During the opening minutes of Fundations Reading sessions, students recite the
letter-key word- sound for every letter and digraph learned. I say, "
Readers, look over here at the sound board," and they begin
"sounding off," so to speak! Their familiar
"a-apple-ah and
e-Ed-eh,"
grounds us before we head into new reading and writing experiences that stretch us. (
The chart, on the left, is ever-present!)
To monitor progress and assure assessment guided instruction, we use many CBM (
curriculum based measures) such as the one that asks students to write the lower case letters of the alphabet. They start with "a" and write as many letters as they can until I tell them to stop. It takes just 60 seconds and gives me lots of information about how students are internalizing letter formations and about their "writing fluency."
I turn the usual the easel sideways so that students will look "inside their minds" rather than copy letters during this assessment (see photo to the left). As I told the students to begin the other day, one little boy leaned over closely and assured me, "I know some of the other kids will have a hard time doing this, but you can't trick me! I know all the letters, 'cause I have a picture of them in my mind."
"
I bet you do," I said as I smiled, but I thought to myself, "
I sure hope you do!"
6 comments:
So sweet. Our students do know so much of how we teach them. Oh yes they do!
Love your last line! I think I say that to myself at least once or twice a day!
It is always funny when students think that they have you figured out.
Love his self confidence! Thanks for this glimpse into your morning. I'm interested in reading more of your blogs and your methods for teaching reading and writing.
This is what a script can't offer
"inside their minds"
So glad you can cut thru the crap(pardon my language)
Love the way he turned to you with his aside - he has confidence in himself, and confidence in you.
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