Two Interventions for Letter Knowledge

Transcription

1 Two Interventions for Letter Knowledge 1. Skill- Letter and Sound Knowledge Intervention - Tracing Letters Source or adapted from Voyager U Reading Academy letter cards, plastic letters, clay, sandpaper, and other materials Instructions for administration: Before children learn to form letters on their own, finger-tracing helps them make the kinesthetic and tactile connections between letter shapes and names and sounds. Children can trace the letters on letter cards while simultaneously making the correct sound. They can trace plastic letters or letters formed with clay. They can trace letters cut from sandpaper or corduroy or velvet. Whatever the materials, make certain the letters are large enough to allow children to move their whole arm as they trace. Model tracing the letters for children, using the same continuous strokes and movements used when forming the letters.

2 2. *A word of caution for students struggling to learn both letter names and sounds, the priority should be on learning sounds. Research has shown knowledge of letter sounds has more impact on learning to read than being able to name letters. Skill- Letter and Sound Knowledge Intervention - Overhead magnetic letter race Source or adapted from In the Trenches Magnetic letters are sorted in a tackle box overhead pointer Overhead magnetic letter race: a. Magnetic letters are sorted in a tackle box with each square holding one letter. Always place the letters in alphabetical order for easy retrieval. b. Teacher directs student to locate a specific letter. c. Student places letter on overhead. d. Once correct letter is chosen, student goes to screen and traces blown up version of letter using pointer. Student simultaneously says the sound of the letter. e. Focus your work with letters which are unknown on the letter knowledge assessment.

3 Four Interventions for Comprehension 1. Skill- Comprehension: Sequence Intervention Visualizing Source or adapted from - Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey & Anne Goudvis Paper divided into 4 boxes Sentence strip divided into 4-5 sections Pencil/crayons for student books good for visualizing (see book list on Balanced Literacy website) Instructions for administration: Some students do not naturally visualize as they read and must be explicitly taught how to do so. These students benefit from a teacher modeling how good readers stop periodically while reading, close their eyes, and create mental images that include what they see, hear, smell, and feel in their minds as they read. Here is an option for explicitly demonstrating visualizing: 1. Read aloud a book with good descriptive passages or action sequences. Don t show the student the pictures as you read. Stop after each page (or paragraph, if reading a chapter book) and demonstrate how to visualize. After several demonstrations allow the child to close his/her eyes and talk about the mental images he sees.

4 2. Retelling Checklist Name: Date: Story: Opening: I began my retelling with an introduction. Setting: I included when and where the story happened. Characters: I told about the main character. I told about the other characters. Problem: I told about the problem of the story. Solution: I told how the problem was solved. I told how the story ended. Author s message: I shared my ideas about the author s message. The best part of my retelling was The next time I retell I need to remember

5 3. Skill- Comprehension: Summarizing Intervention Read, Cover, Remember, Retell Source or adapted from - Revisit, Reflect, Retell by Linda Hoyt reading passage Instructions for administration: Ask the student to do the following: 1. Read about as much as you think you can cover with your hand. 2. Cover the text with your hand. 3. Consciously focus on remembering what you read. This is a quiet time for thinking. [have the student focus on visualizing what he/she read and make a movie in their head ] 4. Tell what you remember (it s ok to peek back at the text if you need to). 5. Read some more and follow the steps again.

6 4. Skill- Comprehension: Interpretation Intervention Inferring feelings Source or adapted from - Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis Index cards chart of feeling words Instructions for administration: This intervention can be done if students are unfamiliar with the concept of inferring. Explain to the students that we must infer when we don t know the exact answer to a question, but instead must put together clues to infer the answer. If we don t use clues, then that s not an inference, it s a guess. This activity helps make concrete for students how to use given clues to infer a feeling. 1. The teacher chooses a feeling word from a chart of feelings the students are familiar with. She writes this word on an index card and tapes it to the back of one of the students who doesn t know what it says. 2. The student then slowly turns in a circle to show the other students the word on his back. 3. The other students give him clues to help him infer what feeling word is taped to his back. Clues might begin, I felt that way when 4. After 5 or 6 clues have been given by students, the teacher asks if the child can infer the hidden word based on the clues he s been given.

7 1. Two Interventions for Vocabulary

8 2.