Katie Lambeth
Midterm RE 5100
- What is concept of word? How can you tell if a child has “got it” or not? And what is the importance of carefully modeling finger point reading and ensuring that beginning readers are doing it accurately? That is, why is it important that kids be guided in doing their own pointing and not just watching the teacher point?
There is the spoken word and written word. Students must have an awareness of spoken word to help understand the written word and show the spaces between the strings of letters on a page. Teachers can check to see if students have a concept of word by having them point to a word in the text. During shared reading (e.g. big book) talk with the students about the printed words and the spaces between them.
Students have a concept of word when they know what a word is and can point to words on a page. They are able to finger point reading of memorized text (which is a way to assess their concept of print). By finger pointing they are demonstrating one-to-one association. When students can read their own name and recognize names in various formats they have a concept of print
Students can build their concept of words through word study instruction beginning by working with pictures of words and sorting them by the beginning sounds followed by word families, short vowels, and one-syllable vowel patterns in sorts. This concept of word can build word-recognition skills. However, young students do not have an understanding of what “word” really is. Some may think a word is a syllable or a phoneme.
Finger pointing for students who haven’t been exposed to a lot of print is a way to engage them. They are in the print interacting with it and noticing the spaces. It is especially important for students, who have not been exposed to a lot of print, to observe the teacher modeling how to point to words on a page correctly. The teacher needs to place their finger underneath each word as it is read. The finger should not be pointing to the side of the word or to the top of the word. The teacher needs to make sure they are positioned so that they are able to accurately point to a word. Teachers should guide students during echo reading by first pointing to the text and then having the student point and read so they can assess the student’s concept of word. It is important the teacher is observing the student as they point to make sure the isolated pointing does not slow the student’s reading. If the teacher observes the broken reading she/he will need to model and encourage the student to slide their finger under the words as they read.
2. Why is it important to have a broad variety of materials available to use with beginning readers? And why is it important to have these materials carefully graded by difficulty?
It is important to have a variety of materials available when working with beginning readers. Materials should not be limited to trade books, however they are very important. Selecting the best books is very important. Teachers need to look for books with repetition, a predictable text, be aware of the amount of print on a page, books with new vocabulary words, books on students’ level, and a story that flows. Teacher also needs to establish a word bank for beginning readers. When a student knows a word by site the teacher will write it down on an index card and daily flash the site words the student has built up to help the words be permanent.
Other materials my include sentence strips. The student can dictate or write a sentence down. Then the teacher can write the sentence on a sentence strip (correct spelling) and cut it apart. Students use this to practice what they learn in word study and demonstrating phonemic awareness. Students point read before the teacher cuts the words apart for the student to put back together again. Pointing to each word provides the student with extra practice with words. Using sentence strips with a sentence the student provides gives the student instruction on their level.
It is extremely important to teach children on their instructional level using level readers. If at the beginning of the year a first grader is reading a Preprimer 3 then a teacher would select a 5 or 6 book level. The child may need to be moved to a 4 book level or even to a 7. Selecting leveled text is very flexible and it meets each student’s needs in reading.
3. Discuss some ways that Big Books and Language Experience dictations can be used to provide extra support for slow starting readers. How can you make sure that the books and dictations are at the child’s level? What things do you need to pay attention to?
Big books can be used as a tool to teach all levels of learners in Kindergarten and 1st grade. The pictures and accompanying print are oversized so the students can easily follow along as the teacher models finger pointing. The modeling can be provided to all students on their level through the use of big books. It will provide modeling for the poor skilled readers who remain disproportionately poor and minority. Another student may be learning site words while another student makes a connection between the spoken word and the printed word. After the big book is read the teacher can call students up to demonstrate finger pointing as they find words or read a page. During this time the teacher needs to pay attention to how the student orally reads and points. Is the child running out of words at the end of the line, or do they have words left over? The teacher can also use the oversized text to demonstrate sentence context, picture cues, and beginning letter-sound to help identify an unknown work in the text. When a teacher comes to an unknown word she can use the opportunity to teach new vocabulary.
When selecting a big book for Kindergarten find texts that have only one or two lines per page to allow the students to easily choral read. Teachers should also look for the predictable context of natural sounding sentence patterns. Most big books will have rhythmic language and repetitive refrains. This allows the students to complete the sentence and memorize the text easily. Also look for big books that are highly motivating and teach sounds.
Even though the big books can meet the needs of varied learning levels it must not be the sole reading program used in the classroom. There must also be instruction of alphabet, letter-sounds connections, early sight vocabulary, and model of print.
Along with Big Books a teacher can also use Language Experience dictations to encourage and build confidence in slower readers. In shared reading a teach may right thematic stories, daily events, or individual student stories. The students can help the teacher write the short story on chart paper by telling her/him punctuation marks, beginning letters, and ending letters they hear. Then the students will read it as a class. When it is posted in the room students can interact with text and feel confident about reading the words they reread several times in whole group.
4. Explain the importance of encouraging inventive spelling during children’s writing in Kindergarten and 1st grade. What do children get from this? What do teachers get from this? How can you assist students in gradually shifting from invented to increasingly correct spelling?
Spelling is not a memory activity, which is practiced in many classrooms today, rather it is a knowledge-based process that develops slowly over time. Research shows there are three stages of spelling: semi-phonetic stage, letter-name (or phonetic), and within-word pattern spelling stage. First students will write only the consonants in one-syllable words. Then they will write a letter for each sound they hear. Finally, short vowels are represented correctly, usually by second grade.
Students are motivated to write when they are encouraged to sound out words and spell them to the best of their ability. Their creativity is not crushed by them worrying about pleasing the teacher or having every word perfect. Students are able to freely explore their curiosity with print and express themselves. Teachers then have a better understanding of their developmental level and can collect information to guide his/her instruction. For example, a first grade teacher will do short vowel word sorts and patterns. Early invented spelling helps to gauge students’ growth. It also promotes phonemic awareness.
Invented spelling is developmental. Some students may start out by writing the beginning sound and one other consonant in the word. Eventually they will add vowels to their words when they are developmentally ready. The students are learning to pay attention to the sounds in their own speech. Written words are a reasonable approximation to the actual spelling of a word.
On their own time, students will move from invented spelling to increasingly correct spelling. However, it is important to note that invented spelling is not a replacement for spelling instruction in the classroom. As the teacher I would place children in appropriate groups for instruction. Spelling is like math or reading in the fact that not all students learn at the same pace. After administering a spelling inventory or observing patterns in their writing I would then create instructional activities to help them learn the words on their level. By sorting words in the classroom and at home students will become aware of common spelling patterns in words as they group and regroup words. Students will also be given practice with words sorts through memory games or speed sorts with partners. Patterns should then start to be reflected in the students’ writing as they use what they are learning.