I started daily morphology lessons this week. We did work with compound words, adding suffixes, and finding suffixes. The kids were really receptive and seemed to understand how and why to use suffixes. I tape recorded two of the lessons to listen to later and reflect upon my teaching.
I also interviewed the other students who I have been collecting data on. I asked them questions related to words and how they learn and use them. I will be transcribing them and posting them this week.
I plan to teach lessons regarding prefixes next week and then create some center games for the kids to play with during their free time. This group loves to play learning games, so I thought this might be a great way to fit in some extra practice with root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
Monday, April 5, 2010
March 16, 2010
I am not pleased with how my students are doing regardind their word sorts. I decided to have them work in partners, but that didn't quite work as well as I wanted to. It seems one person tends to do all of the work. I had the kids do the word sorts individually this week and then share their findings with the group. This went much better and I feel it had the kids really focus and learn.
March 16, 2010
I am working at adding in more morphological lessons into the weekly work. We are using some center activities to help with practice of prefixes and suffixes.
I interviewed Kahea this week regarding her feelings on words.
Word Awareness Interview with Kahea
March 9, 2010
3:15 p.m.
KK: What do you do when you encounter words you don’t know?
KC: I sound it out, look at the pictures, and decode the word into words I know.
KK: Sorry, I am slow writing this.
KC: It’s ok.
KK: How do you go about learning new words?
KC: My dad gives me words to figure out what they mean. I go to Google to figure them out.
KK: Once you have done this, what do you do?
KC: I draw pictures or write what they mean.
KK: Does your dad check the words when you are done?
KC: Sometimes he does. If they are long words. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don’t. He doesn’t always check them.
KK: What do you like/dislike about learning new words?
KC: I don’t like learning new words because it is boring. Sometimes I do, so I can transfer them to sentences to look smart. It’s ok that I’m humorous with this right? (Smiles)
KK: Sure! How do you make words your own?
KC: I remember how to spell them and what they mean. I keep using the word.
KK: How many times do you keep using the word?
KC: I use it a lot so you remember. The new words you give me, well I keep using them to make them my own, like the word livid.
KK: You like that word don’t you?
KC: Yes, I’m glad you told me that one. I used it in my story last week.
KK: Even Heather used it in her story.
KC: I know. I told her about it.
KK: How do incorporate new words into your writing?
KC: I use them where they make sense. If I don’t people will go, “What?”. I like to make it interesting for the reader.
KK: You really focused on word choice for your last story, why?
KC: Well, you brought in the sports section and pointed out the word choice they used and you kept talking about using more descriptive words.
KK: What tools do you use to incorporate new words in your writing?
KC: I asked you, I used them where I thought they made sense. I should get better at using the dictionary for this.
KK: Focusing on my instruction for new words. What do I do well and what would you suggest I do better?
KC: Well, I will start with the things you do well. Things you do well are you teach what words mean, like the morpheme triangle. You break up the word, like transported. You find out what each part means and come up with more words. This helps make more sense. I have to think about what you would improve. Maybe more practice with the words. Your expectation should be to see the words in our writing.
KK: What makes spelling different this year?
KC: You give me challenging words. You make my brain think harder. I like that it is harder, but it is more work.
KK: Next year, what would you do if you have a teacher who does traditional spelling?
KC: Can I do like/dislike?
KK: Sure.
KC: I wouldn’t want to argue with the teacher. It might be disrespectful. I might make her mad. But it would challenge and help out lower spellers.
KK: How would you convince the teacher to teach the other way?
KC: Students like me are a little more developed than others. It would be better for my development for me to have harder, more convincing words.
KK: Research states spelling, reading, and writing are connected. What do you think?
KC: That’s true. When you read you learn a lot of words. In writing you use those words and in spelling, you use words that are connected to make your sentences more powerful.
KK: Out of the three, reading, spelling, and writing…
KC: Which one is my favorite?
KK: That wasn’t what I was going to ask, but go ahead and tell me. We can get back to my question later.
KC: Reading is my favorite because it develops more in a quicker, elapsed time. I learn more meanings of words quickly.
KK: How do you find meanings of unknown words while you are reading?
KC: ‘Cuz when you read a word you don’t know, you read over it and you will learn by the sentences and pictures. Sometimes this doesn’t work, like your college books. There aren’t any pictures in those. I also use the Internet if I can’t figure it out.
KK: Ok, back to my question. Out of reading, writing and spelling, which is hardest for you?
KC: Spelling is the hardest for me. It is more of a challenge. Mrs. Kingsley, you, give me words I need to know by fifth grade.
KK: The words I am giving you are words you need to know by seventh grade.
KC: WOW! My friend was telling me I could be in seventh grade. That is interesting.
KK: Well, Kahea, those are all of the questions I have for you. Do you have anything else you would like to say about words?
KC: Nope.
KK: Thank you for helping me out.
KC: You’re welcome.
3:40 p.m.
Kahea is a very bright young lady. She is a high ability learner with a great appetite for learning. She has great composure and a rich vocabulary. She gets adult humor and sarcasm.
I talk to Kahea daily and truly enjoy her wit and the way she can carry on a conversation with an adult. Throughout the interview I was really relishing in the word choice and thought she used in her answers. Her input on my teaching was very insightful and useful for improving my instruction.
I interviewed Kahea this week regarding her feelings on words.
Word Awareness Interview with Kahea
March 9, 2010
3:15 p.m.
KK: What do you do when you encounter words you don’t know?
KC: I sound it out, look at the pictures, and decode the word into words I know.
KK: Sorry, I am slow writing this.
KC: It’s ok.
KK: How do you go about learning new words?
KC: My dad gives me words to figure out what they mean. I go to Google to figure them out.
KK: Once you have done this, what do you do?
KC: I draw pictures or write what they mean.
KK: Does your dad check the words when you are done?
KC: Sometimes he does. If they are long words. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don’t. He doesn’t always check them.
KK: What do you like/dislike about learning new words?
KC: I don’t like learning new words because it is boring. Sometimes I do, so I can transfer them to sentences to look smart. It’s ok that I’m humorous with this right? (Smiles)
KK: Sure! How do you make words your own?
KC: I remember how to spell them and what they mean. I keep using the word.
KK: How many times do you keep using the word?
KC: I use it a lot so you remember. The new words you give me, well I keep using them to make them my own, like the word livid.
KK: You like that word don’t you?
KC: Yes, I’m glad you told me that one. I used it in my story last week.
KK: Even Heather used it in her story.
KC: I know. I told her about it.
KK: How do incorporate new words into your writing?
KC: I use them where they make sense. If I don’t people will go, “What?”. I like to make it interesting for the reader.
KK: You really focused on word choice for your last story, why?
KC: Well, you brought in the sports section and pointed out the word choice they used and you kept talking about using more descriptive words.
KK: What tools do you use to incorporate new words in your writing?
KC: I asked you, I used them where I thought they made sense. I should get better at using the dictionary for this.
KK: Focusing on my instruction for new words. What do I do well and what would you suggest I do better?
KC: Well, I will start with the things you do well. Things you do well are you teach what words mean, like the morpheme triangle. You break up the word, like transported. You find out what each part means and come up with more words. This helps make more sense. I have to think about what you would improve. Maybe more practice with the words. Your expectation should be to see the words in our writing.
KK: What makes spelling different this year?
KC: You give me challenging words. You make my brain think harder. I like that it is harder, but it is more work.
KK: Next year, what would you do if you have a teacher who does traditional spelling?
KC: Can I do like/dislike?
KK: Sure.
KC: I wouldn’t want to argue with the teacher. It might be disrespectful. I might make her mad. But it would challenge and help out lower spellers.
KK: How would you convince the teacher to teach the other way?
KC: Students like me are a little more developed than others. It would be better for my development for me to have harder, more convincing words.
KK: Research states spelling, reading, and writing are connected. What do you think?
KC: That’s true. When you read you learn a lot of words. In writing you use those words and in spelling, you use words that are connected to make your sentences more powerful.
KK: Out of the three, reading, spelling, and writing…
KC: Which one is my favorite?
KK: That wasn’t what I was going to ask, but go ahead and tell me. We can get back to my question later.
KC: Reading is my favorite because it develops more in a quicker, elapsed time. I learn more meanings of words quickly.
KK: How do you find meanings of unknown words while you are reading?
KC: ‘Cuz when you read a word you don’t know, you read over it and you will learn by the sentences and pictures. Sometimes this doesn’t work, like your college books. There aren’t any pictures in those. I also use the Internet if I can’t figure it out.
KK: Ok, back to my question. Out of reading, writing and spelling, which is hardest for you?
KC: Spelling is the hardest for me. It is more of a challenge. Mrs. Kingsley, you, give me words I need to know by fifth grade.
KK: The words I am giving you are words you need to know by seventh grade.
KC: WOW! My friend was telling me I could be in seventh grade. That is interesting.
KK: Well, Kahea, those are all of the questions I have for you. Do you have anything else you would like to say about words?
KC: Nope.
KK: Thank you for helping me out.
KC: You’re welcome.
3:40 p.m.
Kahea is a very bright young lady. She is a high ability learner with a great appetite for learning. She has great composure and a rich vocabulary. She gets adult humor and sarcasm.
I talk to Kahea daily and truly enjoy her wit and the way she can carry on a conversation with an adult. Throughout the interview I was really relishing in the word choice and thought she used in her answers. Her input on my teaching was very insightful and useful for improving my instruction.
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