We will be meeting at 3:30pm on Level5 to dive into some phonics work. Here are the offerings this week:
Erin: Multi-sensory Phonics Instruction (Reading Horizons model) Beryl: International Phonetic Alphabet Vivian: The Grapheme Connection/Fine Motor Intervention Joy: Core5 Lexia Tosca: Phonics Apps
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This week, we looked specifically at some tools which can be used to address comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary acquisition! We began our session with a share-out by our colleague, Dan. He demonstrated some seriously dynamic ways to utilize Seesaw and develop student agency in the process. We were able to engage with student-directed videos demonstrating mastery of concepts, student reflections of learning moments, and tools for creating extension activities within Seesaw. Dan inspired us to think about how we might use this platform to track student growth in literacy. Thanks, Dan! Next, Tosca and Erin demonstrated a barrier game. The amount of communication embedded within this engaging activity makes it a great resource for working with all students, not just our EAL and LS kiddos. Check out the link below to learn more about barrier games: We then transitioned to a speed-dating style exploration of comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary interventions. Most of the highlighted activities were pulled from The Florida Center for Reading Research. The FCRR provides educators with evidence-based strategies to support learner development in the five domains of reading. Erin has incorporated the FCRR-created materials into her flexible literacy groups for years, and feels that they provide educators with a solid foundation of targeted intervention materials. Take some time to browse the link below to learn more about the FCRR: At the end of our session, we regrouped to digest our break-out discussions and pose questions to our peers. We supported colleagues struggling with how to work flexible and targeted intervention groups into the framework of Reader's and Writer's Workshop, and with how to develop empathy for students with EAL needs. From interest-driven vocabulary journals to embedded visuals, we learned so much about the masterful pedagogy happening in our school community. Thank you to everyone who joined us this week.
This week, we met to develop common understandings around the five domains of reading. We first defined each domain and then, looked more in depth at how we are addressing each area in our instruction. Through our discussions, we identified gaps and areas for growth. An interesting idea from the conversation was the need to look at how each domain is being approached in each grade level, and to think about aligning intervention practices vertically. What can the fifth grade teacher learn from the kindergarten teacher about incorporating phonological exercises into transition times? Most native speakers may have moved past the need for instruction in phonemic awareness, but our students who are at the start of their English language journey require this intervention. Vertical collaboration is one way we can support our upper primary teachers in this domain. **The reading flow chart, shared last week, is a resource Erin has been carrying around for years. It was developed by a reading coach in her previous district and has been invaluable in her work with young readers. In an effort to clean-up the quality of the image, for use in her current school, Erin and Vivian used Lucidchart to create an updated version.
We did some research into intervention strategies we currently use and identified strategies, practices, and resources that we would like to add to our repertoire. Over the next few weeks, we will focus specifically on the target areas we have identified. If you have students who are struggling readers, the next few sessions would be great for you to attend! Vivian and I have been having many individual conversations with teachers about supporting specific students in the development of fluent reading skills. When you find a student who struggles with reading, how should you address the need in an explicit and systematic way? We decided that rather than individually share this amazing resource 40+ times, we would send out this to reach all of you! The Florida Center for Reading Research has a wealth of evidence-based strategies and activities free for download, already prepared, with instructions and examples for use. I have used their activities in literacy centres for years and found that they enabled me to target specific needs in flexible groups without having to spend hours creating materials. If you are wondering how to identify where exactly, in the continuum of reading skills, a student begins to struggle, consider attending our next Monday Learning Exchange. We are going to be looking more closely at the basics of how reading develops and what areas need to be instructionally supported within your literacy block for struggling readers to progress. Here is one of the flowcharts we use for this if you want to give it a try on your own: Some early learner Phonics apps |