The Language & Learning Post

Weekly News, Tips and information for the classroom teacher of English Language Learners!
Key Ideas--
Visualizing!?!?
Well here is strategy that we tend to leave out of our teaching
repertoire after about second or third grade. This skill, however, is key
to solid comprehension. I think we take for granted that our students
just naturally visualize. The truth is, visualizing is another one of those
invisible brain activities that we teachers HAVE to make visible for our
students. Students often look up at me after reading a section of text
with this blank look and no words to explain what they just read. If there
is no thinking during reading, then they are not reading, they are just
word calling.
In Comprehension Connections, Harvey talks about how personal
visualizing is, and she believes that our engagement with information is
totally dependent on the creation of images in our minds. She says,
Since our students are absolutely accustomed to visual literacies -
websites, cartoons, movies, print media, and so on- how smart we
would be to regard this as a teaching and learning advantage. By
appreciating our students affinity for the visual, and naming
visualization as a strategy, we can help them become much stronger
readers.
Maybe try adding a VISUALIZING anchor chart to your room with
thinking stems such as...
I can picture.... I can imagine... I can feel..see..smell...taste...touch...
hear.. My mental images include....
Also try using music to evoke mental images. Have them draw what
they see in the song. Drawing what you see could also go along
with your daily read aloud as well.
Songs to use---Old Friends/Bookends by Simon & Garfunkel
English Tea by, Paul McCartney The Marvelous Toy by, Tom Paxton
ELPS FOCUS For the week of 1/27/13
Kinder
use sLraLeglc
learnlng
Lechnlques such
as concepL
mapplng,
drawlng,
memorlzlng,
comparlng,
conLrasung, and
revlewlng Lo
acqulre baslc
and grade-level
vocabulary.[1C]
FIrst
* 4I
demonsLraLes
Lngllsh
comprehenslon
and expand
readlng skllls by
supporung ldeas
and deLalls ln
LexL and graphlc
sources,
summarlzlng.
Second
* demonsLraLe
comprehenslon
of lncreaslngly
complex Lngllsh
by paruclpaung
ln shared
readlng, reLelllng
or summarlzlng
maLerlal,
respondlng Lo
quesuons, and
Laklng noLes
commensuraLe
wlLh conLenL
area and grade
level needs.[4C]
Third
*[[4!] demonsLraLe
Lngllsh
comprehenslon and
expand readlng skllls
by employlng
lnferenual skllls such
as predlcung, maklng
connecuons beLween
ldeas, drawlng
lnferences, and
concluslons from LexL
and graphlc sources,
and ndlng
supporung LexL
evldence
commensuraLe wlLh
conLenL-area needs.
Fourth
* 4l uemonsLraLe
Lngllsh
comprehenslon
and expand
readlng skllls by
employlng baslc
readlng skllls such
as demonsLraung
undersLandlng of
supporung ldeas
and deLalls ln LexL
and graphlc
sources,
summarlzlng LexL,
and dlsungulshlng
maln ldeas from
deLalls
commensuraLe
wlLh conLenL-area
needs.
Fifth
* 4k
demonsLraLe
Lngllsh
comprehenslon
by employlng
analyucal skllls
such as
evaluaung
wrluen
lnformauon and
performlng
crlucal analyses
commensuraLe
wlLh conLenL-
area and grade-
level needs.
Sixth
* 4l demonsLraLe
comprehenslon by
employlng baslc
readlng skllls such
as demonsLraung
undersLandlng of
supporung ldeas
and deLalls ln LexL
and graphlc
sources,
summarlzlng LexL,
and dlsungulshlng
maln ldeas from
deLalls
commensuraLe
wlLh conLenL-area
needs.
by, Alissa Tubbs
ESL Teacher
Lawrence
Web sites with songs for a variety of reading
strategies (maybe best for younger grades, but still
fun) These are traditional rhythms with new words.
(Ms. Otto kind of songs)
http://www.thelearningpad.net/rw14.html
http://reading.ecb.org/teacher/downloads.html
(above site has actual mp3 recordings to play)
ne more GREAT site that connects to all
the Comprehension strategies in Harveys
book (Comprehension Connections,
http://www.readingresource.net/
strategiesforreadingcomprehension.html
A Word about VOCABULARY...
Context, Context, Cntext! The context in
which a word is used makes so much
difference. Remember we want kids to look
AROUND the new word to determine possible
meaning and how it is being used. Try
thinking outloud the next time you and
your students come to a new word (or
underlined word in the text). Show how you
think about the context and the words
around.