Strategies
I approach teaching literacy by first establishing a foundation of understanding. This begins with their funds of knowledge from their homes and prior experiences, and expands with what is gathered from texts, literature, and other sources of information. As we go along, our understanding of central themes, main topics and important information is analyzed, synthesized, and charted. Discussing important themes, debating central topics, and transforming knowledge are central activities in the teaching-learning process.
My school district requires teachers to implement specific instructional strategies for teaching reading and writing. The Foundation for California Extended Literacy Learning (Exll) framework is adapted for the upper grades at the elementary level and targets the needs of struggling readers and writers. They are best practices for the integration of content area and language arts curriculum. The following activities follow a design that begins with the teacher as the model and facilitator. As the reading and writing activities progress, there's a gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to support the student to become an independent reader and writer who is able to interpret and critically analyze information.
In addition to the Exll framework to deliver instruction, my school is mandated by the state department of education to follow the America's Choice curriculum for writing (Writers Advantage) for not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as prescribed by No Child Left Behind. Each writing project is aligned to language arts and social studies standards, benchmarks for fifth grade. I will incorporate the writing rubrics and supplementary activities in Writers Advantage in preparation for the writing activities. The rubric for writing a picture memoir will serve as a tool to assess and evaluate the student writing in a fair and objective way. Class time will be devoted to reading, analyzing and using the rubric so that it can be a tool used by the students to self- and peer-evaluate the final written product.
Foundational Literacy Learning Activities
The following descriptions will highlight how I plan to incorporate the Exll framework into my curricular unit. Joined to the description of each element in the framework are suggestions for literature and other extensions for learning activities which incorporate multiple intelligences and strategies for language and identity development.
Read Aloud
I am thrilled that I have found culturally authentic literature that represents the experiences of Latino immigrant children, young adults and families. I plan to use a number of picture books, narratives, and poetry when I read aloud to the students. Read aloud occurs daily and is an anchor in my two- hour literacy block. During this time, the students are seated comfortably on the floor as I read to them. While I am reading I am modeling what a good reader does (previews the text and illustrations, makes predictions, asks questions, clarifies, identifies the topics or themes of what is being read, and makes connections). I also try to structure discussions about the book (vocabulary, characters, personal experiences, writing style, etc.). This gives them an opportunity to view how to analyze what was read. These initial reading activities are supportive in nature, encouraging students to identify and use key vocabulary, compare and contrast the content of the book, and formulate their own understanding. Immediately following this activity, students independently write in their Reading Response Logs to reflect on what they have heard and discussed. I allow my students to write in either English or Spanish, in the language they feel most comfortable to write and express their ideas.
To provide some examples of what books I plan to use during read aloud, I will highlight three books published by Children's Book Press. These books present sensitive and accurate portrayals of the stages of uprooting for young Latino immigrants. They are beautifully illustrated, written in English and Spanish by Latino authors, and will engage students to reflect on their experiences and bicultural identities in several different ways.
In My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aquí hasta allá, Amanda Irma Pérez writes about her own journey as a girl crossing the border with the help of her family. In her diary Amanda records her fears, hopes, and dreams for their lives in the United States. At the end of the story, Amanda has acculturated to life in the U.S. Amanda writes, "Just because I'm away from Juárez and Michi, it does not mean they're not with me. They are here in your pages and in the language that I speak; and they are in my memory and my heart. Papá was right. I am stronger than I think - in Mexico, in the States anywhere." This is an authentic immigrant story. Many immigrant children can relate to her feelings about leaving her country and being separated from her father.
A Movie in My Pillow/Una película en mi almohada is a collection of 21 poems written by Jorge Argueta. In these poems Jorge Argueta describes what life was like for him in his native country of El Salvador, his experiences of being an immigrant, and his delight in living in San Francisco's Mission District. The poem "When We Left El Salvador" will touch the heart of immigrant children from countries in war. Toward the end of the book, Jorge reunites with his family and acculturates. Along with reading these poems I will familiarize my students to some facts about El Salvador: an estimated 500,000 Salvadorans immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980's because of civil war. I have a photographic book, El Salvador that presents a map of El Salvador, its history of civil war, and several photographs of children in the war-torn country. I will present the map to the students, and select an image/ images and direct the students to write a reflection on what they see in the photograph. They can also imagine a story using what they see in the photograph as clues to write from the child's perspective (in first person).
The Upside Down Boy/ El niño de cabeza is Juan Felipe Herrera's memoir of the year his migrant family moved to the city so that he could go to school for the first time. Juanito is not an immigrant himself but his parents are. When he enters school he only speaks Spanish. After adjusting to school, learning new routines, getting to know his teachers, and speaking in English, he doesn't feel so shy and so "upside down."
During or after read aloud when students make connections, use post-it notes to capture the connections students make. Later, when students read the book during independent reading, they can read the connections that were made by their peers. This instructional strategy explicitly demonstrates how to interact with the text and models how to use post-it notes during independent reading (a reading strategy I want them to adopt). Another tie-in would be to present the stages of uprooting to students and direct them to identify the stages the characters are in and why (search for clues). They could also reflect on the stages of uprooting they have gone through (if they are immigrants to the U.S.) or someone they know, and share with the class in a discussion.
Shared Reading
During shared reading activities, the students and I read out loud a piece of text. Again, I model good reading behaviors and provide a guided discussion of what is being read. This type of reading gives support to those students who are not yet at grade level and helps build fluency. Fiction and non-fiction literature can be utilized in this activity to help build vocabulary and conceptual understanding. Some of the literature is in Spanish to create an inclusive learning community. I predict that my Spanish monolingual students will have powerful connections to share with the class.
After they read fictional literature such as short narratives and poetry, students will have opportunities for reflection and analysis. Some questions that could follow the reading are: How is this author's experience or ideas like yours, or different from yours? How do you feel about living in the United States? Why did people come here? Why did your family immigrate to Santa Fe? Shared reading activities also offer support in reading non-fiction texts/ literature. I plan to use informational texts that present American history through the lens of immigration.
Guided Reading
During Guided Reading, I work with small groups of students who are similar in their development of the reading process and are able to read about the same level of text in either Spanish or English, depending on the group and the text. I give varying degrees of support to the readers. Within each group, each child reads the selected portion of the text. This activity is intended to provide students the support they need so that they can accelerate to reading independently.
Independent Reading
During independent reading, students are reading independently for approximately twenty-five minutes (per session) while I am conferencing (concerning reading skills and strategies) with students one-on-one. I plan to create a reading corner which will display the books we have/ will read in this unit. From a few of the books, I may just read excerpts as a read aloud or in shared reading. This reading activity offers students an opportunity to read more of the book or poetry that interests them personally. Students will select a book from the reading corner and read independently each day during the course of the nine weeks. Immediately following Independent Reading, students will write in their Reading Response Logs (refer to Independent Writing activities).
Directed Writing
This element includes Interactive Editing and Interactive Writing. I share and participate in the writing process with students, modeling and providing support as needed. During this time I may also teach specific skills and strategies based upon observations of students during Independent Writing (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, subject-predicate agreement, spelling, etc.).
To compliment the shared reading activities, extend their comprehension, and strengthen their language skills, students will be engaged in Interactive Editing. During this activity, students read a selected text (shared reading) and identify the important words. These words are highlighted and added to a word bank. After the entire text has been read and all the words are identified, we rewrite the text (Interactive Writing) to produce a summary written in their own words. I will utilize Interactive Writing to provide models on how to respond to texts and literature that is read and how to synthesize information. The students and I "share the pen" during Interactive Writing. Together the class completes some type of writing (usually on large chart paper). I use this time to teach writing concepts. The goal behind Interactive Writing is that the students will use skills they learn during this activity and apply them in their Independent Writing. This is when I also encourage the students to "resource the room" - which means use all the clues in the room to help them find words with which they are having trouble writing.
Independent Writing
The Oral History and an Illustrated Third Person Memoir projects are independent writing projects. Students write on their own, follow the Writing Process, using the room as a resource. I do not usually provide too much assistance during this time. This is the students' time to show the strategies and skills they have acquired through Interactive Writing. Students also write in their Reading Response Logs as a daily Independent Writing activity. After students have read independently, they write a summary (using strategies in Interactive Editing) of what they have read and make connections to the reading. This is used as an assessment tool to gauge students' reading comprehension, and to evaluate their writing and analysis skills.
Oral Presentation
This element gives students an opportunity to present information by themselves or as a group to an audience. Throughout this unit, students will orally present their adapted poems, participate in Reader's Theater, and present the Oral Histories and Memoirs. I plan to organize an activity for peer-evaluation of these projects. Their peers will evaluate their oral presentation skills following a rubric for oral presentations. This element provides students an opportunity to strengthen their language development overall.
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