Using the Analogy Strategy with Keywords for Sleuthing of Phonics, Spelling, and Writing Success across the Content Areas

Dr. Elaine Roberts, Ph.D.

Word Discoveries and Writing

Wuns he got it on to his hors he left.

I em batman for Halwen.

Assessment:

The idea is written in a basic sentence and a picture. Basic details are present in the text and illustrations work to enhance the main idea. The text contains real words. Text and pictures are understandable to the reader.

Students Turn and Talk to share why Reading and Writing must make sense!

During conferencing they read what they write and discuss creative revisions and editing ideas.

Focus on Student Names during Interactive Writing Warm up activities: One child’s name is the focus for a whole group activity each day. Write the

name on 2 sentence strips and cut one of the strips into onset-rime/spelling

patterns. The class shows the teacher where to cut the strips.

Put the strips in mixed order in a pocket chart and have students spell the name and put the letters of the onsets and spelling patterns in correct order. Example: Pablo would be cut into pab-lo and could be lopab on the chart. (The /ab/ spelling pattern could come from the keyword “lab” and the spelling pattern /o/ could come from the keyword “go”). For social studies the chart could contain places or names, i.e. A-bra-ham.

Students Turn and Talk with a partner about why discovering the beginning letter sound(s) and spelling patterns in words can help them pronounce and spell words when reading and writing.

Then the word in the correct spelling order is placed in the chart or class names graph. The graph is used for discussions about the importance of discovering chunks, letter sounds, spelling patterns, and common features in words

• Next, create a personal chart for the child.

The child is interviewed by the teacher who models how to question. Do you have any pets? Etc. The students then ask the child questions. The teacher write the answers on the chart.

The class selects a favorite answer to rewrite together as a complete sentence. The teacher asks the students to hold up fingers to count how many words are needed to write the sentence.

After writing the sentence they Turn and Talk with a partner, stretch the child’s name, discuss discovered letter-sounds and spelling patterns in the child’s name, etc. They share their discoveries with the class.

Example sentence, Maria loves cats. Lines can be used to represent letter sounds and the spelling pattern can be boxed in. The child can write in their name. For example, _ _ _ _ _ loves cats. Students practice writing the name and discussing features in the word. Corrective magic tape can be used to cover incorrect spellings. Revisions can be added to the sentence.

• Finally, create a class made book based on the interview of the child during center time.

One child at a time writes an interactive sentence for the book with the teacher or partner and draws pictures for their sentence page.

They self-correct the spelling of the name if needed using magic tape.

They share reading the book with fluency.

Using Interactive Writing for Science Wonder Walls

• Share interactive writing, use and develop class and individual word banks based on individual needs to help create electronic wonder walls for science. Teachers use technology such as edmodo.com for organizing website choices for students to research such as http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks2/science/ The students take I Wonder Notes to organize thinking for wonder walls.

• After note taking, begin by reflecting and discussing the days learning-add to electronic daily science learning journals using sentences-Great for ELL students!

• Next, students share notes and sentences in small groups and check with partners for decoding strategies for spelling and grammar when needed. Students revise and take turns writing the words of the sentences. Decoding and vocabulary discoveries can be added to individual journals to graph comprehension success. When they add a selected % of information they receive badges on Edmodo.com .

• Electronic Wonder Walls-students organize notes after gathering data,

categorize pictures and synthesize concepts based on sharing.

I Wonder Notes for Wonder Wall Writing

Big IdeaHow does their world works:

Important details:

Survival

Needs:

Social Actions

Family Actions:

Predictions

1.

2.

Wonder Questions1.

2.

Physical Features:

Communication: 3. 3.

Important details:

Social Actions and Consequences:

4. 4.

Other: Other: Other: 5. 5.

Reading Strategies Graph for Writing Success!

Research murals -Based on Ripley’s Believe it or not! Wild and Deadly by Mary Packard, Scholastic, Inc. Three Big Ideas had individual murals based on observing and describing mammal mayhem (ie. tigers), small but deadly (insects), and in cold blood (i.e.. snakes). As students researched information using multimedia, it was written on the related mural.

The students:

• brainstorm descriptive words and use the analogy strategy for decoding and spelling the words and add them to word banks for the unit.

• discover new vocabulary words to add to word banks and use during discussions and writing.

• “bust their brains” when they research, illustrate and compare and contrast warm blooded weapons used by animals of interest such as the thick skulls of bears that ward off bullets.

• read sections of the books, answer and generate bonus questions.

• search for answers using virtual science museums.

• develop scorecards about their learning and chart use of strategies (see section of a Benchmark Lesson Plan)

• write their discoveries on discovery charts.

• illustrate and generate sentences for the research mural project based on their learning using concept maps to organize information for interactive writing.

Dr. Elaine Roberts is an author of two books:

• Keys to Literacy Instruction for the NET generation, grades 4-12, Roberts, E., & Coffey, D., Kendall Hunt Publishing, www.kendallhunt.com (includes chapter by Dr. Tami Ogletree)

• Keys to Literacy Instruction for the elementary grades, Coffey, D., & Roberts, E., Kendall Hunt Publishing.