Teaching Visualizing in Kindergarten

(This is part one of three)

I love teaching comprehension strategies with little ones. They are so excited by stories and willing to try anything. When I first introduce visualizing I use a visualizing wizard on my anchor chart.I slowly turn over each of the senses as I talk about them.

I tell the children that visualizing is exciting and almost magical, because you ask your brain to think about what something sounds like, tastes like, feels like, smells like and finally looks like. This picture in your brain helps you understand what you are reading because you are connecting to things you already know.

After I have built the wizard with the children  , I read them the names of different things and ask them to think about the taste/smell/sound/feel/ and look of the item I name- I try things I am sure they will know :Pizza, ice cream, then I make it harder a puppy –that always brings laughter would you taste/lick a puppy? Amazing how many kids have! We go into items that you wouldn’t use all your senses for, and I tell them they just have to think about all of the senses and decide which ones help them more.

Recommended picture books for Visualizing from Library Thing

For more ideas on visualizing check out Adrienne Gear’s book Reading Power

Visualizing in Kindergarten part 2 part 3

Language Inquiry in a Grade 2/3 split

I had the opportunity to spend some time with a master teacher  in her grade 2/3 French Immersion split. Merci EK for sharing your knowledge, classroom and students.

As most of my readers are English speaking, I will post in English. The ideas I share will work in any language.

The teacher has been working with an elephant photo to do an French Language Arts inquiry on elephants . This inquiry incorporated essential components of teaching reading including word work , sentence work, paragraph writing as well as developing many questions in regards to social studies and science.

The words were chosen by the students after much discussion and many read alouds by the teacher.

Here ,the students are working on word properties . Their teacher has paper bags full of word study activities which are stored on the bulletin board. The children are allowed to choose the word study activities.

The students each created a non-fiction sentence which were typed up by the teacher. Each student has a set of sentences to practice fluency with,as well as to classify and use to put together their own paragraphs.

Students classified sentences in preparation for creating paragraphs.

The teacher modelled how first with a composing think-aloud and a class paragraph was created .

Here are some of the students’ paragraphs.

Students were also working on computers to write about their learning trhough the use of photo story .

Many books are necessary to take on an inquiry process such as this. It takes time and planning to bring it all together but the resulting student learning and engagement is really exciting.
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Extending Your Word Sorts

Once your students are becoming faster at open word sorts with their PWIM words, it is important to extend their sorts into other words in the classroom, as well as in the books and other material they are reading.

In the photo below, the student had classified the words three times, which I recorded on a recipe card from their  bag.

                       

I tell students that the first time they classify is the easiest, the second time you are pushing your thinking a bit further and the third time you are making your brain work even harder. It doesn’t mean that the last category they sort is the best, but that they had to try harder.

Once the student has classified three times, I ask them to choose one of their categories. I write the category on a sticky note.

The student then searched for the category in her book during silent reading. The student extended her thinking by looking for ing words. She added anything, bouncing, stepping and tying to the original category from her PWIM words. She was very excited to share her thinking with her classmates.

Students can extend their categories on their own or in small groups.

Saskatchewan Learning Reading Fluency Levels

 I worry when teachers tell me our  Saskatchewan Curriculum “doesn’t have explicit guidelines” for fluency. It is very clear in the cues and conventions (Table 5) of each grade.

For more information on fluency I highly recommend; What Really Matters in
Fluency: Research-based Practices across the Curriculum by Richard Allington.

Best way to improve reading fluency? READ

Outcome / Grade	Fluency Saskatchewan Curriculum
Grade 1     CR1.1	Read and comprehend grade-appropriate texts (including narratives, informational texts, scripts and poems) by relating the sequence (i.e. beginning, middle and end), the key points (who, what, when, where and why) and the problems and solutions.i)Read and re-read “just-right” texts independently or a sustained minimum 10-15 minute period daily for enjoyment and to improve fluency (30-60 wcpm orally) and comprehension.
Grade 2   CR2.4	Read and demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate literacy and informational texts read silently and orally by relating and retelling key events and ideas in sequence with specific details and discussing how, why and what if questions.i) Read appropriate fiction and non-fiction texts at a reasonable rate (70-100 wcpm orally; 95-145 silently) with fluent pacing on practiced texts.
Grade 3   CR3.4	Read fluently and demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate fictions, script, poetry and non-fiction from various cultures (including First Nations and Métis) and countries (including Canada) and explain reactions and connections to texts read.i) Monitor for meaning and reread when meaning is not clear; read and reread just-right texts to increase fluency (80-110 wcpm orally; 120-170 silently) and comprehension.
Grade 4   CR4.4	Read for various purposes and demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate fiction (including stories and novels), scripts, poetry and non-fiction (including magazines, reports, instructions and procedures) from various cultures including First Nations and Métis and countries (including Canada).i) Read grade-appropriate texts silently (e.g., 20 minutes; 135-185 wcpm) and orally (with fluency, accuracy, pacing intonation and expression; 100-140 wcpm), adjusting reading rates to the complexity of the materials and purpose for reading.
Grade 5   CR5.4	Read and demonstrate comprehension of a range of contemporary and classical grade-appropriate fiction, script, poetry and non-fiction (including magazines, reports, instructions and procedures) from various cultures including First Nations, Métis and Inuit and countries (including Canada).i) Read grade-appropriate texts silently (150-200 wcpm) for extended periods of time; read orally to increase fluency, accuracy, pacing, intonation and expression (110-150 wcpm); adjust reading rate to purpose and text demands.
Grade 6   CR6.8	Read Grade 6 appropriate texts to increase fluency (120-160 wcpm orally; 160-210 silently) and expression.
Grade 7   CR7.8	Read Grade 7 appropriate texts to increase fluency (130-170 wcpm orally; 170-220 silently) and expression.
Grade 8   CR8.8	Read Grade 8 appropriate texts to increase fluency (140-180 wcpm orally; 180-220 silently) and expression.

Classroom Community and the Circle of Courage

In the grade 2/3 split I have been working in, we wanted to try co-constructing  class rules in a new way. We were inspired by an idea from our colleague  J.B. and decided to try using her idea of the medicine wheel as our format. It represents peace and harmony-an excellent model for any classroom.We also looked at some of the work from The Circle of Courage .

Thanks CR for once again letting me learn with you!!

Introducing the importance of the Medicine Wheel  was the perfect way to engage our First Nations students from the first day of school, and begin our Treaty teachings. I love the idea that as a wheel, the four spokes keep the wheel strong and that is what will keep the class strong.

The wheel is divided into 4 sections. Generosity, Belonging, Independence and Mastery

As we moved through each section, we read and discussed many books. Our aim was for the children to tell us how they would feel and what it would look like if they felt they belonged, if there was generosity in the room, if they had choices and if they were learning well. After each conversation, the children wrote what they felt were the big ideas onto sticky notes.

We shared the sticky notes out loud and typed them into a Wordle. The kids  loved watching the process of making a Wordle and before the class Wordle came up on the screen, we had them predict which words would be the largest.

Belonging and generosity are done! Now-on to independence.

                                   

With independence completed, we finished up with Mastery.

The wheel is posted in a prominent place in the classroom,where it can be refered to daily. It has really helped make classroom expectations both shared and valued by the entire class.

Some of the books we used to co-construct our beliefs were:

Belonging: I am loved-Bucket Filler, Elmer, Leon the Chameleon,Pebble, We are a Family, Jingle Dancer

Generosity:I have a purpose for my life- Bucket Filler ,Oddrey, Rainbow Fish, The Yesterday Stone, The Tree

Independence:I have the power to make decisions-Bird Child, Howard Wigglebottom,Listen to His Heart, Only One You

Mastery:I can succeed-The Little Engine That Could,I Can Succeed, What Are You Doing?

Please share any suggestions you think might work!!

I Rarely Use the Term Sight Words

There are so many terms floating around these days,  for those essential words young beginning readers need to be able to read as quickly as possible–Dolch Words, Fry Words, High Frequency Words ,and Saskatchewan Learning now calls them Commonly Used Words. (Table 5) I like that term-it is also easy to explain to kids : ” These are words you are going to need to be able to read and write  because they are very important, and you will see them everywhere.”

Every word you can read quickly, without thinking about it, is a sight word. You know it quickly by sight, from memory. We generally want as many words as possible to be a sight word for us. How much would we read as adults, if we had to sound out or think about the parts of each word we read?

Some people limit the term sight word to refer only to high-frequency words or

to irregularly spelled words. However, this is not accurate. Any word that is read

sufficiently often becomes a sight word that is read from memory. Ehri Page 3

Words are most easily learned, when students have personal connections or background knowledge to help them understand the meaning and have also been taught word recognition processes to help them tackle new words. That is why it is so important to develop as much vocabulary as soon as possible, while learning the letter sound relationships from a very early age. Read more

Simply put no matter what we call them, we need them, but if we only focus on the commonly used words, if we only teach from lists, we will lose the exciting engaging words, the butter on the popcorn , that makes reading fun, engaging, interesting -if and when almost everything we read has become our sight words.

Unique Monique by Maria Rousaki

 

 

 

 

A cute little story about a girl who really wants to be different. Maria Rousaki has written a book with a new take on a child’s desire to be noticed ,and how to express your individuality. A good tie in to teaching accepting others.

 

Reminds me very much of  Robert Munshs’ Stephanie’s Ponytail .

 

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I originally posted this anchor chart for English classrooms. I was so happy to see this posted in a French Immersion classroom I recently visited. I particularly liked the way the teacher linked it to “faire les liens” thus incorporating comprehension strategies. Thank you NS for sharing!!

 

Sorting

Mrs. Harrison And Miss Sanders' Ks

This month we have been consolidating our sorting skills. Some students are learning how to sort by one attribute (colour) while others are able to sort by two attributes. (Size and shape). Many students are able to sort and then resort by another rule. Here are some examples of our sorting rules.

 

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