Notes from A's Class

structural analysis

• syllabication
• prefixes and suffixes
• compound words
• contractions

compare/contrast
re|cent
cor|ner
mo|ment

word recognition

• sight
• phonics
• structural analysis
• context clues

Ex. Teaching prefix sub
Start by brainstorming words that begin with sub

game with compound words
act out each part of the word
1 finger for first part
2 fingers for second part
sidewalk, runway

Teaching contractions
You are teaching them the role that the apostrophe plays in a word.
(Get the words out of the kids)
Do you have a million dollars?
I do not.
Oh, you speak so well. [Write it down.] You said 'do not'. Some of us are lazier than that. We say... [class answers 'don't']
Look at these two words.
How many letters are in the first word? How many are in the second? Which letter is missing? That's right, so that's where you put the apostrophe.

Practice getting words out of your friends' heads so that you can do it in front of kids.

Figure out what matters; the rest does not make a difference.

Reading levels

• independent level - easy reading; reader knows the words
  
• instructional level - 95/100 or 95% words read correctly
  
• frustration level - more than 5 words wrong out of 100; less than 70% on comprehension questions

If a kid is always taught at their frustration level, they aren't getting any better. A 1st grade kid taught at 1st grade level, when that's his frustration level, isn't going to progress.
All of the reading you do for pleasure is at your independent level. That's the biggest problem in reading in schools today; not necessarily the method. All kids should be taught at their instructional level.

Sharing pattern books.

Keep the kids engaged and you won't have behavior problems.
When you are planning lessons, keep the kids in mind. What are the kids doing at each part? What are they thinking?

Study now for the midterm.
Lesson plan due next week.