I believe teaching students to "Stop, Think, and Breathe" is a valuable skill for all students and adults to learn. We all have emotions of sadness, disappointment, frustration, and have to learn how to deal with these emotions appropriately. I created this bookmark to help students who struggle to handle their emotions appropriately. It is important that you role play how to do this first before you give the student a bookmark. Please let me know if you have questions.
Click here to get your "Stop, Think, Breathe" bookmark.
This blog is to help me track different reading strategies that I learn as I pursue my reading licensure. Hopefully, this will give others ideas of effective reading strategies they can use in their classrooms.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Say "No" Round Robin Reading
I received the magazine "Reading Today" by the International Reading Association and it had a great article on why not to do round-robin reading in class.
Reasons for Not Doing Round-Robin
1. Students are usually reading the text-cold-which means they have not had time to preview the text or make connections before they read it aloud.
2. Not all students are comfortable reading aloud-especially when they might be correct by teachers and/or peers if they mispronounce a word or read the text in a less than fluent fashion.
3. It is very easy for student to read the segment for which they are responsible and then ignore the rest of the students' reading. Consequently, comprehension is rarely-if ever-an outcome of round-robin reading. It then provided strategies that are more beneficial to students.
Strategies that Encourage Comprehension instead of Round Robin
1. Use the Bookmark Technique (click here to get your copy).
2. Have students complete a KWL or KWLS worksheet.
KWL: "What do I know? What do I want to know? What have I learned?
KWLS: "What do I know? What do I want to know? What have I learned? What do I still
want to know?
3. Read-Pause-Question: One student reads, the pair pauses, and the student that reads asks the other student a question about the text.
4. Read-Pause-Sketch and Share: One student reads, the pair pauses, and each student sketches his/her visualization. Then the students share and discuss their sketches.
5. Read-Pause-Annotate: One student reads, the pair pauses, and then both students make suggestions about how to annotate that section of text.
Reasons for Not Doing Round-Robin
1. Students are usually reading the text-cold-which means they have not had time to preview the text or make connections before they read it aloud.
2. Not all students are comfortable reading aloud-especially when they might be correct by teachers and/or peers if they mispronounce a word or read the text in a less than fluent fashion.
3. It is very easy for student to read the segment for which they are responsible and then ignore the rest of the students' reading. Consequently, comprehension is rarely-if ever-an outcome of round-robin reading. It then provided strategies that are more beneficial to students.
Strategies that Encourage Comprehension instead of Round Robin
1. Use the Bookmark Technique (click here to get your copy).
2. Have students complete a KWL or KWLS worksheet.
KWL: "What do I know? What do I want to know? What have I learned?
KWLS: "What do I know? What do I want to know? What have I learned? What do I still
want to know?
3. Read-Pause-Question: One student reads, the pair pauses, and the student that reads asks the other student a question about the text.
4. Read-Pause-Sketch and Share: One student reads, the pair pauses, and each student sketches his/her visualization. Then the students share and discuss their sketches.
5. Read-Pause-Annotate: One student reads, the pair pauses, and then both students make suggestions about how to annotate that section of text.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Personal Space
A new month means a new topic for social skills. I was going to let the students decided what we should work on next, but I saw a reoccurring problem in my classroom and it was "Personal Space.
The basic concept of “personal space” is an important social rule. It is a concept that is confusing and difficult for some to understand. Unfortunately, the amount of personal space needed seems to be forever changing depending upon the circumstances. This can be extremely difficult to understand, so this month we will be focusing on the amount of personal space you should have with family, friends, and professionals (doctors, dentists, bus drivers teachers).
Hopefully throughout this month the students will gain a better understanding of personal space is, and why it is so important.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Our Tattle Rocks:) and Book Orders
Wow! Our "Tattle Rocks" turned out really cute. Here is an example from one of the students.
Remember that each color represents an emotion associated with tattling. See if your child can tell you what each color stands for.
Here is a cheat sheet for you:)
Red- Anger/Mad
Yellow- Happy
Green- Guilt
Purple-Honor or Loyalty
Blue-Sad
Orange-Anxious
Also, I created a poster you can print if you are having issues with tattling in your household or classroom. Enjoy!
Click here for your poster!
The next activity we will be doing is making our own "Tattle Boxes" with the OT (Occupational Therapist). If you could please send in an empty cereal box with your child before next Wednesday, January 23rd that would be great:)
Also, I sent home book orders today. If you could please send your order forms back by January 25th that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Have a fabulous day:)
Thursday, January 3, 2013
A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue
Oh my gosh! Paperwork took over my life and so my blog had to be put on the back burner. I am so excited to get back to it.
This month in "Social Skills" we are going to be working on the concept of "Tattling". These activities are based off the book, "A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue". If you are interested in purchasing the book for your home library you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Case-Tattle-Tongue/dp/1931636869
Tattling can take away from teaching time, cause conflict and discomfort, and can socially disable students. When a student's perception of right and wrong combines with their need for attention and "duty to inform," tattling is often a result.
The activities we will be focusing on this month with give students a "hands on" opportunity to apply and process the four tattle rules:
Rule #1: Be a Danger Ranger: If a person or animal is in danger, you must warn someone!
Rule #2: Be a Problem Solver: If the problem involves you directly, take charge and try hard to solve it yourself first.
Rule #3: Now or Later: Is the problem a "Now" problem or a "Not Now" problem? Can your problem be solved at a later time?
Rule #4: M. Y. O. B. (Mind Your Own Beewax!): If the problem is not dangerous and it does not involve you... Do Not Tattle!
I will be making a poster of the rules later this month, so if you need to use these rules in your home you can post the poster.
Hopefully, the Tattle Rules offer students effective strategies to help them understand the differences between tattling and warning. They also can empower students to become more effective problem solvers and improve their social relationships with peers.
Next Wednesday the class will be making "Tattle Rocks". It is a small rock that the students will decorate and set on top of the desk to remind them not to tattle. Each paint color we use will represent feelings that are associated with tattling.
Red-Anger
Orange-Anxiety
Blue-Sadness
Yellow-Happiness
Green- Guilt
Purple- Loyalty/Honor
If you could please have your child bring in a rock the size of their fist or a little bit larger by next Tuesday that would be greatly appreciated. As always, let me know if you have any questions.
This month in "Social Skills" we are going to be working on the concept of "Tattling". These activities are based off the book, "A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue". If you are interested in purchasing the book for your home library you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Case-Tattle-Tongue/dp/1931636869
Tattling can take away from teaching time, cause conflict and discomfort, and can socially disable students. When a student's perception of right and wrong combines with their need for attention and "duty to inform," tattling is often a result.
The activities we will be focusing on this month with give students a "hands on" opportunity to apply and process the four tattle rules:
Rule #1: Be a Danger Ranger: If a person or animal is in danger, you must warn someone!
Rule #2: Be a Problem Solver: If the problem involves you directly, take charge and try hard to solve it yourself first.
Rule #3: Now or Later: Is the problem a "Now" problem or a "Not Now" problem? Can your problem be solved at a later time?
Rule #4: M. Y. O. B. (Mind Your Own Beewax!): If the problem is not dangerous and it does not involve you... Do Not Tattle!
I will be making a poster of the rules later this month, so if you need to use these rules in your home you can post the poster.
Hopefully, the Tattle Rules offer students effective strategies to help them understand the differences between tattling and warning. They also can empower students to become more effective problem solvers and improve their social relationships with peers.
Next Wednesday the class will be making "Tattle Rocks". It is a small rock that the students will decorate and set on top of the desk to remind them not to tattle. Each paint color we use will represent feelings that are associated with tattling.
Red-Anger
Orange-Anxiety
Blue-Sadness
Yellow-Happiness
Green- Guilt
Purple- Loyalty/Honor
If you could please have your child bring in a rock the size of their fist or a little bit larger by next Tuesday that would be greatly appreciated. As always, let me know if you have any questions.
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