Cut Up Sentences - for all new entrants!

I have been a Reading Recovery teacher for some times and what really amazed me was the using of cut-up-sentence. The sequencing of words to create a meaningful thought along with searching for visual information, I thought was very powerful and a very simple activity to be used in class. 

According to Reading Recovery teachers, cut-up-sentence is also use to teach phrasing and fluency. And I think this is perfect for our ESOL students because it helps them to practice saying foreign language multiple times. 

HUNCH
Will using of cut-up-sentence (with ipads) everyday increase new learners' confidence to create a meaningful story, and help with phrasing and fluency of their reading?

How am I going to do this?
In a small group of 5 during writing I will ask each child to compose a story (one or two sentences) then I will assist the child if needed to complete the story.

I will then write the sentence on a piece of paper while the child watches.

Next, I would cut the sentence up (word by word) while the child watches.

Then I will scramble the words, and the child reassembles the sentence.

Give the child his book to stick his work in and draw pictures. Remind the child to keep reading his work or maybe rewrite his story down (this might help increases his vocabulary knowledge).

These are short video clips of what I have done in class last week. The sentence that they are reassembling is a short shared story that we have created. I thought if I would start off with using their shared story would be a good practice.

The person above is very confident with reassembling his story. (The story was rubbed off from the board)

The child above was also confident in doing so. But as you can hear, they need lots of this in order to improve phrasing and fluency in reading.

Because they are in a group of three, they can easily be helping each other as you can see in this video.

Phonemic Awareness - helps students to write their story without stopping.

After 3 weeks of using 'sentence frame' I found this problem; my students would stop in the middle of their sentence if they do not know how to write an unknown word. They would stop and would never continue.

My hunch therefore for the next three weeks is:

Support students to hear and record sounds using jingles and rhymes for 20 minutes every day, and clap hands during writing to hear and record sounds. Will this help my students to write confidently without stopping?

I need to give my students some strategies to help them to keep on writing even if they don't know how to spell a word.

Students need to have develped phonemic awareness and to understand that there is a relationship between spoken sounds and the letters that represent them. They also need to learn and know all letters with their associate sounds. I hope that this would help them to record letters for the sounds they hear of any unknown words.

What I have plan to do is to use clapping as a strategy for my students to use and practice a lot to help them fluent with their writing. I am also using 'quick60 program' which is a program that also supports the same thing.

Here is a video of how quick60 works and that's what I have been doing. I hope this would help teachers out there who have the same kind of inquiry as I do.

Use this LINK to read more about Phonemic Awareness if you want more. 

Sentence Frame - helping students to write.

Term 2 - 2018

It is a common scene in many classrooms especially at the junior levels, students sit and stare at a black paper because they were asked to write and don't know how to start or they can't think of the right words to use.

In my class, not only that I have students who are 5 yrs old, but most students' first language is not English. They haven't had enough experiences to be able to speak with confident. Wether students are asked to write a story, answer questions, or practice vocabulary words, many have difficulty figuring out how to start writing.

Therefore, I decide to use sentence frame to help them improve the quality of their talk and hopefully lead on to an improvement in the quality of their writing.

My hunch therefore for the next four weeks is:

Will using sentence frame increases quality talk and writing of my students?

https://youtu.be/f3rXwstobh8

I found this video and I know that there are lots out there about sentence frame, but I like this one becuase it specifically talks about how sentence frame scaffolds the development of the Enlish Language Learner.

How to inspire every child to be a lifelong reader ...

Ideas Worth Spreading

https://www.ted.com/talks/alvin_irby_how_to_inspire_every_child_to_be_a_lifelong_reader?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_campaign=daily&utm_medium=email&#t-402406

These are some of the ideas that I am trying to practice in class, and
I know that these practices help motivate and change my students'
attitudes toward reading.

• Regular reading
• Regular spelling test/check
• Regular writing / summarising of the book

And these are some of the ideas that I adopt and plan to use during my reading lessons.
I am currently using them all but I think I need to spend more time on planning the
questions and prompts to use. I have a library corner in the classroom and children
are using it as they wish. Taking them to the library more often will also be a focus
for this year.

• Teaching and learning should be two ways - co-creative of knowledge
• Child friendly corner for children to read - could be done anywhere - as long as it connects children to reading
• Children looks for a book that will make them laugh - if relevant, a male models into early reading literacy

Have a listen and I hope this video inspires you!!

Classroom Rules

Maths isn't hard, it's a language!

I have heard students who think that Maths is hard. These students are either students who speak English as their second language (ESOL), or students who are not in favour of reading. 

I hope that this video would help teachers to encourage their learners not to think like that. Maths language sometimes is the one that discourages learners from believing that they can do Maths. ESOL learners are more likely to be the ones fall into this category so what can we, as teachers do? 

I listened to this video and have shared some ideas with teachers at my school. Maths Wall, using of TALK MOVES, Number Talk, Picture Books and using of Problem Solving Approach are practices we use currently to tackle this problem.


Do you have children who think like this?

What about you? 

What about your school? 

What are you doing? 

Picture Book - Increase Student Talk and Participation in Maths for ESOL students

Looking through some notes from previous Maths PLG - I read notes about Picture Books in Maths and because some of my target students are still struggling to talk and use correct mathematical language, I think picture books sound good to try out next Term.

Why do we use Picture Books in Maths?

I have discussed this idea with teachers and we agreed to use picture books more often in Term 4. 

At the end, I want my learners to:

• learn more Maths vocabs and use them confidently in their talk. 
• experience a variety of Maths situations throug listening to the stories
• increase their love towards Maths - Maths is fun

Presentation at the Manaiakalani Hui 2017

It was a pleasure to be part of the Manaiakalani Hui for 2017. We were given an opportunity to show and talk to teachers about our focusing inquiry for the year as part of our role as COL teachers.

I had lots of people visited and talked to me about my Maths focusing Inquiry. I was able to share my thoughts and ideas with them. We shared some of the common problems that we see in class and also some of the possible solutions for some identified issue in Maths especially for junior classes.

Common concerns on the day was, 'how are we going to increase student talk,  and to use academic language?' I was impressed with the fact that teachers are concerning about this issue and trying to address it in similar ways with what I have suggested. 

Talk Moves & ESOL students

Talk Moves is a tool that we use at our school to help increase student talk academically. It is a tool that I really like to use with ESOL students especially. Like I have mentioned before in my other posts, learning Maths language for ESOL students is learning ANOTHER language. It is a foreign language and us, teachers must use a tool that enables our learners (ESOL students) to talk more, think deeper, and explain their thinking with confident.

What is TALK MOVES

How to use Talk Moves and why?

Talk Moves is the only tool that I use in Maths because it goes along well with Problem Solving Approach in Maths. I have realised so many good reasons why using Talk Moves. One of them and I think it is important is learning from each other. Students are building their confidence when making mistakes. They learn to work collaboratively with a friend as part of this process.

At the end of this year, I believe my learners will:

- increase the ability to talk in Maths

- improve deeper thinking due to using of revoice, friendly disagree or agree and add-on.

- increase using of Maths language correctly

- work collaboratively with a friend and share ideas

Mathematical Theory - Teaching ESOL students

When learning a new number in class, I do not give them the number by itself, I use that number in a problem. I believe that I do not have to spend 15 minutes on learning about number 5, for example, just because my children do not know number 5. 

This is what I did. I used 5 in a problem such as : Kolo has 5 soft toys and Marii has 2 soft toys. How many soft toys altogether that they have?

Children are learning number 5 better when it is used in a context. It was hard at the beginning but I have realised that children enjoyed exploring using familiar contexts; and they learned to know and identify numbers faster in this way rather than learning the number in isolation.

Frontloading, Maths Wall, Number Talk - Teaching Hypothesise

Frontloading  -
When planning a lesson, identify the vocabulary students will need in order to understand or explain ideas. Introduce these terms at the start of the lesson so that students for whom they are unfamiliar won’t be confronted by new words and procedures simultaneously later in the lesson. The meaning of the vocabulary can then be reinforced when students put it to use.

The “vocab session” can also be used to systematically review terms introduced in previous lessons. Include mathematical vocabulary in spelling lists. Provide opportunities for students to practise and use this new vocabulary throughout the lesson.

I will spend some time during warm up times to directly teach my students with the focus Mathematical language that will be used in our maths lessons.

COUNT ON, ALL TOGETHER

Maths Wall
Create a “word wall” on the classroom wall. Students can post definitions, drawings, and examples next to the terms. The students can refer to the word wall throughout the lesson.

Number Talk - Maths Talk
I have been using 'number talk' all the time as part of my warm in Maths. Number talk is so easy and I believe that it really helps my students to make connections as they see numbers. 

It is hard for new entrants to make sense with this strategy but after a while they will get use to it and then they will start talking and making connections.

I am going to use this strategy again with my new target groups and I know that they will be able to make lots of connections after this four weeks lessons.

Indicators of progress

(What I’m looking for that shows I’m making a difference to student progress)

- More Student Talk

- Improve deeper thinking

- Increase using of Mathematical Language correctly

- Able to solve a Mathematical Problem using either count all or count on with materials

- Know numbers 1-20 and be able to make/form a set them correctly

- Attempt working collaboratively with a friend or the whole class

- Able to use ipad to record their work

Checkpoint

Weeks 1 - 4 (18th August)

Evaluation:

Four of my target students are talking in Maths and using appropriate language to explain their thinking. Using of NUMBER TALK have increased student talk.

Using Number Talk enables students to think deep. All of my target students are beginning to think deep in different ways. Eg. With 10 frames - two students are able to make connections with subtractions. 8 dots can also be explained as 10 take away 2 … therefore NUMBER TALK needs to continue. I will continue to use number talk as warm up of my maths lesson.

 

Maths Wall is good - some students are looking at it for clues … because it is their own work it is easy for students to make connections. These students often refer to the Maths Word for assistant. I really like the fact that they are able to use resources in class.

Still need to work on these:

Working collaboratively with a friend or the whole class. We are working on this using Problem Solving Approach. They need to talk and explore the problem with a friend and find the best possible way of solving that problem.

Using ipad to record their work - needs to continue and I need to give more time for students to practise.

Expected Level in Maths - Year 1&2

Knowing expected levels in Maths helps with planning. I believe that this is very important, every teacher should be familiar with the curriculum content before planning for students. 

At the end of TERM 3, my targetted students are expected to work at stage 3 or above. Most of them are currently working at stage 1 with a few working at stage 2.

Problem Solving Approach - Increases student participation and engagement

Week 1-4

Goal: Students are not listening during Maths time. They talk but not Maths talk, they are talking about other things. I need to know how am I going to get them to listen and participated actively in group discussion.

Dated: 1 May 2017

Teaching & Learning  (Pedagogy & Ako)

How are you going to do it? What are the deliberate steps.   

(Include DAT, resources, PLD readings, support etc.)

Knowing the learner - LINK

Professional discussions with colleagues

Observation notes (sometimes share with TA about what I have noticed)

Student work and sharing of understanding

(Gap analysis and back mapping - depends on SEA test and anecdotal notes)

Maths planning sheets LINK

Multiple opportunities:  ipad, Problem Solving Approach, Using of materials, Responsibility - managing behaviour, and build a sense of belonging (being inclusive)

Indicators of progress

(What I’m looking for that shows I’m making a difference to student progress)

- all students will participate in terms of talk

- minimal teacher talk and more student talk

- students to elaborate their sentences a bit more

- confident in recording their work on ipads

- confidently use materials to help them explain their thinking

 
 

Problem Solving Approach

5 Parts to a Collaborative Problem Solving Lesson

Launch the Problem

Independent Thinking

Pair Share

Group Discussion

Link the knowledge to the strategy used

5 Practises 

Anticipating likely student responses to challenging mathematical tasks

Monitoring students’ actual responses to the tasks while students work on the tasks in pairs or small groups

Selecting particular students to present their mathematical work during the whole-class discussion

Sequencing the student responses that will be displayed in a specific order

Connecting different students’ responses and connecting

the responses to key mathematical ideas


I have been using this approach for a while and I quiet like it. Problem Solving Approach always go together with Mixed Ability Groupings. It is really hard to establish such approach but I reckon that this is really helpful especially trying to increase student talk and student understanding numbers.

Problems:
- My students year level, they needed to know basic Maths knowledge
- It took a while for the little students to get used to the process
- Creating Rich problem that encourages talking / sharing
- Finding a student who has the courage to talk or share at the beginning
- setting classroom norm that helps managing behaviours


Benefits:

- positive attitudes

- cooperative skills

- interesting and enjoyable.

- student talk increases
- student helping each other in their own language
- no need to teach Maths knowledge separately
- students learn through talking 
- less misbehaving
- students see meaning in numbers
- students are able to make connections between numbers and real life 
- teachers plan collaboratively once a week - share ideas and create problems together
- increases teachers' knowledge about Maths content & curriculum

Problem Solving Approach helps students engagement especially with Pasifika students. 

Listen Up and Word Walls

Goal: I will use TESSOL strategies such as Listen Up and Word Wall to support my students’ language development and deeper reasoning. This will enable everyone to participate in discussion and write a full sentence independently.

Date: 22 May 2017

Teaching & Learning  (Pedagogy & Ako)

How are you going to do it? What are the deliberate steps.   

(Include DAT, resources, PLD readings, support etc.)

Knowing the learner - LINK

Professional discussions with colleagues

Observation notes

Student work and sharing of understanding

Multiple opportunities: Approaches to teaching writing (Listen Up and Word Wall)

Indicators of progress

(What I’m looking for that shows I’m making a difference to student progress)

• all students will elaborate their sentences more
• all students will write more than one sentences
• students will write their own sentences using known words correctly and record unknown words using letters with confidence.

 

 

Checkpoint

Weeks 4 - 6

Increase in quality of student talk - some can elaborate more and use some topic words correctly. Still I have two who are a bit reluctant to do so without prompting.

All students have attempted to write their own sentence down. Still need work around this. Need to do a lot of 4, 3, 2 so they know their story well before writing it down.

I use Listen Up activity to increase my students words knowledge. Attending to one or few words while listening to a book enables my students to focus and to learn new words.

What I did on this video is an example of how I used 'Listen Up' in my classroom. I wrote words I needed my students to learn on a piece of paper and gave it to them to mark how many times they hear each word from the story I read.

One of the things that I have learned from doing 'listen up' activity is that not to give too many words for students. For my students, I gave 4 or 5 at first and then I have noticed that it was too much. At the moment we are only doing like one or two words a day. 

All students can record more than one letter for unknown words. Sight words are recorded correctly. This is really good because I can see that they have confidence to take risks in writing new words.

Continue 4, 3, 2 & cut up sentences & vanishing cloze - holding a sentence in their head for a while will always be a goal. They need to remember their story very well before they record it down. Ipads help sometimes but yet I have not tried. Next focus will be using of ipads.

I am very pleased with how much words on our walls have influenced my students ability to write. Words on our walls give students confidence and courage in writing stories. I have seen students walking around looking for topic words from the walls. For students to get up and look for words from the wall, for me is really big at this age group. I am very pleased with it.