I love teaching vocabulary to students, my background both as a kinesthetic learner and a lover of ASL helps me to think of creative ways to incorporate both into a lesson whenever I can. The students' usually respond positively. After teaching this lesson, my goals are to come up with creative ways to assess what they have learned in vocabulary lessons as well as to focus on using the classroom management techniques that are already in place.
For this lesson I focused on reading, specifically on new vocabulary as I introduced the story to the students. Using the text, Nicky and the Rainy Day, I taught the students to words impossible, cliff, and boring. Utilizing a technique that I learned about in my Children's Literature course, I started the lesson with a quick book talk where I tried to get the students excited about the text. Instantly they were engaged, they could not wait to read this book! It worked! I addressed the vocabulary they would encounter in the text and taught the definitions using corresponding hand motions/ASL. The students then taught each other the definitions and then we read the book. The students would stop when they heard the vocabulary words and recite the definitions. I stopped and asked the students HOT questions and (because I can't pass up an opportunity to practice inferencing skills) asked them at various points to share what they thought would happen next. Then the students returned to their seats and got out their reader response journals and defined the three words either using words or an illustration.
I love teaching vocabulary to students, my background both as a kinesthetic learner and a lover of ASL helps me to think of creative ways to incorporate both into a lesson whenever I can. The students' usually respond positively. After teaching this lesson, my goals are to come up with creative ways to assess what they have learned in vocabulary lessons as well as to focus on using the classroom management techniques that are already in place.
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In this lesson, I introduced labeling in nonfiction text. I read the book Bugs to the students while showing them the labeling on the pictures and pointing out predetermined vocabulary words: head, thorax, abdomen, and antennae.
Reflection: For this lesson, I chose the book Bugs because it was recommended to me by my cooperative teacher to use to teach this lesson. The Kindergarten classes are currently working on nonfiction text as well discussing insects in science and my cooperative teacher and I wanted to keep the students on track with their unit objectives. This book complimented my goals by having clearly labeled pictures of insects which allowed for me to continually model reading labels in nonfiction texts. Additionally, I found that most of the students were engaged in the text because of the interesting facts that were presented. I noted that after my lesson was done and my cooperating teacher asked the students what facts they thought were interesting, most of them were able to name at least one. The knowledge that I have gained from Teaching Children’s Literature was so valuable to me in developing and putting this lesson into practice. Before I have fully decided on reading Bugs I evaluated the text using the criteria in the Huck textbook and found that it was quality children’s nonfiction. (Not to say my cooperative teacher would ever steer me wrong!) Additionally, before I taught the lesson, I practiced reading the text to my husband and dog, focusing on fluency and intonation. Finally, I was sure to ask open-ended questions throughout the read aloud to drive home the intended learning goal. All of these aspects I have learned throughout Teaching Children’s Literature. Analysis: Overall, I think my lesson went well. Based on the feedback that I received from both my supervisor and from my cooperating teacher, I think this was the best lesson I have taught so far. The students seemed to be genuinely engaged in the text and were looking at the pictures and labels to be able to point out differences in the insects. The pre-reading activities, in my opinion, was the strongest point in the lesson. Anytime the students are able to move their bodies to help learn a definition, they seem to be more engaged in the lesson. One of the challenges I did face though was having to have one of my students removed from the lesson because he was starting to throw a fit. I was however grateful that the ESE specialist was in the room to assist me. I also made the mistake of allowing students to get up out of their squares to come and point to the book and then towards the end trying to keep them in their seats. Looking back, I should have chosen one or the other and been consistent. In this lesson, I taught vocabulary using the text Jonathan and His Mommy. My objective was for students to be able to define five vocabulary words pulled from the text.
Reflection: In this lesson there were a few things that I didn't expect to happen. For example, I was not planning on having the students turn and teach each other the definitions, but last minute I chose to have them do that and it ended up working out great! If I was going to teach this lesson again, I would focus on classroom management and utilize the techniques that I CT already has in place. Overall, this lesson was successful! The kinesthetic hand motions that I added to the vocabulary words really drove the meaning of the words home. Analysis: My stated objective was mastered. Even later in the day, one of my students was describing something to me and she used the word humongous and showed me the hand motions. The students are already used to making kinesthetic connections to abstract concepts. This lesson fit right into how they were already learning. The students were actively listening for the vocabulary words to stop and give the definition. They were able to do this most of the time. Every once and awhile, I had to stop and remind them of the word, but as soon as they were prompted, they recited the correct definition. Overall, this lesson was a huge success, much better than my last one. |
Mrs. randolph*For the purposes of this blog, all student and faculty names have been changed to protect their privacy. All identifying information has been removed.* Archives
March 2017
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