Although I was unable to collect some writing samples from my students this past week (due to the snow day) I wanted to post a blog talking about what I do know about their literacy skills involving reading, writing, and spelling.
Each week my students do a spelling test on Friday afternoon. They are divided up into three different groups depending on their educational level; high, medium, low. At the beginning of the test, the students grab a piece of cardboard (used as a blind to prevent cheating) with a specific color; blue, red or green which represents what level they are at and what list of words they need to be tested on. My teacher will read one word from the blue list, then one word from the red, then one from the green and the students with that colored cardboard will spell out the word on their sheet of paper. This is done until about 15-20 words are completed.
While this is going on, the students who got a 100% on the previous weeks test get to enjoy silent play time which can involve reading a book, playing a game, or playing in the sand box. Although I think this can be a distraction to some of the students taking the test, I feel its my mentors way of motivating them to do better.
I got to thinking that this would be a good time for me to to design a literacy center (in another room) for the students that got a 100% (which mostly ranges from 3-8 students) and get to enjoy free time while the others are testing. I feel it would be best to have them doing something fun, yet productive so that they can have more time to improve their educational development.
Since the students who did get 100% could be from the blue green or red group I think it would be best to do an activity that is at all of their levels and one that certain students (lower leveled) wont feel it is too challenging for them.
I know the students enjoy read aloud stories so I've come up with a center that focuses on a story I would read aloud and spelling.
-Prior to class, I would read the book and come up with main ideas/parts in the story, place them on strips of paper then cut them out.
-On the strips of paper, I would leave a blank space for them to fill in the blank by spelling the word correctly. For example; "When Jimmy went to the _____ he lost his dog". If the correct word was "park" they would have to remember it and spell it out.
-Then during the center I would read the book to the students and tell them to pay close attention because they will have to recall some events that take place.
-Afterwards I would explain that I put important parts of the story on all the strips of paper and we as a group were going to rearrange the strips to make the story complete again. I would also explain the spelling they had to do on the blanks located on each strip.
This would allow them to work on their spelling, sequencing of events, and comprehension as they would have to remember exactly how the story went.
(or I could have two sets of strips and divide them into two groups and have them work in their groups to put the story back together, then we could come together as a whole)
I believe the kids would really enjoy this because it seems like a game, yet they would be learning a great deal at the same time.
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