Strategies for Helping All Children Strengthen Their Literacy Skills Lochside School

1. Strategies for Helping All Children Strengthen Their Literacy Skills Lochside School April4, 2012 Colleen Politano

2. Literacy includes: Speaking Listening Writing Representing Reading Viewing

3. The meaning of the word “literacy” is constantly evolving: Literacy is more than the ability to read materials in print. Literacy is the ability to read and write, to listen and speak to others, and to view and to represent ideas and images in various media. (+ We learn technological literacy) It is also the ability to think critically while doing all of these. “Critical literacy” is a way of thinking critically with a focus on questions of fairness, equity, and social justice. Try this: When you look at an advertisement or watch a commercial ask, “What does it tell us?” “What doesn’t it tell us?”

4. How can we help our children become proficient, confident writers. How can we help our children become enthusiastic, fluent readers.

5. Please take a sticky note. Write 1 question you have about: supporting your child as a writer and 1 question you have about: supporting your child as a reader. Post your sticky notes.

6. Give your kids specific, supportive feedback!

7. How can we help our children become proficient, confident writers.

8. Writing • Let your kids see you writing. Kids do what we do! • Write shopping lists, telephone messages, reminder notes, and labels. • Write the date and time of appointments and activities on a family calendar. • Read and write greeting cards, letters, and e-mail messages. • Require writing at home. In our lives we write for a purpose so kids need that sense of purpose to encourage their writing. • Kids who have to write thank you notes and make birthday cards • establish habits that last a lifetime. • Get your kids to write grocery lists. • If your child wants something have them write a list of reasons why they should get their request. • Remember that most of us do much more factual writing than fiction writing.

9. Writing: Getting Started • Reassure children that we have many ways to share our thinking-speaking, drawing, writing, art, construction.... • Reinforce that one convenient way to share what we know it to draw or write. • Explain that the most important thing is to get your ideas down. • It only takes a few letters to get started, Ask, “What do you want to say?” “What letters do you hear in the first word?” • Remember that surface features can always be refined. • If you need to edit your child’s writing ask them to read it to you first. Ask then to tell you what they noticed. Give feedback that makes them want to write more. Respond to their message first and give suggestions in the form of a questions.

10. Writing: Improving Spelling • If your kids have frequently used words or spelling word try: • Disco Spelling • Vowels go up. • Consonants go down. • Action Spelling • Use hand, foot, elbow ... to print. • Students take turns to spell in the air. • One student spells the other tells the word. • Spelling Stretches • Tall letters -reach up • Mid sized letters hug yourself • Below the line letters - hug below knees • Rock Out Spelling • 1st consonant: Rock to the left. • Vowels: Arms above above the head. • Next consonant to the right. • Crossover Math • Practice rote math skills like skip counting, • math facts....

11. Handy Memory Booster Thumb is the grabber. Fingers are the points. Pinky wraps it up. Spaces between fingers are the joining words or details. This is a great organizer for writing!

12. Writing in the Age of TXTNG • Help your children learn that just as we have clothes for different occasions and equipment for different sports, there is spelling for texting and spelling for writing.

13. How can we help our children become enthusiastic, fluent readers.

14. Reading is a complex process. Reading is more than ‘word calling’ or ‘barking at print.’ Reading is a meaning making process. I tell kids, “We are all readers from the moment we are born. We start by reading faces and we move to reading pictures and words. We just keep learning ways to get to be better and better readers.” My definition of fluent reading is, “Fluent readers math their reading to the writer’s words.”

15. Top Ways to Help Your Child With READING Let your kids see you reading. Have family reading time. Read everything! Signs, papers magazines, graphic novels, captions, Read all the time - books on the go! Make sure kids get things to read about that are within their interests -fiction and non-fiction Make sure they have interesting reading materials. Can Dan fan the pan? Could you answer: How did Dan feel? How did the pan feel? For younger children ‘1000 by 5’ Free kids books available at COOP stations.

16. Word Solving You can help your child be a terrific reader: For beginning readers model! Sit side by side with your child. Read a short selection several times with expression. Slide your finger under the words as you read. If your child reads a book easily please tell him/her specific things you liked about the way they read. If your child has difficulty with a word, ask him/her to use the strategies we use at school. Our favorites are: Look at the picture for clues. Ask, “What would make sense here?” Look at the picture for clues Break up the word Look for smaller words in the word (and – sand, at – mat) Look at the word to see if there is a pattern you can use (look – book, me – see – tree) Skip the word and go back. If your child has a book that they are struggling with, the best thing is for you to read it to them a couple of times then let them try again. “Kids need books they can read and books they can’t wait to read.” Richard Allington

17. Reading Phones

18. Have your kids try “Wall Reading” and the actor’s trick of cupping your ear.

19. Sound Clappers 2 poker chips 2 small ‘ponytail holders’ hot glue

20. Word Movers Pointing to words slows the reader. Push the words or slide your finger, eye or the stick under the words. For K’s try paint stir sticks.

21. Word Movers

22. nrsi.org irlen Check the Video See It Right

23. Fluency Rules of the Road • Period (.) “end-o-stop” • (stop, tires off the ground) • Comma (,) “speed bump” • (slow down) • Question mark (?) • “pop a wheelie” (voice goes up) • Exclamation mark (!) • “ramp up” (match expression)

24. Word Catchers

25. Baggie Books

26. READING CRITERIA Make connections Figure out words Use punctuation Read in phrases Go the right speed Matches volume to the words Use expression Make connections

27. ABC! DEF? GH … IJK! LMN, OPQ. RST! UVW? XYZ.

28. Text Signals

29. Home Reading Plan • 1. Child takes home a familiar selection. • Family member (parent?) ‘times’ child for a 1 minute read. • 2. Child reads to 5 others. Possibilities: • Other family members • Pets • Stuffed animals • To web cam • On the telephone • ????????? • 3. Child re-reads same selection to the same family member for 1 minute • then counts the words gained.

30. Fluency Fix Ups • Accuracy • Slow speed down. • Look carefully at words and letters. • Think do you know the word or part of the word? • Make the sound of each letter from left to right and blend the sounds. • Ask, “Does it make sense?” • Ask for help. • Try rereading the sentence. • Rate • Go slower for difficult or unfamiliar text. • Go faster when text is easy or familiar. • Expression • Read 3 or more words together before pausing, stopping or taking a breath. • Take a big breath and try to read to the comma or end of sentence without stopping. • Read so you sound like someone talking. • Fluency Instruction, Research-Based Best Practices, Ray Reutzel

31. Stop and Share • You and your child both read a “chunk.” ... a page or a paragraph. • You can both read silently or take turns to read aloud • depending on their needs. then • “Stop and Share.” • Take turns to tell each other: • -What I read a- quick gist of the piece • -What I think - a personal connection • -How I read? - an example of word solving or fluency.

32. When you are asking your child questions it is more interesting to ask between the lines questions beyond the lines questions rather than just on the line questions. Better yet have your child ask you the questions. “on the lines:” using the information that is directly stated in the text (literal meaning) What is most reasonable, likely or probable? “between the lines:” using the facts and details as clues to make reasonable guesses about what is not directly stated in the text (making inferences) “beyond the lines:” using the literal facts and details and your inferences to make connections to the world and ideas outside of the text (making connections)

33. Super Speed x 2 • Give your child a passage to read or have them choose a book, poem or magazine piece. • Have them read for 30 seconds then place a mark or small POST IT by the last word they read. • (For younger children or students with special needs you may want to set the time to 15 seconds). • Have a little stretch break then have the students go back to the beginning of their selection and reread the same material, aiming for greater speed. • Have children place a second mark or sticky note to show how far they got the second time. • Have them count how many words they gained on their second reading.

34. What About Kids Who Can Read But Don’t • You might try: • Use their interests and hobbies as starting points. • Present reading as an activity with a purpose—a way to gather useful information • Play games that are reading-related • Read aloud to your child, especially a child who is discouraged by his or her own poor reading skills. • Limit your children's television viewing in an effort to make time for other activities • Try to avoid: • Nagging. • Bribing. • Over correction • Judging your child's performance. • Criticizing your child's choices. • Setting unrealistic goals. • Making a big deal about reading. “Kids need books they can read and books they can’t wait to read.” Richard Allington

35. Read, Read, Read! Read everything. Read things that are enjoyable and interesting.