Happy Friday Everyone!
This week was our first official "normal" week of school. Each day we've had a 25-minute Morning Meeting then a series of four different 20-minute mini-lessons for reading, writing, science, and math. Finally, we've met back up at 2:30 for a final read aloud and to say goodbye. The kids' attitudes and energy has been wonderful - especially given the circumstances. Today I asked them to tell me their very favorite part of this week. They told me they enjoyed doing Jamboards with Mr. Martin, talking with friends during lunch, writing stories, creating art, and seeing me (this one earned a brownie point!). I told the kids my favorite part was seeing them smile and laugh so often. I'll say this many times over the coming two years and it will be sincere each and every time I do: Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful kids with me. It's truly an honor to spend my days with them - even when they go off mute!
For this week's newsletter I'd like to focus on the work we are doing as readers. This will help you better understand what we're learning in the classroom as well as support you as you read with your child at home.
Reading Workshop
Our focus for these next couple of weeks is going to largely center on naming and implementing the multiple strategies we need to use when solving unknown words. Too often, when I ask children what they do when they come to a word they don't know they quickly say "I sound it out." That's the response we likely shared as well back when we were in second grade.
However, it's really not the best strategy at all. Not even close. Focusing on individual letter sounds is incredibly confusing much of the time because English is such a complex language with lots of rules - many of which get broken on a regular basis. Chances are, if you can "sound out" a difficult word it's because you already know what it is and which sound each letter will make in this particular instance.
So, what strategies and clues SHOULD the kids access when coming to a word they don't know? That's precisely what we're working now to find out. Here is a list of the strategies we've uncovered so far...
We are discovering these as we work through texts together and try to figure out hidden or missing words along the way. Here's a couple of the texts we've been using this week.
As you can see, in each case the kids have very few (if any) letters/sounds to work with. Yet, they are still often able to identify the word. And if they don't find the exact same word as in the text they DO find a word with a similar meaning that still allows them to create meaning from what they're reading. And that's what reading is all about - creating meaning from a text.
Our list is very much still in progress. We'll continue to find more and more strategies and clues that are available to us as readers when encountering words we don't know. As you sit alongside your child listening to them read, prompt them to use these very same strategies. It's one of many ways you can continue supporting their incredible growth as readers.
Have a great weekend,
Chris
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