This article gives several ideas of activities that can be used to help increase reading comprehension with special education students, but they are designed for different learning styles and, I think, would work well with all students! The article is structured as a simple number for each activity so it's very easy to follow.
Ideas suggested here fall into the Bloom's Taxonomy of questions and can be used with picture books, short stories, novels or individualized reading for students of all ages. Many ideas do not involve written answers which work best with students with learning difficulties. The activities listed promote comprehension.
Diversity Lesson Plans and Activities Elementary School Middle School High School Multicultural Education Research Guide For background information on multicultural education of all types and for all levels.
This website provides countless lesson links on a wide variety of diversity issues. It has links to the excerpts it recommends you use as well as objectives and essential questions. If you are looking for a lesson for teaching diversity, this is the website for you!
This site has interactive lessons to promote oral language in kindergarteners. It has slide shows and activities with pauses for discussion with a partner. I have used it with some of my kindergarten students I have in my oral language group. The categories covered are: families, friends, transportation, food, animals, neighborhood, weather, plants, amazing creatures, and I Know a Lot!
It also incorporates some classification and matching games in some of the lessons.
We know oral language development is critical for early literacy. However, it is important for teachers of all grades to remember the importance of talk in learning--even for adults! +2
"With this strategy students will have a chance to: remember, understand, analyze, evaluate, and create. Students work in teams of four to answer four questions about an article they read, a chapter from a novel, or a video they just watched (or whatever you want to assess). After careful analysis of their teammate's work, students will come up with a summary of each question to share with the class."
This is an activity to help with writing skills for middle schoolers. It's a great way to have fun while learning. It can be used in the classroom or at home.
Ross, A. & Fisher, D. (2009). Talking in class builds English learners' proficiency. California English, 14(4), 10-12.
This week in class we touched on the importance of "talk" in the classroom and so when I found this article I thought it was a great connection to what we discussed in class. The article talks about the importance of purposeful talk in the classroom and how it allows students to be actively involved in the learning process. Two of the key components that must first be done by the teacher are to set a purpose and model the academic language and thinking that is needed to complete the task. After the purpose is set and the modeling is finished, student must have time to work with their peers. It is during this work time that students talk with one another using academic language and create meaning by being active learners. For me this article reminds us that "talk" in the classroom is a necessary part of the learning process for all students, not just English language learners. My classroom was always a place of active learning, a place where students were encouraged to talk about what they were learning and I found that when students could talk with their peers, they could explain the subject in a way that was meaningful and peer friendly. I also like that this article discusses ways that teachers can facilitate student talk such as, reciprocal teaching, collaborative posters ( I have never heard of this technique, but love it), and learning stations. I think that this article would be a great one to share with staff and school leaders, especially those that frown on "talk" in the classroom because there is too much learning to be done and not enough time.
"Speakaboos is an educational resource for the classroom and home.
Our award-winning videos teach reading skills, life lessons, and creativity in a fun and safe environment. Each story comes to life with educational worksheets, activities, and games. Speakaboos timeless tales are ideal for kids of any age."
Our topic next week is read-alouds and shared reading. This page has some activities dealing more with oral language, but the skills of summarizing, determining importance, sequencing and more are also in play.
Although none of us are currently teachers in Arizona, I thought this article hit close to home. In a nutshell, the Arizona curriculum (led by a Republican state education superintendent) is banning minority study type books because of a fear that teachers may not use them appropriately. So, even though schools need to teach a minority studies, they can still be removed if it is determined that by using an antiwhite curriculum to foster social activism. What a load of bunk when trying to shape young minds. Scary how quickly a government can decide what books to offer and not offer students, regardless of what political party you sway towards.