Inq 2 Part E: Reflection of Three Lesson Plans

                                  
                               Pete the Cat: week two books used for Literacy Unit!
                                        

·         What students learned and which students struggled with the lesson. 

Lesson 1: This lesson focused on reviewing basic print concepts, discussing how spoken words are represented in written text, and phonological awareness practices to strengthen letter recognition & their corresponding letter sounds. Students learned that the spoken words they say and be seen in written form. This was explained by telling them that every word they say has a written version. I made connections to Writers Workshop and explained to them that they write down letters and words to explain their spoken thoughts. This book was a great example of this because it allowed the children hear the spoken words as I read them and also sing them with the author on the CD. To practice phonological awareness skills, they were each given a word sign to identify and pronounce. During the song when they “heard” the word or color, they held up their sign and sang along! I found that ESL students struggled more with this lesson. A majority of the ESL students still have trouble recognizing colors and letters. They were able to catch on when other students with similar signs held them up, however I want them to understand why their signs are the same. To develop and strengthen those skills, I need to give them more independent or small group instruction time.

Link to song if you want to hear it! http://harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/audio/pete-the-cat.mp3

Lesson 2: This lesson focused on reviewing the core practices from the previous day, by allowing the children to do this on their own with a Make-and-Take book. I created a mini Pete the Cat, Make-and-Take book for each child. The children learned how to following words on a page (using their finger) from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page. Since they each had their own book, they followed along and repeated after me as I read the book on the Elmo. I noticed that students who were less advanced or beginning learners and ESL students struggled with this lesson. These students did show appropriate motions for print concept directionality but didn’t follow the words with one-to-one correspondence. When it was time to color the pages, students had to color Pete’s show based on what word was printed. They traced over the stitched word (ex: Blue, and then color the shoes in blue). These same students still struggled with this instruction.

Lesson 3: This lesson focused on understanding spacing between words. Students each used a mini spaceman to paste words with appropriate spacing. They learned that words are separated by spaces and it is important to have these spaces so written words can be read. As a class we identified each word and laid the spaceman down next to the word for the children to see how big a space is. Looking over the sheets, I could see a majority of children understood the concept of spacing. Students who were beginning or developing learners struggled with the position of words (straight line with spacing), and the sequence of words because of their struggle with identifying letters.

·         What are alternate reads of your students’ performance or products?

Lesson 1: I also looked at how this lesson engaged the children. They were very engaged during the lesson and participated as much as possible. I noticed a range of learners wanting to answering questions and began singing along with the story early. Whole-group activities can be challenging at times because with so many of them they begin to lose interest. However, this activity went very well and I can see how to structure large-group lessons in terms of keeping them interested!

Lesson 2: This activity allowed me to see where children were in terms of reading (word recognition) and reading comprehension. I noticed the children who were more secure in reading were very engaged in the activity and wanted to children me the entire book. Those who struggled with identifying words found it harder to focus on the instructions or matching the text to the pictures. These students had a shorter attention span and didn’t seem as focused in getting the pictures to match their corresponding color. I definitely took that into account when thinking of ways to restructure the lesson.

Lesson 3: This lesson also allowed me to read student in terms of attention as well. Students, who had a hard time identifying words or understanding the concept of space, rushed through the process of checking their work and went straight to gluing. This affected the order or sequence of the words in their sentence. All the students were engage through the instruction of finding each individual word and loved when they were able to check with a partner. They all seemed to participate and truly enjoy the activity!

·         What did you learn about your students’ literacy practices that extend beyond your objectives?

Lesson 1: From this lesson, I could see that more advanced children were able to identify the color or word they received by recognizing the paper color, first letter, first letter sound, and the letter to spell the word. These students are ready to start breaking apart the individual sounds in word and blending them together. The objectives for this lesson met the needs of beginning and developing students because it practiced a skill they needed to further strengthen.

Lesson 2: From this activity it reinforced the fact that my students are having a hard time when it comes to word recognition. This area I was not surprised at because they have not reached word segmenting and blending yet. However, to begin these further areas of phonological awareness they need to be secure with letter recognition and the sounds each letter makes. This area was hard for beginning, some developing, and ESL learners in my classroom. I was able to see their print concepts of turning a page and directionality was a great skill many of them understood. However, the concepts that deal with pointing to a capital letter, lower case, letter, and “title” when they’re not seeing it as a whole group is where many of the struggles exits.

Lesson 3: This lesson reinforced similar understanding. Children who are more secure were able to complete the activity with more ease; students who struggle with letter recognition had a hard time identify words and using these words to sequence a sentence. This concepts build on each other which is why phonological awareness and print concepts are so important for them to understand to begin mastering word identification and beyond into reading.

·         When and how will you re-teach the material to students who need additional support?

(Summary for all three lessons) For these students who need additional support I can give them one-on-one instruction or small group discussion. When students take part in literacy centers, I can work more with beginning and developing students to review letter recognition and what sounds those letters make. This area can also be strengthened on a daily basis. As I walk around during independent work I can ask these students “Find the letter B on your paper. What sound does the letter B make?” or during transition time, “It’s time for lunch. What letter does lunch start with? What sound does it make?”  Literacy conferences would be great for all the students as well. Groups could come up to the kidney table and review where I found they showed areas of struggle. I think reviewing this material is key for these learners to continue moving on.

·         If you were to teach this same lesson again, what would you do differently and how do you think the changes would improve students’ learning?

Lesson 1: This lesson overall was very successful. I read the story first which allowed us to talk about print concepts. After the story we reviewed each word by identify the color of the paper, first letter of the word, and what sound it made. When I passed out signs each child had to tell me what word or color they had. To challenge more advanced students, their signs could be just the printed word with no colored paper or colored front for support (ex. Red instead of Red). What I could do for more beginning students would be to show them the back of the sign first (so they just see the blank paper) I could ask them, “What color do you see?” Then I could flip the sign around so they see the printed word Blue, “This is the word blue. What does blue start with? What sound does it make?”  These changes might help them make connections between colors and their printed words.

Lesson 2: This lesson was challenging in terms or being able to be close to the children or see them following along. My MT wasn’t present that day so being by myself I couldn’t implement and gather data like we originally discussed. If I did this lesson again I would break it into two parts. The make-and-take book was 11 pages with short sentences. I would break the book into parts maybe pages 1-5 and then coloring 1-5 day 1, and then pages 6-11 and coloring day 2. This way the students wouldn’t have to go through each pages as quickly and we would spend more time on print concepts, letter sounds, and identifying the color words.

 

Lesson 3:  This lesson I feel, I actually structured and implemented very well. Looking back in terms of students who struggled, I would have had the students in literacy groups. This way I would have known which table needed more support before they glued down their sentence. I could have gone through the words a second time at their table so they could do it at their pace. I also could have placed them into groups where at every table there were two-three advanced students who could support them during the time they had to check with a partner.

·         What did you learn so far about implementing your ‘core practice’ and what do you need to do to continue your professional learning?

I learned that teaching core practices is extremely important. By understanding what types of practices pair best with specific target areas, will ultimately help students develop or strengthen their skills. These practices must cater to students learning and give a variety of ways to challenge different learners in the classroom. From implementing these core practices, I better understand how to differentiate instruction during literacy lessons. This is an area I want to continue learning about and practicing to further enhance my professional learning. I think it is truly important to find ways that help ALL students grow as learners. When thinking specially about each core practice, I want to look into strategies that will be effective towards student learning letters and letter sounds. These areas I personally feel should be practiced a lot from the start. This area is crucial for them to begin other skills; therefore I want to find other successful ways to help them become secure in this area.

Target Area

Alyssa Kay

1. Describe your target area for guided lead teaching.

My target area for guided lead teaching will be Phonemic Awareness. Phonemic Awareness must be taught so students become effective readers and writers. Phonemic Awareness is identified as understanding that words or in broader terms the English Language, is made up of individual letter sounds.  Understanding the smallest units of sound is an essential skill for beginning readers to master. The instruction within this target area will overall ensure that my kindergartners will be able to decode and identify words.

2. Approximately how much time per day is allotted for your instruction in this area?

The whole morning is devoted to Literacy.  Literacy instructions begin promptly at 9:00 and runs till 11:15-11:30. Reading is from 9:00-10:00 and after restroom and snack break Writing runs from 10:30-11:15ish.

3. Which Common Core State Standard(s) will you work toward?

First half of Guided Lead Teaching will include:
Reading R.WS.00.07 Follow familiar written text while pointing to matching words.
Writing W.PR.00.03 Use semi-phonetic spelling when writing & incorporate pictures/drawings.
Second half of Guided Lead Teaching will include:
Reading R.IT.00.11 Identify and describe the basic form and purpose of information genre…
Writing (Reading Standard) R.NT.00.05 Respond to text…discussing, illustrating, and/or writing to reflect, make meaning, and make connections.

4. How will teaching in this target area provide opportunities for students to learn important content and/or skills that relate to their lives?  In what ways does this learning include learning literacy, learning about literacy, and/or learning through literacy?

This target area (Phonemic Awareness) is an area within its larger context, Phonological Awareness. Throughout this whole process students understand how words and the English Language are made up of units of sounds through Rhyme, Onset & Rime, and Phoneme Segmentation (Phonemic Awareness). In order to connect oral language knowledge to written text, students must become aware of the individual sounds that make up a word(s). Once these skills are developed they will become fluent readers and writers which will overall help them succeed in school and the community in which they live. They will recognize literacy is apart of everyday life and can be seen in the many places they travel to during the day.
Learning Literacy: Developing the skills to decode and identify words, ensuring a child will be able to read and write.
Learning about Literacy: Students will learn strategies to read and understand the different types of text, as well as, begin to understand writing (drawings, squiggles, and word-like clusters) is a tool for communicating their ideas and/or knowledge.
Learning through Literacy: Students will make connections to their real-life context or community, as they start to use their developing skills of phonemic awareness. They will recognize words help convey different types of meaning in varies places in our world/their community.

5. What types of classroom talk take place within this target area? To what extent is the talk teacher-led, student-led, or focused on higher-level thinking? What norms for interaction would you like to build within your classroom as you teach in this target area (e.g., see ideas in Chapter 6 of Strategies that Work, the Berne & Clark 2008 article, or draw from some of the readings done in TE 402 on classroom talk)?

Classroom talk: Re voicing- letter sounds or other expressions students use for their work, morning alphabet practice (pairing a letter-sound-and picture), morning message (repeating after teacher and sounding out fill in the blanks for weather and a personal “like”), hearing songs & rhyming sounds. Restating- voicing back a message a student is trying to convey and sounded it out (worksheets & morning message). Prompting- sounded out the beginning, middle, and end letters of a word (morning message, read alouds, name writing, and worksheets).

Throughout varies activities and lessons that make up the day, classroom talk is both teacher-led and student-led. Our classroom stresses the importance of finding a effective balance. For example some activities such as the morning alphabet sounds have been teacher-led, but will transition into a student-led talk once the students have been exposed and practiced this daily routine. This type of opportunity will empower them as students giving them not only practice but confidence as a learner/leader. Higher-level thinking occurs mainly now through worksheets. The higher level task is at the bottom once the student practices they then can apply it to a more “thinking experience” to apply the learn letter to a word.

Classroom Norms: Respectful behavior when listening to a speaker, Classroom Management Strategies (fire-crackers, hand clap, transition songs or phrases), Voices turned off when teacher is reading a story; sit like a pretzel during group time. All the same norms will be reinstated to make sure the learning environment is kept to its best.

6. Which ‘core practice’ do you want to work on developing/improving as you teach in this target area (refer to document “Resources for Developing Core Practices”)? How will focusing on this core practice contribute to your own professional learning?

In terms of a ‘core practice’ I would like to focus on the Segmenting of individual letter sounds in a word and incorporate it into Writers Workshop “mini whole group conferences”. Within the 10 days I will have 2-3 students share their writing sample that was completed that day. All students will sit on the carpet while one student sits in a special writers chair to share their work. Here they will tell the class about their drawing and read what they filled in their “writing blank space”. (eg. “I like the color __[red]__.”) They will get the opportunity to be the “teacher” as they use the phoneme segmentation song to segment their word(s) and then have the class repeat it with them. Focusing on this core practice will allow me to become a more effective teacher in the long run, as I practice this strategy to better help my students develop reading and writing skills. I will learn what ideas work and what I ideas I will need to further fix for a future practice. I would ideally love to always be in lower grade levels therefore, phonemic awareness and all its larger parts will be a huge part of my lesson instruction in the future.

7. What resources within the community, neighborhood, school district, school or classroom do you have to work with in this target area?

Resources: Houghton & Mifflin Books (Theme: Colors), Music on C.D.’s, Smart Board Games and Youtube videos, Southfield Public Library, other classroom books.

8. What additional resources do you need to obtain? Personal books, printables, sources to benefit my instruction, there could be more as I expand on this lesson.

9. How will you pre-assess your students in your target area?

My Mentor Teacher and I have been pre-assessing student for MLPP and I will also be obtaining results from DIBBLES. These assessments will again be implemented in the November.

10. What else will you need to find out about all students in your class to help you develop lesson plans for your Guided Lead Teaching?

1. I want to find out about ALL the students interest so I can create lessons and activities that vest in the students everyday interests.
2. Find out what letter sounds students are having the most trouble and what letter sounds students are most proficient with.
3. What type of assistance they would need for writing letters (dots, modeling, etc.)

11. What else do you need/want to learn about the ‘core practice’ to support your planning and teaching?

1. How much time should be spent on one student during Phoneme Segmenting Writers Workshop.
2. How can I extend the conference into developing more writing ideas or segmenting words (“I noticed a bus is in your picture as well, let’s segment the word /b/ /u/ /s/).

12. What concerns, if any, do you have about planning and teaching your unit?

I hope that all the “KUDS” my teacher needs done within this time, I can effective implement and incorporate into my lesson. I would not want specific goals to be rushed. I feel I am starting to develop more of an idea of where I want this unit to go and see it serving an even greater purpose with the Writers Workshop core practice.

Target Area

Emilee Patzker TE 802 Inquiry II, Part A 1.My target area for guided lead teaching will be vocabulary. The students will develop vocabulary skills through reading and learning about the fun in working together to grow, prepare, and share food for themselves and others. 2.Approximately 35 minutes per day is allotted for my instruction in this area. 3.The common core standards that I will work toward during this unit are: •RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text •RI.K.4 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text •L.K.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content •L.K.5c Identify real-life connections between words and their use 4.Teaching this target area is very important and will provide my students with a variety of skills. Vocabulary is a building block for my students and will enhance their abilities to begin reading and make deeper connections while reading. My students need to learn vocabulary in order to begin and also further their skills in literacy. 5. A lot of the classroom talk will be whole group and most likely teacher-led. The norms for interaction I would like to build would be that everyone is actively participating in the discussions during the lessons. 6.The core practices that I want to work on developing and improving on as I teach this target area are explicit instruction and authentic application activities. I also want to focus on how to assess my students’ knowledge of vocabulary. I think that conducting meaningful activities can be challenging but are effective so having this be my core practice will help build my skills and benefit my own professional learning. 7.The resources I have in the classroom are, a promethean board, which I will use in order to incorporate technology into my lessons. Crayons, pencils, books and paper, Harcourt Trophies teacher’s edition book. 8.I do not think I need to obtain any other materials at this time. Besides worksheets and activity materials that I will be using during my lessons, but I’m not sure exactly what those will be yet. 9.In order to pre-assess my students in their knowledge of vocabulary I would have the students do a sorting activity, which causes my students to have to categorize and sort (food) items based on their knowledge of those certain vocabulary words. Since my unit will be dealing with food, I might have my students cut and paste different pictures of food into a food group chart based on the food group they belong to. Depending on how my students group the pictures of food will let me know if they understand the meaning of the words dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains and meats. 10.Besides pre-assessing my students to see what their vocabulary skills are like, another thing I would need to find out about my students are their general interests so I could plan and implement a vocabulary lesson that will interest my students and keep them engaged. This will also create an authentic experience for them and as a result my students will get more out of the lesson. 11.I want to learn how to best assess kindergarteners on their knowledge and progress of learning vocabulary? Also, how do I get students to participate in a way that is enhancing their learning of vocabulary? 12.One of my concerns for teaching this unit is how to properly adapt each lesson plan to accommodate the English language learners in my class and also the students who are considered intensive.

Routman Reading

1.What types of expertise do you need to develop in order to follow her advice? It is important to start by “celebrating” the student’s work as Routman explains it. It is very important to focus on the positive aspects of the student’s writing. Expressing what the child has done right is a huge part of content conferences. For example during content conferences it isn’t necessary to point out all of the editing mistakes the child has made. Pointing out the positive aspects of the child's writing will help to build the student’s confidence and self-esteem about their writing. It is important to make the student feel like their writing matters and that it’s important. 2. What professional dilemmas might you encounter as you attempt to follow her advice in your teaching context? As with any teaching strategy there will be dilemmas that will arise that we, as teachers, need to be aware of. Every student is different and every student won’t have the same reaction to the content conferences. For example some students may feel like their work is being examined or pulled a part and dissected. Students who are less confident in their work or who may not like to participate a lot may have a harder time with content conferences. This is why it is extremely important to create a comfortable and open environment in your classroom between the teacher and the students. When there is a positive learning environment, I believe students are more open to try things they haven’t before and they seem to be more confident in themselves as well. 3. How might you attempt to "finesse" or "hybridize" your literacy instruction? In my classroom I think its important to view everyone’s work as something special. Kindergarteners are working especially hard to develop their knowledge of writing but they are starting at just building letters and words. I think using students work as examples of “good writing” gives them a sense of accomplishment and confidence. At this young age it really is all about creating an environment that promotes learning and makes students feel comfortable and confident. 4. How are you developing your professional identity, building strong teacher-student relationships, constructing relevant curriculum or assessing students in meaningful and powerful ways? Each day I stand outside the classroom door greeting each student as they walk through the door. I believe student-teacher relationships are extremely important. I think that if the students respect and trust me that they will want to listen and learn from me. In order to develop meaningful lesson plans, it is crucial to get to know the students in your classroom and know what they are interested in and what academic levels the students are at in order to differentiate lessons based on student needs. I am doing my best to take into account each of my students needs and adapt lessons based on those needs.

Routman Reading

1. What types of expertise do you need to develop in order to follow her advice?
Routman makes the simple form of a piece of writing seem so important and powerful. She stresses the importance of making each student basically feel like they're "one in a million", and I think that is so important. Students need to gain a sense of confidence to stand behind their work and feel they are a unique and active learner in the classroom. When students are encouraged and seen as an "individual writer" they can see the end picture or "bigger picture" and explore new levels of their writing. Routman allows us to see that yes we should correct their work but do it in a learning way for them to develop the skills of editing their work and seeing that, YES I OWN THIS PIECE OF WRITING. The content conference holds true for not just literacy but any subject, to stem from a student's greatness. Routman stresses how much children grow when they hear the positive aspects that make them a great writer and/or learner. This will create a interaction between teacher and student or "mini conference". This provides them with love and encouragement that show not just the teacher believes they can succeed but triggers a desire for them for believe in themselves. I think her idea of writing is spot on in terms of making student love to write before anything else. I feel I would need to be a skilled writer and quick on my feet for expanding writing thoughts. This would allow me to be more successful and create this confidence in my students. In classrooms, writings stories or a piece of work can always start of as appearing as just "work", but by making it fun and giving students their own voice allows the writing to blossom and become exciting!

2. What professional dilemmas might you encounter is you attempt to follow her advice in your teaching context?
As we all know students are all different learners and see themselves differently. When discussing a students writing with them or "holding a conference" they may feel defeated or not know where else to take the piece of writing. This dilemma could stem from lack of confidence, quiet personality, or even difficulties communicating (cultural aspects). In my teaching context this could in fact be a strong factor or dilemma. It would be important to find a way to create a relaxing comfortable environment for quieter students to feel comfortable opening up and in the other case think of strategies to help cater to students who have trouble communicating their thoughts. Thinking of these possibilities helps us realize why it is always stressed to understand the learners in our classroom and cater to how best to help them learn. Any creative thoughts on helping ELL students besides bringing in a bilingual teacher?

3. How might you attempt to "finesse" or "hybridize" your literacy instruction?
I would definitely create an environment or basis where it is a "fun" piece of writing. Being in Kindergarten this is a time when students are being introduced to text and forming letters and being exposed to all these early phases of literacy. Creating pictures that tell a story that transition into letter and words embarking on a writing journey I think would be enjoyable and educational. It is all about the journey and creating the right balance to make them love it write not have to write. I like her idea of creating a mini writing environment that allows all the children to come together and appreciate others writing. I think this is a great opportunity again to build confidence and also to form peer connections and create that warm learning environment!

4. How are you developing your professional identity, building strong teacher-student relationships, constructing relevant curriculum or assessing students in meaningful and powerful ways?
I absolutely love being in the kindergarten classroom. The stories I know I will hear everyday make it easy for me to look forward to the day ahead. While being in my classroom and school I have stayed true to who I am and my beliefs as a teacher. I find it easy talking to all the staff in my building as they always make it a point to state, "we are a family". My Mentor Teacher also allows me to express myself in the classroom making bulletin boards, behavior charts, and adding a sense of me in there. I am so lucky to have her as a mentor teacher because she allows me to build on the kind of teacher I want to be. As for teacher-student relationships...I love this part of my job. I have made a huge effort to get to know each child, step into their culture by learning words, and also getting to know their families. I have created a relationship that is friendly but to a point they know I am still their teacher. I see this year as a learning experience everyday and a time to grow. I have already seen how the curriculum is changing and how my teacher adapts to these new changes. I look forward to making a powerful impact in the classroom through my creative ways of teaching! :)

Re: Routman

Based on Chapters 7 – 9 (Routman, 2005), answer the following questions on this week’s Book Club blog:

1. What types of expertise do you need to develop in order to follow her advice?

In terms of content conferences, focusing on the writer above everything else is of upmost importance. At this time of development, students need encouragement and confidence building. The experience should be viewed in a positive light and empower the student to continue taking risks with his or her writing. For instance, always begin the conference by noting the positives about their work, identifying what they have done well. Give an overall response first and focus on only one or two main areas per conference. The teacher should review the piece and note what it does as well as what it has.

In regards to her overall message, Routman seems to emphasize the idea of focusing on the bigger picture. For example, she believes that it is best to teach a concept first and then label it later. This same mindset holds true throughout the other chapters as well. Writing should have meaning and it is crucial to foster a love of writing by empowering student freedom of expression and communication. Students should feel a passion towards writing and this cannot happen if their work (and them) are constantly held to the microscope.

2. What professional dilemmas might you encounter if you attempted to follow her advice in your teaching context?

A professional dilemma that may arise is a poorly established relationship in the classroom. Be it among students or teachers, the learning environment needs to be a trusting and comfortable place for students to take risks and grow as students and as individuals. If a student does not have a trusting relationship with his or her teacher, they may never open up and express themselves appropriately as writing can help to do.

3. How might you attempt to “finesse” or “hybridize” your literacy instruction?

I would follow in Routman's footsteps and view everything from above. I would encourage my students to focus on content, to get their message on the page without regards for grammar, spelling or punctuation. I also believe in the importance of boosting each child's self esteem as a budding writer, and work towards ultimate independence. There are countless ways to set up the classroom to best suit student and teachers needs- either in small groups, pairs, individually, or whole-class. I also love the idea of analyzing a piece of writing as a class, and identifying features to set criteria for future reference.

4. How are you developing your professional identify, building strong teacher-student relationships, constructing relevant curriculum or assessing students in meaningful and powerful ways?

Each day I come to school with a smile on my face ready and excited to take on the day. I make an effort to make small talk with other staff and get to know the parents of my students. My students and I are still developing positive relationships as I try to maintain an orderly classroom which can require a stern and authoritative role, while at the same time a light-hearted and trusting friend-like bond. I enjoy spending time with my students and hope to have more opportunities to get to know each child as an individual.

Literacy in the Classroom

This week I was able to do my very first read-aloud for my kindergartners. I read the book, “The Alphabet Tree,” by Leo Lionni. This book was enjoyable for both the students and myself. The story is about a tree full of letters, each on their respective leaf. As the story progresses, the letters discover that the best way to fight the wind from blowing them away is to join together and become words, and ultimately, sentences.  Lionni’s illustrations support the text on each page, so even young learners like my 5-year-olds are able to make sense of the story. It was appropriate in length and content, since now we are spending a great deal of time learning about our letters and how to differentiate them from numbers, symbols, and shapes. I was surprised to see how few students started school with this knowledge. There are many creative assessments and activities that can be presented alongside the book. For instance, students can create their own alphabet tree in the classroom. As we learn new letters, we will add them to our tree. Throughout the year, as we begin learning simple sight words, we can practice combining the letters and sounds creating a "word wreath" or the like. Students could also each represent a single letter or sound, and link arms to make a word. While our class has many other books about letters, this book does a good job explaining how they come together to form a bigger picture. If I were to read it again, I would be sure to write down key words to expose students to them, even if they cannot necessarily read, because it also provides a good visual to differentiate between sounds, letters, words, sentences, etc. Because it is still so early on in the year, I am considering other activities that would be helpful for my students to learn letters versus numbers. Do you have any suggestions? Singing the ABC's and counting from 1-30 all day is not enough, otherwise students would not need to go to school to learn these essentials. What in your experience and findings has been the most successful method?

Dilemma: Sarah Learning to Care

I read the article "Learning to Care for Students in the Urban Setting." I found this article interesting and easy to relate to, since my school is in an urban area. The dilemma discussed in the article is about a new teacher who has heard a lot of negative things about the students and families in her new urban setting school. The students were being described to her as "limited English proficient, below grade level. The families were described as "overwhelmed and checked-out." The urban neighborhood was described as "drug infested, crime-ridden and resource deprived." It is hard to form your own opinions when all you hear from the people around you are negative things. So the new teacher Sarah tried hard to connect with her students on a more personal level in order to get rid of the preconceived notions that were formed about the students because they lived in an urban area. Sarah described a specific example of how a students' urban life shaped the way she viewed him. After Sarah took some time and visited her student (Ricky) at home she began to notice a different and positive side of her student. I think it is so important for teachers to form relationships with their students before they judge them on what their ethnicity is or simply where they live. I am teaching in an urban school this year and I know that there are many views and opinions on the type of students that are attending my school. One of my goals this school year is to get to know each of my students before passing any judgement about them. Since forming relationships with our students is so important, what other ways can we form relationships with our students besides visiting their neighborhoods?