Blog 10

Blog 10

Christy Borfitz

            Homework for students should involve practicing the skills that have already been taught in the classroom.  Students shouldn’t be learning a new skill at home but rather practicing one they have already learned and students should be doing the homework independently or with very little help from parents.  In our reading, we learned that students need to practice a skill or process at least 24 times to become 80% proficient and ELLs will need even more practice.  I have found that giving students practice on a skill over time makes them more likely to retain the information.

            Homework will be more meaningful to ELLs if it is adapted to meet their needs and language proficiency.  For example, if a student is at the preproduction stage of learning English, he or she might practice vocabulary words by drawing a picture of the item and labeling the parts using the new vocabulary.  A strategy to use with early production and speech emergence level students is to allow them to hear explanations of the homework by English-dominant students.  At the intermediate and advanced levels, students will benefit from sharing their ideas with English-dominant speakers and using academic English vocabulary. 

            My objective for my students regarding their homework is to allow them to practice the learning that has taken place in the classroom.  For ELL’s especially, I think that they will need to have vocabulary practice incorporated and adapted to meet their needs.  The skills or vocabulary they have learned should be practiced over time to get the best retention results.  Students will also need immediate feedback about their homework from me as the teacher or from other students.  I can use the homework to help further adapt it to meet the needs of the ELL students. 

            A great place to list homework assignments is on a website.  Our school has a link to our websites on the school’s home page.  As long as students have access to the internet they can view their assignments online.  They can send emails to the teachers from the website too.  It can be an effective communication tool for parents as well.  Also, a blog is another way for communication.  For example, if students have a blog they can comment about what they are reading and the teacher can provide immediate feedback online.  Other students can also comment on each other’s blogs providing additional feedback.  The challenge with using technology is that not all students have access to the internet so teachers will have to be aware of this when using technology.

Blog 9

Blog 9

Christy Borfitz

Compare and Contrast of Fiction and Non-Fiction Text

Differences	Similarities	Differences
Fiction Text		Non-Fiction Text
Characters Setting Problem Solution Plot Events Theme	Title Topic Main Idea Pictures New Vocabulary	Diagrams Graphs Maps Charts Tables Timelines Bold Print Bullets Headings Subheadings Labels Captions Table of Contents Index Glossary

            In a fiction text, I think the main supporting feature would be the pictures.  We have read in our texts that non-linguistic representations are valuable to ELLs because they help them understand the text without language barriers.  The other features in a fiction text might be challenging and would have to be supported in various ways depending on the ELL’s English proficiency.  We talked about several ways to scaffold Sinister Bar which is a narrative text.  We would begin by activating prior knowledge by using pictures, video, visuals and current events.  We also would need to find key vocabulary and have students do an activity with it, such as making a visual dictionary.  Using a graphic organizer would help also with sequencing the story to make the events clear.  Also, teacher questioning that is scaffolded depending on the English proficiency of the ELL throughout the reading would be helpful.

            Several features of non-fiction text could support ELLs depending on their English language proficiency.  Diagrams, graphs, maps, charts, tables, timelines and pictures are visuals that support students learning English because they do not always rely on a student’s English ability.  Because bold print, bullets, headings, subheadings, labels, captions, table of contents, index, glossary and new vocabulary are based on language that may be more challenging for ELLs.  Teachers would have to support ELLs by showing them how these features relate to the text and the pictures around them in the text.  Teachers would also have to select the key vocabulary and provide activities, pictures and videos to help ELLs understand them.

Entry #7

Running Record Analysis #1

            Lynne is a kindergartener whose native language is Vietnamese.  She reads at a level F.  She is an intermediate level English speaker and when she speaks she often speaks only in the present tense and doesn’t add the plural s. 

            I took a running record while Lynne read the book, Diego’s Moving Day.  She read Diego for Diego’s two times.  I could see that she used meaning and visual cues but she did not use syntax cues.  She doesn’t always use them when she speaks.  Then she read aretent for apartment.  For this miscue she only used visual cues because she was not familiar with the word apartment.  She read like for liked, live for lived, and ask for asked.  For these miscues she used meaning and visual cues but not syntax cues.  Lastly, she read sandwich for sandwiches, which shows she uses meaning and visual cues but neglects syntax cues.  Her mother told me that they don’t conjugate verbs in Vietnamese; instead they use another word to show the tense.

            Some strategies that I could use with Lynne to develop syntax in English would be to plan a minilesson on past tense or plurals using a big book from our shared reading.  We could do an interactive writing lesson and write about something in the past tense or use plurals.  Also, during Lynne’s next book introduction, I can do a minilesson on past tense or plurals before she reads the new book.  I would continue to have her read another level F because she still read Diego’s Moving Day with 93% accuracy and she was able to comprehend most of what she read.

 Running Record Analysis #2

            Jasmeen is a kindergartener whose native language is Hindu.  She is an advanced English speaker and she reads level A predictable pattern books.

            I took a running record while she read the book, Where is the Cat?  This book is a level A and had picture clues for each page.  As Jasmeen read the book she looked at the pictures but she made two miscues.  First, she read couch for chair.  For this miscue she used meaning, visual and syntax cues.  The word couch makes sense for the meaning and syntax and both couch and chair start with the same letter.  Next, she read besk for desk.  For this miscue she neglected meaning and syntax.  She was only using visual cues but at times I have noticed when she writes she confuses the d and the b.  She may not have been familiar with the word desk because she looked at the picture but she still read besk.

            Some strategies that I could use with Jasmeen to help her with letter reversals would be to have her practice identifying the letter d with magnetic letters and once she is very familiar with the letter d she could practice the letter b.  Also, during a reading of a big book we could identify all of the d’s and in a later lesson the b’s.  Another strategy to use with Jasmeeen would be to make sure during the introduction of her new book that she is familiar with the vocabulary in the pictures.  Jasmeen can read level A books at 95% accuracy so I will choose a level B for her next book.

Entry #6

Entry #6

 Directions:

Label each activity (L) for learning/word recognition or (A) for acquisition/sociopsycholinguistic view.

Some activities can have both labels.

Be prepared to explain your choices.

The students:

L          look up words in the dictionary to write definitions

A         make a Venn diagram to compare two stories

L          practice sounding out words

L          read in round-robin fashion

L          correct peers when they make a mistake during reading

L/A      identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound 

L/A      group cards with classmates’ names by a criterion such as first or last letter

L          write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound 

L          ask the teacher how to spell any word they don’t know

A         read a language experience story they have created with the teacher

A         work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences

L          divide words into syllables

L          on a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound

A         make alphabet books on different topics

The teacher:

L/A      preteaches vocabulary

A         does a shared reading with a big book

L          makes sure that students read only books that fit their level

L          has students segment words into phonemes

A         writes words the students dictate for a story and has students help with the spelling of                 difficult words

L/A      asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter

L          uses decodable texts

A         sets aside time for SSR (sustained silent reading) each day

L          teaches Latin and Greek roots

A         has students meet in literature circles

L          conducts phonics drills

A         chooses predictable texts

A         teaches students different comprehension strategies

A         does a picture walk of a new book

L          uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills

______________________________________________________________________________

The teacher who subscribes to the learning/word recognition view uses phonics methods to identify words. 

These activities are phonics based and would be used by this teacher:

The students:

• practice sounding out words
• write rhyming poetry and then discuss different spellings for the same sound
• on a worksheet, draw a line from each word to the picture that starts with the same sound
• identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound
• group cards with classmates’ names by a criterion such as first or last letter

The teacher:

• conducts phonics drills
• uses a variety of worksheets to teach different skills
• uses decodable texts
• makes sure that students read only books that fit their level (so that they are decodable)
• asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter

______________________________________________________________________________

A teacher who uses learning/word recognition methods has students break words into parts to identify them. 

These activities have students do this so they would probably be used by this teacher:

The students:

• divide words into syllables

The teacher:

• has students segment words into phonemes
• teaches Latin and Greek roots

______________________________________________________________________________

The teacher who uses learning/word recognition methods has children read orally so she can supply the words the student doesn’t know.  The focus is correctness. 

These activities would be used in her room:

The students:

• read in round-robin fashion
• correct peers when they make a mistake during reading

___________________________________________________________________________

In a learning view classroom the writing must be correct from the start.

 This would be an activity that would happen there:

The students:

• ask the teacher how to spell any word they don’t know

______________________________________________________________________________

In a word recognition classroom the teacher preteaches words that may not be decodable and she might give students the definitions of words she thinks the students might not know. 

These activities would be seen in this classroom:

The student:

• look up words in the dictionary to write definitions

The teacher:

• preteaches vocabulary

______________________________________________________________________________

In a classroom where the teacher has a sociopsycholinguistic view of learning, students would use their background knowledge and cues from three language systems to construct meaning from a text. The focus is meaning. 

These activities would be seen in her room:

The teacher:

• does a picture walk of a new book
• chooses predictable texts
• does a shared reading with a big book

______________________________________________________________________________

The teacher who has the sociopsycholinguistic view of reading would allow most reading to be done silently.  She believes that students acquire vocabulary by encountering words in context.   This activity would be seen in her room:

The teacher:

• sets aside time for SSR (sustained silent reading) each day
• has students meet in literature circles

______________________________________________________________________________

The goal of reading in a classroom where the teacher has a sociopsycholinguistic view is to construct meaning. 

These activities would promote comprehension:

The students:

• make a Venn diagram to compare two stories

The teacher:

• teaches students different comprehension strategies

______________________________________________________________________________

In a classroom where the teacher holds a sociopsycholinguistic view of writing, students would begin with a message and develop the skills to produce the message.  The teacher would create opportunities for students to write in an authentic way and then she would guide them.  

These activities would encourage that process:

The students:

• read a language experience story they have created with the teacher
• work in pairs to arrange words from a familiar chant into sentences

The teacher:

• writes words the students dictate for a story and has students help with the spelling of difficult words

______________________________________________________________________________

In a classroom where the teacher holds sociophycholingistics views of reading, meaning is the ultimate goal.  Letters and sounds are part of constructing meaning but using cues from the syntax and semantics of the text along with background knowledge are important too. 

These activities not only incorporate letters and sounds but build on background knowledge and the other cueing systems:

The students:

• identify words on a big book page that start with the same sound
• group cards with classmates’ names by a criterion such as first or last letter
• make alphabet books on different topics

The teacher:

• asks students to look around the room and find words starting with a certain letter

______________________________________________________________________________

From a sociophycholiguistic view students need to encounter words in a variety of contexts.  If vocabulary is pretaught, students might learn the definition but they would need to see it repeatedly in different formats.  In order for this to happen, students would need to read extensively. 

This activity is done occasionally with the intention to have students see it in different contexts:

The teacher:

• preteaches vocabulary

Entry #5

Entry #5 Reviews of Children’s Books

            The first book I reviewed was The Painter and the Wild Swans by Claude Clement.   It is about a Japanese painter that sees some beautiful wild swans fly overhead and he can’t paint until he sees them again.  The components in this book that might affect an ELL’s comprehension because of cultural aspects would be:

• The fantasy genre and that at the end the painter turns into a swan
• Years ago there were no cameras so people had a portrait made by a painter
• Vocabulary:  captivated, bitter cold, capsized
• The location of Japan
• The Japanese writing represents a poem that is translated at the end of the story

            This book would be a good read aloud for ages nine and up.  I would introduce this book as a fantasy and explain that something happens at the end of the story that would not happen in real life.  Then, we would talk about how a long time ago there were no cameras so people had their portraits made by painters.  After that, I would explain that this story takes place in Japan and I would show the location of Japan on map or globe.  Next, I would show the students the Japanese writing on the pages and explain that it represents a poem.  There are a few vocabulary words I would introduce just before I read the book aloud.  I would write the words captivated, bitter cold and capsize on the white board.  We would talk about captivate first and how it sounds like capture so it would be like capturing the imagination.  Then, we could all hug ourselves and shiver to demonstrate bitter cold.  Lastly, I would have a little boat that I would turn over to demonstrate capsize.  I would then read the book aloud.

            The second book I reviewed was This Is the Turkey by Abby Levine.  This book exemplifies a family celebrating Thanksgiving with guests in a rhyming format.  At one point the turkey is dropped but they don’t mind because the important thing is to spend time with family and friends.  I feel the components that would need to be clarified for ELL students would be:

• The Thanksgiving tradition
• Typical food for Thanksgiving
• The meaning of Thanksgiving
• Vocabulary:  kneading and roasting

            I would use this book to read aloud to my kindergarteners.  First, we would talk about what people do on Thanksgiving and why we celebrate it.  Then, I would show the students pictures in the book of typical Thanksgiving food and we could talk about typical meals shared during celebrations of students’ families.  Finally, we would discuss vocabulary.  We could all pretend to knead dough to demonstrate meaning and then I could show a picture of an oven to show roasting a turkey.  I would then read the book aloud.

Entry #4

Entry # 4 Finding Meaning

            I read about string theory which was difficult to understand but the article I read first had so many other concepts I didn’t understand that I had to look for definitions of those concepts too.  As I read, there were so many new concepts that I didn’t have any way to make connections to what I already knew.  When I had tried all of the strategies I could think of and still couldn’t make meaning of the text, I scaled it back and read an article that explained string theory for the general public.  This text had more familiar concepts to explain the theory and I was able to understand the basic idea.  The strategies I used at first to make meaning of the text were:

• Attaching the new meaning to background knowledge
• Looking up definitions of unfamiliar vocabulary
• Asking my husband what he knew
• Looking at a diagram
• Chunking sentences into parts to try to make meaning
• Writing down the ideas I thought I understood

            These strategies didn’t help with the first reading because there were too many concepts and vocabulary that were new to me.  I was able to read the words phonetically but because I didn’t understand the vocabulary there was no meaning for me.  When I scaled back the difficulty to an article that was specifically written for the general public then these strategies worked for me.

            As a teacher this means that I need to know my students’ stage of language acquisition and who might need a scaled back version of the concept.  Also, explicit instruction on strategies will help with comprehension.  If students aren’t familiar with most of the vocabulary the strategies won’t help them make meaning.  Vocabulary knowledge is imperative to comprehension; without it there is no meaning.

Entry # 1

Discuss with another teacher, his/her philosophies about teaching literacy.

            I discussed with Mrs. H. her philosophies about teaching literacy.  She is very much a believer in collaborative learning.  She feels that each student in a group should have a job that requires participation and he or she should be held accountable for that job.  The teacher’s role during group work is to provide scaffolding and to use questioning techniques to stretch students’ language.  Because students are working cooperatively, students can also use the ideas and language of others in their group to enhance their own language.  She is certain that these learning strategies not only help ESL students but all the other students in the class and should be used in all content areas. 

            Mrs. H. also advocates making activity directions clear for all students.  She does this by using visuals, having students retell the directions and also having the directions on a note card to remind students what to do during the assignment.  She feels that these strategies bridge the gap for learning and allow time for a deeper meaning of the learning.

            I agree with this teacher's philosophy.  Students who work in cooperative groups are likely to discuss ideas freely and use the ideas of others to increase their own learning.  I can even relate it to my own learning.  I retain more when I have the opportunity to discuss ideas with my classmates.