I had a group of low readers that were making slow or no progress so I decided to look at my teaching to see what I could improve on to help this particular group. I decided that my book introductions were quite rushed to time restrictions with the timetable so I needed to spend more time on this. Below is my TAI.
This is my second observation linked to my inquiry and I still have a bit of coaching and learning to do.
Karen Reed, Room 25 Date: 31st March 2016 Name (observer) Shelly and Billinda Focus (negotiated from goals, TAI and passed observations): Reading – Book Introductions What was seen: Description of lesson: Given a book to a child reading a different book in the group Introduced a different book to the rest of the group ‘Presents for Jack and Billy’ What do you think this book might be about? . Children’s responses; asked different children what they thought the book might be about. Let’s look at the title – you read the title with the kids Who do you think Jack and Billy are? Asked children responses. How can you tell they’re at the airport? The teacher asked the children who’s that? That’s dad on the computer. And what’s dad’s got? Is it a car? Have another look? Child: It’s a helicopter. T: It’s a helicopter that’s right. Where do you have a suitcase? Child: Prior experiences: Asked a child if they had ever been on holiday. Who’s getting the helicopter? Child: Jjj Jack. Do Mum and Dad look happy? Child: Yes Why do you think they look happy? Otto: (Dad’s ship) Asking the child to read the title. Where is he going? What has he got? So he’s going away on the ship isn’t he. Told the child the name of the ship. Links prior knowledge: Where have you been on a ship? What do you think this ship is called? Child tries to say the name of the ship but too tricky. Some children didn’t finish reading their stories. Student Voice: What were you learning today? Blake: To look at the picture to help us read. How successful were you with your learning? Blake: didn’t know How do you know? What does your teacher do to support you with your learning? Blake: She reminds me to look at the picture to help Is there anything else your teacher could be doing to further support you? Blake: Say what the letters are Strengths:
Coaching:
Matters to reflect on: (TEACHER to respond to for follow up discussion) Having looked at the above observation I see I still have a bit to learn regarding the introduction of new reading books to children. M. Clay in her book ‘By different paths to common outcomes’ 2014 states that “introducing new texts that young school children are going to read demands great skill” she goes on to say that we as teachers need to understand what book introductions can achieve before we become sensitive to the different needs of children. Regarding book title, I thought it was important to go over the title of the book with the children to prepare them for the story and it’s contents, also they could maybe gain an understanding about what the story may be about. However due to the above advice given I have re-read Clay’s book and she states that too much interaction over the title and characters can distract from the focus of the story and sometimes the title may ‘contain tricks that trip up readers’. I realise now that I need to just introduce the title,characters and the topic with minimal fuss. I need to focus more on the story, making links to other stories they have read and some experiences that they could relate too. I think I only did this once when I asked what we use a suitcase for. It’s important to give children an uninterrupted story view so they can see it’s progression through to the climax. Clay states that ‘ it makes reading the book easier when the introduction retains the meaning and intactness of the whole story.’ Reflecting on this observation I realise that I actually interrupted the flow of the story and stopped too many times to ask questions that didn’t really need to be asked, I need to just focus on the ‘actual story’ and talk through it till the end so that they are familiar with the whole story when time constraints mean the children are unable to read the whole book to the end with me. Perhaps with less questioning I may be able to hear the children read the full book. I have been trialing this in the classroom and today managed to hear two out of the 4 groups read their books to the end. With regards to unusual spelling patterns I need to maybe repeat these a few times, maybe get the children to repeat the sentence or phrase so they become familiar with it and get used to way they say it or hear it. Karen Reed, Room 25, Year 1 Date: Tuesday 8 March 2016, 9am Name (observer): Wendy Leong Focus: BT observation: Reading - book introduction What was seen: Description of lesson: Children know routines; busy during roll and notices, tidied up and came to mat with music. Praise from teacher, “Well done Will for celebrating and showing respect.” Teacher revisited WALTs for each group. Praise “Good managing Will.” Teacher stood and moved herself to reinforce routines of where and how to do rotation activities. 9.15 - start of reading lesson with Hairy Maclary group WALT use the first letter to sound out a tricky word. Began by looking at the cover - only the teacher had the book (Lizard loses his tail) which caused children to come closer and be engaged with teacher. Discussed title and asked Why do you think his tail is missing? Where do lizards live? Where do you think he is? as pages were turned. Affirmations of children’s responses. All children engaged and interested. Children then all began reading at their own pace, teacher listening 1:1 around the group. Praised child who recognised a question mark. One child incorrectly helped another child in the group who then continued to read on incorrectly. 9.20 - children instructed to take book home and read again in the morning. Many children had not finished their first reading. “Hands on top…” then lowered voice for next instructions. Nicholas and Will off task much of the time session (not in teaching group). Disruptive to others and teacher frequently aware and called their names, but with little redirection. Student Voice: What were you learning today? Blake: sounding out the starting letter Emelia: learning to read, sounding out words How do you know you are successful with your learning? Blake: Cos you’re sounding out the letter Emelia: When I move up, when I’m doing gooder What else can you do if you get stuck on a word? Blake: miss out the word and come back. The pictures can give you a clue Emelia: sound it out, ask the teacher, TRY! Emelia read the book to me. No attempt at sounding out the first letter. Many errors and used appeal as her favourite strategy. Strengths:
Coaching:
Matters to reflect on: (Karen to respond to for follow up discussion) Since the observation, I have reflected on the guided reading session and made some changes. This year this class is so very different from last year. They are a lot less mature and quite low academically. There are also a few students with some challenging behaviours and short attention spans. I am constantly having to reflect on my activities and teaching then adjust things accordingly. The group that was observed is quite a big group of low readers who have limited sound and basic sight word knowledge. Because of the group size and the fact that this class has low attention span, I am finding the time restraints very difficult, I need to spend more time with this group but I am conscious that the other independent groups need to move on and then there is the fact that I need to see all four groups within 45 minutes, even less time on a Monday and Wednesday as children have to be ready for PMP. In response to the first point, perhaps I could hear the children read two at a time, getting them to read a page each. Another idea would be to hear the children read before school although sometimes this is difficult as they come in, then race out to play! Perhaps another option would be to have some reading time after lunch where I could listen to the children read. In response to the point about the book going home without a finished first reading,(again this is due to time issues) I have tried to address this by getting the children to read their reading book to themselves or each other in one of the rotations, although I know it is not ideal but at the moment it is the only option I have. Perhaps I could change my reading time to when I have my TA so she could listen to a group, although she has early words to do and as there are 4 children to see she is restricted to time restraints also. It may improve if I try some of the ideas mentioned above. In response to the point about connections to prior knowledge I should allow the children to give me their own ideas about what they know about a particular subject, again though I am conscious of time. Regarding my activities and keeping the children on task I have introduced some worksheets and activities connected to the book they are reading, this seems to keep them engaged more, I don’t give them everyday as I like the mix of work in books and hands on activities. In regards to additional structures for children who are finished the activities, perhaps I need to get some ideas from other teachers. Since the observation, Will seems a lot more focused on the tasks, especially when it is something in his book, also I am trying to make new activities to engage the children for longer periods of time. I have also introduced a ladder of excellence chart which encourages the children to remain on task so that they can move up the ladder. On another note most of the children in the low reading group are now on early words, which is being delivered by the teacher aide during writing time. It was pleasing to see Blake telling you about some reading strategies he could use, like using the picture to help and reading on and coming back (although this was another group’s goal) it shows he is listening and paying attention to what he needs to do to improve his reading. Upon reflection I see I still have a way to go and there are things that need changing. I plan to implement these over the next few weeks and hopefully my children will move on. It is my intention to review the reading levels at the end of term one, however due to the Easter break I may extend this for three weeks into the new term.
Previously I have quickly skipped over the book introduction and often just read out the title, then had a quick discussion about what the book might be about!!!
After reading the literature and viewing a you tube video (although it wasn't the best practise I have seen), I have decided to implement the following. * Introduce the book with enthusiasm. * Ask the children to predict what they think may happen in the book. * Make links to prior experiences and knowledge. * Go through the whole book (without reading everything) discussing the pictures. * Intorduce new characters, and maybe some tricky unfamiliar words. It is also my intention to not give out the books before I have introduced them as I have found with this group that if you give out the books then try to talk about them some of the group tend to ignore what you are saying and look through the book or try to start reading so they are the first finshed. The only exception to this is when I have a mixed level group and while I am introducing the book to one lot of students I will give the other lot their book to have a look at the pictures. Below is a reading by M.M. Clay, 2014 to help with book introduction. I found the reading very interesting and it has made me rethink of the way I introduce the book to children. I need to talk about the pictures, make links to real life situations and memories. It advises us to mention characters, names and tricky words, you do not have to read the whole book. I intend to try some of these tips in my next reading group. Here is another link to an article written in the Educators publishing service
https://eps.schoolspecialty.com/EPS/media/Site-Resources/Downloads/articles/Guided_Reading_Strategies.pdf Below the photos show the children at the begining of the term when they were all on Red 1 and 2 level books. The next photo shows that the children were not making progress and therefore the need for the inquiry. I hope to look again at the reading levels at the begining of term 2. Upon entering my classroom, I checked the previous reading assessment, from the end of term 4 in 2015 and I was alarmed to find that the majority of my class (17 out of 22, 77%) were on Red readers with 2 on Magenta!
Out of the17, 4 children 23% had been at school for almost 8 months. and the remainder were coming upto 6 months. Most of the children had limited strategies and did not seem to know how to decode tricky words,. They appeared to lack interest in the books and did not seem keen to read. I intend to adopt the notion of giving a good intorduction to the book in the hope that this will peak their interest into reading. I intend to try to get books to link to their everyday lives, and ask lots of level two qustioning. I hope to excelerate my red readers quickly. Teaching as Inquiry 2016 Teacher: K. Reed Year Group: 1 Observed student needs in maths, reading or writing (AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT). READING Red readers, who are struggling and have been on these books since last year! Students are : Blake, Emelia, Otto, Lauren, Nathaniel and Pia (although Pia is our Esol student and she has come from a Maori immersion school) Recognition of letter names and sounds and of basic sight words. AREAS OF STRENGTH of targeted students Most of these children are good at number recognition and can read and say numbers to 20. They are also keen to learn and enjoy reading. MY GOALS/TARGETS FOR THESE GROUP OF STUDENTS My goal is to accelerate their reading skills in order that they can move off red books. I need to spend more time with them during guided reading sessions and not rush them off. They need to have a good basic foundation in reading strategies and letter sound and recognition. WHAT ARE MY NEEDS, QUESTIONS & GOALS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE STUDENTS My inquiry question will be, “How will changing the way I introduce new readers to my students accelerate their reading pathway? This inquiry came about because of an observation carried out by my tutor teacher. The observation was on reading and one of the points that came about was that the book introduction was too short and appeared rushed. The question raised was 'How are you using the book introduction to ensure success?'
In my response I discussed the fact that I was aware my introduction was rushed, however I was concious that the children on independent activities were spending too long on one activity. This class is quite young and do not have good attention spans, this was also mentioned in the feedback from my mentor as she asked 'waht strategies did I have in place to hold the interest and engagement of those on independent activities?' My reflection on this discussion was to re-think some of my rotations and come up with a strategy to make the book introduction more meaningful. Currently the children come to the mat with last nights book and read me their favourite page before we give out new books. I realise that this is taking up a lot of time so I plan to get the children to read to me before school, obviously i cannot see them all in one day but will spread it over the week. I will also get children to read their books to themselves or a buddy while I am calling the role. This way I can get straight into the new book introduction during reading time. I shall try this for 2-3 weeks. |
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