Running head: Personal Communication

Personal Communication
Clarisen Lacuata
Chaminade University

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INSTRUCTIONAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
According to Stiggins and Chappuis, 2012, p. 182, instructional questions and answers
promotes thinking and learning, and drives up students achievement. Kindergarten through 6th
grade would benefit from instructional questions and answers because they are more active in
listening to what the teacher is saying and they can demonstrate what they understand. Teachers
can observe whether students are able to reason (analysis, synthesis, comparison, classification,
induction & deduction, evaluation) their thinking through the questions they ask. I know
instructional questions and answer can be used in a kindergarten class because during one of my
observation and participation, I was able to witness my teacher randomly choose a student to
answer a question they had encountered in a book. Then she called different to explain their
thinking.
JOURNALS AND LOGS:
Journal writing is a great activity to include in all elementary grade levels.
Kindergarteners can use journals as a way to express themselves. In an interview with Irish
Holtry, a six-year kindergarten teacher, she says she uses journals so that children can write what
they found interesting during the week and they can practice sounding out their words. She
requires them not only to draw but also write because she can see which students are not
sounding out their words. Holtry believes children are capable of doing anything as long as we
allow them too. Some of the children write words they werent taught because they are sounding
out the words. Grades kindergarten through sixth grade can use journals as a personal journal or
a response journal. Journal writings and logs are cognitive behavioral approach, which is
student-centered. During second grade through sixth grade, students can write in their journals to
self-regulate themselves by reflecting on how to improve themselves or how to reach their goal.

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ORAL EXAMINATIONS:
In an oral examination, teachers plan and pose exercises for their students, who reflect
and provide oral responses (Stiggins & Chappius, 187). In a kindergarten and first grade class in
Hawaii, teachers are required to assess students based on what they know about the alphabets
(sounds, letter name, words), and numbers. For example, one of the first grade common core is,
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.B, orally produce single-syllable words by blending sounds
(phonemes), including consonant blends. A teacher can assess students by giving an oral
examination. Second grade and sixth graders can also implement oral examinations also, as long
teachers have enough time to examine all the students. Emmett Wong, a ten-year elementary
teacher says he used oral examinations on his sixth grade class before. His students had to read
aloud and he would assess them on fluency and speed and also some questions for
comprehension. However, it took over an hour to do the read aloud for every student.
CONFERENCES AND INTERVIEWS
During a conference or an interview, teachers and students talk to each other about what
the student have learned and have yet to learn. This personal communication can be implemented
in a kindergarten through sixth grade classroom. Wong states, conferences and interviews help
him assess the students comprehension and confidence in subject matters. If a student is
passionate in what theyre sharing, most likely they know what theyre talking about. It also
helps him learn about his students and their interest. This way it helps build the teacher/student
relationship.
CLASS DISCUSSION:
During a class discussion, teachers listen to the interaction, evaluate the quality of
student contributions, and infer individual student or group achievement (Stiggins & Chappius,

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2012, p. 185). Class discussions can be implemented in a kindergarten through sixth grade
classroom as long as students share the same language and the students feel it is a safe
environment. Class discussion is a way for students to share their ideas. Classmates can ask
questions and make suggestions. According to L.S. Vygotsky, social constructivism emphasizes
that, learning results from both direct experience and social interaction (Gunning, 2012, p. 5).
Class discussions can be used in kindergarten and sixth grade because in time, children are
learning concepts and strategies when children interact with knowledgeable peers or adults. Also,
in one of my observation and participation, my mentor who teaches kindergarten used a strategy
called turn and talk. The kindergarteners had a shoulder partner and had to talk about
sequencing. About three minutes after, the class discussed what sequencing was. This was
effective because the students were able to hear what their classmates had discussed.

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Work Cited
Gunning, T. (2012). Creating literacy instruction for all students. (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
Education Inc.
Holtry, I. (2014, Nov 22). Interview by C Lacuata [Personal Interview].
Stiggins, R., & Chappuis, J. (2012). An introduction to student-involved assessment for learning.
(6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Wong, E. (2014, Nov 24). Interview by C Lacuata [Personal Interview].