Module 6: Modeling

How Do I Love Thee: Modeling and Dimensional Thinking   

Graphic Representation:  The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading:  How Children Learn to Read      

          
         
Written Reflection:

          This week I decided to create a model to help parents understand the process for how children learn to read.  As I recently completed parent/teacher conferences, I took a little time to reflect on the information I shared with them.  Each year I pass out information on The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading:  How Children Learn to Read. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf .   It was simply a yellow piece of paper with information on it for them to read.  It was neither dynamic nor interesting, and I imagined it would be tossed in the garbage or in a pile of papers to be looked at “later.”  My hope for creating this model is to allow for visual learners to see with a concrete model that the building blocks to reading are just that, blocks of skills that start at the bottom, phonemic awareness, and build upward to the ultimate goal, comprehension.  We first need to learn how to read and then use reading for learning.    

          In order to model abstract ideas and concepts, one must create a concrete visual representation by viewing the ideas from multiple dimensions.  Creating a model allows one to control the imagery and the ability to disseminate information to foster one’s knowledge of the topic.  Modeling allows you to use your imagination to abstract ideas into a physical representation with a multidimensional tactile object. I wanted parents to understand that reading skills need to be taught and learned in a specific order to optimize their child’s reading progress.  My model that represents The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading begins with the bottom or foundational piece then adds a new skill on top once the previous skill is mastered.   There is order and sequence to learning how to read.  The same is true for building a tower.  When a child uses blocks to build they start by placing one piece on the floor and building upward.  I started by sketching my idea for a model on a piece of paper.  This by itself is a visual representation for the sequence of reading skills, but lacks a concrete physical model. 

          This first reading block is Phonemic Awareness.  Phonemic Awareness is the “ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds-phonemes-in spoken words”. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf.  The next block we place on top of phonemic awareness, and the next developmental skill to be taught and learned is phonics or alphabetic principle.  With this step, a child will now “learn the relationships between the letters of written language and the sounds of spoken language”. https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/PRFbooklet.pdf.  Fluency and accuracy is the next reading block to be added.  The foundational skills have now been learned and children will now know how to segment and blend words, know basic sight words, and begin to read text smoothly and quickly.  At this stage, we focus on vocabulary, our fourth block.  Learning vocabulary can be learned directly and indirectly.  Vocabulary can be explicitly taught and can be learned by listening to adults read to them and engaging in conversations. The last block to be added and the goal for learning to read, is comprehension.  Learning to read is essential, but without being able to comprehend what is being read, one’s ability for future learning will be limited. 

          
          This 3 dimensional model for The Five Basic Reading Blocks to Reading brings a physical representation and order for learning to read.  From my experience, parents do not know or understand the different components to reading.  They do not break reading down into smaller parts to help their children at home.   With a visual, the sequence of skills can be easily seen and understood.  Hopefully parents will use this newly presented information to help their struggling reader. 

The Creative "I" Project-Part 2

The Creative "I":  Developing and Bringing It All Together

The Creative “I” Project—Variations on a Theme

            I will be the first to admit to anyone, that being “creative” is a significant challenge for me.  I see things in “black and white”, “right and wrong”, and the gray area is not a place I enjoy visiting.  In my opinion, this has hindered my ability to be “creative”.  It was refreshing to read this article and understand that my life experiences, my knowledge, and my interests are the tools to which I can foster my own creativity.  I felt relieved to read, “…it can be learned and developed with practice.” (Henriksen & Mishra, p. 16)  Understanding that creative ideas are seldom “new” in the sense that they are not original ideas, but rather ideas altered or developed from previous works in order to create something new.  The concept of “twisting the knobs” to slightly alter an existing piece of work or creative piece, resonated with me.  My previous projects were ideas I have seen before, but I personally “twisted the knob” in order to change them to fit my needs and my own take on creativity. 

          So, instead of choosing a song that is “my favorite” I chose a song that has been sung in my class.  I thought this fitting since my topic is Phonological Awareness. Singing familiar songs or reading poems has been proven to increase children’s fluency and help recognize the rhymes and rhythms of words. Children have sung the popular children’s song I’ve Been Working on the Railroad for many years.  In our current reading program, Reading Street, this song along with many other popular songs have been reinvented and written with different words to fit the theme for that weeks’ reading lesson.

Original Song and Lyrics:

I’ve Been Working on the Railroad

I've been working on the railroad

All the live-long day.

I've been working on the railroad

Just to pass the time away.

Can't you hear the whistle blowing,

Rise up so early in the morn;

Can't you hear the captain shouting,

"Dinah, blow your horn!"

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow,

Dinah, won't you blow your horn?

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah

Someone's in the kitchen I know

Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah

Strummin' on the old banjo!

Singin' fee, fie, fiddly-i-o

Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o

Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o

Strummin' on the old banjo.

Here is one adapted version of I’ve Been Working on the Railroad from Reading Street program:

My New Song and Lyrics:

“I’ve Been Learning to be Creative”

I’ve been learning to be creative,

which is a challenge for me,

I must learn how to thiiiink,

outsiiiide the box,

Using creee-a-tiv-ity

requires using pre-existing ideas

using your experiences

to create something “unique and new”.

Oh, It must be Novel,

It must be Effective,

It must be Whooooooole!

It must be Novel,

It must be Effective,

It must be Whooooooole!

Twisting the knoooobs tooo

create something neeewww

by using your knowledge

and experiences to learn.

Singing Creee-a-tivity

Creeee-a-tiv-i-teee

Creee-a-tivity

Coming up with something N.E.W.!

Click here to hear my “creative” singing version!

Module 5: Embodied Thinking

How Do I Love Thee:  Embodied Thinking

Embodied Thinking Activity:  Learning to read through movement

Phonological Awareness: Reading Words through different Modalities

The children in my class use a kinesthetic approach to learning how to read.  They use embodied thinking to interact with textured letters, Elkonin boxes, and bodily movement in order to connect movement with learning.  

Sandpaper letter tracing and blending CVC words.

 Using finger to guide reading.

Using Elkonin boxes to move chips for each phoneme.  


Embodied Thinking:  Written Reflection

          Embodied thinking is using our bodies, both physically (kinesthetically) and emotionally (empathizing) to learn.  Using our bodies to physically interact by touching and feeling builds a stronger connection between our physical self and the knowledge to be learned or gained.  Root-Bernstein state, “…individually or together, sensations of muscle movement, body feeling, and touch act as a powerful tool for imaginative thinking.” (p. 164) Learning through creative touch or movement can be used in the classroom for many subjects.  For young learners, the need to move is essential due to their developmental needs.  For this reason, learning sounds of letters or beginning reading skills through kinesthetic activities or approaches is very beneficial. 

          There are several kinesthetic activities I employ in my classroom to help students identify letters, sounds, and words.  “All people need explicit practice in moving their bodies, manipulating instruments or tools, and gaining awareness of their kinesthetic and proprioceptive responses.” (Root & Bernstein, p. 178)  Once students understand how to use their bodies and have the time to explore and practice, the learning begins.  It was difficult to focus on one topic, but in the end I felt that learning to read words by identifying letters and their corresponding sounds, along with learning to blend sounds to create words was an area that is crucial to phonological awareness.  Using the embodied thinking of bodily movement, I identified activities that would allow for movement that would reinforce the skill.

          My pictures identify several kinesthetic activities for learning how to read.  The first physical activity I use for students still learning the names and sounds of their letters is to use sandpaper letters.  This tactile input, of tracing the letters, helps to establish the name/sound for letters. Another approach I taught students was to use Elkonin boxes to build and blend words.  They physically need to move chips into boxes for each sound that they hear.  It provides movement that helps to make their listening for sounds astute. The last activity identifies children using their fingers to point while reading. This has proven to significantly improve their ability to track the text and read the words.  When students do not use their fingers and try to read without the use of their hands or fingers, their ability to read significantly decreases.  This simple movement is crucial for learning to read until fluency and automaticity is learned. 

            The connection of using a kinesthetic approach to learning was one identified by Howard Gardner in the early 1980’s.  Early in my teaching career I learned about Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences he wrote about.   It has been evident to me throughout my years of teaching that children are more engaged with learning and find opportunities for creative learning when kinesthetic methods are involved.  Using your whole body to move around the room, or touching objects for tactile sensations, along with moving your hands or objects directly connects to higher levels of thinking.  I have found it much more difficult to identify opportunities for embodied thinking by using empathy for phonological awareness.  It’s possible that using a reader’s theater approach to reading may help students to empathize with other children that need to stand in front of a large group, or to empathize with the character’s feelings, but I found this to be a stretch for learning how to read.