| How Your Child Will Succeed at Reading and Writing This Year |
Guiding Reading Block |
| During this block of time we focus on reading comprehension skills--those strategies that help readers make sense out of the print on the page. We also work on our reading fluency--the smoothness with which we read text. The teacher will direct a lesson about a particular story or text with all of the students. Afterwards, the students will practice reading in pairs or small groups. Then, the teacher will again work with the whole group of students to discuss what they have learned. Students will get a great deal of support from their teacher, from their classmates, and will work toward becoming independent readers. |
 |
Self-Selected Reading Block |
| During this block, students will have an opportunity to see themselves as readers and will build their fluency, the ability to read smoothly. The block will begin with the teacher reading aloud an enjoyable story or text to the students. Then, each student will select a book from his/her book box to read independently for an extended amount of time, usually no more than twenty minutes. This is a time when students can read A.R. books and take A.R. tests. During this time, the teacher will have individual conferences with designated students. Together, they will discuss the book, and the teacher will be able to evaluate the student's growth in reading. This is also the time that the teacher will use to take running records. (A running record is kept on each child once every quarter.) At the end of the block, several students will share what they read and whether they liked the book, much like the way adults share information with their friends about the books they're reading. |
 |
Writing Block |
| During this block, students will learn to think about and use their knoweldge of phonics to write compositions. Along with applying phonics, they will have an opportunity to practice penmanship, to learn about the writing process, grammar, and the mechanics of good writing. Every day, the teacher will write her own composition for the students and will use it to teach a lesson about writing. Then, all students will write their own story or composition, using the sounds they hear for spelling. (I call it "kid" spelling.)On certain days, the students will work individually with the teacher to learn to correct their errors, and they will publish their work as a book to be enjoyed by other classmates. The teacher will type many of these published books for the students, once the composition has been edited by the students. Some of the books will be rewritten in dictionary spelling by the students. At the end of the writing time each day, a few students will share their work with the class. There will also be Interactive Writing, and Shared Writing taking place during this block of time. It's truly surprising what an impact this block has on reading! Sometimes, the first text a child learns to read is his own. I have a Young Authors Celebration at the end of the year. It always amazes me how many published class books and individual books the students write. I publish many of the children stories in the Writing Den on my website. |
 |
Working with Words Block |
This block allows students to explore words, word families (patterns), spelling, and phonics, and to see how they can use what they learn about words in their reading and writing. This block begins daily by studying words from the Word Wall. These words will be displayed on our wall all year for students to use as a resource. (Each child will be given a Take-Home Word Wall to use at home for writing.This Take-Home Word Wall is an exact copy of how the Word Wall in the classroom will be by the end of the year.)They are high frequency words--grade-level words used frequently in reading and writing--that we expect students to spell correctly in their writing. These are the Priority and Core words that are learned in Sitton Spelling. We will use movements, such as clapping, snapping, and chanting to learn to spell the words. We have a number of other activities to interest children during this word exploration time.
|
 |
Reading in General |
| The ideal reading program is one in which every child learns to read. Thus far, no one single approach accomplishes that for every child. Consequently a variety of approaches are used to instruct children in reading. Copper Creek uses a comprehensive Harcourt Brace basal series, a variety of literature or trade books, and a heavy emphasis on phonics from Harcourt Brace, Modern Curriculum Press and teacher created materials. The method of instruction used is called the Four Blocks Model and it has been explained above. Specific strategies from a Rime and Reason course are taught through this model. Running records are kept on each child every quarter. Our school uses the Accelerated Reading Program as an extra way to improve reading. Once a child is ready, I strongly recommend partcipation in this program. Please read the Accelerated Reading link on this website to find out about this wonderful program. Research shows that participation in this program makes everyone a better reader. |
 |
Questioning During Reading |
Questioning
• Questions help a reader clarify ideas and deepen understanding.
• If you ask questions as you read, you are awake, you are thinking.
• Diving in with questions-even those that are unanswerable-enriches the reading experience.
• In their quest to make sense of their world, they bombard those around them. Young children are master questioners. Why are there clouds? Do fish sleep? Why is the sky blue? Frequently, parents have no idea how to answer these endless questions. In desperation they might change the subject or come up with a feeble dodge to get off the hook. In fact, those questions show a child’s brilliance. As a parent, you want to encourage them to ask the real questions,those questions that really puzzle them, even if you can’t answer them.
• Wonder keeps the imagination alive and curiosity well-tuned.
• Asking questions is how you make sense of the world.
• Questions lead you to new ideas, new perspectives, and additional questions.
• Some questions don’t have easy answers. But all questions inspire thinking,
generate discussion, or lead you to other sources.
• Share your questions with your child, showing him/her that even you have
questions when you read.
• Encourage your child to ask questions as he reads is part of a larger task:
inspiring wonder. There are so many things to wonder about: I wonder what a
black hole is. I wonder why people risk their lives to climb Mt. Everest. I wonder
how life began...Before you start reading a book with your child, play the “I
Wonder” game.
• Questions send readers on quests. They cause readers to seek, pursue and
search for answers or for deeper understanding.
• Help your child fall in love with the story-share the excitement. Questions keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next.
• There’s no doubt about it: Kids love to generate their own questions! Questioning makes reading fun. But to know how to question, your child needs to hear your questions first. This is not about asking your child to answer your questions. Instead, it’s about modeling what it means to be curious by sharing the questions you have while you read. Don’t rush the answers right away. Pose several questions and then let your child take a turn asking questions that come to his/her mind. You’re showing your child how to be an active player in the world of reading.
• This type of questioning is not intended to be drill practice where parents ask students a series of comprehension questions about the book, but where children take an active role as the person posing the questions.
Based on The 7 Keys to Comprehension by Zimmerman and Hutchins. Developed by J. Jones, Swift Creek Elementary School, WCPSS, February 2008 |
 |
Active Reading Strategies |
STRATEGIES TO BECOME A BETTER READER
Here are important reading strategies students can use before, during and after reading:
Before Reading
Predict what the book is about from the title. Set a purpose for reading. Ex. I am going to read this book because I want to learn more about animals. Take a picture walk through the book. Ask, What is happening in the pictures?
During Reading
Visualize - make a movie in your head just like you do when listening to a story.
Question - think about the story, asking yourself who, what, when, where, why, how.
Clarify - understand new words - figure out words using print strategies
Use finger to point under each word to keep track of where you are reading
Use beginning sounds to figure out words
Use ending sounds to figure out words
Use pictures on the page to help figure out a word
Use word chunks (group of letters in a pattern like _ack, _ight)
Look for a smaller word within the word
Read to the end of the sentence. Sometimes the word that
makes sense pops right up!
Reread the sentence or passage to increase understanding
- "What happens next?"
Make connections
What other story is like this one? (Text to Text Connection)
Have you felt the same away as a character in the story? Did something similar happen to you? (Text to Self Connection)
Does it help you think about something in real life not directly connected to you? (Text to World Connection)
After Reading
React - What did you think of the story?
How did it make you feel?
Summarize
What was most important in the story? One way to do this is to think:
~ Someone
~ Did something
~ But (there was a problem)
~ Then (the problem gets solved)
~ Finally (what happened at the end?)
Developed by Mrs. McGowan |
 |
Helping Your Child Read at Home |
When Your Child Comes To An Unknown Word
Often adults tell a child to "sound out" an unknown word. Frequently that prompt is successful and the word is decoded. When sounding it out doesn't work, adults usually tell the word and reading continues.
However, our goal is to help children become independent readers. Here are some alternative suggestions for parents or "homework helpers" to use when your child confronts an unknown word:
Guess the Covered Word Strategy
(From Four-Blocks Literacy Model developed by Pat Cunningham and Dorothy Hall)
This is a strategy we practice in class. It teaches students to ask three questions when they find an unknown word. Cover the word to keep you place (use your finger or a small sticky paper).
Ask: What makes sense?
Look at the word and ask: How long is the word?
Ask: What is the beginning letter(s) and the other letters in the word?
Some Other Things To Try
Wait 5-10 seconds to see what attempts are made. Ask: "What would make sense there?"
Use the picture to help figure out the word.
Skip the word and continue reading to end of line or sentence.
Go back and read sentence again.
If the word was on a previous page, go back and try to find it
Look for a smaller word in a big one.
Cover the ending (-ed, -ing) with your finger and try the word.
Look how the word begins. Let the sound "pop" right out.
Help with blending (sounding it out).
Tell the word and keep on reading.
It is important that children learn to use these strategies independently. When your child "figures out" a word, you might ask how he/she did it. Telling about their reading helps to reinforce learning.
Developed by Mrs. McGowan
|
Fluency |
The research behind No Child Left Behind -- "The Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read" -- found that the five key areas in learning to read are phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Fluency?
Fluency surprised many people when it made this list since many of us did not have fluency practice when we learned to read.
Fluency is the ability to read text accurately and quickly. Fluency bridges phonics or word decoding and comprehension. Comprehension is understanding what has been read. Fluency is a set of skills that allows readers to rapidly decode text while maintaining high comprehension.
A first benchmark for fluency is being able to "sight read" some words. Children learn to recognize at sight the most common words in written English. These words are known as Dolch words, sight words or high frequency words. Instant reading of these words will allow them to read and understand text more quickly. Also, many of these words don't follow the rules of phonics so they need to be memorized. For example, try sounding out these words: one, was, if, even, or the.*
Parents assist with fluency when they read aloud to children. Once children are reading at first to second grade level, exercises with timed reading also help children improve their reading speed. |
