Finding and Fixing: next steps to work on with my target group

 

These three slides have been very helpful in reinforcing the good practice of being consistent and repetitive when working with students who are often appealing to the teacher to help find and fix errors.   At first I must admit that after only a few go's I'd decide it wasn't working.

Using these prompts repeatedly, especially those found in the first two frames has been important in returning the ownership of finding what the error is on the student. I have too easily and very often given hints/clues that have not made enough difference to have these particular students developing good strategies of their own.   I can see that repeating of prompts will have students soon if not already realise the area in which they are needed to improve.  Missing middle parts of words, endings, sense making etc.

I've found to stop and work on word families, starts - middles - ends of words needs to be the norm with this particular group of readers.  The sense of urgency I have due to these students being in their final years before college, I need to yes remember but NOT have it rush me through these fundamental strategies of finding and then fixing errors in the texts these students are reading.  

Just a reminder of my target group: 1 x year 8, 3 x year 7 reading at 9.5 year level.  Very soon we will be re-testing and hopefully reporting back a lift in levels and/or reading strategies.

 

Guided reading = Instructional reading

Apologies I'm not going to be explaining what this is or isn't.  Rather I hope to draw your attention the beginning of our reading PD journey @pes for 2020.

This was a point raised...we have different names for often the same thing in NZ around reading!  One myth we've put to rest is that my title here - are different things.  Moving forward at PES we've decided they are one in the same.  We're going with INSTRUCTIONAL READING to describe what some teachers have been practicing as guided reading.





All teachers have a target group to observe closely.
a. What are these children doing when they come across an unknown word?
b. What behaviours do you notice while they are reading?
c. What strategies do they have?
d. What do you do to help next?

These are some of the questions I will be exploring with my group of 4 students.  3 of the 4 are year 7 boys, 1 year 8 girl.  Here poses another challenge.  What texts do I select that will be appealing to 3 very active year 7 boys and a very mature year 8 girl.   Looking forward to this challenge.

So far I've noticed the following:
Student A: is nervous to try out new words, knows his limitations and does not know what to do with a new word
Student B: very confident even though says many words incorrectly, will read through any word and not stop until asked to, continues without concern for making meaning
Student C: confident reader, knows to break up word to try and sound out new word.  Will often give the words others in group are stuck with
Student D: seems confident however any word will appeal to the teacher for support. No other strategies.
All students do not practice reading from beginning of sentence or earlier/on after to make meaning of an unknown word.

I need observe more and research what to do next in terms of teaching strategies to these year 7 & 8 students who are reading at the 9 and 9.5 year level.