Group items tagged

This article tells about 10 free internet tools that can be used to build vocabulary skills. These tools can be used in a variety of classrooms for any grade level.

I absolutely love the "combine vocabulary learning and social service" part of this article. The website, freerice.com, is an amazing way to motivate the student to practice their vocabulary. Every time the user gets a vocabulary definition correct the website donates 10 grains of rice through the United Nations World Food Programme! I remember using this years ago when someone posted it to a social media site, and I stayed on it until I'd gotten 600 pieces of rice donated. I definitely want to do this as a fun activity with my student. Thanks for posting this!

Excellent choice. Hoping folks use these tips and try them out when they are applicable.

This article is about writing in early childhood education. The authors describe four stages of emergent writing and how they fall around the alphabetic principle. They give examples of four children's writing within these stages. There are suggestions for how preschool teachers can scaffold all stages.

writing early "emergent writing" scaffolding "stages of emergent writing" stages

Study of Development of Vocabulary

How does this seem like it would be useful? Why would someone read it? Is it applicable to your student at this time?

This article provides a seven step approach to spelling instruction that encourages word study based on the words students experience in their daily writing activities. It focuses on shifting spelling instruction from a focus on the number of words spelled correctly to developing an understanding of how words work.

I love this article. Spelling is so much more than memorizing and the author is right when she says that the words the student don't master on Friday are forgotten by Monday. That is why we work on blends, digraphs, onsets, and rimes. I also love the part about how spelling affects self-esteem and vocabulary as well. Awesome information!

This article really got me thinking about spelling and how it affects a students writing confidence. I like how it is an analyzing of words approach rather than just memorization. I think the chart fort student analyzing could be useful but I might change the wording to be more kid friendly.

This article shares a strategy that teachers in a preschool, kindergarten or first grade classroom can use. The strategy involves the use of the children's drawing and writing a message on the drawing. There are components such as self-talk and materials like highlighters used to draw lines to create ideas.

emergent writing "emergent writing" "zone of proximal development" "sentences" "word spacing"

This article explores the use of iPads in teaching literacy, and the importance of aligning the technology to the best teaching practices and the curriculum.

This is a great website that gives you a lot of knowledge about Reading Recovery Program. It talks about the background knowledge of it, who it is for, how it helps and even the cost. Great website to learn about this program.

This article is about word study and different techniques that a teacher can use with a student who need help in this particular area.

This article gave great examples of sorting the different types of words into categories. For example, when two words that sound the same have different meanings (their and there). It also expresses different spelling patterns that the children will encounter. Words that end in "or," "er," and "ar." This article explains that studying words of more than one syllable offers opportunities to build awareness of how language is used in narrative writing.

Read 180 video - description of benefits and explanation of program

This information is from the What Works Clearing House and this site has an overview of PALS with program information about the scope of use and teaching, research, effectiveness and references associated with the program. 

Another great website to learn about this program and give you a good insight of how it works and why people use it. Has great question and answer document. It has a lot of common questions and their answers to them for quick reading. Good website to check out!

An overview of strategies for integrating various technological mediums into the classrooms and educators' perceptions on strategies and technology in general.

Research study on development of emergent writing skills in preschoolers

An article discussing the results of a study investigating the effectiveness of combining technology and traditional vocabulary strategies in L2 vocabulary acquisition. Overall results point towards technology (specifically Mywordtools) integration being beneficial in L2 vocabulary learning

"How to Act Out a Story" Strategies dealing with the benefits of action out a story

I like this idea of acting out the story. It would be fun for students while also getting them to think about details from the story. I think it would be a great activity to work on comprehension.

I really like this idea! I think it would be a good way to get kids moving around and excited about reading! Also a good alternative to assessing comprehension.

This website has metacognitive strategies that enhances reading comprehension and vocabulary with students in the 3rd grade. This website also talks about the importance and instruction of metacognitive strategies.

This article presents a strategy to use with upper elementary or middle school students to help them use the context of a word to find out the meaning. The authors combined two strategies of using context clues and semantic gradients to help students make the vocabulary-to-comprehension connection explicit.

David James's argument of importance of Writing Workshops

Love this one!

Advanced Children's Literature Course from UNI. Author Studies assignment posts on this blog.

are these units? what do they include?

This blog has posts about authors of multicultural themed books. There is a description of the author, background, biographical and writing style information as well as a list of their books.

components of text that can make it comples