Lisa found us the following website for listening to reading:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/
This is also a good website with lots of classics:
How have you introduced this?
What resources are you using?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Listening to Reading
Children come with varying backgrounds and experiences of being read to. Listening to reading in class helps bolster these home experiences and improve students reading abilities.
Lisa found us the following website for listening to reading:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/
How have you introduced this?
What resources are you using?
Lisa found us the following website for listening to reading:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/commclub/
How have you introduced this?
What resources are you using?
Read to Someone
Reading with someone helps students read independently and grow as readers; it helps them become more self-sufficient and less reliant on teachers for assistance. (pg 60 Daily 5)
How have you introduced Read to someone?
What responsibilities have the children decided on?
Do you have any resource ideas?
How have you introduced Read to someone?
What responsibilities have the children decided on?
Do you have any resource ideas?
Read to Self
So great see children engrossed in a good book. Whilst they are building their stamina they are also practicing and integrating all those brilliant reading skills they are learning.
Do you have any ideas for Read to Self?
How many minutes are your class up to?
Do you have any ideas for Read to Self?
How many minutes are your class up to?
Off and Running!
Well we are off to a brilliant start with Daily 5 and for some of us CAFE. It has been just amazing to see the children so engrossed in what they are doing and talking strategies for reading and really understanding their responsibilities with the activities. Loved hearing all the talk of how many stamina minutes your students are all up to.
I'm going to put a post up for each of the rounds for us to add resources to and also for us to discuss and share our ideas as we move through introducing each round. Please contribute to these posts.
A must to sign up to is the Daily 5 wiki! Absolutely awesome resources developed by teachers working with Daily 5 and CAFE as well as videos of teachers teaching and children engaging. Best of all, it's all FREE! Find it at:
www.daily5cafechat.wikispaces.com
Have you signed up yet? Don't forget to subscribe to this blog so that you will be able to follow the conversation!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Doing the 5 in 2012 - Lets Go!!
Well we are gearing up for a full scale launch of Daily 5 this term from Kindy to Year 4. Even our Prep class is getting in on the action!
By now I think we have all read the Daily 5 and thought about how it's going to be implemented. In hearing from many of you over the holidays it seems that you are all excited by this new approach at MACC to Literacy learning this year. I've listed here the resources and links that lots of you have been sending around via twitter and email so they are all in the one place.
By now I think we have all read the Daily 5 and thought about how it's going to be implemented. In hearing from many of you over the holidays it seems that you are all excited by this new approach at MACC to Literacy learning this year. I've listed here the resources and links that lots of you have been sending around via twitter and email so they are all in the one place.
Excellent Blog
Excellent Posters
An Excellent Powerpoint
I'm sure there are heaps more but this is a good start!
The one BIG question that keeps coming up is.....how do we store Good Fit Books?
20+ containers n the classroom will take up a great deal of spaces along with a big chunk of the budget, when you times the price per book box 275 times! So is there an alternative?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Work on writing and word work
In helping students tune ears-and mouths and eyes, even their fingertips, their nerve endings-to the glorious range of ways they can string words together, we need to encourage them to fool around, to experiment, to break rules even before they know all the rules. Whoever knows all the rules, anyway?
Judith Rowe Michaels
Working on writing provides students with time to spend on writing that really matters to them:
- Persuasive writing, convincing to read a favourite book.
- Friendly letters to a classmate or pen pail.
- Recount of a lost tooth or the loss of a beloved pet.
- Reports on topics of current interest.
- Poetry
- Narrative about a sport game.
Focus lessons for work on writing
- Model what to do when writing words they can’t spell (underline and go on).
- Brainstorm what materials to use during writing. For example, notebook, pen, pencil, drawing
- What to write about> make a list of topics, make a list of forms.
Word Work
Creating and maintaining a time during each literacy block to focus on words is critical to developing readers, writers and communicators. Word study takes up a portion of the literacy block, allowing time for the following:
- Experimenting with words for learning and practicing spelling patterns.
- Memorising high frequency words.
- Generalising spelling patterns.
- Adding to our knowledge and curiosity of unique and interesting words.
Materials to practice spelling
- Whiteboards
- Magnetic letters
- Wiki sticks
- Clay
- Letter stamps
- Coloured markers
Day 1- Focus lessons for word work
- Introduce optional materials and their location to students.
- Brainstorm
- Model finding the materials, materials placement in the room and setup materials.
- Brainstorm chart of how to clean up.
- Model material placement in the room.
Day 2
- Model and practice materials set up and placement.
- Brainstorm how to use materials.
- Model and practice student behaviours of how to use materials.
- Continue building stamina of working with materials adding one to two minutes each day.
Other Focus lessons
- Word sorts
- Adding words to their collection.
- Add words to their word study notebooks.
- Practicing basic words most often misspelled.
- List words that belong to a pattern and add to notebook.
- Set up notebook.
Some questions to think about:
This year I found that with Kindy we do a lot of word work with them in our literacy centres, however I have found that at the beginning of the year the students do not know any words except for their names to make with magnetic letters and lego boards and because of this they just sit there un-engaged.
How could word work be done with Kindy in term one and two when they have little knowledge of words?
How do we go about placing materials for writing and word work when we have limited amounts of shelving in the classrooms?
Fay
Work on writing and word work
In helping students tune ears-and mouths and eyes, even their fingertips, their nerve endings-to the glorious range of ways they can string words together, we need to encourage them to fool around, to experiment, to break rules even before they know all the rules. Whoever knows all the rules, anyway?
Judith Rowe Michaels
Working on writing provides students with time to spend on writing that really matters to them:
- Persuasive writing, convincing to read a favourite book.
- Friendly letters to a classmate or pen pail.
- Recount of a lost tooth or the loss of a beloved pet.
- Reports on topics of current interest.
- Poetry
- Narrative about a sport game.
Focus lessons for work on writing
- Model what to do when writing words they can’t spell (underline and go on).
- Brainstorm what materials to use during writing. For example, notebook, pen, pencil, drawing
- What to write about> make a list of topics, make a list of forms.
Word Work
Creating and maintaining a time during each literacy block to focus on words is critical to developing readers, writers and communicators. Word study takes up a portion of the literacy block, allowing time for the following:
- Experimenting with words for learning and practicing spelling patterns.
- Memorising high frequency words.
- Generalising spelling patterns.
- Adding to our knowledge and curiosity of unique and interesting words.
Materials to practice spelling
- Whiteboards
- Magnetic letters
- Wiki sticks
- Clay
- Letter stamps
- Coloured markers
Day 1- Focus lessons for word work
- Introduce optional materials and their location to students.
- Brainstorm
- Model finding the materials, materials placement in the room and setup materials.
- Brainstorm chart of how to clean up.
- Model material placement in the room.
Day 2
- Model and practice materials set up and placement.
- Brainstorm how to use materials.
- Model and practice student behaviours of how to use materials.
- Continue building stamina of working with materials adding one to two minutes each day.
Other Focus lessons
- Word sorts
- Adding words to their collection.
- Add words to their word study notebooks.
- Practicing basic words most often misspelled.
- List words that belong to a pattern and add to notebook.
- Set up notebook.
Some questions to think about:
This year I found that with Kindy we do a lot of word work with them in our literacy centres, however I have found that at the beginning of the year the students do not know any words except for their names to make with magnetic letters and lego boards and because of this they just sit there un-engaged.
How could word work be done with Kindy in term one and two when they have little knowledge of words?
How do we go about placing materials for writing and word work when we have limited amounts of shelving in the classrooms?
Fay
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Chapter 5
Chapter 5 – Read to someone and listen to reading
“We need a definite purpose, a specific reason for listening, otherwise we don’t pay attention and don’t really hear or understand.” - Robert Montgomery.
Read to someone
Reading with someone helps students read independently and grow as readers; it helps them become more self-sufficient and less reliant on teachers for assistance. It has also been noted to increase (p60):
-
- The volume of reading
- The level of attention to reading
- Reading motivation
- Fluency
- Reading rate
- Word attack skills
- The love of reading
Introducing read to someone
Focus Lesson Day 1:
EEKK
Introduce the concept of EEKK to the students, explaining that when we read we need to sit ‘elbow to elbow, knee to knee’ and model this with a student. The sisters use a story about a spider as a fun way to introduce this on p63.
Voice
“The loudest voice in the room is the one that regulates the noise level.” P64. A very soft voice is purposefully modeled when showing children how to read to someone. This is example is also modeled by the teacher throughout the term – the teacher should not be the loudest voice in the room!
Check for understanding
One student in the pair holds a check mark (tick) as a visual cue to remind them to check for understanding after their partner has read. Model with a student: have them read a page/paragraph to you, then summarise what they read (who, what, where) i.e. check for understanding, then switch roles. First model correct understanding, then model language to be used if their summary/understanding was incorrect (see p65 for detailed example), then model student re reading the page and their partner re checking their understanding.
I-chart, modeling, practice, and check-in
After modeling create an I-chart: Read to someone. Ask students if a visitor walked into our classroom while we were doing read to a partner, what would they see?
1 -3 sets of partners are then asked to come to the front and model the correct behaviours of read to someone, firstly the undesirable behaviours than desirable behaviours. The teacher then gives students a partner and a place in the room and they practice for 3-4 minutes. After practicing, students refer back to the I-chart and reflect on each aspect and set goals for next practice.
Focus Lesson Day 2:
I Read, You read
Begin by reviewing Day 1. Refer to new anchor chart title ‘Ways to Read to Someone’, review strategy from lesson 1 ‘Check for understanding’ and add to chart. Introduce ‘I read, You read’ - one person reads a page or paragraph than the other person reads the same page/paragraph, and add to the I chart. Model how to sit, select who reads first (most fluent person), then have students discuss how this improves their reading. Finally add ‘Read two different books’ to the I chart and review all three strategies.
Students then practice, repeat modeling, and check in to build stamina as per lesson 1.
Focus Lesson Day 3:
How to choose books
Review lesson 1 and 2. Discuss strategies for how to choose a book such as ‘Make a deal’, ‘Two different books’, or Scissors, Paper, Rock.
Focus Lesson Day 4:
Choosing your own classroom spot
Review the I chart for ‘read to someone’. Teacher still selects partners, then students move off in pairs and independently select their spot within the classroom and the way in which they will read to a partner. Add another 1-2 minutes to previous days time.
Focus Lesson Day 5:
How to choose a partner
Review I-chart. Discuss strategies for selecting a partner without yelling across the room, discuss who makes a good partner and reinforce that it’s not always your closest friend.
Focus Lesson Day 6:
Coaching or time
This is one of my favourite aspects of the ‘read to someone’ instruction process! Students discuss the role of a coach on sports team and relate this to being a reading coach for their partner. Create a new chart with the title “Reading Coach”; discuss with students what happens when they get stuck on a word when reading with a partner, and what the partner should do. Students are then taught to count silently to 3 before asking their partner if they need ‘time or coaching’. If their partner asks for time they must wait patiently while they try to work out the word, if the partner asks for coaching they refer to the coaching sheet (p74) and recommend the best strategy for that word.
Listen to Reading
Children come with varying backgrounds and experiences of being read to; listening to reading in class helps bolster these home experiences and improve students reading abilities.
Day 1
- Brainstorm chart of expected behavious
- Model and practice material set of CD, audio book, ipod
- Model and practice listening and following along with the words or pictures
Day 2
- Review I chart
- Model and practice putting materials away neatly
Day 3
- Review I chart
- Model and practice listening to a short story, finishing it, and starting a new story
- Model and practice what to do if work time is up before the story is finished
Day 4
- Review I chart
- Discuss the number of listening devices available
- Decide on a way that allows all to participate (who is first, second, third etc).
The students in my class love listening to audio versions of books and it is great to see them truly excited to follow along with a story. I have also found that they built up stamina with the reading to partner quite well, although I hadn’t introduced the ‘time, coaching’ concept as yet which I love! I will definitely be introducing that this term!
I am loving incorporating the daily 5 into my literacy block and have had positive feedback from parents and students, so hope to do so even further this term. The one minor dilemma I’m having at the moment is where do you display all these I-charts? Do you ‘publish’ them, or put them up as is (I know in the excitement of recording all the students responses I can lose sometimes focus on neatness!)?
Amy
“We need a definite purpose, a specific reason for listening, otherwise we don’t pay attention and don’t really hear or understand.” - Robert Montgomery.
Read to someone
Reading with someone helps students read independently and grow as readers; it helps them become more self-sufficient and less reliant on teachers for assistance. It has also been noted to increase (p60):
-
- The volume of reading
- The level of attention to reading
- Reading motivation
- Fluency
- Reading rate
- Word attack skills
- The love of reading
Introducing read to someone
Focus Lesson Day 1:
EEKK
Introduce the concept of EEKK to the students, explaining that when we read we need to sit ‘elbow to elbow, knee to knee’ and model this with a student. The sisters use a story about a spider as a fun way to introduce this on p63.
Voice
“The loudest voice in the room is the one that regulates the noise level.” P64. A very soft voice is purposefully modeled when showing children how to read to someone. This is example is also modeled by the teacher throughout the term – the teacher should not be the loudest voice in the room!
Check for understanding
One student in the pair holds a check mark (tick) as a visual cue to remind them to check for understanding after their partner has read. Model with a student: have them read a page/paragraph to you, then summarise what they read (who, what, where) i.e. check for understanding, then switch roles. First model correct understanding, then model language to be used if their summary/understanding was incorrect (see p65 for detailed example), then model student re reading the page and their partner re checking their understanding.
I-chart, modeling, practice, and check-in
After modeling create an I-chart: Read to someone. Ask students if a visitor walked into our classroom while we were doing read to a partner, what would they see?
1 -3 sets of partners are then asked to come to the front and model the correct behaviours of read to someone, firstly the undesirable behaviours than desirable behaviours. The teacher then gives students a partner and a place in the room and they practice for 3-4 minutes. After practicing, students refer back to the I-chart and reflect on each aspect and set goals for next practice.
Focus Lesson Day 2:
I Read, You read
Begin by reviewing Day 1. Refer to new anchor chart title ‘Ways to Read to Someone’, review strategy from lesson 1 ‘Check for understanding’ and add to chart. Introduce ‘I read, You read’ - one person reads a page or paragraph than the other person reads the same page/paragraph, and add to the I chart. Model how to sit, select who reads first (most fluent person), then have students discuss how this improves their reading. Finally add ‘Read two different books’ to the I chart and review all three strategies.
Students then practice, repeat modeling, and check in to build stamina as per lesson 1.
Focus Lesson Day 3:
How to choose books
Review lesson 1 and 2. Discuss strategies for how to choose a book such as ‘Make a deal’, ‘Two different books’, or Scissors, Paper, Rock.
Focus Lesson Day 4:
Choosing your own classroom spot
Review the I chart for ‘read to someone’. Teacher still selects partners, then students move off in pairs and independently select their spot within the classroom and the way in which they will read to a partner. Add another 1-2 minutes to previous days time.
Focus Lesson Day 5:
How to choose a partner
Review I-chart. Discuss strategies for selecting a partner without yelling across the room, discuss who makes a good partner and reinforce that it’s not always your closest friend.
Focus Lesson Day 6:
Coaching or time
This is one of my favourite aspects of the ‘read to someone’ instruction process! Students discuss the role of a coach on sports team and relate this to being a reading coach for their partner. Create a new chart with the title “Reading Coach”; discuss with students what happens when they get stuck on a word when reading with a partner, and what the partner should do. Students are then taught to count silently to 3 before asking their partner if they need ‘time or coaching’. If their partner asks for time they must wait patiently while they try to work out the word, if the partner asks for coaching they refer to the coaching sheet (p74) and recommend the best strategy for that word.
Listen to Reading
Children come with varying backgrounds and experiences of being read to; listening to reading in class helps bolster these home experiences and improve students reading abilities.
Day 1
- Brainstorm chart of expected behavious
- Model and practice material set of CD, audio book, ipod
- Model and practice listening and following along with the words or pictures
Day 2
- Review I chart
- Model and practice putting materials away neatly
Day 3
- Review I chart
- Model and practice listening to a short story, finishing it, and starting a new story
- Model and practice what to do if work time is up before the story is finished
Day 4
- Review I chart
- Discuss the number of listening devices available
- Decide on a way that allows all to participate (who is first, second, third etc).
The students in my class love listening to audio versions of books and it is great to see them truly excited to follow along with a story. I have also found that they built up stamina with the reading to partner quite well, although I hadn’t introduced the ‘time, coaching’ concept as yet which I love! I will definitely be introducing that this term!
I am loving incorporating the daily 5 into my literacy block and have had positive feedback from parents and students, so hope to do so even further this term. The one minor dilemma I’m having at the moment is where do you display all these I-charts? Do you ‘publish’ them, or put them up as is (I know in the excitement of recording all the students responses I can lose sometimes focus on neatness!)?
Amy
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Twitter #Daily 5 Chat
This mornings #Daily 5 chat had so many amazing links to resources for focus lessons and ideas for writing and spelling. I'd suggest you take yourself to that #tag and do some trawling. It really is a fabulous resource.
Deb
Deb
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Chapter 4 - Read to Self
Chapter 4 – Read To Self
“Just adding more time and space for independent reading is not enough. I’m advocating a carefully designed, structured reading program that includes demonstrating, teaching, guiding, monitoring, evaluating, and goal setting along with voluntary reading of books students choose…When an independent reading component is added, test scores go up.”
- Regie Routman
Having students read to themselves is the first step in the Daily Five and is the foundation for creating independent readers and writers. When implementing this step, The Sisters advocate the use of the gradual release of responsibility model which involves the repeated describing, modeling and practicing of behaviours we want students to learn.
The explicit descriptions of how to implement the Read to Self step are fantastic – like a really detailed lesson plan. This makes implementation super easy! Here’s an overview of the process described in the chapter:
Introduction
The first concept taught is that there are three ways to read a book:
Read and talk about the pictures
Read the words
Retell a previously read book
Read To Self Day 1
Brainstorm and record why it is important to read to ourselves
Brainstorm and record appropriate Read To Self behaviours
Select student to model appropriate Read To Self behaviours
Select a student to model an inappropriate way to Read To Self then have the same student change their behaviour to the appropriate way to Read To Self. For this task, The Sisters recommend selecting a student who you expect to engage in off-task behaviour.
Practice Read to Self. Three minutes maximum – but cut it short if students are unable to focus on his or her book or stay in the one spot.
Checking Back In. Review the chart with the appropriate Read To Self behaviours then have students reflect on their practice session. With their hand near their heart, give a thumbs up if they thought they were successful or put their thumbs sideways if they thought they could improve in an area.
Repeat practice session then check back in once more.
Review the lesson to summarise the key points.
Read To Self Day 2 And Beyond
The lessons that follow are very similar to the first with the biggest change being an additional minute of practice time. By modeling and remodeling the desired behaviours, these behaviours become common knowledge and habits for all students.
As you can see, it’s very easy to implement the Read to Self step in our classrooms! I look forward to hearing how it is going in your classroom. I was perusing the awesome The Daily Café website and the following video answers two questions which I considered while reading this chapter:
Sisters on the Spot: Two Important Questions
1) How do I get my first graders, who aren't really reading yet, to do all I'm asking of them during Daily 5 without relying on centres?
2) If I'm devoting so much time to literacy, how do I manage to fit content into our schedule?
Oh and we all know how much I enjoy decorating my classroom! Check out the following video for a great idea on storage and display of student’s book choices:
Design – Personalising Book Boxes
Finally, The Sister’s recommend the goal for primary students (I assume this would be Grades 3 to 6?) to be able to Read to Self for 30-45 minutes. Do you think this is realistic? What would be an appropriate goal for other Grades?
Looking forward to reading your responses!
Jenn
“Just adding more time and space for independent reading is not enough. I’m advocating a carefully designed, structured reading program that includes demonstrating, teaching, guiding, monitoring, evaluating, and goal setting along with voluntary reading of books students choose…When an independent reading component is added, test scores go up.”
- Regie Routman
Having students read to themselves is the first step in the Daily Five and is the foundation for creating independent readers and writers. When implementing this step, The Sisters advocate the use of the gradual release of responsibility model which involves the repeated describing, modeling and practicing of behaviours we want students to learn.
The explicit descriptions of how to implement the Read to Self step are fantastic – like a really detailed lesson plan. This makes implementation super easy! Here’s an overview of the process described in the chapter:
Introduction
The first concept taught is that there are three ways to read a book:
Read and talk about the pictures
Read the words
Retell a previously read book
Read To Self Day 1
Brainstorm and record why it is important to read to ourselves
Brainstorm and record appropriate Read To Self behaviours
Select student to model appropriate Read To Self behaviours
Select a student to model an inappropriate way to Read To Self then have the same student change their behaviour to the appropriate way to Read To Self. For this task, The Sisters recommend selecting a student who you expect to engage in off-task behaviour.
Practice Read to Self. Three minutes maximum – but cut it short if students are unable to focus on his or her book or stay in the one spot.
Checking Back In. Review the chart with the appropriate Read To Self behaviours then have students reflect on their practice session. With their hand near their heart, give a thumbs up if they thought they were successful or put their thumbs sideways if they thought they could improve in an area.
Repeat practice session then check back in once more.
Review the lesson to summarise the key points.
Read To Self Day 2 And Beyond
The lessons that follow are very similar to the first with the biggest change being an additional minute of practice time. By modeling and remodeling the desired behaviours, these behaviours become common knowledge and habits for all students.
As you can see, it’s very easy to implement the Read to Self step in our classrooms! I look forward to hearing how it is going in your classroom. I was perusing the awesome The Daily Café website and the following video answers two questions which I considered while reading this chapter:
Sisters on the Spot: Two Important Questions
1) How do I get my first graders, who aren't really reading yet, to do all I'm asking of them during Daily 5 without relying on centres?
2) If I'm devoting so much time to literacy, how do I manage to fit content into our schedule?
Oh and we all know how much I enjoy decorating my classroom! Check out the following video for a great idea on storage and display of student’s book choices:
Design – Personalising Book Boxes
Finally, The Sister’s recommend the goal for primary students (I assume this would be Grades 3 to 6?) to be able to Read to Self for 30-45 minutes. Do you think this is realistic? What would be an appropriate goal for other Grades?
Looking forward to reading your responses!
Jenn
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Chapter 3 - The Adventure continues.....
What’s the difference? Key Materials, Concepts, and Routines for Launching the Daily Five
The practicality of the Daily Five makes this book a valuable resource. It is clear in its intention to create independent workers who are motivated by their own learning. The authors set a strong foundation for this student independence by introducing their students to following key materials, routines and concepts that are crucial to the success of the program:
- establishing a gathering place for brain and body books
- developing the concept of good fit books through a series of lessons
- creating anchor charts for referencing behaviours
- Short, repeated intervals of independent practice
- Calm signals and check in procedures
- Using the correct model/ incorrect model approach for demonstrating behaviours.
Establishing a Gathering Place
This a place that is a large open space large enough for the whole class to come together and sit on the floor, regardless of age. This allows distractions to be limits and to check in on behaviours more effectively. Students gather together after each work session, signalling a shift in activity and thinking. This is called a brain and body break.
Good-fit Books
I love the concept of students being able to have the skills to choose books for their own level. The authors cite the research that they base the premise of good fit books upon. It is essential to spend focused time teaching students the skills needed to choose good fit books that they enjoy. The sisters understood after time, that a child’s purpose for reading, interest in a topic and ability to comprehend played as large a role in finding a good fit book as readability did. They came up with the lesson plan for “I PICK” good fit books lesson.
I PICK is an acronym for the following:
- I choose a book
- Purpose - Why do I want to read it?
- Interest - Does it interest me?
- Comprehend - Am I understanding what I am reading?
- Know- I know most of the words
The lesson Plan that the authors use is an analogy of how shoes fit our feet, which they discuss with their students in detail. They describe how shoes need to fit the wearer well in order to fit their purpose. They then ask students how they know a book is a good fit. This becomes an ongoing conversation with students through the year as they continue to understand what is a good fit book.
After the lesson is completed, the students spend time choosing a book using the I PICK strategy. If students are struggling to find a book for themselves, the authors repeat the same process each and every time.
For children to read independently and practice reading, they need a variety of books at their direct disposal. Each child has their own book box with three to eight good fit books.
Setting Up Book boxes
The authors set up each students box initially but after the good fit lessons, the students then make their own selection. Books are acquired from a variety of sources, such as libraries, donations from families and op - shops.
Anchor Charts
The authors came up with this idea when visiting New Zealand, where they really liked the idea of permanently displayed charts. They call these anchor charts, which are used when a new component of the Daily Five is introduced and a referred back to all year long.
Short Intervals of Repeated Practice
This section is based on Michael Grinder’s work on memory. They have ten steps to improve muscle memory. It involves activating a kinaesthetic system to develop memory. In the launching phase, students practice the correct behaviours for no longer than three minutes. If a student goes off task during the practise time, then that signals the time to stop, gathering them back together to review how it went. Time is increased as students are more successful.
Signals and Check in
Students are encouraged to respond to a signal quickly, but also in a calm and respectful manner such as chimes. This is done after a careful explanation of the purpose for doing so. Students discuss what it would look like in the classroom when the teacher wants everyones attention. Students then practise their suggestions. The signal used throughout the year to bring students back together for check in is to use a thumbs up in front of their heart, to signal if if they knew in their hearts that they were independent and successful with that new behaviour.
Correct Model/Incorrect Model
Modelling is an Important part of the Daily Five model, showing what the skill looks like when it is properly done. Students are also given the opportunity to model the incorrect way, especially for those students with challenging behaviours. Then the student is given positive attention when they model the correct behaviour.
Comments:
I have been struck by the way that the sisters have taken time to establish structure and routine that underpins their learning. Reading is at the very core of their established routine. The children are involved in each step. They are encouraged to reflect on their own behaviour. I can see how vital these steps are in ensuring that students know the correct models to use and they are not given too much opportunity to fail.
Can’t wait for the next instalment!
Kate
What do you think about having students pick their own books for reading?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)