Initial Sounds Picture Sorts

Sorting makes me happy!  I have talked about it before here and here.  If you are currently working on initial sounds with your little ones, I highly recommend using picture sorts as an excellent way for students to cement their understanding.  

This picture below shows one teacher's center that she used to help her students practice initial sounds.

Because I love my readers SO much, I have created these initial sounds sorts freebies for you to download.

 The sorts are grouped according to Estrellita's initial sound segments.

You can download these picture sorts for free at this link over at my TpT store!  I would love to hear your feedback about how these work for your students!

The Importance of Teaching Grammar

I'll admit it.  Grammar is not my thing.  If it is your "thing", please don't tell me or leave a comment because that will make my MONITOR (shout out to Dr. Krashen!) go on overdrive and I just might shut down and never blog again.  Okay, I realize that might not be such a big threat but I HAVE been pondering the importance of teaching grammar.

I had some wonderful English teachers throughout my educational history but they all seemed to enjoy teaching literature more than grammar.  As a result, we never made it past nouns, verbs, and adjectives in our grammar textbook.   It wasn't until I was in an intermediate Spanish course that I was able to identify parts of speech like indirect and direct objects.  Even so, I'm sure I still make errors on the use of I versus me.  And, please don't ask me to explain any other clause than Santa!  Yes, I know his name doesn't have an e at the end.

Even though I have managed to get a Bachelors and Masters degree without the ability to successfully diagram a sentence, being a native English speaker has provided me with years of hearing and seeing the language used correctly.  I may not be able to analyze the English language in depth but I can typically answer the questions "Does it look right?" and "Does it sound right?"   When it comes to language usage, my native ability pretty much sets me up for success.

Yet, when it comes to speaking and writing in Spanish, I don't possess that natural ability.  I must rely more on my learning of the rules of Spanish.  My lack of years and years of exposure to the Spanish language has limited my ability to use the language correctly.  I need a combination of more exposure to native Spanish speakers but I also need the opportunity to explicitly learn some of the mechanics of Spanish grammar.

So, this has got me thinking about how we teach English grammar to our bilingual learners.  I don't think worksheets and going through the grammar textbook are the answer BUT I don't think we can just ignore grammar teaching and expect that our students will be able to successfully express themselves as speakers and writers.

I am still thinking through this but I observed a teacher yesterday that I think is definitely on the right track.  This fourth grade teacher teaches the English side of a one-way dual language program in Stephenville ISD.  She is doing a great job of paying attention to her students' writing and letting their errors be her guide to knowing what to teach next as their ZPD shifts..

Aren't these charts amazing?  I would love to hear your thoughts on teaching English grammar to your non-native English speakers.  I sure hope I never have to face off in a grammar game against these fourth graders because I'm pretty sure they would win!

How to Write Procedural Texts

Today I had the privilege of working with a group of bilingual fourth graders that were just beginning a unit on procedural texts.  The TEKS for procedural texts are:

(13)  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A)  determine the sequence of activities needed to carry out a procedure (e.g., following a recipe); and

(B)  explain factual information presented graphically (e.g., charts, diagrams, graphs, illustrations).

(18) Writing/Expository [and Procedural] Texts. Students write expository [and procedural or work-related] texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. Students are expected to:

(A) create brief compositions that

(i) establish a central idea in a topic sentence;

(ii) include supporting sentences with simple facts, details, and explanations; and

(iii) contain a concluding statement.

We made an anchor chart listing the structure and key features that are found in procedural text but I forgot to take a picture of my chart!  I then handed out pieces of paper with the different features (time order words, verbs at the beginning of the sentence, etc.) and asked the students to help me identify these features in this Reading A-Z text.  We found them all!

After this short introductory lesson to procedural texts, I really wanted to use a language frame to see if the students could identify one key feature of procedural texts and explain why it is important.  Here are some of the sticky notes they wrote!  I think they did a great job!  As they brought their notes up to the board, I asked them to read it to a partner in front of me.  Just like that, we quickly addressed all four of the language domains (writing, reading, speaking, and listening)!

 

 

 

 

 

That's so RANDOM! Why it's important to call on different students...

Step #3 in John Seidlitz's "Seven Steps to Building a Language Rich Interactive Classroom" is:

Randomize and rotate who is called on so students of all language levels can participate.

Why is this so hard for teachers to do?  I have coached teachers who think they do this but my observations of their classroom do not support that belief with evidence.  And, yes, my name is POT and I am calling the kettle black!  
When I conduct trainings with teachers, I spend hours ahead of time planning ways to ensure that all participants actually participate and are engaged.  Yet, when the training is actually happening, I can easily succumb to the constraints of time, the pressure of the serial-hand raisers, and the stares from the reluctant participators daring me to invade their personal space.
So, yes, it's hard!  But, I don't think that means we shouldn't keep trying to refine this important area that falls into the science and craft of excellent teachers.
Here are some of my favorite ways:

• Random Name Generator - Upload your class list to this website and use your computer or iPad to ask it to generate the next student to call on.  Really easy!

• Popsicle Sticks - It's an oldie but a goody!  It may seem old school but it is better than not doing anything at all.  Write each of your students' names on a popsicle stick and place them all in a can.  After asking a question, allow at least 10 seconds of wait time (you want everyone forming their answer) and then draw a stick or two to ask those students to share their answers with the class.  My theory is that you should put the sticks back in the can and just shake it well.  If you take the sticks out until they are all out, your students whose sticks are out of the can might begin to tune out.

• Note Cards - This is similar to the popsicle sticks but it adds another component.  Each student has a card with his/her name on it.  When you draw the student's card, you can also mark a code to indicate his response.  This can be helpful documentation for TELPAS rating (did they answer with one word, a short phrase or complete sentence), participation grades, and parent conferences.

I haven't tried this one yet but it looks interesting:

• Teacher Tools - Who's Next? app - Do the same one or two hands always pop up when you ask a question in your classroom? The Teacher Tools - Who's Next? app will shake things up for your class by allowing you to call on students randomly and even create randomized work groups! (description from iTunes)

Want to read more?  Here are some more articles about this topic:

• Are You Being Fair?

• Extending ELLs' Classroom Interactions Using the Response Protocol

According to the "Extending ELLs'..." article by Mohr and Mohr linked above, "many students new to U.S. culture and its educational system, and students who are timid or reluctant for any reason, often do not participate readily in class discussions and thereby assume a more passive role in classroom interactions."
We know that engagement promotes growth and we want our learners to grow.  As a result, we really need to hone our abilities to engage.  I would love to hear your tips for how you do this in your classroom!

Finding a Good Hook Book: Lucha Libre

This summer, I wrote a guest blog for Krista over at The Second Grade Superkids about the importance of native language instruction.  I wrote about a student named Jose and his journey towards biliteracy.

Last week, I was at my lovely new public library just bursting with shelves of BRAND NEW BILINGUAL books and I came across this book that reminded me of Jose.


As I was in the process of convincing Jose that he could and would learn to read, I was also trying to figure out what types of books he would want to read.  I needed some hook books!  The kind that he would find worthy of his perseverance and diligence.  The kind that would create that special magic where motivation plus emerging ability equates to an ability to read a book higher than his instructional reading level.

I questioned Jose to find his hook.  Dinosaurs?  Outer space?  Sports?  Nothing created the magic...until I overheard him at recess talking about watching WWF and Lucha Libre and noticed his RIP Eddie Guerrero t-shirt.

At the time, I couldn't find any books about wrestling in Spanish at our school library but I did find some info in Spanish online.  When I shared it with Jose and told him he could read it during self-selected reading time, he was thrilled.  It was way above his reading level but he sought out another student to read with him.  It was just the hook I needed!

So, when I saw Lucha libre: The Man in the Silver Mask, A Bilingual Cuento by Xavier Garza, it made me think that there might be some more Joses out there in your class that could use a hook to pull them further into the magic of reading.

What are your other favorite hook book topics?

Language Lizard: Bilingual Books Giveaway

In the past few years, I have noticed a growing number of bilingual books at my local library and on the school library shelves.  I love books written in a bilingual format for several reasons:

• Because they are written in two languages, they are accessible to a larger audience.  My monolingual English-speaking daughters (I'm working on their Spanish!) can still enjoy the books I bring home to plan for sharing with Spanish-speaking students.
• I know I'm nerdy but I find it fun to read one language and then read the other to compare how the book's translation compares with the way I would translate it in my head.  I always learn new words and phrases this way!
• Sometimes, when I am reading in one language, I come across something that doesn't make sense to me.  I can always refer to the other language for clarification when needed.
• The marketability of these books is a concrete reminder of the marketability of a bilingual person.  I love sharing this fact with my English learners to encourage them to grow in both of their languages.

So, would you like the opportunity to win TWO BILINGUAL BOOKS?  I have asked the wonderful people at Language Lizard about sharing some of their books with you and they agreed!  They offer bilingual books in over 40 languages (including Spanish, of course).  They also provide numerous resources for supporting teachers of bilingual learners through their website, quarterly email newsletter, blog, and Facebook page.  

To enter to win, simply enter your info in the Rafflecopter below.  One lucky winner will choose the language of their choice (from the 40 languages available on their site) and Language Lizard will provide two age-appropriate bilingual books to the winner.  GOOD LUCK!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Palabras de alta frecuencia/High Frequency Words

One of the best things about teaching literacy in Spanish is its lovely decodable-ness.  Okay, so maybe that's not a word but it is nice to work with a language that doesn't cause constant confusion with all of its exceptions.  

While we don't have to worry about SIGHT WORDS in Spanish, we can help young learners become fluent readers more quickly by teaching high-frequency words in Spanish.  

Here is my list of 100 high frequency words in Spanish based on several research-based lists.  You can download it for free here.

Last week, I was in a Kindergarten classroom in Stephenville and saw this teacher's great way of keeping track of the high frequency words that students are learning.  Each week, the teacher gives the students a card with the new word(s) of the week and those are kept on a ring.  Students can practice reading their words and refer to them during writing.

 I snapped the picture below in a first grade classroom in Mesquite.  The teacher had made his own version of this game and was using it as one of his center activities.  The students would walk around the room to the other students and ask them to read the word they were wearing.  They were so quiet and loved it!

Here is another fun and simple activity to practice with students in small groups so they can later play on their own in pairs.

Flashcards Activity-My Pile, Your Pile in Spanish from Mesquite ISD on Vimeo.

While it is important for students to be able to read the words in isolation, the real purpose of studying these words is to be able to read them in context.  Even students that don't know all of their letters and sounds can begin to read simple, repetitive texts.  

Hubbard's Cupboard has quite a few printable books in Spanish with high frequency words (scroll down and look for "Black and White Student Booklets" in Spanish).

The Rigby Colección PM Básicos readers are perfect for practicing words in context.  

What are your favorite ways for helping your students practice high frequency Spanish words in isolation and in context?  I love hearing your ideas!

Unzipping Their Lips

While in my car the other day with my daughters, my oldest said she wanted to tell me a story.  “You have to be really quiet and listen, Mama.  Are you listening?  Close your mouth.  Zip your lips?  Did you lock them?  Okay, now throw away the key!  Once upon a time….”

Hearing my daughter tell me to “zip my lips” reminded me of that phrase I used to hear frequently in my childhood.  I am not exactly sure where she first heard that phrase (she’s not in school yet) but I am pretty sure it was uttered by a well-meaning older teacher at church who was just trying to get her restless young students to be quiet for a few brief moments so she could teach the lesson.

I don’t hear this phrase very often as I coach in different schools.  Even though it has a bit of rhyme and sounds like a cute analogy, I think most of today’s educators know that telling students to “lock [their] lips and throw away the key” is probably not best teaching practice, especially with bilingual learners. 

However, while we don’t explicitly tell them to be silent, we often communicate that desire in more subtle ways:

• ·     We tell them that we only have a few minutes to get our lesson in (because that’s true!) and there’s no time for talking or questions.  We barrel through the lesson to get it “done”.  We know that teaching does not necessarily equate to learning but we have a scope and sequence to stick to and there are just too many other constraints on our day.  Taking time to allow a child to slowly process their thinking in verbal form seems like a luxury rather than a necessity.
• ·     We just plain get carried away with our own fabulous explanations and demonstrations.  I mean, seriously, WE are the ones with a college degree, right?  Of all people in the room, shouldn't we be the ones receiving the most air time?  We are the ones that spent the weekend planning the lesson and search Pinterest for the best anchor chart.  The students will inevitably talk once we send them back to their seats.  Is there really a need to interrupt our lessons to allow them to talk?
• ·     We allow time for talk but fail to provide the appropriate scaffolds to make it productive.  Perhaps we have been trained and converted from the two bullet points above.  We are believers in the importance of talk but making it happen feels clumsy and unsuccessful.  We post prepackaged language frames on our walls but we forget to incorporate them and they quickly become wallpaper to the students.  While students are talking during the lesson, their talk is not necessarily focused, academic, and productive.

Talking helps us process our thinking and internalize our understanding.  Allowing time for students to talk is an investment.  Sometimes, we don’t see an immediate return on our investments.  And, as with anything we are invested in, we know we should plan carefully ahead of time. 

So, here's my question, how do you make space for your students' academic conversations in your classroom?  How do you remind yourself mid-lesson to make it happen?  Please share your ideas!