Word Study in 5th Grade
Today I visited a fifth grade classroom.
Here is a snapshot of what I observed:
The teacher began the day with a brain break. The students are invited to get up and move, as they watched the "Happy" music video. Some students stood and danced, other sat and kept beat. Some visited quietly and got ready for the lesson. Then the teacher gave the students a few minutes to review their spelling words, and she passed out the clickers. Students cooperatively and quickly signed in and found their spot to sit. (The teacher has an open classroom, letting students freely choose where to sit and work as long as they are on task.) Then the spelling test began. It was a multiple choice assessment. The teacher would read the word and use it in a sentence. Each student chose their answer by clicking the appropriate choice on their clicker. Which sent the data to the computer. (The computer keeps track of each student's answers and creates a report for the teacher.) Students receive immediate feedback after each question when a graph is displayed on the Interactive board, showing which answers were chosen.
After the spelling test, students quickly and quietly put away the clickers and moved to their spots for the vocabulary lesson. They took out their notebooks and wrote their new spelling words, reviewing them. (The journals are used for spelling, vocabulary and critical thinking.) The focus will be contractions. Then the teacher transitioned them to their vocabulary words. The vocabulary lesson began reviewing the definitions. The students completed a graphic organizer for their words. It is now 40 minutes into the class time, so they stopped for another brain break. Several students got up to dance to "The walker."
The next mini lesson is on prefixes - re & pre. They begin with a video clip about Aunt Clara to introduce the subject. A student is chosen to read aloud from the book. When she comes to a word with a prefix, The teacher stops her at the end of the sentence and they discuss as a class. Each class member is then asked to work with a partner and list words with the re/pre prefixes. They need to discuss with their partner what the words mean, and be ready to explain to the class. The teacher roams around the room to monitor their progress. After about 5 minutes, the class is pulled back together and they discussed the words and their meanings.
The teacher explained that they will have to finish the lesson tomorrow. She gave them a preview of what is to come. They watched a short video to give them a picture of what the land rush was like. Students were then given time to pack up and get ready to transition to their next class.
My thoughts and suggestions:
I love the freedom of choice that is allowed and embraced in this classroom. Students are allowed to snack, sit and take notes where they choose, as long as they follow the classroom expectations. I would suggest that you have a procedure for students who do not have pencil/paper. I noticed that several of the students who struggle, were students who did not have their things ready.
I like that the teacher was up and roaming around the students as they worked. I like that she empowered students to run the slides during the lesson so she was free to be among them. I noticed that she kept close proximity to students who struggle, and provided scaffolding to keep them on task and working. I am wondering what motivation you use for those who choose to not write?
I loved the use of the slides on the SMARTboard. Everything is linked, and the lesson flows smoothly.
Comments on Formative Assessment practices:
I love the low level of risk that this teacher has in place for students. Students are encouraged to think and share their ideas/answers, and their work and thinking process is praised. Students are allowed to work together, and a sense of community is present in all areas of instruction.
The use of the clickers is a great way to formatively assess students, and give them immediate feedback. They know what their answer choice was, and they can see immediately what answer is correct. As Johnston points out in Opening Minds (2012), "The purpose of feedback is to improve conceptual understanding or increase strategic options while developing stamina, resilience, and motivation - expanding the vision of what is possible and how to get there." This was also demonstrated when the class shared their responses to the prefix assignment. Discussing how they knew what the meaning of the words were.
I loved the use of the dry erase boards to practice the skill taught with a friend. This shared responsibility lowers their risk level and allows them to discuss their answers. Talking about it, helps them build understanding. The teacher roaming among the students, confirming and guiding their discussions also builds their confidence as they build meaning.
Resource:
Johnston, P. (2012). Opening minds: using language to change lives. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers.
Here is a snapshot of what I observed:
The teacher began the day with a brain break. The students are invited to get up and move, as they watched the "Happy" music video. Some students stood and danced, other sat and kept beat. Some visited quietly and got ready for the lesson. Then the teacher gave the students a few minutes to review their spelling words, and she passed out the clickers. Students cooperatively and quickly signed in and found their spot to sit. (The teacher has an open classroom, letting students freely choose where to sit and work as long as they are on task.) Then the spelling test began. It was a multiple choice assessment. The teacher would read the word and use it in a sentence. Each student chose their answer by clicking the appropriate choice on their clicker. Which sent the data to the computer. (The computer keeps track of each student's answers and creates a report for the teacher.) Students receive immediate feedback after each question when a graph is displayed on the Interactive board, showing which answers were chosen.
After the spelling test, students quickly and quietly put away the clickers and moved to their spots for the vocabulary lesson. They took out their notebooks and wrote their new spelling words, reviewing them. (The journals are used for spelling, vocabulary and critical thinking.) The focus will be contractions. Then the teacher transitioned them to their vocabulary words. The vocabulary lesson began reviewing the definitions. The students completed a graphic organizer for their words. It is now 40 minutes into the class time, so they stopped for another brain break. Several students got up to dance to "The walker."
The next mini lesson is on prefixes - re & pre. They begin with a video clip about Aunt Clara to introduce the subject. A student is chosen to read aloud from the book. When she comes to a word with a prefix, The teacher stops her at the end of the sentence and they discuss as a class. Each class member is then asked to work with a partner and list words with the re/pre prefixes. They need to discuss with their partner what the words mean, and be ready to explain to the class. The teacher roams around the room to monitor their progress. After about 5 minutes, the class is pulled back together and they discussed the words and their meanings.
The teacher explained that they will have to finish the lesson tomorrow. She gave them a preview of what is to come. They watched a short video to give them a picture of what the land rush was like. Students were then given time to pack up and get ready to transition to their next class.
My thoughts and suggestions:
I love the freedom of choice that is allowed and embraced in this classroom. Students are allowed to snack, sit and take notes where they choose, as long as they follow the classroom expectations. I would suggest that you have a procedure for students who do not have pencil/paper. I noticed that several of the students who struggle, were students who did not have their things ready.
I like that the teacher was up and roaming around the students as they worked. I like that she empowered students to run the slides during the lesson so she was free to be among them. I noticed that she kept close proximity to students who struggle, and provided scaffolding to keep them on task and working. I am wondering what motivation you use for those who choose to not write?
I loved the use of the slides on the SMARTboard. Everything is linked, and the lesson flows smoothly.
Comments on Formative Assessment practices:
I love the low level of risk that this teacher has in place for students. Students are encouraged to think and share their ideas/answers, and their work and thinking process is praised. Students are allowed to work together, and a sense of community is present in all areas of instruction.
The use of the clickers is a great way to formatively assess students, and give them immediate feedback. They know what their answer choice was, and they can see immediately what answer is correct. As Johnston points out in Opening Minds (2012), "The purpose of feedback is to improve conceptual understanding or increase strategic options while developing stamina, resilience, and motivation - expanding the vision of what is possible and how to get there." This was also demonstrated when the class shared their responses to the prefix assignment. Discussing how they knew what the meaning of the words were.
I loved the use of the dry erase boards to practice the skill taught with a friend. This shared responsibility lowers their risk level and allows them to discuss their answers. Talking about it, helps them build understanding. The teacher roaming among the students, confirming and guiding their discussions also builds their confidence as they build meaning.
Resource:
Johnston, P. (2012). Opening minds: using language to change lives. Portland: Stenhouse Publishers.