Retention...Letters & Place-value...

Teachers are Designers of Learning

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Group Members: Claire, Tammy, Mike, (Diana is skipping ;)

Claire: 
Played a game called "Bang". Kids take a sight-word from a bag, if the card is "BANG!" they have to give up all of their cards. 'D' is trying to use the first letter of the word to identify the word. 'D' works well in the morning, during morning message. He is sometimes able to identify missing letters, but sometimes he just guesses. Recognition is one thing, writing it is the other. Making progress in:
-picking out letters
-recognizing letters
-future: Capital & Lower case (focus on just lowercase for now). 

Other:
-counting (can count, but can't pick out numbers (can't recognize them)). Can count with manipulatives. "Can you point out the number 6?" ... Pretty tough. 

Next time:
Claire will give him letters, and he will have to find all of that letter on a page. (Circles/Highlights/Stickers), and practice writing the letter as well.

** Digress & discussion about report cards ;) **
** Discussion about bottom-up literacy instruction vs. Whole Language; pendulums & extremes vs. personalizing for students **

Discussion about Edtech & iPads: Using "Explain Everything" as a way for 'D' to share what he can do. Perhaps making a page about a letter, and using his voice to explain pictures he has drawn.

Tammy:
'B': A lot further ahead than previously thought. Because of his speech impediment, thought it was lower. Realized that he is not as low. Knows numbers to 1000. 'D' is further behind.

Math: 'D' unable to use a number line. Struggles with place value. Struggles with counting and adding.

Plan: Take 'D' and 'J' and another and work with them using something physical. Three hoops, each student is gets a digit. Students need to move around to make a number. Using big number cards that students can touch. Tammy will use sheets of numbers to help students with "physical place value" and will record a movie of students problem-solving and trying to count up and down from a number endin gin '9'.

Mike: 
'D'  in the fifth grade is making NO progress in his reading instruction. He is unable to retain what he has learned from previous days, and we have to start from scratch every day. Have been working on vowels, but have noticed that we need to step back and focus on consonants (b, d, p) and (m, n). Also, 'D' is reading from right to left, and inventing sounds that aren't there. Need strategies to go from last to right and to find the difference between letters.

After watching video:
-make cue cards for 'b,p,d,t,m,n,h" as initial sounds.
-use the tricks as before.
-focus on each as only initial sounds.
-onset and rimes (word families)
-make cards with the onset, matching rimes. (Puzzles - so it has to fit in a shape to make the sound).
-phonics wheels for onsets & rimes - make it for 'big' kids?

Mike Will: 
-Adapt Phonics Games & Learning Activities for older kids, and to match the letter needs stated above. Will record 'D' reading his rimes & onsets.

Tammy Story: Hold fists with thumbs up, looks at them and sees the "b" on the left hand and "d" on his right hand. Say the letters infront of a piece of paper, "b" the paper doesn't move, "p" the paper has to move. 'MMmmmm McDonalds".