Reading Aloud and Beyond -Fostering The Intellectual Life With Older Readers believes reading aloud is just as important for older readers. They maintain reading aloud belongs in middle schools as well because it supports students’ development as readers and writers, while fostering a love for reading.
Other Benefits Of Parents Reading Aloud To Their Older Children Are:
The decoding component of reading is done by parents,
Older children can enjoy and understand what’s being read, rather than experience frustration trying to identify the word,
Unfamiliar words can be defined by parents, expanding their older child’s vocabulary,
Older children hear what fluent readers sounds like, the rhythm and flow of spoken, written language,
A chance for parents and their older child to select a book, that both will mutually enjoy reading over the summer.
Reading aloud is not just for young children. The inability to read well makes it difficult for older children to read their language arts, social studies, and other subject area textbooks. Since older children are listening to what’s being read, rather than focusing on sounding out words, their reading comprehension improves.
One More Thing
Parents should dedicate reading time this summer to help their older children improve their reading achievement, while helping them develop a love for books and reading.The Hunger Games Trilogy are great books parents can read aloud, or together with their older children this summer.
Try It!
Children’s Book Week – May 7-13
Children’s Book Week was established in 1919 and is one of the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year books for young people and the joy of reading are celebrated.
And, a week long event that showcases authors, illustrators and storytellers. With, special parties and other book-related events held at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast!
One More Thing . . .
Celebrate Children’s Book Week with Guardian Angel Publishing Authors. Please drop by these authors’ blogs:
Mayra Calvani – www.mayrassecretbookcase.blogspot.com
Margo Dill – www.margodill.com/blog
Margot Finke – www.hookkidsonreading.blogspot.com
Nancy Stewart – www.nancystewartbooks.blogspot.com
Kai Strand – www.kaistrand.blogspot.com
Nicole Weaver – www.mysisterismybestfriend.blogspot.com
Don’t forget to enter our contest:
Teaching Reading Using Leveled Readers
Leveled Readers are short books created in a series. Usually starting at level “A” and ending at “O” they are illustrated, with carefully chosen words.There are three kinds of Leveled Readers and Teaching Arrangements:
Leveled Fiction/Non-fiction Books: Students are placed into small groups with other children who have similar reading abilities. Each student receives a copy of the same book, one appropriate to their reading achievement. The teacher then guides the small group through reading the fiction or non-fiction book.
Multileveled Books: Three reading achievement levels of the same book title are provided to the class. Students are taught as a whole group rather than in small groups. Because students have a different versions of the same story (depending on their reading achievement) it allows every student to participate in class discussions, comprehension worksheets, and short quizzes.
Projectable Books: This series of leveled readers integrates technology with reading curriculum. These leveled readers are formatted for digital projectors and smart boards.
Students today are given a variety of ways to learn to read. Using Leveled Readers in the classroom is an excellent teaching tool for teachers. Leveled Readers allow all students experience reading success while developing confidence about their reading achievement.
Reading About Science- Book Recommendation
The Water Cycle most often referred to as the hydrologic cycle in classroom science lessons is the topic of Mayra Calvani’s newest book.
Teaching students about the Earth’s atmosphere and its role in providing water to our planet is included in every Earth Science curriculum. Fortunately, both teachers and parents now have a wonderful resource to help them teach this aspect of science. Elementary, as well as middle school teachers will welcome this creatively written book, which introduces students to the continuous cycle of rain, water vapor and cloud formation.
Written in Calvani’s delightful prose, “Huddle inside the CLOUD high up in the sky, the water droplets are excited,” while also complemented by the imaginative artwork of Alexander Morris’ fun illustrations, makes this book both easy to read and informative. The author also includes for her young readers a word search and glossary learning activity.
A great addition to every teacher and homeschool parents’ teaching library. Check it out!
To learn more about Mayra Calvani visit, www.mayrasecretbookcase.blogspot.com
Literacy Lingo
Here are several terms both parents and teachers often encounter when talking with a Reading Specialist.
Reading: First A reading program that focused on the five critical components of effective reading instruction; which are: phonics instruction, phonemic awareness, fluency (automaticity when reading) vocabulary and comprehension,
Tactile Learner: A learner who needs to use concrete materials to process and understand educational concepts,
Multi-Sensory Approach: Reading lessons that incorporate all the learning pathways: sight, sound, and touch,
Phonograms: Also known as rhymes (both words are interchangeable) refer to word families (phonograms) such as: at, ick, ack.
Words: Written words are an invention of civilization. Words are created from the sounds of spoken language. Sounds (phonemes) are either a vowel or consonant in written language,
Choral Reading: A group activity, where a classroom of students read aloud books or passages in unison.
Phonics: Is an instructional method to teach reading. Phonics lessons consist of learning letter names (the alphabet) and their corresponding letter sounds (phonemes) in spoken and written language.
Fluency: Is the ability to read text orally or silently with speed, accuracy and expression, while simultaneously comprehending each written word. Fluent readers decode and recognize wordd instantly. Students need to be fluent readers in order focus their attention on what they’re reading, rather than spending time decoding (sounding out) words.
Writing Workshop: This is a scheduled event during the part of the school day when children write on topics that interest them.
And One More Thing……….
Sight Words: Approximately 100 basic words, those most often used in beginning reading books.
The Sight Word Readers Write and Learn Workbook
Teaches sight words children need to learn, which are : I, look, that, here, what, see, for, pretty, are, in, ride, me, like, did, this, on, too, to, it, is, play, run, they, want, have, with, said, go, new, three, my, a, help, one, we, can, funny, at, two, get, and, up, find, you, will, big, down, the, fly and little.
Try It!
Teaching Reading – The Importance of Phonics Lessons
Written English is formed from an alphabet—symbols. Each symbol/letter represents a sound when words are spoken aloud. The word cap, “c” “a” “p” has three letters. When cap is spoken aloud the mouth emits three separate sounds, for each letter, within this word. Phonics reading lessons are comprised of teaching individual letter-sound associations, within our written language, essential knowledge children need to possess to become good readers.
Making Sense of Phonics The Hows and Whys is a straightforward, easy-to-follow, sensible guide to teaching phonics. Step-by-step instructional sequences and good explanations makes this a great resource for homeschooling parents and teachers.
What phonics reading lessons also consists of:
-Different vowel and consonant combinations,
-How to identify individual sounds within spoken words,
-Knowledge that some letters have multiple sounds,
-There are exceptions to phonics rules,
-Learning the division of words into syllables,
-Instruction in rhyming words, prefixes and suffixes.
Students who have been taught phonics have word attack skills, the ability to sound out words. Therefore, when children encounter words they don’t know they’re capable of independently identify them, correctly.
Intensive One-On-One Instruction – What Dyslexics Students Need
Children who have difficulty learning to read often fly under the radar. These children are typically quite bright and develop “compensatory skills”, an expression used in reading and Special Education, to conquer the sound/symbol system created for our written language. Also, far too often these children are not properly diagnosed with dyslexia until they’re in the second, third, fourth grades—as late as their high school years.
The Everything Parent’s Guide To Children With Dyslexia: All You Need To Ensure Your Child’s Success is a guide for parents to help them understand the process for identifying dyslexia and what instructional methods dyslexic children need, to become successful readers.
Parents and teachers need to know the best way for dyslexic children to learn and become better readers, is through a one-on-one, intensive, multi-sensory reading instructional approach. Multi-sensory approaches tap into the sensory part of the brain. That is, when children associate a letter sound by touching a concrete, visual object. For example, the teachers says aloud the three sounds of the word cat, “c”-“a”-“t” while concurrently instructing their student, “pick up a plastic chip for each letter sound you hear.”
Other important information parents should know about dyslexia: it’s a medical diagnosis, 10 in every 100 children and adults are dyslexia, and most importantly, while dyslexic students are discouraged and often possess poor self-esteem about their inability to learn to read, the reality is these children can learn to read, and become great readers!
P.S. To learn more about multi-sensory approaches to teaching children with dyslexia read The Gillingham Manual: Remedial Training for Students With Specific Disability in Reading, Spelling, and Penmanship. Try it!
“F” is good FRIDAY – Day 6 of the A-Z 2012 Blog Challenge
The Friday before Easter, “Good Friday”, is recognized to commemorate the passion, suffering and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Have a wonderful day today and enjoy your family this Sunday as you Celebrate Easter, Carol
