Chapter Three of the Next Step: Non-readers and Emergent Guided Reading Tips, Skills and a Couple of Freebies

Chapter 3: The Next Step

You know, I tell myself every year, “this summer, you’re not going to do a book study.”  And every summer, of course, I do and I never regret it because, quite honestly, every time (so far) I’ve learned new things or have been able to tweek what I’m currently doing to make things better in my classroom.  This year is no exception.  I am LOVIN’ this book and these ideas because it really does attend to all the readiness levels in my class and I can totally see how I can make it work in my room.  Luckily, I get to host this week’s chapter along with Jeannie from Kindergarten Lifestyles , Mandy from A Special Kind of Class and Lidia from KinderAlphabet and it’s a BIG one.  So get yourself a comfortable spot, a cool beverage and be ready for some good information.  

Chapter 3 talks about Pre-A or Non-Readers
and
Emergent or Readers of levels A-C
So what’s the difference and how do we address their needs differently.

So let’s start with Pre-A and Richardson suggest for these students.  Richardson does a nice job of breaking out how much time you will need  for your lesson and each lesson component as well as materials and checklists that you are going to want to keep on hand for this group.

And…..letter magnets….I have the plastic colored ones that you can buy almost anywhere,  but I prefer this kind  for working with a chart or later making words.  They seem to ‘fit’ better.  You can get them from Amazon (free shipping too!). Just click on the picture if you need more information on this type.

 I often use the other plastic kind for sorting, but changing them up by using letter beads to keep my kinders engaged.

Now I know that some of you have letter charts and that’s all good and fine, but Richardson suggests that your chart should match your word wall letters and pictures and mine DID NOT.  So, of course, I had to make a new one up.  If you’d like this chart, it’s my gift to you FREE.  Just click on the picture.  It comes in black and white.

Here’s some activities that she suggest for each of the four components involved with Pre-A Lessons:

PRE-A Lesson FormatWorking With Letters (3-4 Minutes):

• Match The Letters In the Bag: Place multiple sets of magnetic or other letters in a bag and match them up.
• Match letters to an alphabet chart-Students get a chart and several letters in a bag and match them up.  

• Match Caps with Lowercase Letters-Place several sets in a bag for matching.  Have your chart available if needed.
• Sort by color. (I actually do this with my letter beads.  You can get a FREE copy of my bead starter pack to get you started  below by clicking on the picture.)
• Name letters left to right-Just line them up and name them quickly…you can even say ‘beat the clock; and make a game
• Name a word that begins with that letter-Students pick a letter and give you a word.
• Name a letter that begins with a word-Teachers say or word or use picture cards and have students pick a random card to tell you with which letter it begins.
• Find the letter that makes the sound. -Teachers give a sound and students find the letter.

• Clapping syllables-Use picture cards or just say the word.  I actually use the picture cards from my word family packets, but I have a small sample for you to use hear if you’d like. I also try and make it a bit more fun by using finger claps, clickers or whatever you have laying around.

 

• Working With Rhymes:  Again, I use picture cards from my word family sets and say two words.  If they rhyme, students can put up their thumb or use these ‘thumbs up, thumbs down’ symbols from my word family unit that I place on craft sticks.

 

(As independent practice, I place these same cards in a station for students to sort into buckets or onto clothesline to make it more kinesthetic and engaging.)

Move this lesson to your independent stations after for more practice.

Mix it up and make it kinesthetic by letting students sort and pin their responses.

• Picture Sorts:  Students sort pictures by initial sound

Working With Books (5 Minutes):

Here’s another thing Richardson insists is necessary for these young ones that have not mastered their letters yet:

That means your small alphabet chart

should match your large, classroom alphabet posters,

which will match your word wall letter headers

and finally your alphabet tracing book.

Of course, I have students practicing tracing letters consistently throughout the beginning of the year when they do know fluently recognize them but have I ever had every student without 40 letters or more sit with a ‘tutor’ and trace an ABC book such as the one described here…ummmmm NO.  Am I willing to try it?  Of course.  I currently use my Top Bananas letter mastery program to get my students recognizing their letters fluently and it works well as a pre-curser to Ball Words (sight word master)

but IF  I can get a volunteer to come in everyday and sit and trace letters with my students, would I try this, absolutely.  My problem is that lately, we do not have that kind of readily available, reliable and consistent support in our kindergarten classrooms. And because this is something that should be done outside of guided reading, I’m not sure how it will get accomplished.

I don’t have a ABC book that matches my word wall letters and pictures so I made one up here and I’m offering it to you in case you need one too. You can get it in either plain letters without lines or with lines.  I prefer without lines personally because I think it’s too confusing for some of my kinders in the beginning, but I know some of you like it. And it’s for you….and only you because you follow my blog for FREE.  Just click on the pictures.

Richardson emphasis the need for all these components to match in order to minimize confusion and create a stronger connection between the letter and beginning sound.  If you’d like to grab the posters and editable name plates that go with these, they are available as a complete package.  Click on the pictures below to see everything. I have two different versions.

EMERGENT GUIDED READING LESSONS

Again, Richardson maps out the time and materials you’re going to need very nicely.

There is a two day plan for emergent guided reading lessons that Richardson suggests.

Day 1
Sight word review (1-2 Minutes): Students practice three previously taught sight words. (You’ll be assessing during this time to see who has mastered these words and who still hasn’t.)

Introduction (3-4 Minutes):

• Talk about main idea
• Story Walk
• Introduce new vocabulary

Read the Story (5-8 Minutes):

• Students read independently: Students should read the book several times for this time period.  (Listen to see if they are using strategic behaviors to solve problems. You will be taking notes during this time.)

Teaching Points (1-2 Minutes):

• Use your observation notes to teach and reteach strategies.

Teach One Sight Word (1-2 Minutes):

• You will not move on to a new sight word until first one is firm.
• Follow the activities below everyday with every word in this sequence:
  • What’s Missing:  Write the word and and remove letters for students to replace.
  • Mix and Fix:  Students get the letters to make the new word.
  • Table Writing:  Students use their fingers to write the word on the table.
  • Whiteboards: Students write the word on the whiteboard saying the word as they write.

Word Study Work (3-5 Minutes)

• Picture sorts-(If you have my Word Families Galore Bundles, these picture sorts are right in there that you can use for these.)
  • Level A-initial sounds
  • Level B-medial short vowels (a and o)
  • Level C-medial short vowels (i, e and u)

• Making Words
  • Level A-use to letters to start adding the initial letter to make a new word.
  • Level B-Take three letters and make a word and then make the rhyming words that go with it so you are only changing the beginning sound
  • Level C-Take three letters to make one word and then change beginning and ending letters to make new words.
• Sound boxes: Use sound boxes for students to write the sounds they hear.

***For ‘sound boxes’ I like use paint sample cards.  You can get them in 1, 2, 3, 4 and even 5 boxes, and they just seem to hold my kiddos’ interest a little better than some plain old black and white squares.

***You can extend making words activities with independent, self-correcting bead work or with the word family galore’s ‘say-make’write’ mats). (Click on any of the pictures below to get more information.)

 

 

 For making words work:

Word Families Galore-Use play-doh stamps, magnets or beads to extend practice

Or tap into your students interest  . . . .

By offering lots of options for practice, you can keep students engaged.

Day 2
Sight Word Review (1-2 Minutes)

• Same procedure as Day 1

Familiar Reading (5-8 Minutes):

• Use same books as Day 1. If students are able to read this book quickly and easily, give them other familiar books to read.

Teaching Point (1 Minute):

• Same procedure as Day 1

Sight Word (1 Minute):

• Teach same sight word from Day 1 following same procedure and sequence of activities

Guided Writing (8-10 Minutes):

• Dictate a sentence to students with new sight word included and appropriate challenges for the group.
  • Level A: Simple 3-5 word sentence.
  • Level B:  5-7 word sentence
  • Level C: 7-10 word sentence
• Students repeat the sentence several times.  Drawing a line for each word. (This helps them to remember to use spaces between words.)
• Sight words must be spelled correctly
• Encourage them to take risks (inventive spelling ok here).

And there you have it.  TONS of information and even more charts and templates in the book to get you started.  Of course I’m thinking all kinds of thoughts about organization and keeping things differentiated.  Easy of transitioning from one group to another…you name it.  But I’ll save those ideas for a post in the future.  This one is SOOOOO long, it needs to be put to bed.Remember, if you need the whole set including classroom posters and editable name plates, they are available by clicking below:

 

Definitely, leave me any questions, ideas or thoughts you have so I can follow up in another blog. Also, if you’d like to link up your own posts about this chapter, make sure you do it right below.  I’ll be checking out all your ideas. And don’t forget to head over to Jeannie’s and Mandy’s blogs for more great ideas on this chapter.

I hope you found some good information you can use from this chapter.  I know I did.