I believe that reading and teaching different reading skills is a very important process that can be tedious when students are at varying levels. Out of 14 students, 10 students are reading or beginning to read while 2 are still working on learning letters and sounds. Because the students are at different levels, teaching whole group is effective but following whole group ELA instruction with break out centers to focus on fluency, phonics, and comprehension are very important in the classroom and play a dominant role in students’ reading foundation skills. When there are several students struggling or at the same reading level, it makes it easier to accommodate and see everyone in small group to work on the detrimental skills each student needs to accelerate their reading. Each center activity has a varying level depending on which student is at that center. We decided these levels by analyzing the class’s STAR reading assessment scores and results. The books, work, and lessons at each center are tiered to fit each student groups specific STAR score needs. We have several students reading at a 3rd grade level while others are struggling in the 0.5-1.0 range. This is why we differentiate the activities and lesson within our reading centers. I plan to do this in my own class as well, as I have seen the progress and positive effect this has had. I plan to use all of these activities and concepts within my own classroom to ensure that my students are accelerating their reading and writing skills. 

 

For concept 5.1, I pulled the STAR data report because I knew I could use the data as a blueprint and guide regarding my instruction. For concept 5.2, I used the Vera Tiles activity to enforce and strengthen reading comprehension. I had never seen this tool/activity before. After learning how to use it and doing several rotations with small group using this, I am obsessed and already have one in my amazon cart to utilize in my own classroom. I use the versa tile tool for several different reading strategies. For concept 5.3, I used our small group read aloud comprehension packet. For this activity we have students in a small group taking turns reading a few sentences aloud and following along with their fingers as peers read. This really allows them to practice their oral reading as well as paying attention because they don’t know when I will ask them to read. For concept 5.4, I wanted to focus on rhyming and syllables to help our second graders continue to develop their phonological awareness. Students have to focus closely to the ending sound to determine rhymes. For concept 5.5, I used the versa tiles once again but with a different workbook. I love versa tiles because it allows students to self correct if working independently. They look at the answer key picture and flip their books over. If it doesn’t match they can correct their work. I used this activity for this concept because you can focus on vowel sounds and ask students to determine if the vowel is long or short. Not only are they working on vowel recognition, but also word recognition. They are finding the print word to match the picture. For concept 5.6, I choose our fluency center activities. We have several fluency activities within this center that students use with a peer or independently. Each of these activities increases and enforces reading fluency and endurance as students read each activity 3 times whether it be the plays or the velcro word activity. For concept 5.7, we used our vocabulary wheel. If we want to enforce academic and domain specific vocabulary we tend to do this as a whole group activity on the board. Students write their answers on a paper or even answer out loud. They absolutely love to act it out as well. This helps students demonstrate mastery of their vocabulary because they are asked to show comprehension in 4 different ways. For concept 5.8, I included the self monitoring sign we made and hung near the library area in the classroom. It gives them several tips to self monitor when reading. For self correction I included their homework that they complete a reading activity once every night noting their mistakes and showing 0 when corrected. For concept 5.9, I chose to utilize an inferencing activity that we are doing daily in class to engage higher order thinking for comprehension. I show a pair of shoes and give students clues. We then discuss who we think wears those shoes based on our inferencing skills, the clues, and the picture of the shoes. We have been doing 3 a day for the past week and a a half. When this is complete, I have a ‘Whose hat’ inferencing activity as well. This helps increase their inferencing which is required for higher order thinking skills. For concept 5.10, I utilized the tips and tricks we came up with together with our class as well as the signs hanging around the classroom remind students how and why they should read critically. For concept 5.11, I utilized our benchmark universe curriculum. Our close reading book includes a different story each day that increases in length and complexity as the week goes on.. This exact reading book is located on the benchmark universe application that students can access through their canvas in class link. Every few days we access the online digital text and do the virtual activities that go along with the text as a class.  For concept 5.12, I used an activity that I differentiated to meet the needs of one of our ELL students who struggles with comprehension. I used the blank diagram in small group for the others but this student continued to struggle with the comprehension so I broke it down even further by adding a picture clue near each word (first, next, and last). For concept 5.13, we utilize both studies weekly and our benchmark universe curriculum to meet both print text and digital text requirements in our classroom. Both the print version and digital version have variations but are following the same flow. For concept 5.14, I used our book tasting that we did at the end of August. We plan to do this every couple months as it really motivated the students to read outside of their usual genre and series. The students were so excited to do this activity because of all our little touches on it. For concept 5.15, I used our writing center rotation activity. Students have a different prompt each time they are at this center. Sometimes it is prompted and sometimes it is a free write choice topic. Students are instructed to follow the prompt which many signs to remind students of the word and punctuations to use when writing. Students are also encourage to re-read their work when finished and self-monitor their writing. Is it spelled correctly? Does it make sense?