week 8: Initial post

Growing up I struggled greatly with comprehension. I never could remember what I just read, and 90% of the time I would read a page and at the end I had no idea what I just read. The Tompkins book mentions the importance of Fluency when reading and trying to comprehend the material that you are reading. Fluency is so important because readers are able to recognize words that they are reading automatically, read with expression and at a fluent speed. This helps readers understand the information they are reading because they do not have to focus on pronouncing words and decoding sentences. This is one reason why I was so poorly with comprehension because I struggled reading books fluently. I was the kid that read word by word until the fifth grade.

Also, mentioned in the Tompkins book are different comprehension levels. I would definitely say that depending on the type of book and the difficulty of the book affects what level my comprehension is at. For example, the first level, literal comprehension is when “readers pick out main ideas, sequence details, notice similarities and differences, and identify explicitly stated reasons” (Tompkins, pg 257). I would say if I am reading a challenging book or a text book for school that I do not quiet understand I am only able to reach this level of comprehension if I am lucky. The second level is inferential comprehension. This is when “readers use clues in the text, implied information and their background knowledge to draw inferences. They make predictions, recognize cause and effect, and determine the author’s purpose” (Tompkins, pg 258) I would say that I usually have inferential comprehension when reading my education books, I am trying to understand what the author is saying and what purpose he has. I also draw on a lot of my own experiences to help myself relate to the information that is being shared. The last level is crucial comprehension “readers analyze symbolic meanings, distinguish fact from opinion, and draw conclusions” (Tompkins, pg 258). I find myself often having this level of comprehension when I am reading a book for fun, I am drawn into the book constantly trying to make conclusions and understand different symbolic meanings. I think that the level of comprehension definitely goes hand and hand with the level of the text you are reading and if you are able to read the text fluently and if you find the book enjoyable and the information pulling you into the book and wanting to keep reading more.

My students are currently reading a Greek gods book, all the students are very engaged and interested in this book. They try to find any time that they can throughout the day to continue reading. Not only is the book engaging but also often my mentor teacher elicits group conversations over what they just read. Like mentioned in the Applegate article she asks higher order questions and pushes her students to engage in the book and develop a deep understanding. With having many group discussions over this book and allowing the students to explore their own questions and thoughts with the books keep the students engage. Also, this helps some students that are struggling a little to understand the book to review the information they just read. By having students listening to how other students paraphrase the chapter that was just read is a great review for all students. Also, what is great is that my mentor teacher has the students draw pictures that summarize each chapter that they read. By drawing the pictures it forces the students to think of the main information that took place in that specific chapter. This is difficult for some students to be able to pick out the main topic instead of a couple small events that took place in the book.  One section that I really enjoyed reading in the Applegate article was the different types of profiles in comprehension. My classroom has a wide range of students’ levels of reading and their levels of comprehension. There are a couple of students that are the “fuzzy thinkers” where they cannot directly answer a question and just provide very basic simple answers. It is clear that they did not totally understand the information that they read because when trying to ask more in depth questions they often are not able to provide an answer. I also have a couple of students that are dodgers; I never realized that they fell within a category. When they have an short answer they have to write on a test or a questions provided in a discussion often the students will provide a very detailed answer however it did not answer the specific question. The student will change the question, sometimes just slightly so that they are able to answer the questions correctly because they were unaware of the initial question.  These readings have provided me with a new incite onto how to best help my students become better at comprehending the text and how to word questions and discussion in a way to elicit the best responses and involvement from students. 

Week 7: Solutions for Eddie

Eddie:  Eddie is well liked by his classmates and has an active imagination.  Mrs. Potter has been noticing that he doesn't seem to get his work done, and isn't sure he even tries to get it done.  He often has trouble sitting still.  His arms and legs keep wanting to move. He taps his feet and his pencil, and frequently gets out of his seat.  Sometimes he seems to ask to go to the boys' room just to keep moving.

Solutions: It seems to me that Eddie's classroom struggles stem from his inability to pay attention above all. In the Marcus: Gifted and Challenging reading advice was given on how to engage, understand, and teach a child with ADD/ADHD. The reading featured a young boy named Marcus who was very intelligent but struggled with conforming to classroom routines, paying attention, and keeping still (among other things). Some of these qualities seem to match the behavior of Eddie. It seems that Eddie is easily distracted and has trouble focusing on a task long enough to complete it. Because I am not a doctor, I am unfit to diagnose Eddie with ADD or ADHD.

One solution to this particular problem is to provide Eddie with routine and structure. This way, he won't be surprised by any of the days activities. You may find that Eddie will become less resistant to staying in one place and focusing on just one task if he knows how long it will last. Literacy centers could also be a good idea, because they provide structure and many different activities. Eddie may not get so distracted if he can move through many different tasks in a relatively short period of time.

The bio says that Eddie often taps his pencil and has trouble sitting still. The article mentioned above talked about how some children need to tap or squeeze something so they aren't idle. If Eddie had a stress ball or some other object that he could use quietly it may quiet his body and allow him to focus his mind on something else. 

Eddie could also be struggling because he is lacking confidence in certain skills that are often emphasized in the classroom. Eddie making frequent trips to the bathroom could just be an excuse to leave the classroom. He may want to escape certain situations and tasks that he feels uncomfortable or insecure about. One way to combat this would be to ask his parents or him directly if he feels upset when performing a certain task. If you do discover something, working on a way to accommodate him while still getting him to complete the assignment would be ideal. Another option would be to create assignments that play to his strengths. Eddie's bio states that he has an "active imagination." You could create an assignment that really allows Eddie to tap into his imagination. Maybe that way he would be more willing to pay attention and complete the task. It may even be so appealing that he will work on things that he is not so good at and improve on them while doing the assignment.  

 

Solutions for Jonathan: week 7

Jonathan:  Jonathan is a boy with much strength.  He is friendly and outgoing, enjoys playing the piano, and is a star pitcher on his Little League baseball team.  Academically, Jonathan does average work in mathematics, but he has unusual trouble with any subject that requires reading.  He will frequently sit at his desk, confused about what to do. She has talked to Jonathan about making sure he asks for help, but today as she was circulating around the room, she noticed that Jonathan was just sitting there, again, without asking for help.  A recent score on a standardized reading achievement test indicates that Jonathan's reading ability is well below that of other students at his grade level.

Solutions:

 I think one of the beginning problems that needs to be addressed is that for some reason Jonathan does not feel the ability to ask question because he may not know how to or may feel that he will get in trouble or he does not want to participate in the activity so he does not want to know what to do. For any reason why Jonathan does not ask for help I think one thing that can help is a behavior chart like mentioned in the Breitfelder article. The chart would focus on rewarding Jonathan when he would ask a specific question about an assignment or task that he does not understand. The prompt would need to be very specific so that Jonathan does not just start asking random questions to get rewarded however by having a chart it may provide Jonathan with enough encouragement to start asking questions and teaching him how to ask questions in order to receive help.

Another area that needs to be addressed is Jonathan’s lower level of reading. It is clear that he has a lower grade level for reading and it is the subject that is most difficult for him. It is also clear that when a task involved reading Jonathan shuts down and does not want to participate. One way to help Jonathan improve in his reading level is by using centers for him. Since he is not at the same level as the other students he can work by himself in the back of the room. For example, he could listen to a story that he really enjoys on tap and follow along. He could read a book that he picked out and at the end of every time provide a quick 3-minute explanation of what took place in the story so that he comprehends the information. I think what is important is to engage Jonathan is reading information that he enjoys and working with him to improve his reading level.

Group work I think would also greatly help Jonathan, through the little information that was provided I am assuming that he becomes frustrated very quickly and overwhelmed which causes him to shut down and not ask for help. For group work to be fully affective it would be important that Mrs. Potter had set up a classroom environment where student respected one another, listened to each others ideas, and helped one another through any misconceptions are difficult areas they may have. Jonathan is a very active outgoing student that makes friends very easily. With the information that I was provided I am assuming that Jonathan likes to be active and talk to other people. If Jonathan works best through group discussion and working with a partner or small group it is important to use Jonathan’s strengths when he is working in an area of weakness.  During assignments that contain a lot of reading it may be best if Jonathan was with a partner so that he could split up the reading and it does not become as overwhelming. Also, if there is a lot of comprehending of the text that is being read it also might help Jonathan if he is able to discuss with another person or a group of people what is happening in the story.

Last, what I thought was a very good idea and what we have focused on this whole semester and even last semester in history is the importance to understand your students and to relate their home experiences and what they like to do outside of school with what they are learning in school. I thought it was a great idea having parents write a letter to the teacher explaining their child, this provided the teacher with a deeper understanding of each of her students and the type of environment they grew up in and the extracurricular activities they may have participated in like mentioned in the Maples article.  It is clear that Jonathan likes baseball and piano so incorporating those two interests of his into his reading and work may provide him with a greater desire to read and accomplish his assignments. 

Possible Solutions for Lupita: Week 7

Lupita:  Six-year-old Lupita has just enrolled in Mrs. Potter's second grade classroom.  The daughter of migrant workers, Lupita has been raised by her grandmother in Mexico where she has had little experience with toys, puzzles, paper, crayons, or scissors, and few opportunities to interact with other children.  Mrs. Potter rarely calls on her in class because of her apparent lack of academic skills, and she is wondering whether Lupita is at risk for being held back for a second year of second grade.

Lupita is always quiet and well behaved, sometimes so quiet that Mrs. Potter forgets she is even there.  Today, Mrs. Potter noticed that when Lupita finished her Spanish assignment early, she began to play with a puzzle during her free time.  Lupita easily fit the puzzle together.  Two classmates who were having difficulty with their puzzles requested help from Lupita.  She patiently showed them how to assemble the puzzles, and how to help each other.

Possible Solutions: Because of Lupita’s lack of experience with the types of resources typically used in an elementary classroom, as well as her little interaction with other children, it may be beneficial for Mrs. Potter to introduce literacy centers with her class of second graders.  As stated by Tompkins, literacy centers “contain meaningful, purposeful literacy activities that students can work at in small groups” (p. 369).  While in centers, Lupita will not only be exposed to resources such as crayons and paper, but will also be engaged in conversation with her peers about components of literacy development, such as phonemic awareness or concepts of print.  For example, I found a literacy center activity on Reading Rockets for last week’s class that I thought elicited conversation and team work among students, as well as exemplified important components of print awareness.  At this center, there are large pieces of cardstock or construction paper with words written on them.  The words can be high-frequency words, words that the students are currently learning, or words that they have mastery of.  The cards are placed in bags that are numbered, indicating that only that group of cards makes the sentence.  Each student holds one card from the bag and they stand next to one another.  Assuming that the cards are not in the proper order, the students must figure out where their fellow peers are positioned so that the words make a sentence.  For instance, if the cards are in the order “see I Jane run”, they must rearrange themselves to make the sentence, “I see Jane run.”  This fosters communication and team work between the students, as they must agree on the positioning of the cards.  Additionally, it emphasizes the concept that print is read from left to right, as well as that sentences are made up of words, which are made up of letters.

            Along with the use of literacy centers in her classroom, Mrs. Potter could also introduce group activities to the students that again, instigate conversation among students, as well as promote problem solving skills and descriptive language.  We were given a task like this last semester in our social studies methods class, where each table group had to work together to find a resulting solution.  Each table was given a manila envelope full of pieces of construction paper, each cut into a unique shape.  The pieces fit together in a way that made one large square, which was what we were supposed to present at the end of the activity.  During the process, my group members and I worked together to find the solution by using descriptive and detailed language, questioning one another, and encouraging different possibilities.  In some way, we were all engaged in the activity, whether it was asking a peer to trade pieces or figuring out our own individual puzzle for ourselves first.  Because Lupita is skilled in solving puzzles and showed her classmates how to teach one another in solving those that were difficult, she may have the opportunity to be the group leader in this type of activity.  This activity and the like would be beneficial for her; similar to literacy centers, she could actively engage with her peers, as well as have an opportunity to learn English conversational language.  Improving her English speaking ability and bonding with her classmates may force her to come out of her shell and linguistically participate more in class.

            The fact that Mrs. Potter rarely calls on Lupita in class is creating a vicious cycle; Lupita will be more likely at risk for retention if she is never given the opportunity to display her thinking and various academic skills.  However, if she is involved in lessons just as much as her classmates are her amount of learning will be increased.  I have noticed that a similar problem is occurring does this in my placement classroom.  Rather than not calling on students she is afraid will answer incorrectly, my mentor teacher most often calls on the students that waive their hands impatiently, those that are confident in their answers.  Meanwhile, the students with learning disabilities or those that are English second-language learners are sitting at their seats and doodling on their papers, most likely unaware of the questions being asked.  In this situation, it may be useful to use a method for universal response, such as Popsicle sticks, to ensure that all students have the opportunity to respond and engage in the lesson.  Regardless of if the student answers correctly or incorrectly, they are engaged in the lesson and some form of learning is occurring.  A method like this will not only engage Lupita, but also allow Mrs. Potter to see the concepts that she does and does not understand.