Teachers are Designers of LearningWith Diana, Claire, Tammy, MikeMarch 5, 2013
Claire:
Brought in a video of 'D' trying to figure out the letter B. Chose B because 'D' has shown confidence in. It really helped to clarify what he can do, and what he struggles with:
What he can do:
-identify uppercase letter B out of a given bunch of letters.
-can write the letter B without needing to trace it, but it still needs to be beside him.
Struggles:
-to make the sound of the letter B (often makes the 'P' sound).
-pointing out words with an initial sound of B.
Where to go:
-Want to go through the letters so he can identify the letters in a similar way.
-Want D to understand the 'B' sound... So will keep working at it during station time.
-Will focus on identifying letters so he knows what letter he is writing.
Claire will bring in more videos for next time.
Ideas:
-Use the SMART Board to write extra huge letters and draw pictures of things that begin with the letter B.
-Create a poster with the letter B in the middle and cut out pictures of things with the initial sound and paste them on.
-Should he focus on upper-case? Or should the focus be on lower-case? Claire is not only working with one, but is focussing on both.
-How can we get him to say that sound?
-What should teachers teach first, the lower case or uppercase?
Tammy
Update: J is absent a lot... So have only been able to go through "this" twice. Today was the test. Tammy made 10 numbers up to thousands, but it was too high. Using place value cards, without hoops (upstairs in the hallway).
Students raced to put numbers together (as discussed last time). Then students had to pick chance cards. For example, they may have to make a card that is 1 smaller or 2 bigger based on what place value students are representing. Students not getting it on paper, mentally, verbally... Only 1 student can do this.
Next Steps:
-Not going to do thousands anymore. Doing hundreds until they get it down. Going to give the kids a reference chart to help them. The numbers were too big. Hard for them to take it from their mind and put it on paper.
-Students will listen to a number and write it down...
-students are enjoying the movement of this.
Idea:
-Price Contest, students make numbers.
-Bring in cars
-take out 1000s
-Keep practicing what she's doing
Diana
Diana brought in a book called spelling Through Phonics. She has been working with C & H. Both are good readers (around an f). Getting closer to reading level. Playing a game b/c H needs practice on sight words:
Focus: Vowels and letter sounds. Students trace their hands on a piece of paper. Students role a letter and a vowel dice. Students need to make a 3 letter words. 1 vowel in each finger, and students write the words above each finger. Focus on short vowel sounds.
Sight Words: Through cards students are learning sight words.
Ideas: To put the sight words together based on a connection of some kind. For example, initial sounds, consant blends, digraphs, L, S, FL, BL type blends. Use bingo to go over diphthongs and digraphs, etc.
Order of Letter Learning (open for discussion!):
-Start with single consonants that 1 sound
-Move in to single consonants with multiple sounds (c & g)
-Move into short vowels
-consonant blends
-digraphs
-power of the e
-vowel combinations
