You can only imagine how happy I feel to be able to sit down and do nothing (on purpose). I have been blog stalking this morning and found something that I thought would make my blogging life much easier. I found this really simple and very cute blog planner at The Flourishing Abode. Being able to keep ideas organized and focused has been a challenge for me as I am trying to find my voice in the blogging world. April Starr created a wonderful tool that I feel will help me stay on track as I continue on this journey. So if you are looking for a resource to help you in your blog-venture, check out The Flourishing Abode. Thank you, April!!
Last week, I had a chance to progress monitor my student retention of sight words. It blew me away to find out that my students were not retaining the sight words as well as I thought. I realized that my students were not getting enough sight word practice. I also let me know that it was time to change my students seating arrangements as well.
I know what you are thinking: SEATING ARRANGEMENTS?! It seems like that would be the last thing to think about when you have students who can't read basic sight words. Trust me it was, until I took a look around and realized that my readers were sitting in a more concentrated area of my classroom. Not because I put them there, but because those students were peer partners with other readers and had learned the sight words by working together. My other students we paired up with fairly okay readers but had not elevated their knowledge of sight words (independently/ beyond my help in guided reading lessons). They were stuck on a stage of reading: RETELLING. What looked like reading was actually them retelling the story. They were also paying little regards to the words of the story.
Don't get me wrong, we work in small groups. Through my daily walk-through, I just failed realize that my centers for Daily 5 didn't have enough sight word activities to reflect that I not only wanted them to retain the sight words, I wanted them to USE them daily in everything. I also failed to pair my okay readers with readers who have grown into very confident and fluent readers. Usually, I try to pair my children with a higher level reader for two reasons: to read words correctly and to encourage each other. The fluent reader will always make sure the other is reading the words correctly. When they are reading the books together; and both are reading words correctly, it encourages them to want to read MORE. This is why I do a walk-through after assessments; it allows self reflection and student observation at the same time.
So I began putting some ideas together and came up with a simple game format that I feel will help and it allow my students to be more actively engaged in their learning of sight words. In the spirit of April and weather, I created Shower of Sight Words. So far I have created two set of the game. The first set features the Primer Dolch words, number words 1-5, and color words. I chose umbrellas for this set. I thought it would go well with weather themes, weather units, Spring themes, and April Showers thematic units.
The second set reflects Prime Dolch words, number words 6-10, and shape words. I chose rain boot graphics. (So cute!!)
I plan to try this with my students when we return from spring break. If you would like to try this with your students, stop by my TPT store. There will be more to come; and, as always...
STAY INSPIRED!!
Renaada
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