Reading Foundational Skills Workshop

 Here is a link to my presentation in case you wish to follow along on your own or take electronic notes:

Reading Foundational Skills from the CCSS

Here are some differentiated resources for your continued learning:

Syllable Types  Why teach this?     Intro and Closed 

Closed            Consonant-le                Open            Vowel team       Final e or Silent e (not magic e) 

R-controlled 

Syllabication   syllabication simplified  spot and dot  spot and dot  syllable patterns

Morphology  Overview  Examples of determining meaning thru morphology 

 History of the English Language                  Historical View 

funny video  25 unusual word origins   TAG perhaps    chart

Other related topics

Neat: teaching vocabulary/spelling words using visual cuing strategies

backward chaining - for tasks that are just too tricky for some students (teach the task backwards)  - task analysis  - ask me how to use backward chaining with students who have a hard time blending

What is dyslexia?

Updates from Fountas and Pinnell - on Reading Instruction

As I am preparing for my "Reading Foundational Skills" dialogue with K-5 teachers in WGSD and the three other feeder schools, I came across an interesting update from Fountas and Pinnell.  As we look at the Reading Foundational Skills as teachers we need to relate what the students need to know in guided reading groups to what they need to know when we are instructing them on their instructional and independent reading levels.

Here are a few things that I found interesting -
Why the updates?  I just love the whitepapers on things. :)
2015 Updated Instructional Levels per Grade Level  - if your running records pushes you to get the students independent reading level consider that when viewing this chart

I do remember when the end of kindergarten level was C, then it changed to D and now it is D/E.  It is nice to know that many districts, including my own district,  are making huge gains in the student's instructional reading levels.

One thought -- in the primary grades how many teachers have moved to having students have books on their laps at the shared reading time versus just a big book for the teacher?  Is there research evidence to show that if the students have books in their hands they are more likely to be engaged in the learning process?

Thoughts to ponder today.

Understanding Levels of Technology Implementation

The SAMR tool was designed to: 

1.  help educators integrate technology into their instruction, student thinking and as learning tools.
2.  understand the levels of rigor involved in that work.  
3.  allow educators to build their capacity and understanding to successfully implement technology into instruction.
4.  help educators reflect on their use of technology in instruction

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Excellence is about reflection not an endpoint you get to.................

Excellence is about reflection not an endpoint you get to.................

As we close out on February and move into March today, parent-teacher conferences are upon us and we look at what has been accomplished thus far.  It is at this time that we must remind ourselves that, teaching is challenging.  It is continuous progress not perfection, because things are changing at such a rapid pace, that matters. It is not teachers who get feedback and look back and regret, but those who look forward, reflect and continuously refine that are the excellent ones.  I would love to hear what has caught your attention and has caused you to refine your practice thus far this year --- someone, something you heard, something you read, something modeled...................share your journey with me!

I was inspired to write this because of an awesome teacher who shared some things she reflected on and changed after a walk-thru and conversation  AND the impact on student learning. Kudos to her!!!