Group+9+Module+4

1. What does research say about the topic? PEGGY: The text states: Research shows Phonemic Awareness is one of the leading school-entry predictors of how well children will learn to read in kindergarten and first grade. MANDY: Phonemic awareness is important. Students who are aware of phonemic awareness do better than those who do not recognize it. I have really seen first hand the difference between students who do and those who don't recognize because I have taught, 4-k, 5-k, and first grade. Renee: According to the text: researchers conducting controlled experiments have shown that teaching phonemic awareness significantly improves beginners' success in learning to read. SUSANNAH:It says that Phonemic awareness must be taught explicitly and systematically. I remember teaching phonemics explicitly, but not systematically because I did not know there was a particular order. I would like to know more about the system. I would also like to know more about the benefit of teaching phonemic awareness to low 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade readers.

2. Describe the relationship between phonemic awareness and phonological awareness. PEGGY: The text states: The difference between phonemic awareness and phonological awareness is how phonological awareness encompasses not only phonemic awareness but also awareness of larger spoken units such as syllables, onsets, and rimes. Phonemic awareness is the ability to focus on and manipulate phonemes (41 to 44) in spoken words. MANDY: Phonological awareness is more of the "whole picture". It invovles many aspects. On the other hand phonemic awareness is focused on one aspect. Renee: The text states: phonemic awareness is a specific skill that involves manipulating sounds in speech, phonics is a method of teaching reading. Phonological awareness refers to various types of awaress including; larger spoken units of such as syllables, onsets and rimes, and segment polysyllabic words into syllabes. SUSANNAH: Phonemically, the word "chat" has 3 phonemes: ch/a/t. Phonologically, "chat" rhymes with "mat" and has one syllable. Phonemically, the word "rainbow" has 5 phonemes: r/ai/n/b/ow. Phonologidally it is a compound word, made with "rain" and "bow", and it has two syllables. Correct?

3. What are ways you can adapt these concepts to the older ELL students who is beginning to read in English? PEGGY: I haven't had the experience of ELL or ESL students. However, I would think it would be a lot like the kindergarten to 1st grade practices using the same type of strategies. I have had severe LD and mild ID students and using the phonemes to start with was successful. Depending upon their cognitive abilities determined the timeline of progression. MANDY: I haven't taught ELL or ESL students either. I would start at the bottom and work through the basics. Then continue on as the students become successful. Renee: I also have not had the opportunity to work with ELL or ESL studetns but I have learned that providing them with visuals is a key. So I wolud include phoneme manipulation with letters. SUSANNAH: I have had the opportunity to work with ELL students and they are hugely relieved to learn about phonemes. For them that is the key of to sorting out their confusion with the English language and all the different spellings. If you can narrow it down to the 44 phonemes, it is much mopre palatable for ELL students. And yes, the more visuals you can provide, including letting them watch how you say the phonemes, the better. And this is with LD 4th graders! That is why I wish there was more research information about older students in the book. I also agree that phonemes is a good starting point - and eventually the students transition out of phonemes - once they know them all, is is pretty much a matter of prictice - and applying what they know to their text books and reading books.

4. Your questions from your group.

SUSANNAH: I worked with Venn Diagrams with my special ed 4th graders and they seemed fine with them - though I worked through about 6 venn diagram assignments with them 6 days in a row, until they figured out what I wanted from them. PEGGY: I've used them with secondary students. I would think that you could use them with your 3rd and 4th graders, it may take more time for them to get the hang of it though, but I remember comparing snowmen in PreK-K classes. Venn diagrams are just comparisons. Renee: I think it depends on difficulty of subject and students' background knowledge. MANDY: Thank you for the good ideas. I look forward to next year to see what I can come up with.
 * MANDY: My question is at what age does it seem appropriate to starting intoducing the concept of Venn Diagrams. I worked with third and fourth graders on this subject before and they seemed confused.

MANDY: It discusses in chapter 6 that testing a child's phonemic awarness at the beginning of kindergarten will predict how well they will read over the next two years. But later on in the chapter it says that their phonemic awarness is "weak". So how can we test them on that? SUSANNAH: When I taught kindergarten, I did not understand the concept of being "explicit" about phonemes and just assumed they'd "get it". But now I would address it explicitly and see if they could identify 44 phonemes. There is a computer reading program called System 44 that focuses on all 44 phonemes. PEGGY: In the book it gives an example of two K-groups tested, one was a controlled group and the other was a trained group. The trained group revealed superiour performance in their ability to blend and but didn't in segmentation performance. The next year the same group of children from the trained group read more words than the control children indicating that long-term effects of blending exercises were evident and that extensive instruction to develop blending skills does benefit reading acquisition. When I taught PreK-K the curriculum was direct instruction and didn't leave a whole lot of room for the type of testing we are taught now. It was the ABEKA Christian curriculum and it did it's own remediation as building blocks from K-4 to 3rd grade. It was much like the Saxson curriculum. Repeditive remediation strengthens reading skills. Susannah are you referring to Scholastic system 44? SUSANNAH: Yes. It is new with TPS - our school - Cooper Elem was the frst to get it. There arre a lot of bugs in the program right now, but they are working them out. You need a lot of memory space on the computer. We had to order almost all new computers. Renee: I think even though the chapter states that their phonemic awareness is " weak," it is still important to assess student's phonemic awarness at the beginning of K to determine the student's needs.

MANDY: Oh that sounds great to have it on the computer. Kids I have worked with have always shown more interest or were willing to participate more if what I was doing with them was on the computer. SUSANNAH: It is $1000s per student license- only a school system could afford it. Then students graduate to READ 180 which focuses on comprehension.

MANDY: The book also goes on to say that teaching students phonemic awareness works best with manipulatives than orally? Is this true because I thought that all children learnd differently? SUSANNAH: System 44 uses some manipulatives, but students mostly watch the computer screen as they watch a person on the computer pronounce the phonemes. The computer program is mostly auditory and visual with magnetic letters representing the phonemes that they can use in group time. It seems to help out ESL students. There are much fewer phonemes in Spanish than English. I wish our dominant language was Spanish or Italian - much easier to learn and speak than English. PEGGY: I agree with the book that manipulative help to transfer information into long term memory, much like the picture dictionary for vocabulary words. However, I've had to learn over time that all children do not learn alike. I was a pro-phonics all the way, but had to learn some children are sight learners, while others are a blend. The same skills do not reach all of them.** MANDY: I still think that we should use a variety of styles. If one strategy worked with every child are job would be a lot easier.

Renee: I agree, students do learn differently, but most learners are visual learners. It is important to reach every student in the classroom. Teachers should include instructions that include a variety of styles. SUSANNAH: yes, most of mine are kinesthetic learners. What I have found though, is that the students are so "tuned in" to touch that they can just as easily be distracted by it, as learn by it. It is a tricky balance. For example, they like to dance to Larry Bell's DVD, but they then do not sing because they are focused on the dancing, and the words are what the dancoing is all about. When playing with magnetic letters they get side tracked by playing with them as magnets and not as letters. They even get a kick out of ruining the computer monitors with them. Magnets ruin LCD monitors. So, I tell them that they can have some "free time" playing with the magnets, after they have completed what ai nee dthem to do with them. So there are ways, but it is not easy.

PEGGY: Oh my Susannah, I wouldn't have a clue. I do good to speak our language. MANDY: I am not sure either. When I can't find something I just google it until I can find the information that I need. RENEE: That would be a good question to ask Mrs. Eeg or Dr. Swanson. SUSANNAH: I put more stars by the question.
 * SUSANNAH: My question is: Where can I get more information about the phoneme difficulties of different languages (for example, that Chinese hear "r"s as "l", as in "rice" sounds to them like "lice"?

SUSANNAH: Do you think that, since we eventually leave phoneme instruction behind, once we can read well, that that is why the long term effects of phoneme instruction are not evident? Different people learn to read in different ways, so two students ,one with phoneme and one without phoneme instruction will both eventually learn to read, no? PEGGY: Actually Susannah I catch myself still using phonemes. Since I didn't learn phonemes early in school, I've had to go back and evaluate how I learned to read (at the 5th grade level) and what techniques were beneficial in my learning to read. I think phoneme instruction is still there, just not as pronounce as it is in the early years. MANDY: I think that I agree with what you are saying Susannah. Because during different time periods/decades people come up with different ways to teach and most of us still end up reading. Even though I was taught with all phonics, I can read, as with today's children they are taught differently that I was and they can read too. Renee: I think there are a very few students that can not learn to read with just phoneme instruction. That is why it is important to provide not just one type of instructions to students. SUSANNAH: yes, I had a student who learned every word as a sight word. He had a gigantic vocabulary, but when he came to a word that he did not know, he really did not have a clue,

SUSANNAH: Has anyone else run into programs that teach the 44 phonemes? I really hadn't paid much attention until I was trained for System 44. It is the program that comes befor READ180, that assumes that students know their phonemes. PEGGY: Well, first of all you answered my question from above. The Christian curriculum from ABEKA taught phonemes, I never really counted to see if there were 44. Did you like SYSTEM 44? I have the READ 180 Stage C and I love it. The only thing is, going back into the district they use SRA (which I don't like for this age group) and not READ 180. I am just now really getting into all of the different areas the this program address. I wish I could continue it. MANDY: I am brand new to this teaching game so I haven't ran accross any programs like this. Renee: I am not familiar with any, but you have made me curious now. I will have to do aome research. SUSANNAH: I do like system 44 and READ180, but they each take 90 minutes of instruction time out of the day EVERY DAY(students are either system44 or READ180), and sometimes I feel like stopping and taking the day to do a different reading activity with them as a class. so the students can experience other activities as "reading" besides the small group, individual reading, and computer activities. There are usually 15 student split into three groups of 5 students each. The 90 minutes are split into 10 min whole class intro (usually short video), 20 mins read alone, 20 mins computer, 20 mins small group (each of those 20 mins rotate with 3 groups), and then 20 min whole group wrap up. It works best with a teaching assistant to help keep an eye on the computers and independent readers. The computer programs have a lot of "glitches" initially - you need a good tech pearson, lots of memory on your computer and headphones that have microphones. When it works, it is great.**

//PEGGY:// //The text states phonemic awareness instruction contributed to spelling development, but only among younger children. Why doesn't review of phonemes assist older students in improving their spelling?//


 * MANDY: I would have to say that it does. Sometimes I think that too many "new" strategies are implemented into curriculums as students get older, but often the "good old ones" still are very helful.

Renee: I was confused by that statement in the text too. I am sure there is research to back that statement up.**

//*PEGGY: What type of scoffolding should teachers use to improve spelling with older disabled readers?// Renee: I have only worked with pre-K - 5th grade students on IEPs. I do mostly work with 3rd-5th grade students. Again, I believe hands-on activities and visuals are the key in helping students retain information. A few things I feel have been successful are; word searches with spelling words, magnetic letters on a board and there is a site that will create a spelling test that will offer the student with 3 options of each word (1 is spelled correctlly, the other 2 are not) the student circles the correctlly spelled word. All the teacher has to do is type in the spelling words, students love the site, "Spelling City." Finally, modifying the spelling test by redusing the number of spelling words. SUSANNAH: I find it diffucult to find hands-on activities that students would be willing to do. It is how they learn best, but they are so self-conscious that they are unwilling to participate. I found two things tey really liked this year. I staught them an Israeli dance called Zemer Atik. I used it to teach them the difference between the x and y axis in math. I also got the DVD from Larry Bell that teaches the students the 12 powerful words. It was $30, but worth it. We played it so many time that the ones who did dance it got it, and the onles who were resistant got it anyhow becasue the tune is so catchy that you can't think of anything else for a few months. You sing it in your sleep. I told the shyer kids that they could do the dance with their fingers under their desk if they wanted to. I think there are many good things about inclusion, but I know some of my special ed students would do better if they did not have to do everything the do in class infront of 22 other students (and next year it will be 26 other students).**
 * MANDY: I haven't taught older readers before. I am inerested in reading what the other veteran teachers suggest because I know that they have taught older student before.

//PEGGY: The text states phonemic awareness instruction does not have to last a long time to be effective. How long should phonemic awareness instruction last to be effective?// Renee: I agree 20 minutes a day will keep the students focused.** SUSANNAH: I agree, 20 minutes is max, though there can be 20 mins of small group instruction, then 20 mins computer fun.
 * MANDY: I would have to say about 10-15 minutes. I think any longer than 15-20 minutes the kids would become bored and want to do something else.

Renee: My question is, What ways have you found to motivate poor readers to want to read?** SUSANNAH: The most effective has been to have my 4th graders read is to have them read easy books to kdgs. The other thing that sometimes works is to start reading a book to the students and not finish it, so they have to read it to finish it.