My inquiry focus this term has been going really well so far. I have been tracking my students letter sound knowledge and the results are quite pleasing.
The data shows that children in my focus have shown huge improvement in identifying lower case letter names and sounds.
Student F identified 16 letter sounds in term 1 and now is able to identify 25 letter sounds.
Student M initially identified 9 letter sounds and know knows 24 letter sounds.
The data shows that children in my focus have shown huge improvement in identifying upper case letter names and sounds.
What I have noticed?
Some children still had a few confusions like, b and d, c and s, g and j, i and e. I have noticed children pausing, stopping and noticing that there is something's wrong. Some students are beginning to monitor themselves and I am noticing this in their reading and writing as well. The visuals on the board are useful resources and I think that visiting these letter sounds on a daily basis will. help solve these confusions children have.
What's working and what have we been doing so far?
-We have been working on word families for eg. at family cat mat fat hat, the ay family way day may lay hay play, playing
- Word work-using known words to make other words for example, we he she me and my, by try fly shy
-Looking at blends wh th sh ch bl etc.
-We have been working on word families for eg. at family cat mat fat hat, the ay family way day may lay hay play, playing
- Word work-using known words to make other words for example, we he she me and my, by try fly shy
-Looking at blends wh th sh ch bl etc.
During our writing sessions:
When we come across a word we don't know how to spell we have been sounding out words slowly, stretching the word out like a rubber band writing the beginning middle and the end sounds.
I have been using Elkonin boxes to help students develop phonemic awareness. The focus is on segementing and blending the sounds in words. Segmenting is breaking a word apart into individual sounds. Blending is putting the individual sounds together to say a word.
I have been using Elkonin boxes to help students develop phonemic awareness. The focus is on segementing and blending the sounds in words. Segmenting is breaking a word apart into individual sounds. Blending is putting the individual sounds together to say a word.
Problems that I have noticed:
When students are writing and they attempt to write an unknown word they spend a long time sounding out the word and can't move on to the next word/part of their sentence.
When students are writing and they attempt to write an unknown word they spend a long time sounding out the word and can't move on to the next word/part of their sentence.
Next steps:
What I would like add to my daily schedule to go over different phoenemic awareness activities and phonis skills and practise applying them.
What I would like add to my daily schedule to go over different phoenemic awareness activities and phonis skills and practise applying them.
I have been following video's made by Susan Jones and she suggests doing these phoenemic awareness activities on a daily basis.
The Phoenemic Awareness Activity:
Blending and segmenting different sounds.
When you want students to blend sounds together to make a word, they have to think of all the different parts of a word they're listening to and see how they come together to a make meaning.
I have to explicitly explain to children what we are learning to do:
1. They can blend syllables together:
Teacher says: I am going to give you 2 different syllables and you are going to put them together to make a word for example, pen cil makes pencil.
2. Blending sound:
- a. Blending onset+rime
Teacher says: We are going to practise blending sounds together to make a word.
Beginning and end of words, for example:
s un makes sun.
h ot makes hot.
- b. Blend all the sounds you can hear in the word.
For example:
h o t makes hot.
I will be doing all three activities each day for 5-10 minutes whilst children are eating their morning tea snack. By doing all three types of activities each day will help students understand the connection between letters, sounds, print and oral speaking. I hope to see a shift in both student's reading and writing results.
-I want to extend the writing by adding detail, topic related and interesting words- gifting vocabulary Jannie's programme.I want to use visual images and recycle the vocabulary, for example deep dark forest. sly sneaky fox. I will have to carefully choose images that will engage the learners, hook them into writing.
The Phoenemic Awareness Activity:
Blending and segmenting different sounds.
When you want students to blend sounds together to make a word, they have to think of all the different parts of a word they're listening to and see how they come together to a make meaning.
I have to explicitly explain to children what we are learning to do:
1. They can blend syllables together:
Teacher says: I am going to give you 2 different syllables and you are going to put them together to make a word for example, pen cil makes pencil.
2. Blending sound:
- a. Blending onset+rime
Teacher says: We are going to practise blending sounds together to make a word.
Beginning and end of words, for example:
s un makes sun.
h ot makes hot.
- b. Blend all the sounds you can hear in the word.
For example:
h o t makes hot.
I will be doing all three activities each day for 5-10 minutes whilst children are eating their morning tea snack. By doing all three types of activities each day will help students understand the connection between letters, sounds, print and oral speaking. I hope to see a shift in both student's reading and writing results.
-I want to extend the writing by adding detail, topic related and interesting words- gifting vocabulary Jannie's programme.I want to use visual images and recycle the vocabulary, for example deep dark forest. sly sneaky fox. I will have to carefully choose images that will engage the learners, hook them into writing.
-Learn all the blends sounds and test and record scores.
- Start doing simple spelling tests starting with 5 words a week in Term 3. - this to to give students a challenge and for students to spell words "everyday used' fast and fluently, for examlple: friend with was saw because after etc.
