Mustang Musings
October 6, 2019
ARC Focus of the Week
- Create a flexible conference schedule and begin conferencing with your students daily during reader's workshop. The goal at this point is to meet with every student at least one time in a 10 day period.
- Log home and school steps daily
- Have a plan for those students who are not reading at home. Do they need a reading buddy at school? Let me know and I will get them a partner!
On Target for IRLA Reading Level
HES creates readers!
On Target for Reading Practice
Teach the Teacher
Read Alouds: A Great Way to Build Vocabulary
Teaching vocabulary during read alouds can either be intentional or unintentional.
Here are a few ways to intentionally teach vocabulary:
Provide a quick, kid-friendly definition and keep reading.
Example:
“One night, in a phosphorescent sea, he marveled at the sight of some whales spouting luminous water.” (Amos & Boris, by William Steig)
“Phosphorescent” and “luminous” both have to do with light. When Amos looked at the night ocean, it looked like it was glowing. Even though the ocean doesn’t make its own light, the light from the moon and stars made the ocean glow.
Give a quick synonym for the word.
For example:
“… Gazing at the immense, starry sky ….” (Amos & Boris, by William Steig)
“Immense” means really big.
Point to the picture to help your learners understand what the word means.
For example:
“Boris the whale was flung ashore by a tidal wave and stranded on the very shore where Amos happened to make his home.” (Amos & Boris, by William Steig)
Let’s take a look at this picture. Do you see how the whale is on the beach and can’t get off? He is stranded. To be stranded means that you are stuck somewhere and you can’t leave. Boris is stranded on the beach.
Act out or demonstrate the meaning of the word.
For example:
“He stood with his mouth agape.”
“Agape” means to have your mouth wide open like this (demonstrate). Can you show me what it looks like to have your mouth agape?
How to do intentional vocabulary teaching through read-alouds
You may have noticed that the previous examples were all quick. We provide the definition, and we move on. This way our students’ comprehension does not suffer – either through not knowing a word’s meaning or by having the reading interrupted for a long period of time.
Even when we do intentional vocabulary teaching through read alouds, our goal is to get in and out quickly. That is, we don’t want our vocabulary teaching to interfere with our learners’ enjoyment of the story.
Click here to read more!
From The Measured Mom website
That's Powerful!
- One teacher is using a website called "Bouncy Balls" to help regulate her student's voice levels during independent work time. Click this link and see for yourself! You can adjust the sensitivity level and it will even 'SHUSH" your students when they get too loud. This is powerful because it allows the teacher to focus on her small group instruction instead of monitoring the noise level in the room.
Have YOU found out the power behind Flocabulary?
Free Video Books...Yes, please!
Vooks is a library of animated storybooks. With words on the screen and slow-paced animation, Vooks encourages the development of literacy, focus, and imagination in kids 2-8 years old.
Vooks curates kid's content in a new and fresh way that makes it easy for teachers and parents to direct their children’s social and emotional development. They already have channels like friendship, bravery, and kindness. In the near future, they are planning to have channels with empathy, growth mindset, science, and biography.
Thank you, Ms. Crowder, for sharing this great site!
National Hispanic HIstory Month- Read Aloud!
This read aloud, I Love Saturdays y domingo, will expand your student's understanding of the Hispanic culture.
After listening to the read aloud, discuss these questions:
- What details did the author include that help you to better understand the Hispanic culture?
- How is the main character like you? How are you different?
What can I do for you?
- Modeling
- Side-by-side coaching
- Coaching and modeling of using the IRLA
- Round up resources
- Assist with differentiating lessons or materials
- Cover your class so that you can observe a colleague's class
- Cooperatively plan a lesson or series of lessons that meet best practices
- Serve as another pair of hands for a lesson
- Offer strategies for classroom management
- Help you connect with other teachers in the district
- Lend an open ear for a topic of your choice
- Reflect on student learning in your classroom through conversation and observation
- Work collaboratively to bounce ideas off one another to address a concern
- Evaluate new students to guide instruction
Hardy Elementary School
Email: lhenk@iwcs.k12.va.us
Website: http://hes.iwcs.k12.va.us/
Location: 9311 Hardy Circle, Smithfield, VA, United States
Phone: 757-357-3204
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Hardy-Elementary-School-205065852892284/
Twitter: @Mrs_Henk