Elkonin Boxes

Elkonin Boxes, or Sound Boxes are used to help early readers hear the individual sounds (phonemes) in words and write them.  One letter is written in each box.  Students pronounce each individual sound as they slide a finger (or coin or other marker) to the right along the arrow.  The number of boxes matches the number of letters in the word.  Of course your earliest readers will begin with 2 and 3 letter words.

As readers progress into more complicated word patterns, boxes will grow.  In the 5 letter box you can see that a reader of a word like this, will need to work with consonant blends and digraphs.

Materials to make Sound Boxes need not be complicated.  You can draw one with a marker!  Or, use colored tape to form boxes on a cookie sheet, then spell with magnetic letters. Or, use colored tape to form boxes on a table top, then spray shaving cream inside box parts for kids to write letters with their finger.  Get creative.  The methods are limitless.  Go online and You tube some videos which demonstrate this strategy. You can also search the Internet for a variety of designs, including the cute one below from www.bogglesworldesl.com

Summer Reading

Here's my summer reading: Some Reading GOLD from Jennifer Serravallo and some Writing GOLD from Colleen Cruz!  Hot off the presses! Let me know what you think.  We'll compare notes.

Time to READ.  See you Later.

Learning by Doing

The idea behind the Readers and Writers Workshop model of learning is that students learn best by actually DOING what they are learning.  Readers need to READ.  Writers need to WRITE.  Artists, need to sculpt or paint or draw.  So what does the teacher do while her students are READING or WRITING or SCULPTING?  The teacher is moving around the room, observing, encouraging, helping, giving hints and tips, in a word...TEACHING!

For more information on how to CONFER with READERS take a look at Jennifer Serravallo's book, Conferring With Readers.

For information on how to CONFER with WRITERS take a look at Carl Anderson's book,
Assessing Writers.

Happy Teaching 2014-2015!!

Writing Conferences

Dear Writing Teachers,

 

Are you aware that almost all of your writing instruction

happens during your one-on-one writing conferences?

Sure, your mini-lesson is important and reaches a

larger audience.  But the real "MEAT" of your teaching

will come during your individual conferences with students.

This is when you are face-to-face speaking writer-to-writer!

 

In the Calkins/Hartman/White book, One to One, you can

read about 4 suggested steps to include in a writing conference.

As I coach teachers I give them a pink card with the 4 parts

written (below) to take around the room with them as they

conference.

 

Research: This part is when you observe and analyze what the student is doing as a writer. It is also important at this point to compliment your student on what they've done well.

 

Decide: Decide what you want to teach your student during this conference and how you will teach it.

 

Teach: You will teach what you've decided will get this student to the next step in their writing.

 

Link: Remind student what they have done well as a writer and remind them to do this in the future.

Cause and Effect

Running through almost every text your students read, there are examples of cause and effect relationships.  We often think of them as a text structure.  But I also see cause and effect when looking at a sequence of events. I see cause and effect when looking at a problem and solution.  And I see cause and effect when inferring, "why did this happen?" Is it just me? Causes and Effects seem to be everywhere!

Notice how this chart illustrates how there need not be only one cause and effect.  There could be several causes for a given effect...My good grades, my good attitude AND my helpfulness in the classroom might have all CAUSED me to get the Good Citizen Award. On the flip side, one "event" or cause such as a tornado might produce multiple EFFECTS such as building damage, torn up landscapes and bodily damage.

 The author writes about one or more causes or events and what happens because of it, the effect/or effects. The PURPOSE is to explain why or how something happened, exists, or works.

Sometimes authors use words that signal when a cause or effect will be shown. 
Here are some signal words to watch for:

because     therefore     due to     accordingly      for this reason     so that     consequently   nevertheless         in order to      if...then

Here is a poster which illustrates it all:

A Character's Journey

In most stories your character takes some sort of journey.  It might be a literal journey or trip.  It might be a journey into new experiences, circumstances or feelings.  Help students take the journey with the characters they read about.  And as writers, invite students to take their readers on a journey!  The following idea was snagged from the Summer Writer's Institute at Teacher's College in New York.  I've used the example of Little Red Riding Hood, but you could apply this exercise to another story or demonstrate how a student might use this to assist with their own narrative writing.  Can you think of ways to use this?

Nonfiction Visuals

Chart Idea Inspired by The Comprehension Toolkit

Text Features

Nonfiction Readers

Student Nonfiction Features Journal

Journal Construction.

Hands-On and FUN!

Five Finger Rule

It is very important for students to learn how to choose their own books. As I've mentioned in a previous post, the best way for kids to raise their reading level is to read MORE on a level that is fairly EASY for them.  This would be their INDEPENDENT level.  The Five Finger Rule or Five Finger Test, is one of the easiest ways for kids to determine if a book they've selected, will be a match. If you haven't heard of the Five Finger Rule, I'll let the sample graphics that I've collected from the Internet explain it for you!

Find a Favorite.

Thanks to the following websites for the good ideas!!

http://krazyaboutkiddos.blogspot.com

www.oboyorganic.com

www.rivervaleschools.com

www.pabooklibraries.psu.edu

www.ayearofmanyfirsts.com

Writing Do's and Don'ts Flipbook

In Texas we took the 4th grade Writing STAAR test this week.
Teachers found a clever way to review with their students in the weeks leading up to the test.

Hints were cut and pasted inside. 

And the Don'ts...

Beginning Middle End

The ability to find the BEGINNING, MIDDLE and END of a story can help your students in more than one way. They can use it when SEQUENCING a story.  They can use it when writing a SUMMARY.  They can use it when RETELLING a story.  They can use it as a model when WRITING a story.  I'm sure there are more ways to use beginning, middle and end.  What do you think? 

Take a look at this fun visual for teaching it!

Can you tell these photos are authentic?  Complete with glue-smudged student desk!

Anchor Charts in Spanish

Anchor posters from a 1st grade bilingual classroom

Word Wall

Reading Logs (English and Spanish Samples)

Why reading logs? A reading log is simply a tool to keep track of student reading.  They can be used in a variety of ways. Students can keep track of reading they've done at home, at school, or both. A variety of information can be kept on the log. Logs can be as simple or comprehensive as preferred.

As I was gathering information about reading logs I noticed several online posts from those who disagree with the use of reading logs. The general feeling is that reading logs take the fun of reading away, or take too long, or they are just put in place to cause parents to sign one more piece of school work. The last thing we want to do is remove the joy of reading!!  Teaching the enjoyment of reading is job #1 ! Teachers must present the log and make use of it in such a way that it is not a chore, merely a tool. Keep it simple, and make it fun!

Here's how I think of reading logs.  I think they are primarily for the use of the STUDENT not the teacher.  I believe in student ownership of school performance and I see a log as a method for students to keep track of how much they are reading!  But that's not all.  Logs can help students track the variety of genres they are reading, the number of minutes read per day, their reading speed and more.  I compare it to a food journal used when I'm dieting.  I don't particulary LIKE to write down everything I eat in a day, but it DOES force me to FACE or admit to what I've actually consumed.  It can be quite enlightening!  I think the reading log can do the same for a young reader, especially if they are working toward a particular reading goal.

I've been in several classrooms that make great use of logs.  It takes students just a minute at the MOST to fill in their pages/minutes read.  It should not take a significant chunk of time to fill out.

Take a look and see if any of these work for you!

Sample of a 2nd Grade Log

Sample of another 2nd Grade Log

A Kinder Log Sample from Pinterest

A First Grade take-home log in Spanish

A 3rd Grade log in Spanish

The next three logs came from www.countryclipart.com

The first one is the simplest

This one asks for a bit more information

This log calls for more.  It might be most helpful in

the upper grades.

An alternative for upper grades might be items such as these, found

in a 5th grade Reader's Response log:

Just a simple spiral

Written Response By Student to Teacher (full page)

Steps of Reading Response

Very Authentic Reading Log  :)