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Home » Posts tagged 'writing' (Page 4)
Tag Archives: writing
Speaking to My Children- What Language?
The short answer is: speak to your children in the language you know best. Oral language is the precursor to all literacy skills:
- What you can think, you can say;
- what you say you can write;
- what you can write you can read.
When parents ask me what language they should use with their children I consistently tell them to use the language they know best. Most of the time the parents are non-English speakers wondering if they should speak with their children using the little English they know. “No,” I tell them.
When children are offered rich language in extended discourse they develop amazing vocabularies and complex sentences. If their caregivers offer them limited vocabulary and limited discourse that is what the children will develop. Because literacy skills transfer, the extended discourse will transfer once the children have the necessary vocabulary in the new language… but they can’t transfer what they do not know.
- Speak to your children often and listen to their answers.
- Have them tell you stories and ask follow-up questions.
- Ask open ended questions (questions that require more than yes or no).
- Ask them to explain more or tell you what that means.
- Give them new vocabulary as you ask them questions and respond to their stories:
- Child: I used that thing to cut cheese.
- Adult: Oh, you used the cheese slicer.
- Child: Yes, I used the cheese slicer and I cut a lot of cheese.
- When you read with your children ask them questions such as:
- What do you think will happen next?
- Would you have done that?
- How would you solve the problem?
- Tell me the story
- Talk, talk, talk!
There is much research about the importance of oral language. Give your child the gift of language through conversation and story telling.
Literacy creates justice!
Graphic Organizers
If you have not seen these please take a look: Graphic Organizers. Estas ayudas gráficas están disponibles en español también.
Any time we can help students organize their thinking, plan their learning, make their learning visible, we are helping them build connections and increase the number of synapses– that is learning! With graphic organizers we can increase literacy, too.
Literacy Creates Justice!
A Song for Christmas (just add music!)
Working 2 part times, ‘round minimum wage
I pay all my debts but I can’t turn the page
So during the year I put coins in a jar
To make Christmas special and point to the star
In our simple home it’s just me and my son
His mother was taken when he was just one
Though strong till the end the disease was still stronger
It’s seven years later, some nights still feel longer
Chorus:
The best part of Christmas right here in this part
Is the time spent together, it’s here in the heart
The star of great wonder that shines from above
Is not about presents, it’s all about love
There’s one gift to cuddle and something to wear
One gift for learning and a fun-thing we’ll share
Most were bought used, now cleaned and with bows
I imagine him smiling from head to his toes
The four little presents wrapped, under the tree
There’s a gingerbread cookie for him and for me
The night before Christmas he sits in my lap
Together we read, together we nap
Chorus
I heard him start coughing and quickly awoke
The house wasn’t burning but filled up with smoke
The candle that flickered to brighten the night
Burned into the table and gave us a fright
“It could have been worse,” the firemen said in my ear.
“Insurance can fix it, there’s nothing to fear.”
I cried as I listened, still hugging my boy
Who whispered, “Merry Christmas, Dad” with tears and some joy.
Chorus
Staggered Start Guided Reading
You are right- I never explained this!
In a guided reading group one of the goals is to have students read text while supported by you, the teacher. Remember the idea of gradual release of responsibility:
- I do, you watch
- I do, you help
- You do, I help
- You do, I watch
Using staggered-start can be both of the last two bullets; the key is that the student is ‘doing’ while you watch or help:
- When you stagger the start, each student has a copy of the text;
- One student student begins with the first paragraph (first page, first part,…);
- When the first student gets to the second paragraph (second page, second part, …) student number two begins with the first paragraph while the second student continues on;
- When student number two gets to the second paragraph, student number three begins with the first paragraph while the previous students continue reading;
- While students are reading you are monitoring, taking notes and coaching.
- When a student finishes s/he goes to the beginning and starts again and all students stop at the same time.
Did that make sense? The idea is that each student starts and continues reading through to the end. Because each student begins at a different time, each one has to appropriately-struggle with the whole text. No one is getting nervous about everyone listening; no one is counting ahead and pre-reading his or her paragraph. This is not round-robin reading!
As coach, you cue students as they are reading and take notes about their struggles. I always ask students to use their finger or a ruler while they are stagger reading so that I, the teacher, know where they are on the page and I can match the text with their speech as I quickly check in with each student.
Remember, this is one step in a whole process; it is one way to have students practice their reading in a guided reading group. Staggered reading will mean nothing if students do not understand what they are reading. Reading= comprehension.
Literacy Creates Justice (and it’s fun!).
Here is a group of teachers practicing staggered reading:
Earth Alphabet
This is worth looking at- “NASA’s Earth Observatory has tracked down images resembling all 26 letters of the English alphabet using only NASA satellite imagery and astronaut photography.”
Here is the link on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/_5QLUVIaHq/
Here is the link to the whole alphabet: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/ABC/
Wonder at the marvels of the earth as we near the new year!
It’s a Wonderful Life
Merry Christmas!
Here is a link to my favorite Christmas movie- It’s a Wonderful Life…Enjoy!
https://archive.org/details/FilmeAFelicidadeNoSeCompra-ItsAWonderfulLife1946
Language Through Content
Language and content go together. We cannot learn language first and then learn content; nor can we learn content if we do not have the language. Learning to teach in this way is truly worth your while. I have compiled some resources for your continuing education.
How do we best teach language through content? We
- show the movie first
- pre-teach the vocabulary
- use visuals
- make timelines
- use graphic organizers
- act it out
- create podcasts and videos
- interact using the content and the vocabulary
- use realia
Here is a link to many more resources for learning language through content from CAL: http://www.cal.org/twi/rgos/content.html
This link is to a chapter on Teaching Content Through a Second Language that is on the CARLA website and don’t forget about CoBaLTT.
If you or your program need assistance in the area of content instruction in a second (or third…) language please let me know.
Lima Sky: Panza de Burro
Speaking with someone here in Lima, Peru I asked about the weather. You see, my experience of Lima has generally been in the winter months (June, July, August). During that time the sky is usually gray and the sun is rarely seen. Now it is spring and the sky is still mostly gray.
When I asked about the summer months and the presence or absence of the sun I was told, “No, el cielo panza de burro se cambia en el verano. En el verano hay sol y hace calor.” That means, ‘No, the sky that looks like the belly of a burro changes in the summer. In the summer there is sun and it is hot.”
I was so glad to hear that I will see more sun and I loved the description of the sky: panza de burro/ belly of a burro (also known as a donkey).
The World’s Largest Lesson
Please be aware of the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. You can find more information here: https://www.tes.com/worldslargestlesson/ and you can choose your language in the upper right hand corner. This is important!!
La lección más grande del mundo
S. T. Fleming 