Systematic and Explicit Phonics Instruction
The most recent report from our National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2019) showed that nationwide 66% of our 4th students scored below proficient in reading. The highest-performing state showed 55% below proficiency. We know from decades of research how students learn to read, how to assess to identify those at risk, and what and how to teach so that the majority of our students can be successful, and systematic and explicit phonics instruction is a critical part of building literacy.
Phonological awareness is the foundation for orthographic mapping, which in turn is critical to meaningful reading. “Orthographic mapping is the brain’s process of linking sounds to letter sequences that establishes a memory of printed words, turning unfamiliar words into familiar words.” Students must “learn to read” before they can “read to learn” and need explicit and systematic teaching.” Unfortunately, many of our students do not have the foundation to learn through reading.
Elementary:
Can multi-syllabic words, morphology, and etymology lessons be incorporated into your subject areas, so that students can learn as they read? How?
Middle School:
In light of Four Simple Ways to Put the Science of Reading into Practice, what type of activities could you incorporate into your daily or weekly lessons, to facilitate your students’ learning as they read in your given subject area? Frame your response based on the activities.
Rebecca Minerd and Monelle Dalman
By the End of This Course You’ll Be Able To
Learners will understand the characteristics of an effective systematic and explicit phonics program.
Learners will gain a foundational understanding of English orthography.
Learners will be able to name and explain the role of the instructional components of an effective phonics program.
Why It Matters
The most recent report from our National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2019) showed that nationwide 66% of our 4th students scored below proficient in reading. The highest performing state showed 55% below proficiency. We know from decades of research how students learn to read, how to assess to identify those at risk, and what and how to teach so that the majority of our students can be successful, and systematic and explicit phonics instruction is a critical part of building literacy.
I noticed in Lessons 2 and 3 that the students were a bit older, particularly with the multi-syllabic and morphology lessons. I have already incorporated morphology and etymology into my new Book Creator Vocabulary Journals, but now would like to incorporate a multi-syllabic activity, as well! I think it will go a long way in filling some of the gaps in my 3rd-5th grade students!
ReplyDeleteI think the Book Creator activity will definitely help the students remember unfamiliar terms. I would be interested in seeing your journals. Maybe, I can implement it in my classroom; along with Spelling (Wordly Wise).
ReplyDeleteI agree Bynghum.
DeleteYes, multisyllabic words, morphology, and etymology lessons are incorporated into my subject areas: Social Studies/Reading. Currently, we are working on the Articles of Confederation and one of the words that the kids stumbled on was policies. They continued to say "police". So, I wrote both words on the board and had them to notice the difference in spellings. Then I had them to define both words and their meanings. Next, I asked them to select the word and definition that went along with the story. We also found the original word for policies with was "policy" and went over the definition and the plural form of the word, which looks like police. We divided the word into syllables, and we labeled VCCV sounds and decided if the word had any open or closed syllables. It took about 10 minutes to do this, but the kids realized the error that was being made with this word. This also occurred with Unity and we broke the word down to the base of Unite and did the same thing. Some students were saying untie at first or unit. Simple, short lessons or redirection will help them fix their mistakes.
ReplyDeleteIt is great you took time to do this! I love that you let students be the ones to notice the spelling differences and to define similar words. This was a great opportunity to help them figure out and empower themselves to fix their mistakes.
DeleteI concur! This is a critical activity for immediate learning and to learn the behavior for independent reading!
DeleteI plan to continue to include fun games and activities with multi-syllabic words in my reading clubs, but can also incorporate these with whatever class or grade I am with on a particular day. I can easily include morphology and etymology lessons as well, as I am reading texts and discussing vocabulary words and/or academic vocabulary with students.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of etymology, when wrapping up a lesson today, a third grader randomly asked, “Is the color orange named after the fruit or is it the other way around?” As they were turning in their assignment, I took a minute to look it up and found out that the color is named after the fruit and the word orange is from the old French word “pomme d’orange”. They loved learning the answer to the question and thought the French word was very fancy. Who would have thought a random and silly question would lead to a quick dive into etymology!
That is a great question! I didn't know the answer! Thanks for sharing.
DeleteI've found also that sometimes unscripted questions can lead to some very rich discussions.
DeleteOne of the strategies mentioned in the article, "Four Simple Ways to Put the Science of Reading into Practice" put a smile on my face because Empower has this one covered....Use Classroom Technology. Using Book Creator and tools like FLIP to name just a couple give students an opportunity to "play" and create using their vocabulary words. Technology also allows students to personalize their learning for deeper and more meaningful learning.
ReplyDeleteI love that all students at Empower have vocabulary or word journals! This is a great way for students to take ownership of their learning!
DeleteI like how you have also had students record themselves reading in Book Creator! Technology has created such great tools for teachers to use. It would even be awesome to reference back to those recordings at the end of the year and actually HEAR how much progress some of the students have made throughout the year!
DeleteI agree, we do a very good job of incorporating the SoR into our classrooms by using Technology.
DeleteWe have all learned that vocabulary is so important for building background knowledge. Using content words from science, social studies, and math is a great way to make connections across all subject areas. When introducing vocabulary in math, science, and social studies using a word attack strategy would be helpful for students. Break the words into syllables. Clap and repeat the syllables. Then examine the prefixes, roots, and suffixes. These vocabulary words could then be used in a paragraph or writing activity. This is a great way to streamline literacy throughout the day to maximize time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article posted that there is a huge need for educators to be given time, resources, and proper professional development before being tasked with implementing new systems or ways of teaching. If not done properly, it is difficult to reflect upon progress being made (or lack thereof) with the new systems and protocols.
ReplyDeleteFrom the slide deck, I really liked the idea and resources given on breaking down the vocabulary. The example used was parallel lines. They had students write the verbal definition, draw examples and non-examples, demonstrate examples and non-examples with their arms, and organize examples and non-examples into a t-chart. I particularly liked the idea of them showing it with their arms. While we can't do this with every concept, I felt this was a good way to quickly check understanding as well.
I love engaging the mind body connection when teaching vocabulary. There are often little movements, hand gestures, or even whole body movements that can be incorporated. I think my favorite part is watching during a test as students start making small motions to mimic the motions to help them recall terms and concepts.
DeleteAnd this can be used in Math.....:)
DeleteActing out vocabulary is my jam! I always through school thought how can I remember this concept, this word, this idea, and I always related this visually in my mind like a movie and/or acting it out using movement. When I do it with my students, they think I'm crazy, but boy do they remember what something means afterwards.
DeleteActing out vocabulary words as you mentioned Beth, and as mentioned by Jamie with parallel lines is so powerful. I use this to re-engage students when I feel they are not with me. I will say, "Let me see you grimace" or "Time for a respite" and this action on their part helps them circle back to the task at hand!
DeleteThe article mentions having district leaders guide implementation of SOR through high quality instruction, providing trusted resources to teachers, choosing the correct classroom technologies, and making strategic changes. As far as classroom implementation, we are blessed to have district backup in learning and utilizing the SOR across grade levels and content. We also are lucky to be on the forefront of using technology in the classroom to not only assist lower readers, but to help them improve over time. I love gamifying through multiple platforms so my student sometimes do not realize they are broadening their understanding. I believe that awareness of SOR is helping us to find those trusted resources and share them amongst our colleagues as well as making the strategic changes. It is all about the small steps. Take the extra 5 minutes to help students understand new vocabulary, challenge them to use it in dynamic ways, and watch their overall comprehension flourish.
ReplyDeleteIt is SO important to have proper guidance, support, and resources before trying new things. I agree that we are definitely on the forefront of the educational technology. I always say that before I came to Empower, I thought I knew a lot about EdTech, but being here has shown me how much I still have to learn! If I feel that way, I can only imagine all the technology learning there is left in the overall field of education!
DeleteI have recently started to highlight multi-syllabic words when introducing new musical concepts in all or my classes, even my Friday Explorer's club. I will show the word, say the word, we will break it down, discuss the parts and whole, the meanings and compare it to previous learned academic language that might have an opposite or similar meaning. We will then *listen to how the word works in music and in some cases, *perform the new word by following the definition with a given musical example.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THIS. Incorporating SoR into all content areas!
DeleteI’ve often thought that breaking down multi-syllabic words and discussing syllables was similar to breaking down a rhythm and clapping it. Music and movement can help students to learn and be used in any subject area. Letting them listen to and perform the word in a musical example is great for helping them have a deeper understanding of musical vocabulary.
DeleteGreat idea! The students need to see the connections of breaking apart words happen in every subject.
DeleteMulti-syllabic words, morphology, and etymology are taught in my classroom through direct instruction when we look at our spelling words which follow a different pattern every week, as well as our vocabulary/wordly wise words. For our science and social studies passages, I have seen the students frequently look at the first one or two syllables and guess at the word, which often is a totally different word/meaning because of the overlooked suffix. We will go back and break the word down into syllables and discuss the morphemes as well. This increases their comprehension of the science/social studies material as well.
ReplyDeleteI believe that they can be incorporated into Kindergarten and First grade subject areas throughout the day. As we encounter words through our conversations, phonics lessons and books I take time to explain what a word means if I think they do not understand. We also are working on syllables and types of syllables. I am working on being more cognizant of incorporating these throughout the day. After doing the Cox lessons I have gone to the Reading Rockets website to do some more research on my own to help me discover more ways to help my students.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Share what you have learned with us! Thanks
DeleteI have also explored reading rockets and found some very useful information!
DeleteThey do have a lot of resources! Angela, here is a link to the morphology blog posts I read: https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-on-literacy/what-should-morphology-instruction-look https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-on-literacy/morphology-training-better-phonics-instruction Here is an article I read about syllable https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/spelling-and-word-study/articles/six-syllable-types
DeleteI wish I was taught more phonics and morphology in college and in my early years of teaching. However, what I now know about the science of reading has made me a better teacher and I can only go forward. You can definitely teach multi-syllabic words, morphology, and etymology lessons throughout all subject areas and I do. Second graders are at the age where they are moving towards more of reading to learn and not just learning to read. It is very exciting for them but it can also be challenging. Like Bynghum stated above, taking time to stop a lesson and decode a word is always beneficial. I incorporate Science and Social Studies into reading anyways, so it all blends seamlessly. I know I struggled to learn to read as a child (I learned with whole language) and I am glad I am able to teach a phonics and phonemic awareness through the science of reading.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I hope that explicit phonics is or will be added to undergrad education programs so that teachers can go into the field being prepared to teach. I did not learn phonics as a student, nor did I have any training on it in college. When I started teaching my first year in first grade, I was SO SCARED! I am so thankful that my school used Saxon Phonics at that time! I was learning all these rules along with the students. I hope our education system can start doing a better job with this as more educators are learning the Science of Reading.
DeleteI also regret not having studied phonological awareness, morphology, and etymology more extensively during college. However, my understanding in these areas is growing as I delve deeper into the Science of Reading. As I learn more it allows me to better assist my students. I wonder if it might be better that I am learning these concepts now, as there is a greater amount of research and a growing awareness of the Science of Reading among educators. .
DeleteWe took one of our AI generated SS/Vocabulary passages this week and dissected it in my 6th grade class. The passage had small paragraphs, so we took it paragraph by paragraph. Students read aloud, then we went back to highlight any vocabulary words that were included and underlined any other words that could be unfamiliar. Some students as they read came to larger multi-syllabic words and adjusted their reading rate blending syllables together. That word was "revolutionized." First complimenting the student for his word attack strategy, then dissecting the word itself. Students recognized "revolution" and discussed what they knew about that word. We discussed how the ending adjusted the meaning and then talked about how the word "revolutionized" impacted the meaning of the sentence. Students are starting to be able to use these skills in their independent reading to tackle unfamiliar multisyllabic words and improve their reading comprehension.
ReplyDeleteI love how you are providing such great opportunities for your students to practice! It is fantastic that the students are becoming more independent at using the skills they have learned to tackle unfamiliar words.
DeleteOkay I am going to add this practice to my health lessons. I often direct them to an academic article to read on their own. Now I have some tools to help them decode unfamiliar words in the text.
DeleteThis really provides a clear picture of how to implement, and like Cori, I want to use this as well. Is there a certain program you use to create? I've mostly used Diffit. Also, do you do this with regular frequency?
DeleteMulti-syllabic words, morphology and etymology is definitely used in upper elementary and middle science and math. I don't think of it as "What lesson am I going to teach today using morphology?" I see it happening naturally when we are reading and come across vocabulary and terms many may not be familiar with or even if they are familiar. For example, percent-we break down the word per and cent and talk about how it relates to the concept of finding percentages. But to be honest, I don't intentionally think in my lesson, I'm going to do this or that when it comes to some of terms. It just happens naturally. I think a more intentional approach may help when working with the students. I don't want to do a vocabulary book, so maybe I'll find word games or puzzles related to the terms we are using in class. Any other ideas?
ReplyDeleteI found the article very interesting. I think it is important to realize that this struggle definitely increased due to the pandemic, but it also preceded it. The author's ending statement that not all classrooms are the same was definitely a takeaway that resonated with me. In my classroom, I strive to support readers and increase comprehension, but there are many things I could improve upon and include with greater fidelity. Four ways I would like to improve my integration of reading support in my classroom are as follows. First, I would like to provide more graphic organizers. We use many in class, but in evaluation of them, few are specifically designed to support reading skills, most are content specific. I have recently found a "vocabulary throwdown" template that utilizes a number of graphic organizers to have students evaluate and "own" vocabulary words. I have also integrated the new frayer model that Curipod has introduced. I would like to use more of the resource available in Diffit as well. I have mostly focused on the ability to place these quick readings in a google form, but I know there are many more uses indicative to the platform. Second, I believe I often note morphology in discussions, but this is an instance I could definitely incorporate with higher fidelity. I would like to perhaps set aside a warm up each week or another specific time to devote to this. Third, I would like to offer increased exposure to these words. As my lessons are currently set, I devote the initial day of a new unit to vocabulary instruction. It was noted in the attached resources that daily time devoted to vocabulary instruction is important. While I mention vocabulary as we move through the unit, I could certainly do this in a more planned manner. Finally, the strategy of posting the words is something I'd like to extend on. While students do have the words posted in their google classroom via the vocabulary instruction done at the start of each unit, and quizlets are included, it made me think that in face to face instruction, I always had a word wall. I would like to begin integrating virtual word walls into each unit within my classroom website. By implementing these strategies, I hope to better support and encourage reading instruction in a systematic way within my classroom.
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to incorporate this into my lessons when identifying the lesson objective. Often there is a multi-syllabic word in the objective. We use our equipment to clap out the syllables. I will begin to identify each syllable type as well. By incorporating this practice outside of their reading lesson will begin to draw additional connections.
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