Growing capable, engaged, and happy readers

 

ALL of your students can be capable, engaged, and happy readers! (Yes, ALL of them!) Here's how...

Comprehension...

To foster your students' comprehension of texts, it's important to break the comprehension into 3 parts:

*Before Reading - tap into what students already know about the topic by holding a discussion regarding any connections or experiences they've had related to the topic. As a classroom teacher, you can also keep your students engaged by conducting activities related to the topic like a video clip or song related to the topic, a question to ponder, or even have your students draw something to represent prior knowledge to the topic.

*During Reading - students can turn and talk to an elbow partner about what they read while the partner can ask guiding questions the teacher provides to foster deeper comprehension. Students can also write their predictions or questions they have so far on sticky notes.

*After Reading - To show comprehension of the text, students can participate in activities like a reader's theater, story whoosh, written response, or book club discussion.

Spelling & Word Families...

Just like phonics, spelling should be taught systematically and explicitly. Teaching spelling patterns will allow your students to make connections when reading and writing other words they have not learned that have similar patterns to words they've already learned. In sequential order, this is the ideal sequence of spelling patterns to teach:

1.Consonants & short vowel sounds

2.Consonant blends & digraphs

3.Long vowel/final e

4.Long vowel digraphs

5.Other vowel patterns

6.Syllable patterns

7.Affixes

Word Warm-Ups from Read Naturally is a great resource for this.

Written Expression...

You don't need to wait to have your emergent reader start writing while learning to decode words. In fact, it is encouraged to have your students writing concurrent to reading. Some ways to promote successful written expression are...

*Talking to your students about their writing - having those one-on-one or even small group conferences with students is valuable. Teachers can help students grow by modeling how to put sounds together to make words in a structure that makes sense. Building confidence in your students is vital when they are learning to write - give them a GLOW (what they're doing well) along with a GROW (a goal to improve).

*Being OK with invented spelling - Believe it or not, invented spelling with young children is normal. By sitting down with your student and talking through the written words and helping them stretch sound by sound, this stage will grow into phonetic spelling and eventually conventional spelling. 

*Promoting opportunities for writing with a purpose - give your students time to write for reasons important to them. Whether it's making a plan, list, card, letter, giving information, or telling a story, it's meaningful and engaging for them.