Cross Checking

This graphic comes from http://firstgradewow.blogspot.com/

This week, we will be exploring the accuracy strategy Cross Checking.  It is important that readers develop the strategy of slowing down when they come to a word they do not know.  This enables reader to fix the meaning and not just skip the word.  Cross checking requires readers to constantly think about what they are reading (see related post Check for Understanding) and monitor their understanding of what they are reading.  

In this strategy, when readers come to an unknown word they begin to attack it independently they ask themselves the following.

• Does the word you are reading match the picture or letters written?
• Does it sound right?
• Does it make sense?

We learned some hand motions to help us remember this.  Ask your child to show you.  A Parent Pipeline with more information about this strategy was sent home today (September 24, 2013.)  It does include information about the hand motions if your child needs a reminder as they show you.  

Happy reading!

Caught Reading!

Last week, Ms. Casida, our amazing assistant principal, stopped by during our Daily 5 time.  We were immersed in Read to Self and she laid down on the carpet and started reading as well.  We have launched Read to Self, Working on Writing (soon to add blogging), and Read to Someone.  This week we will begin Word Study.  We are developing stamina and are well on the way to developing lifelong independent literacy skills!

Summarizing Texts

We are currently focusing on summarizing what we have read. Summarizing is taking selections of text and reducing them to their bare essentials: the gist, the key ideas, and the main points that are worth noting and remembering. When students summarize, they are taking sections of the book and pulling out important information and sharing it in our own words (rather than copying it out of the book.)  

As readers, it is important that we summarize what we read so we can remember, organize, and understand the importance of the text we are reading.  This strategy can be a bit challenging to second graders as they learn to identify the most important details to include in their summarization.  

We will begin by learning how to retell stories.  We will do so by breaking down fiction books into "beginning," "middle," and "end" (B-M-E), identifying the most important details in each section.    We will be utilizing a Flow Map (Thinking Maps.)  

I am sending home a Parent Pipeline today (September 10th) with more information about this strategy.  

Checking for Understanding

We are discussing the comprehension strategy Check for Understanding.  

Check for understanding is an important strategy because good readers stop frequently to check for understanding or to ask who and what.  A Parent Pipeline with more information about this strategy was sent home in our Tuesday News Day folders today (September 3, 2013)


How can you help your child with this strategy at home?

1. When reading to your child, stop periodically and say, “Let’s see if we remember what I just read. Think about who the story was about and what happened.” Do this 3 or 4 times throughout the story.
   
2. When reading to your child, stop and have them practice checking for understanding by saying, “I heard you say...”
   
3. Ask your child the following questions:
   
   • Who did you just read about?
     
   • What just happened?
     
   • Was your brain talking to you while you read?
     
   • Do you understand what was read?
     
   • What do you do if you don’t remember? 
     
     
     

Daily 5/CAFE

Our Language Arts block is built around the Daily 5, a structure that helps students develop the daily habit of reading, writing, and working independently that will lead to a lifelong literacy independence.  

Daily 5 consists of five tasks are are introduced individually.  

1. Read to Self
2. Read to Someone
3. Work on Writing 
4. Word Work
5. Listen to Reading

Each task is modeled and supported by teachers throughout the launching process.  It is not something that is implemented in a week or two, instead our implementation process will continue throughout the five to six weeks.   We are learning what each task looks like, sounds like, and feels like and together discuss the student and teacher expectations during each task.  Most important, we learn why each task is important and how it helps us become lifelong readers and writers.   Students will work on building "stamina" until they successfully achieve independence.  Once we have established increased independence, I can begin pulling reading groups and working one-on-one with students.  

Where Daily 5 gives us the structure for our Language Arts block, CAFE provides us with the strategies we will use to develop our reading skills.  

Comprehension (I understand what I read)

Accuracy (I can read the words)

Fluency (I can read accurately, with expression, and understand what I read.)

Expand Vocabulary (I know, use, and find interesting words.)

We will continue to post about our progress and will begin posting pictures next week once we have all the parent consent forms.  

I-PICK a "Just Right Book"

As part of our Daily 5 practice, students are learning to select "just right" books for their browsing boxes.  We utilize the I-PICK strategy.  I-PICK is an acronym that supports students in selecting books for independent reading time.  

We have been practicing how to select "just right" books to put in our browsing boxes (blue boxes in the pictures below.)  We have four books in our boxes that students have selected as "just right" so we can stay on task for our entire independent reading time.  

Additionally, we watched the video of a song another second grade class made up to remember the I-PICK strategy.  

Happy reading!

Mrs. Haney