Decoding

Sketch-to-Stretch (StS)

The Sketch-to-Stretch reading strategy makes use of visual imagery. Through this strategy, students are encouraged to visualize a passage of text and then interpret it through drawing an image or writing a word to go with what they envision followed by writing about what was drawn or presented in the image box of the graphic organizer.

Learning Tasks:

• Select a children’s book. Read a passage aloud to someone else. Ask the person to complete an StS graphic organizer utilizing the steps provided in the fidelity checklist. What surprised you about this activity upon completion?
• Do you think there is a particular reading genre that lends itself better to this strategy? Why or why not? Write a paragraph justifying which reading genre you think might be a good fit for the StS.

Discussion Questions:

• What changes would you make to use the StS strategy in your own practice compared to the identifying letters and sounds using the My A Book as explained in the demo?
• What are possible concerns about students’ ability level and the activity itself that you may have? How might you reconcile these concerns as a teacher?
• After reviewing the fidelity checklist and watching the demo, can you think of any other steps to incorporate for successful use of the StS strategy in your own practice?

Recorded Reading for Accuracy and Fluency

This is a beneficial activity as  students can track their own progress. The students can use this tool in all other content areas to gain a better understanding of the content.

Learning Tasks:

• Select a reading passage and allotted time for student to read orally. Ask comprehension questions after student has completed read aloud.
• Allow student to graph number of correct words read and number of correctly answered comprehension questions.
• Re-read and graph progress. Change comprehension questions each time oral reading is completed. Celebrate progress.

Discussion Questions:

• Do you believe your student would be motivated by graphing his or her progress? Why or why not?
• What content would be beneficial for applying oral reading to within your class?

Explicit Instruction as Applied to Morphology

Explicit instruction is an effective strategy to teach students about affixes (prefixes and suffixes).

Learning Tasks:

• Activate students’ prior knowledge by discussion of what they already know about affixes.
• Using a chart, brainstorm and allow students to participate in writing affixes.
• Allow students to use hand motions to add or take away a prefix or suffix from a root word.
• Have students write affixes.

Discussion Questions:

• After implementing the step-by-step procedures as outlined in the fidelity checklist, do students benefit from the explicit teaching and the visual of affixes, including prefixes and suffixes? Provide the reasoning behind your answer to this question.
• Do your students like the multi-modal nature of this activity? What have you observed of your students to indicate your response to this question?

Repeated Reading

The Repeated Reading strategy assists students in achieving reading fluency and thus improves comprehension. This activity is a useful assessment for data-recording of selected sight words after continual repeated reading practice.

Learning Tasks:

• Begin by selecting sight words or “heart” words and vocabulary. “Heart” words are words students should know by heart and use often in their language and communication with others. Think about the everyday words your students use. Instruct them in mastering these words for instant word recognition.
• It is important to record the progress and involve the student in processing meaningful feedback in relation to their progress and learning. Set goals and celebrate growth! Metacognition is “knowing what you know, and what you don’t know”. Make sure meaningful feedback happens so students are able to process it by listing three possible ways you can provide meaningful feedback as an instructor or teacher.

Discussion Questions:

• What role do word recognition and reading fluency play in a student becoming a proficient reader?
• How does memorizing high-frequency words help a student to increase his or her word recognition skills?
• What do you like about this strategy? How could this strategy be improved?