Monday 27 August 2018

Picture Sequencing - helps students to write more than one sentences!

After talking to Mary Wooton (Writing Facilitator) on her last visit, I had to change my focus for the next three weeks.

target students' strengths:
- able to write a story without stopping
- strong phonemic awareness - able to record lots of letters for an unknown word

target students' problems:
- story is just one long sentence with lots of 'and'
- not attempting to use full stops & capital letters (though they know/can identify them)

HUNCH
How am I going to support my students to write three or more sentences for their story, and use capital letters and full stops correctly at all times?

Mary Wooton suggested to teach my students to use picture sequencing. Draw pictures for every idea in their story then write a sentence for each picture/idea.

Why Picture Sequencing?

Pictue Sequencing is a skill that we use when we break down an event into simple steps and put these steps in order. My students need this sequencing skill to sort out their ideas about something that happened in the past in a logical manner. They also need this skill to help them write short meaning sentences rather than a one long run sentence for their story.

Teaching and Learning (Pedagogical / Ako)
Step 1 - Children to share their story with a friend / class / group

Step 2 - Count how many events happened in their story

Step 3 - Draw pictures of each event

Step 4 - Arrange pictures in the order of their story as it happened


Step 5 - write a sentence or two for each picture.


Indicators of Progress
Write more than one sentences for their story.

Use capital letters and full stops correctly.


Watch this video - Some people use picture sequencing for many different reasons. It is up to you how you want to use it and why do you want to use it. Enjoy watching this video.


Friday 24 August 2018

Presentation at the HUI 2018

Check Point #1 - Choral Reading - increase self confidence in reading, and improve understanding and comprehension

What exactly happened in class with my students?
Students were:
- reading one to one word
- their comprehension / understanding of the text they read was very minimal / limited
- most are not able to transfer their knowledge - able to read words as they appear on their own but not able to identify them as they appear in texts.

How did I do Choral Reading in class?
- small group everyday for about 10 minutes before guided reading
- teacher reads the text first - chn points their finger on words while teacher reads
- teacher and chn read together 
- discuss the meaning of the book by referring back to what they read

Critique (Pros & Con)
- avoid giving the child a sentence or passage to read out loud on his own without having a practice before because it might put him off 
- provide another voice reading the same text - helps children to confirm the pronounciation of words and experienced listening to a different voice and a different pace of reading

Final Thought
- Chroal reading gives an opportunity to practice and receive support before reading on their own
- Students improve the ability to read sight-words
- Teacher provides a model as children listne

Next Steps
Do choral reading with other groups, too. 

Monday 6 August 2018

Choral Reading - Increase students' self-confidence, and fluency in reading



Focusing Inquiry - TERM 3
To accelerate students achievement in Reading!


TESSOL strategies are effective in scaffolding students to think, speak and read independently.  


Which strategies are effective to scaffold students to use visuals, structure, and meaning information to read with fluency, respond, and think critically with confidence?





After analysing the data (above) and using anecdotal notes from last term - this is what I have noticed.

My students' problems:
- fluency in reading
- comprehension - understanding & interpretation of what they read


My students' strengths:
- decoding as they read
- love reading
- recognising known words


I know that it is not unusual for an ESOL student to read a book beautifully and not being able to answer a couple of comprehension questions correctly, but I want them to be better in both.

Therefore, in the next three weeks I am going to use CHORAL READING to support students to improve reading with fluency, and build self-confidence.

Why doing Choral Reading?
Because students are reading aloud together, students who may ordinarily feel sel-conscious or nervous about reading aloud have built-in support.

Gives an opportunity to practice and receive support before reading on their own

Provides a model for fluent reading as students listen

Improve the ability to read sight-words

And I am pretty sure that it will help students once they are confident, to answer and interpret questions correctly as well.



Here is a video of how Choral Reading is done in a classroom.




Teaching & Learning (Pedagogical/Ako)
Choose a book that works well for reading aloud as a group (not too long, and is at independent reading level for most students)
Each child has a book
Teacher reads or models fluent reading first - students to follow using their finger or eyes to point at words
Everyone reads together in unison after the teacher
Quick FRONT-LOADING at the beginning if the title is unfamiliar to the students


Indicators of Progress
Increase students' self-confidence in reading
Increase students' motivation to read
Increase students' fluency in reading
Improve understanding and comprehension


Step #1 for identifying inquiry focus for 2022

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