An effective strategy that I am just starting to use more often is a jigsaw cooperative learning group. With this strategy, students are assigned to an expert group about a subject, and then break into small groups where the students have different topics related to the main topic. According to research on this strategy, "Jigsaw is an efficient way for students to become engaged in their learning, learn a lot of material quickly, share information with other groups, minimize listening time, and be individually accountable for their learning." (www.teachervision.com).
The teacher can differentiate texts based on the students reading and language levels as needed. It gives the students an opportunity to research a topic, and then present that information within the group where everyone is an expert on a different, but related, topic. The student has to be sure that they understand the topic well, otherwise they won't have information to present to the small group and then the whole group.
An example can be located at https://www.teachervision.com/group-work/cooperative-learning/48532.html?page=1.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Sequencing a Story - First, Next, Last
This graphic organizer is a common one I use when working on sequencing a story. I use a sequence organizer often while reading fictional texts in small group. I like to use the transition words of first, next and last as those are use often in different grade levels when writing. Using an organizer similar to this one helps students realize the different parts of a story and how there is a particular order to a story. This also helps students realize how to retell a story from the beginning instead of just telling different parts at different times, which happens often with students on my caseload as they will forget what happened at the beginning of a story and just focus on the end. It can also be used in different content areas, such as science and social studies, as both areas tend to have a specific sequence of events and order.
KWL Charting before Reading
Image Retrieved from: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/KWL-Chart-595724
I often use KWL charts when introducing a new non-fiction text to start building background knowledge for all the students in the classroom, especially since so many of my students are English Language Learners or do not have the exposure to different topics and information in their daily lives from family, books or television. This gives us not only a starting point for the topic, but it also gives the students an opportunity to ask questions about the topic and what they should pay attention to while we are reading the text. After we have completed the text, we discuss what was learned and chart that information as well as a whole group. This strategy activates prior knowledge, gets students ready for the new reading task, and provides them with a chance to answer the questions from the "what I wonder" section as well as discuss anything new that they learned from the text.
Additional information about KWL charts can be located at http://www.nea.org/tools/k-w-l-know-want-to-know-learned.html
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Why Vocabulary Development is Important
For my students, and many other students, being taught difficult vocabulary terms is critical for their understanding of a topic or a text. As academic demands increase with the Common Core Standards, it is important for students to be explicitly taught academic vocabulary and how to apply new vocabulary learning to future texts.
This page demonstrates how I would teach character traits of a leader to a fifth grade guided reading groups. Examples of charts I would create are included, as well as descriptions of what I would do in different situations. These activities explicitly teach words as well as application to different texts that students will read in the future.
This page demonstrates how I would teach character traits of a leader to a fifth grade guided reading groups. Examples of charts I would create are included, as well as descriptions of what I would do in different situations. These activities explicitly teach words as well as application to different texts that students will read in the future.
Using New Knowedge for a New Task
After reviewing character traits in nonfiction texts, as well as reviewing character traits and how they apply to him or herself, the students will use their new knowledge of character traits that good leaders have in fictional texts. Here is an example of a character trait graphic organizer that can be used for fictional texts:
Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/teaching-character-traits-readers-workshop
The students would select a character, and using what they know about character traits and evidence from the text, select the trait a specific character has and how they know that character demonstrates that trait. This task may involve reviewing different traits before reading the text, but students should be able to use what they learned to complete this organizer.
The students would select a character, and using what they know about character traits and evidence from the text, select the trait a specific character has and how they know that character demonstrates that trait. This task may involve reviewing different traits before reading the text, but students should be able to use what they learned to complete this organizer.
Application of New Vocabulary
After students have learned new vocabulary terms for character traits, and have had opprotunities to review and learn more traits, the students will create a character silhouette of the different traits they have learned and how they would describe themselves. This will give students a way to apply the different traits, and new vocabulary, in a meaningful way. The students will then write an explanation as to why they believe they are the different traits listed in their silhouette.
Retrieved from : http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/teaching-character-traits-readers-workshop
Bringing the Information to the Group
After the students have reviewed different character traits behind good leaders, the group will come up with a list together to review those traits. Here is an example of character traits that a whole class came up with during a discussion:
Retrieved from: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2012/11/teaching-character-traits-readers-workshop
As students read different texts, they can add information to this "anchor chart" using post-it notes. This will allow students to add vocabulary and share new knowledge with the group.
As students read different texts, they can add information to this "anchor chart" using post-it notes. This will allow students to add vocabulary and share new knowledge with the group.
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