Reading Inquiry

We are currently in Week 4 of a four week unit on Animal Habitats.  Because we have four different levels of books, we have four different habitats that our class is learning about.  Our reading curriculum, LEAD 21, has emphasized an Inquiry project for each unit throughout the year, but I have failed to complete one until now due to time constraints and feeling as though I never covered the skills well enough to take the time to complete such a project.


Being that animals are of high interest to several of my students, I thought this would be the perfect time to try.  I set up a tool for students to collect both facts and questions on note cards as they read through their own books and listened to the books of others.  Each Friday, we spent time transforming our room into the four different habitats, one in each corner.  It was amazing to see the amount of effort put forth by even my most unmotivated students.  They were also allowed to bring in books, stuffed animals, pictures, etc., from home that fit into each of the habitats.  I laid down different colored paper on the floor to set the boundaries for the habitats and also placed appropriate light coverings (blue for water, yellow for sun for the desert) to give it the full effect.  They have loved "hanging out" in the different habitats while doing Read to Self and Read to Someone.  Students have even asked to stay in from recess to READ!!!!


In our last week, we are working on gathering an equal number of facts for each habitat so that we can each write a book.  I have been amazed and thrilled with the teamwork I have seen in this project. Students are borrowing books to each other and openly sharing facts to help each other out.  My lowest readers have the same value and voice as my high readers, because they all need facts about each other's habitats.  


This unit has really taught me a lot.  I was very skeptical of how to run inquiry projects with my young students.  However, I have realized that my skepticism has really taken away from them a lot and I certainly did not give them enough credit.  With some effort on my part and guidance throughout the process, they have created some amazing things that they are SO proud of.  I will be sad when the week is over!

Mini Action Research.......Round 2!

·      Question: How can I increase retention of high frequency words?

Sub-questions

·        What types of activities benefit word retention the most?

o   (i.e. written, interactive, combination of both?)

·        What types of activities are enjoyed by students the most?

·        Will an alternation of practice between spelling words and high frequency words hinder the retention of spelling words previously seen in my classroom?

·        Is a variety of activities more advantageous rather than using a consistent form of practice?

Research Window: Between April 4^th to April 22^nd, during various reading instruction times for Unit 7 in the LEAD 21 series

Situation-At-Hand: Our reading series, LEAD 21 introduces anywhere from two to six high frequency words per week, with four weeks making up one unit.  Currently, I introduce the words on a weekly basis and play I-Spy throughout the week, as time permits, to help with learning the words.  I feel that increased and various practice could help the students retain the words more successfully for use in both reading and writing.  These high frequency words are then placed on our larger word wall.

My Plan: I will introduce various high-frequency word activities to students during the “Activity” component of Morning Meeting, rather than playing our other known games.  As students become comfortable with the activities (2-3 days, based on level of difficulty), I will add them to the Word Work center for Daily 5 time.  Currently, students practice spelling words at the Word Work center, with the exception of High Frequency memory.  I will separate word work activities into spelling activities and high frequency word activities and ask students to alternate back and forth between the two, with the use of a visual indicator that shows which cart students should choose from on any given day.  At the end of Unit 7, I will test word knowledge and compare it to Unit 6 word knowledge. 

High Frequency Word Activities (in order to be taught)

·        Magnet Words: Students will build words on magnetic easel and magnet letters. (We already do this with spelling words)

·        Rainbow Writing: Students write words in rainbow colors.  (We already do this with spelling words.)

·        Play-Doh Writing: Students flatten out a piece of play-doh and carve the words in with plastic tools.

·        Word Wall Roll: Students roll a dice and must write that word in a sentence.

·        Be The Teacher: Working with a partner, one student makes up a spelling test to give to the other.  At the end, partners will switch.

·        Be Creative: Students use as many high frequency words as they can to write a story.  Students who choose to do this activity during Daily 5 will get to sit in the “Creation Station” chair.

Method Description:

·        Student Samples: Surveys will be given about each new activity, asking students to rate their understanding of the activity, their interest level of the activity, and how well it helps them to learn the words, on a sad face, middle face, and happy face scale.

·        Journaling: I will journal weekly to reflect on my observations of students’ understanding of activities, independent use during Daily 5 time, and the amount I see students using the words outside of reading instruction times.

·        Documents: Comparison between Unit 5 word knowledge and retention and Unit 6 word knowledge and retention

Social Justice SMART Goal

Last week Monday, I got a new student in my class.  At this point in the year, I find it difficult to get new students...for the simple fact that it frustrates me that I will not have the same opportunity to get to know this child the way I did the other 18 in my class.  My new student has had an extremely rough life, and all the while, I keep questioning- What can I do to make this child's life great at school?  How can I make him feel loved, cared for, respected, and proud at school?

I am hopeful that my Social Justice SMART Goal will help me to find the answers to some of these questions.  Being that I give a weekly feelings survey, it gives me the opportunity to dig deeper into some areas that wouldn't have necessarily been shared in any normal setting.  When this student was taking this survey on Friday, after one full week at a new school, I was able to follow up right away with questions as to why he was feeling the way he was feeling.  One thing I really try to work hard on is sharing feelings beyond "happy" or "sad."  I want my students to be able to start to decipher deeper feelings than those because I really feel that them being able to recognize their true feelings will help them to diffuse situations more effectively.

One thing I find interesting about teaching younger students is their perceptions of what is "normal."  Some of these young kids have been through more in their six years of life than I could ever imagine.  However, they know no different, and they find it to be no different than any other student they are around at school!  It makes them totally open about what goes on in their lives.