Week 11

Assessment

This week I read an article by Rog and Burton discussing the importance of matching children to their correct reading levels and finding books for them on those levels. The article stated many important things, one of which was that a book cited as a level three book, or a book for third grade cannot possibly meet the needs of every student on a third grade reading level. A child just entering third grade is not as advanced a reader as a child halfway through third grade. Children should be able to read 90-95% of the words on a page easily for that book to be considered on their level. Leveling books is a difficult task, but there are a few key things that one needs to pay attention to when doing so. These details include:

1. the length of the book

2. the appearance and placement of text on a page

3. support offered by the illustrators

4. familiarity of subject matter

5. predictability

6. proportion of familiar words to those that are unfamiliar

This is a picture of the Treasures leveled readers that I have seen used this semester in an elementary school I spent time in. 

• Do you remember reading leveled readers in elementary school?

• If you used them, was it during small group instruction? Do you remember if your teacher kept track of your progress or guided you to which level you were to read?

Week 10

Guided Reading 

In an article titled, Modified Guided Reading: Gateway to English as a Second Language and Literacy Learning the authors Avalos, Plasencia, Chavez, and Rascon discuss the importance and benefits of using guided reading programs with ELLs. One of the most important things the authors said to consider was the reading level of the child when reading in their first language. It is important to know at what stage the child performs, so that the teacher can determine the child's understanding of what literacy is. If the child is a fluent reader in their first language, they are at an advantage when facing the English language because they understand the steps to becoming literate. Guided reading is so beneficial to ELLs because it provides individualized instruction and further exposure to language. For teachers, guided reading is structured and provides a great way to track progress. Below are some charts that provide a visual outline of the difference in traditional guided reading and modified guided reading for ELLs. 

• Other than working with ELLs, what do you think is another huge problem that teachers face when trying to use guided reading in classrooms?
• Do you think pairing students with learners of their same reading level is beneficial or harmful for their progress to become better readers?

Week 9

Gaining a Sophisticated Vocabulary 

 The Vocabulary Rich Classroom, an article written by Holly B. Lane and Stephanie Arriasza Allen discusses ways to introduce sophisticated language in the classroom. Students can learn mature vocabulary words incidentally when the teacher models their use on a daily basis. One part of the article I liked was the section on, "The Weather Watcher". A kindergarten teacher exposed her students to new vocabulary during circle time each day. She assigned students to classroom jobs. At the beginning of the year, one of the jobs was "zookeeper" and soon the title of that job changed to "animal nutritionist". To new kindergarteners, it was "cold outside". Seasoned kindergartens described the cooler weather as, "brisk". I think modeling sophisticated vocabulary is a great way to teach new words because it shows the student when and where a word is appropriate to be used. Repetitive use of sophisticated words will help students remember them and encourage them to use the words themselves. It is important to start off with the easy words and gradually move to words they might not have heard so that they can make the connection and build that bridge to a more educated word. Increased vocabulary will only benefit students in the long run with any form of reading comprehension. Vocabulary is also an important element of guided reading.

This is a screenshot of words that can be introduced in the classroom to build vocabulary knowledge.

In the sixth grade, my teacher used to use words ALL the time that were unfamiliar to me. One word that will always stick with me is behoove. She used that and other words frequently and they just stuck. 

• Does anyone remember a teacher who used sophisticated language purposefully and tactfully?