TBCS - Deliberate Acts of Teaching - Reading - Margaret

Inquiry - Will deliberate instruction in areas where my low reading group is struggling, improve their comprehension?

4 students have been identified as achieving below their expected level in reading.  This is determined from asttle reading tests, observations of students working through the reading program  and during silent reading by their choice of books and their levels of motivation to read.

They have been put on our Power Up Program for Year 7 and 8s.  I monitor this to check on areas where they may be struggling.  Once an area has been identified, I get the students in a group to specifically teach around that identified area.  They are then given time to work independently with myself monitoring their progress.  If no improvement is made the next day I will gather them again to give further instructions in this area until they understand it fully.

Mel also works with 1 student doing a phonics program to enhance what is being learnt in Power Up and in groups.

Effective Literacy Practice Years 5-8

From Effective Literacy Practice Years 5-8 "To be successfully literate, students need to master three key areas of reading and writing: learning the code, making meaning, and thinking critically.

Making meaning: This involves developing and using knowledge, strategies, and awareness in order to get and convey meaning when reading or writing. It also involves understanding the forms and purposes of different texts and becoming aware that texts are intended for an audience.

Thinking critically: Becoming literate involves reading and writing beyond a literal, factual level. It involves analysing meanings, responding critically to text when reading, and being critically aware when composing texts. It also involves responding to texts at a personal level, reflecting on them, and finding reward in being a reader and a writer."

Teaching Comprehension - Making Connections

Helping students to make connections between what they know and what they are reading improves their comprehension. Teachers can model making such connections, and prompt students to make links with their own knowledge and experience, when they are introducing and discussing texts for reading and in writing and oral-language activities. When activating students’ prior knowledge for a particular purpose, teachers can help the students to hypothesise, infer, and build their own interpretations as they read.



Area:  Deliberate instruction in Comparing and Contrasting - Student N

Define the terms compare and contrast.  Use two similar objects.
Shared:  List together things that are similar/different.  Model how to put these into the graphic organiser.

Independent:  Get students to compare and contrast the picture given using the graphic organiser. Support where needed.

Encourage words such as but, whereas, similarly when comparing.  Write these on cards as prompts for students.

Share how this will improve our reading
Helps us focus on whats important when reading
Remember key ideas and details
Think about what you read in a different way
Discuss and write about what you have read

Shared:  Work through sample sentences together choosing correct comparing/contrasting word.  Note who is doing this independently.  These students can go back onto Power Up to give lesson a go.  Continue working with those needing support.

Reflection:
31/10/19
Worked with N on comparing and contrast which showed up as an area she was struggling with.  Once she understood the difference between these words she could easily complete the activity.  I had her use the venn diagram to record compare and contrast between a phone and a laptop.  She had lots of ideas but needed help recording these down so we sounded out each letter or I helped her with some so it didnt become frustrating. N seems to have a good grasp of blends when she stops to think but struggles with middle and end sounds (computer, glass, batteries, keyboard)  We may need to go back to basics (Lexia) though as she is a Year 7 I will keep monitoring to see if she can catchup to where she should be.  With Mels phonics program targeting this area it may be enough.
Went through comparing sentence together which she did easily though some help reading the sentences needed.
N began the lessons in Power Up after this and seemed to have a better grasp of the concept.  She has not completed it yet so will check to see how she went independently.

1/11/19
N worked through the comparing and contrast section in Power Up.. I helped her with the first few questions then after seeing she had a pretty good idea I left her to complete independently.  When she had completed these she came to tell me she had passed them all and was ready to move onto the next section.  She told me she got it now.

7/11/19
Worked with n and M today on their individual lesson.  They both were very unfocused today so had them sitting beside me while I helped them work through questions. M was working on finding the pace to put a pause in a sentence using commas which she had trouble with so I had her say the sentences out loud so she could hear that natural pause.

25/11/19
Worked with N and M
Identified Area:  Comprehension - Sensory Language
From Effective Literacy Practice Years 5-8

When readers visualise, they connect the ideas in the text with their prior knowledge and experience to create images in their minds. This often means thinking about their senses and using their imagination to see, hear, feel, taste, or smell parts of the text in their minds.

Creating an image can make a text come alive for the reader. The ability to visualise what is being explained or what is happening draws readers into the text. Studies have indicated that creating an image in the memory helps the reader to retain what is read and use it later on.

Readers experiencing difficulties often need help with creating mental images and may not realise how this can help their comprehension. Teachers can support students in visualising by asking questions such as “What image do you see in your head?”, by explicitly drawing attention to descriptive language or a sequence of ideas, and by sharing their own images. Visualising can be supported by creating graphic representations or mind maps of a text.
Lesson
The two girls came to sit with me as I first discussed what our focus was today - using sensory language to help us comprehend and remember what we read.  I started by reading out the restaurant description while they drew what images they had in their heads.  I prompted them to begin with - what else?  what would it look like?  We then looked through the words that helped to create those images and had the girls highlight these.  What do they notice about the words?  M came up with that they are all related to our senses so we discussed what our sense were - seeing, feeling, hearing etc  What mood did these words create?
I then read the next description.  The girls again drew the pictures listening to the sensory words.  They seemed to have a better understanding this time round.  They then highlighted the sensory words and discussed what they had drawn.  They were both able to give detailed descriptions of what they had drawn related to the story.  I then asked them if we took all those words out what kind of impact would that make.  They were not sure so we did one as an example noting that it didn't put any pictures in our head therefore had less impact - was less interesting.  We discussed why using these words was important in our reading and took it back to the learning intention of sensory words help us to remember what we read, create the mood and help us understand what we a reading.

Reflection

Both girls were very engaged in this task and had much to contribute. N needed a little more prompting but by the end of the lesson she had a lot more to say.  The girls went onto their Power Up after this where I monitored what they were doing while I worked with other students.

26/11/19
M has passed all her lessons on Power Up and is no longer 'struggling"  She is currently working independently.  I will continue to monitor to see where the next area she may need help in.  N is still struggling so will work with her next lesson.

27/11/19
Worked with N on her lessons.  I had her read out the text aloud and she had to find the missing word.  I used card to break up the word as she is struggling with some of the blends.  She can manage to sound out difficult words this way.  She has a good understanding as she reads though needs to be encourage to slow down and see if the word makes sense in the sentence.
Reflection
Will continue to work with N next lesson.

28/11/19
Worked with N.
Grammar- Simple Sentences
Nouns / using a/an- Me and Nikita worked through the lesson on nouns placing them into person, place, thing or idea.  She got slightly confused between place and thing.  We then looked at using a/an before a noun using the rule of an before a vowel sound. N then placed words into a sentence making sure they made sense as she wrote.
Reflection
N needed support with this but managed to complete the sentences independently.  She is currently working thorugh the lessons on Power Up independently.  Next session with N will be on verbs.

Also worked with M today as he was showing up he was gwetting below 80% in his reading comprehension.  We worked throught he questions together getting M to focus on reading the passage looking for the key words to help him answer the question.  A bit of inferencing involved and discussing meaning of unfamiliar words - gratifying.  Gave strategies for what to do when coming across these words.  Reading on for sense.  M scored 80% which is an improvement.  Will check how he does by himself tomorrow.

Links to Standard for Teaching

Design for Learning

Deisgn learning based on curriculum and pedagogocal knowledge, assessment information and an understanding of each learners strenghts, interests, needs, identitiies, language and culture.

Gather, analyse and use appropriate assessment information, identifying progress and needs of learners to design clear next steps in learning and to identify addtional supports or adaptations that may be required.

Strategies Used

Employing scaffolding strategies to support ākonga master new skills and knowledge and thus achieve independence.

Effectively using a range of digital technologies to engage ākonga and enhance their learning.  Creating an environment where open, productive dialogue is valued. 

Using assessment data to build my understanding of the relationship between my practice and outcomes of learning, achievement and wellbeing of ākonga.

Evaluating how the achievement data for my class(es) fits with the department/syndicate/school-wide data.

Providing ākonga with opportunities and time to apply feedback and feedforward information to improve their mastery of knowledge and skills.