This is a way to teach a lesson only through student questions. This is the way it works.
The teacher tell the students the topic. Example: The teacher says, "The topic today is the Nile. You can find out about it by asking me questions. When you are finished asking questions, there will be a short test, so try to ask good questions."
The teacher will answer each question fully, but not give any more information than what is asked of him or her. The purpose is to challenge the students to think of good questions using higher thinking skills.
Example:
Student: You said, "the Nile." Does that mean Nile is a thing?
Teacher: Yes
Student: This is geography, so is it a country?
Teacher: No.
Student: A mountain?
Teacher: No
Student: A river?
Teacher: Yes
Student: It sounds foreign. Is it in Thailand?
The discussion will continue in this way for approximately 10 minutes.
Sample Test questions:
What is the Nile?
What does it divide?
Then teacher should point out other questions that should have been asked and add information to the ones that were.
Then the students should hear teaching or read text about what they should have learned, but did not in their initial questioning.
Portions of this post were taken and/or quoted from the following source:
Manzo, A.V. & Manzo, U.C. (1995). Teaching children to be literate: A reflective approach. Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace, (pp. 382-383).
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Reciprocal Teaching
This strategy will help students to understand more difficult text. It is best done in the setting of a small group 2-5 kids. First the students read through the passage either on their own or as a group. Then the teacher leads a discussion with the following components.
1. Summarize--The teacher may need to use prompts to help the students to summarize the passage.
Prompts could include:
1. Summarize--The teacher may need to use prompts to help the students to summarize the passage.
Prompts could include:
- What was the big idea in this paragraph?
- What is the topic sentence?
- What idea do all the details point to?
- How is the passage organized? (Cause/effect, comparison, probem/solution sequential, etc)
- Do you think this was th introduction to the topic, the body, or the summary of the passage?
After the students become better at this they can develop the questions for each other in the discussion. Modeling by the teacher is important for the first few times, however.
2. Question--The students will question each other during this part, but intially the teacher will demonstrate the questioning process.
- How does this passage connect to what I know?
- Does this selection make sense iwth what I know?
- How does this selection relate to my predictions?
3. Clarify--In this part of reciprocal teaching, the students will try to discover the meanings of unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts that were not understood.
- I don't understand these words: _______
- Does this information fit with my experience?
- I didn't understand this part: _________
- I need to know more about: _________
- I don't understand how these ideas are connected: __________
4. Predict--Use this to ask what they students think with come next in the text.
- I predict:_____
KWL Charts
The use of KWL charts is something that many people have heard of and some people use regularly. If you don't know what a KWL chart is, it stands for three questions that a reader should ask him or herself while they are reading to monitor his or her comprehension.
K-What do I think I Know?
W-What do I Want to know?
L-What have I Learned?
The student should answer the first two questions before reading and the last question after reading. Some researchers and teachers (me included) believe that there should be one more question. Let's call it C.
C-What if I am confused?
The purpose of this letter is for the student to realize that not everytime will the answer to his or her questions be found in the current text that he or she is reading. If the answer was not found, the student should find a way to get the answer. He or she may choose to read another text which may have the answer or find another way to discover the answer.
K-What do I think I Know?
W-What do I Want to know?
L-What have I Learned?
The student should answer the first two questions before reading and the last question after reading. Some researchers and teachers (me included) believe that there should be one more question. Let's call it C.
C-What if I am confused?
The purpose of this letter is for the student to realize that not everytime will the answer to his or her questions be found in the current text that he or she is reading. If the answer was not found, the student should find a way to get the answer. He or she may choose to read another text which may have the answer or find another way to discover the answer.
Text Pattern Guides
Help the students understand how the text is organized.
- cause-effect
- sequence
- description
- problem-solving
- comparison-contrast
The goal is to help students recognize a single pattern that predomininates over long stretches of print, even though you recognize that individual paragraphs and sentences are apt to reflect different though relationships within the text selection.
Provide assistance and numerous examples because perceiving text structure can be one of the most difficult tasks that a reader will do.
You may wish to use a graphic organizer to help the student think about and map their thoughts. http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/ You can find many kinds of graphic organizers as well as many other resources at http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/. There is a charge for some of the activities on this website.
You can find many more graphic organizers by going to google and typing "graphic organizer" in the search. Select images tab. Then tell it to search.
Reader's Theater
Have you ever done a reader's theater with your students? My students love reader's theater. I probably don't spend enough time with it. It helps build fluency in a fun a creative way. Basically reader's theater is just a script that the child practices with other children for fun. Usually I arrange the desk into a circle and have the students each take turns reading. It is a lot of fun! I great website for reader's theater scripts is http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/. There are script for a variety of ages and numbers of students.
Goosh
The following is a paper that I received in college entitled Goosh. At the bottom it appears that it was taken for a book by MDrew called Reading for Meaning. That is the only citation on the page. I didn't create this exercise, but it does let you know if the child is able to use context clues to decode an unknown word. You can do this with other passages as well. Just change a word. Basically as the child reads this or has it read to them, he or she tries to figure out the meaning of goosh.
Every Friday night, we have a goosh. Sometimes we have a goosh at home, and sometimes we don't. This week our neighbors are coming for goosh.
We all help Mom prepare the goosh. First, we have to go to the store and buy a goosh kit. We each get to choose a favorite item for it. Then we go home and the fun begins.
When we get home, Dad has preheated the oven for us. Mom reads the directions on the back of the kit and gives each of us a job to do. After we have each done our jobs, we combine everything. Mom puts it on a pan.
As the goosh is cooking, it smells spicy. I peek in the oven window and see the cheese bubbling. I can hardly wait to tste the gooey goosh.
Ding! It's done. Mom slices it and puts it on the table. Our mouths are drooling. Uh-oh! Dad put those little fish on it again! Dumb Dad!
Every Friday night, we have a goosh. Sometimes we have a goosh at home, and sometimes we don't. This week our neighbors are coming for goosh.
We all help Mom prepare the goosh. First, we have to go to the store and buy a goosh kit. We each get to choose a favorite item for it. Then we go home and the fun begins.
When we get home, Dad has preheated the oven for us. Mom reads the directions on the back of the kit and gives each of us a job to do. After we have each done our jobs, we combine everything. Mom puts it on a pan.
As the goosh is cooking, it smells spicy. I peek in the oven window and see the cheese bubbling. I can hardly wait to tste the gooey goosh.
Ding! It's done. Mom slices it and puts it on the table. Our mouths are drooling. Uh-oh! Dad put those little fish on it again! Dumb Dad!
Fry's Readability Graph
Have you ever wondered the easiest way to find the level of the text that your child is reading? Check Fry's Readability Graph. It is simple to use, but it does take a little time. Here's how to use it.
1. Select three 100-word passages near the beginning, middle, and end.
2. Count the total number of sentences in each 100-word passage (estimating to the nearest tenth of a sentence). Average these three numbers.
3. Count the total number of syllables in each 100-word sample. Average these three numbers. Plot the two averages on the graph. Here is a website with a good graph. http://www.idph.state.ia.us/health_literacy/common/pdf/tools/fry.pdf
I have found this to be a great way to find out the true reading level of a book.
1. Select three 100-word passages near the beginning, middle, and end.
2. Count the total number of sentences in each 100-word passage (estimating to the nearest tenth of a sentence). Average these three numbers.
3. Count the total number of syllables in each 100-word sample. Average these three numbers. Plot the two averages on the graph. Here is a website with a good graph. http://www.idph.state.ia.us/health_literacy/common/pdf/tools/fry.pdf
I have found this to be a great way to find out the true reading level of a book.
Word and Picture Sorts
A word or picture sort can be a fun way for kids to learn their colors, letters, numbers, and words. I have found that it can also be great way to study for spelling tests. The basic idea is this. Give the child a list of words (maybe spelling words). Make them large enough that they can be cut apart and easily rearranged. Make categories or for more challenge have the students create their own categories. Let's use the following example:
Words
row
go
no
so
grow
tow
-ow
row
grow
tow
-o
so
no
go
Picture example
You have the following pictures.
A red car
A red house
A blue store
A green truck
A blue van
A green school
The child could choose the category of colors.
Red
car
house
Blue
Store
Van
Green
Truck
School
OR
They could choose building and vehicles.
Buildings
house
store
school
Vehicles
car
van
truck
You can make this activity fit with many different subject matters and age ranges depending on whether or not categories are given and what words that they students are classifying. It could even be used for vocabulary if you used several words with the same meaning and several words with a different meaning. The students would put them with the other words that are the most similar.
Sometimes I make this activity more difficult by having the kids think of a few more words on their own that fit into the categories.
Words
row
go
no
so
grow
tow
-ow
row
grow
tow
-o
so
no
go
Picture example
You have the following pictures.
A red car
A red house
A blue store
A green truck
A blue van
A green school
The child could choose the category of colors.
Red
car
house
Blue
Store
Van
Green
Truck
School
OR
They could choose building and vehicles.
Buildings
house
store
school
Vehicles
car
van
truck
You can make this activity fit with many different subject matters and age ranges depending on whether or not categories are given and what words that they students are classifying. It could even be used for vocabulary if you used several words with the same meaning and several words with a different meaning. The students would put them with the other words that are the most similar.
Sometimes I make this activity more difficult by having the kids think of a few more words on their own that fit into the categories.
Levels of Thinking and Questioning
When writing curriculum, lesson plans, or just speaking to a student, I try to use a variety of questions that display a wide range of thinking and reasoning skills. It is important that a child not only know knowledge questions, but also be able to use processing and reasoning skills to reach a higher level of thinking called evaluation. Here is a list of the levels of questioning and starter words that may be useful in composing such questions.
Knowledge
At the knowledge level, a teacher is asking only for recall of a fact. You are expecting the learner to remember something that they have been taught. Questions on the knowledge level use words like list, identify, locate, memorize, review, match, name, read, recall, reproduce, label, arrange, check, cite, define, find, group, offer, omit, pick, point to, quote, recite, repeat, say, spell, state, tally, tell, touch, underline, write
Comprehension
Comprehension usually requires a little more thought from the student. The purpose of a comprehension question is usually to see if the learner can explain the information. Comprehension can include translation, interpretation, and extrapolation. Comprehensions questions use words like alter, change, convert, group, moderate, paraphrase, restate, reword, tell, translate, transform, vary, submit, sheme, propose, project, off, contrive, comptemplate, calculate, advance, account for, annotate, summarize, review, interpret, infer, group, generalize, expound, explain, describe
Application
Application is the third level in the hierarchy of thinking skills. The purpose of application is for learner to learn to transfer information. An example question: Solve mathematical problems. or Demonstrate how to ___________. Application questions use the following words: apply handle, llustrate adopt, collect, interview, profit by, relate, show, solve, make use of , construct, consume, mobilize, state rule, demonstrate, manipulate, survey, devote, organize, try, employ, operate, use, explout, put to use, utilize, give example, put into action.
Analysis
Analysis is the fourth level and the level that begins to delve deeper into the thought processes. I prefer that the majority of my questions are at a level three and above. When you write or ask questions using this level of thinking you are asking your students to break things down into their part, to determine, the distinguishing factors, and to uncover the special characteristics of something. Here is an example question: Simplify the musical piece into its basic rhythms. or Compare and contrast the two poems. This level is characterized by words such as analyze, audit, break down, categoriz, classify, compare, contrast, determine factors, diagnose, diagram, differientiate, dissct, distinguish, divide, examine, inspect, outine, reason, screen, scrutinize, search, section, separate, simplify, sort, specify, study, survey, debate, experiment
Synthesis
This level seeks to find whether the child can combine information. In this level a student will be able to take information given to them and make something new from it. Here are some of the words commonly used for this level: compse, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, hypothesize, manage, organize, originate, plan, produce, propose
Evaluation
This is the sixth and highest level of thinking. It determines whether or not a student can make a judgement. The words used in this level of thinking include appraise, assess, choose, compare, contrast, critique, decide, estimate, evaluate, grade, judge, prioritize, rank, rate, recommend, select, value
Knowledge
At the knowledge level, a teacher is asking only for recall of a fact. You are expecting the learner to remember something that they have been taught. Questions on the knowledge level use words like list, identify, locate, memorize, review, match, name, read, recall, reproduce, label, arrange, check, cite, define, find, group, offer, omit, pick, point to, quote, recite, repeat, say, spell, state, tally, tell, touch, underline, write
Comprehension
Comprehension usually requires a little more thought from the student. The purpose of a comprehension question is usually to see if the learner can explain the information. Comprehension can include translation, interpretation, and extrapolation. Comprehensions questions use words like alter, change, convert, group, moderate, paraphrase, restate, reword, tell, translate, transform, vary, submit, sheme, propose, project, off, contrive, comptemplate, calculate, advance, account for, annotate, summarize, review, interpret, infer, group, generalize, expound, explain, describe
Application
Application is the third level in the hierarchy of thinking skills. The purpose of application is for learner to learn to transfer information. An example question: Solve mathematical problems. or Demonstrate how to ___________. Application questions use the following words: apply handle, llustrate adopt, collect, interview, profit by, relate, show, solve, make use of , construct, consume, mobilize, state rule, demonstrate, manipulate, survey, devote, organize, try, employ, operate, use, explout, put to use, utilize, give example, put into action.
Analysis
Analysis is the fourth level and the level that begins to delve deeper into the thought processes. I prefer that the majority of my questions are at a level three and above. When you write or ask questions using this level of thinking you are asking your students to break things down into their part, to determine, the distinguishing factors, and to uncover the special characteristics of something. Here is an example question: Simplify the musical piece into its basic rhythms. or Compare and contrast the two poems. This level is characterized by words such as analyze, audit, break down, categoriz, classify, compare, contrast, determine factors, diagnose, diagram, differientiate, dissct, distinguish, divide, examine, inspect, outine, reason, screen, scrutinize, search, section, separate, simplify, sort, specify, study, survey, debate, experiment
Synthesis
This level seeks to find whether the child can combine information. In this level a student will be able to take information given to them and make something new from it. Here are some of the words commonly used for this level: compse, construct, create, design, develop, formulate, hypothesize, manage, organize, originate, plan, produce, propose
Evaluation
This is the sixth and highest level of thinking. It determines whether or not a student can make a judgement. The words used in this level of thinking include appraise, assess, choose, compare, contrast, critique, decide, estimate, evaluate, grade, judge, prioritize, rank, rate, recommend, select, value
Geography Series
I am looking for a good geography series. Here is what I have in mind. I would like a series that allows the students to learn about one continent a year. Kindergarten preferably would just learn the basics about the United States. Then first grade would be about North America, second grade would be about another continent, and so on. I really am looking for a series that is all inclusive--culture, land formations, countries, foods, languages, etc. I am finding it hard to find any good geography series--much less those divided the way I would prefer. I am looking for this for myself as a homeschooling tool. Do you have any suggestions? What series do you use to home school your children or in your classrooms? Do you feel that it is successful in teaching the material in a fun and organized way? If I don't find one soon, I think I am going to begin writing my own.
Treasures Reading Series
Our school has a reading series called Treasures. This series is available from the publisher MacMillan McGraw-Hill. It is an amazing series with which you can not go wrong as long as you just do and say what it says. It has each lesson broken into parts which include the five basic parts of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.) It also includes spelling, writing, and grammar. I have to credit this series with my students high reading abilities! It has been a true success! There are 3 stories/selections to read each week in the main hardback book. There are also decodable readers (a stories with words that the students should be able to sound out based on the lessons that week). There are oral vocabulary sections to boost the students oral language skills. The grammar is presented on a very challenging level. At first, all of the students really struggled with the grammar. The skills being taught in second grade are like the skills that are taught in fourth grade in other reading series. After using the series for a few months the students adjusted and are now doing quite well. There are many resources including a very helpful website with activities that anyone can access--even someone without the textbook series. Check it out sometime! http://treasures.macmillanmh.com/utah/students
Helpful Websites
One website that I have found to be very positive in a preschool-second grade age setting is a website called Starfall. You can access this website by going to http://www.starfall.com/. It has many phonics and phonemic awareness exercises, as well as letter recognition exercises. There are little stories and activities to use on this website. It is great for children who are stuggling to read or hear the sounds. It is also good for homeschool children or a child who needs a little extra practice at his or her own pace.
Another great website is Netsmartz. You can access this website by going to http://www.netsmartz.org/. It teaches children about internet safety. I will caution you that you should preview this site and direct the children to the things that you find appropriate. There is a character (Numbutts) who some people find offensive or at least not school appropriate. The basic concept behind him is that he sits around all day. I never found it to be a problem; however, I know some who have. This is a great site. Just use it with caution.
Another great website is Netsmartz. You can access this website by going to http://www.netsmartz.org/. It teaches children about internet safety. I will caution you that you should preview this site and direct the children to the things that you find appropriate. There is a character (Numbutts) who some people find offensive or at least not school appropriate. The basic concept behind him is that he sits around all day. I never found it to be a problem; however, I know some who have. This is a great site. Just use it with caution.
Rising to Our Goals
My students participate in a reading program called Accelerated Reader. It is a great program which raised my students reading levels by six months in only two months. I made a bulletin board to help my students see which goals they had met and to help all of the students to celebrate each others accomplishments.
For the background, I used colored paper. We have a big roll of several different colors that all teachers have access to. I chose yellow, but you could choose any bright color. I found some border for the board that had hot air balloons on it. I put it around all four sides of the bulletin board. Next, I made four bubble shaped objects on which I wrote the words, "ONE GOAL!" on the first, "TWO GOALS!" on the second one, and so on. I put them on the board with one goal near the bottom and four goals near the top. Then I made hot air balloons which I cut from a variety of colors of construction paper. I put the students names on the hot air balloons and stapled them to the bottom of the board. Everytime the students reach a new goal, I move them up to the equivalent goal on the board. They get really excited about seeing their successes and are challenged to try harder when they see a classmate has reached a new goal.
Most recently two of my first grade students finished reading a book entitled The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It is labeled 5.1 reading level. That stands for fifth grade first month! The other students are now challenging themselves with chapter books so that they may also read this book. I have found that showing each students individual successes (no matter how small) to others in the classroom only encourages them to try to achieve greater things.
For the background, I used colored paper. We have a big roll of several different colors that all teachers have access to. I chose yellow, but you could choose any bright color. I found some border for the board that had hot air balloons on it. I put it around all four sides of the bulletin board. Next, I made four bubble shaped objects on which I wrote the words, "ONE GOAL!" on the first, "TWO GOALS!" on the second one, and so on. I put them on the board with one goal near the bottom and four goals near the top. Then I made hot air balloons which I cut from a variety of colors of construction paper. I put the students names on the hot air balloons and stapled them to the bottom of the board. Everytime the students reach a new goal, I move them up to the equivalent goal on the board. They get really excited about seeing their successes and are challenged to try harder when they see a classmate has reached a new goal.
Most recently two of my first grade students finished reading a book entitled The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It is labeled 5.1 reading level. That stands for fifth grade first month! The other students are now challenging themselves with chapter books so that they may also read this book. I have found that showing each students individual successes (no matter how small) to others in the classroom only encourages them to try to achieve greater things.
My Purpose
The purpose of this blog is to provide teachers and homeschooling parents a site to read lesson plans that I have prepare for my classroom and for my children when they reach the age that I will homeschool them. I am currently an educator in a rural public school. I have seen many good and bad things over the last two years in the public schools. I hope that this will be a guide that will help to direct you in teaching in the most effective ways. I have a strong dislike for the education system as a whole, but I love the kids that I work with. I enjoy seeing my students be challenged on a daily basis. The students who are not as gifted benefit as well from the good instruction and from the challenge that my classroom provides. I have seen students who were below grade level in reading jump an entire grade level in only two months when the appropriate teaching and pressure to succeed is provided.
I hope that the start of this blog will be just that--a start. I hope to continue to blog throughout the remainder of my teaching career at public schools. Then I will begin blogging my challenges and successes while being a homeschooling mom. One of these days, I may write a book about my experiences.
Note: I will never tell my full name, my school district, my state, or any of my students names to protect my job, my school's credability, and my student's identities. Any names I use (other than my first name) will be changed to protect all parties involved.
I hope that the start of this blog will be just that--a start. I hope to continue to blog throughout the remainder of my teaching career at public schools. Then I will begin blogging my challenges and successes while being a homeschooling mom. One of these days, I may write a book about my experiences.
Note: I will never tell my full name, my school district, my state, or any of my students names to protect my job, my school's credability, and my student's identities. Any names I use (other than my first name) will be changed to protect all parties involved.
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