August 19, 2011

"Vocabulary Development During Read-Aloud: Primary Practices"   by Karen J. Kindle

This article discusses the many benefits children derive from having someone read aloud to them.  It states: "…since beginning readers are limited in their independent reading to simple decodable texts, exposure to novel vocabulary is unlikely to come from this source.  Read-alouds fill the gap by exposing children to book language…."

Effective read-alouds are not simply books read aloud.   The text must be selected and words identified before hand and strategies for assisting word learning must be decided on.  Tier 2 words are the ones that most effectively advance a student's reading vocabulary.  These words are not common in everyday speech but occur frequently in written language.  Words are taught three ways during the read-aloud: Incidental  - where the teacher uses a Tier 2 word during discussion, Embedded - the teacher uses a simple definition or synonym for the word during the read-aloud, and Focused Instruction - the teacher discusses with the children what a word means.

M1N3. Students will add and subtract numbers less than 100, as well as understand

and use the inverse relationship between addition and subtraction.

a. Identify one more than, one less than, 10 more than, and 10 less than a given number.

The 1st grade class I am working with this year has a number of students who ae low in math.  We have been working on counting and adding one more for a couple of weeks.  Scholastic has a book: The Hershey's Kisses Addition Book by Jerry Pallotta.  Using only the first nine pages I did a short lesson for the children having the most difficulty.

Words to Teach

simple:     synonym: easy

equation:  example - 1  +  1  =   2; definition: a number sentence with 

                                             an = sign

basic:   synonym - simple

The group had 1 ESOL student, a Special Ed student who has repeated Kindergarten, and two student with Tier 3 Interventions for Reading and math.

Materials:  bag of Hershery's Kisses, book, dry erase boards and markers for everyone

The lesson began with introducing the book.  I explained that we would read only the first part today.  We would read more on another day.  then I passed out the markers and boards.  I let the children play with them for 3 or 4 minutes.  When they were ready to listen we began to read.  The first page introduces math terms and symbols.  We practiced writing those: +, -, =.  This is where I brought out the Kisses.  Rule 1 - you may not eat any of the candy until the end.  Then you get only one piece.  (The rest of the candy goes into a zip-lock bag, into the bookbag, and goes home)

As we went through the book I used the  vocabulary aids prepared ahead of time.  The children used the Kisses to work the math problems and then had to write the equation.  The book is a fun, entertaining way to reinforce adding 1.  After the lesson that group raised their hands during Calendar to answer the question what is ___ and 1 more.  It was the first time any of them had volunteered.

I have already worked on the vocabulary for the second half.  We will do a small group adding doubles after Labor Day.