Consider this my DISCLAIMER…
I am NOT A College Professor.
I do NOT have a MASTERS ( or above )
in ANYTHING!
I am just a teacher.
A first grade teacher.
A Veteran (27yrs ), first grade teacher, in a TITLE 1 SCHOOL!
I have seen a LOT!
Done a LOT!
Hear me ROAR!!!!!
Ok. So again.
I am a teacher.
(Aren’t they cute????)
I have been through:
Whole Language
Environmental Print
Interactive Writing
Phonemic Awareness
Leveled Readers ( DRA, GSP, AR, Lexile)
Phonics
Words Their Way
HFW
Sight Words
High Interest Reading Books
SIPPS
Read Naturally
Daily 5
And
A MULTITUDE OF PUBLISHER’S CURRICULUM!
New sets evey 7 years!
Having said this…1 thing most curriculum’s have in common :
READ!
READ A LOT!
And then…READ SOME MORE!
So …
My little sisters…
YES…both of my LITTLE SISTER’S are
PRIMARY TEACHERS!
We were discussing school.
( I know..we are NOT supposed to discuss SCHOOL during SUMMER VACATION!)
But…um…we were discussing school…
and we are trying to WRAP our minds areound the
“READ..READ..READ more”
and they will
“GET IT!”
(way of thinking.)
Well, maybe…
I LOVE reading with kiddos!
See my post here about the GUIDED READING TABLE!
My concern is…
When I “release” them to read,
When I want them to become INDEPENDENT readers,
Where do they “learn” the skills to use when they “get stuck”?
Will they use strategies, when they don’t know what’s happening?
When a story isn’t making sense…do they keep reading?
If they keep reading…
Will it ALL come TOGETHER?
At a recent PD, my little sis said she understood the
READ, READ, READ philosophy.
Integrate science, social studies, math, technology
INTO READING!
YES!
Writing and Reading COMPLIMENT and Coexist WITH each other!
You can’t have one without the other!
THEY NEED EACH OTHER!
BUT…
-Me SPEAKING-
There needs to be a BALANCE of:
Skills & Strategies
in conjunction with independent reading & writing!
THERE!
I said IT!
Reading & Writing SKILLS:
Letter Sounds
Blends
Vowels
Word Families
Chunks
Grammar
Punctuation
High Frequency Words
Capitalization
Handwriting
and MORE!
Comprehension
Questioning
Summarizing
etc, etc, etc…
(I sound like my Education College Professors!)
I was listening!
ALL of these “lessons” MUST be taught
INCONJUNCTION with
Reading & Writing!
Yes…To be a better reader..
YOU MUST READ!
BUT…to be a better reader who UNDERSTANDS…
You must have skills and strategies
to use
WHEN
you read and write!
NOW…CAUTION!!!
Unless you are teaching ADULTS in a COLLEGE CLASS…
A 40 minute LECTURE on diagramming sentences
IS NOT…I REPEAT..
NOT
the way to do it!
If you WANT to spend 40 minutes discussing grammar…
CHUNK IT!
Do 2-3 MINILESSONS over a few days…
Let it SINK IN!
Show kiddos:
What it looks like.
Where to find it.
How to use it.
Why we use it.
When to ask for help.
Kinder-Grade 1-Grade 2 teachers…
UNITE!
Mini Lessons with a WORKSHOP!
Use SMALL Groups for STRATEGY & Skill Groups!
Let kiddos have a chance to PRACTICE what YOU have taught them!
Let it SINK IN!
And Then..
LET THEM READ!
and
READ!
and
READ!
and then
WRITE…and write some more!
Skills, Strategies, Reading, Writing
They will become “BETTER”..
and isn’t that what we ALL want to be?
BETTER!
Need some HELP?
Here are some “HELPERS” for YOU!
Check out ALL my reading & writing products!
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/1stgradefireworksCo
