Word work is something they learn in primary grades… but is it?
I believe that “word work” is crucial in the classroom of all grade levels. The reason I believe this is because we never stop learning new vocabulary. Even as an adult, I am constantly learning new words. I think the more exposure and practice students have, the more we set them up for success. Obviously, this goes hand in hand with many other factors as well. But like a puzzle, this is one of the key pieces.
-How do we support students who did not master “breaking the code”?
We can support students who did not master “breaking the code” by giving them strategies they need to improve where they are struggling. As a lifelong learner, I enjoy watching other teachers teach this process so I can then learn new strategies.
-What did you learn in this chapter and how will you apply it to your instruction?
I really liked Figure 10.2 about the scaffold vocabulary. I think this upcoming year I need to work more on this.
-Small group instruction is most useful for remediation. Do you incorporate these into your teaching? How could you?
Small group instruction is always the answer. It is so beneficial for students! Working in the 15:1 classroom this past year, I constantly was creating small groups based on students' needs, especially during the Resource Room. My small groups would become even smaller groups if it meant it would benefit a student.
-Name & Summarize (a few sentences) about the “other” chapter you read.
The chapter I decided to read was Chapter 14, “Spelling”. This chapter tells of all the changes in spelling research and the different stages. It also dived deeper into spelling scaffolds.