Download Teaching Routine. Sounding Out Words

Lesson
Procedure for Teaching Routines
Sounding Out Words
Routines include solving math problems, conducting experiments, writing
papers, analyzing documents to identify the main points, and even sounding
out words. These are so different; how can these be the SAME form of
knowledge? Well, do they all involve a sequence of steps? Yes. Does the
sequence lead to something accomplished? Yes. Then they are all routines.
And this means that despite differences in the subject matter (math problems,
reading words), you use the same procedure for teaching them. The difference
would be that some routines have few steps and involve fewer background
skills. Here is an example.
Procedure for Teaching Cognitive Routines:
Decoding or Sounding out Words
Set up
What are the steps and pre-skills involved in sounding out words, such as
run and sit? [We find out what these are either by reading the scientific
research or by doing knowledge analysis.]
1.
Look at the letter on the far left. r
2.
Say the sound of that letter. rrr
3.
Shift your eyes to the right, focus on the next letter (u), but continue
saying the first sound. rrr
4.
Now say the next sound. uhh
5.
Shift your eyes to the right, focus on the next letter (n), but continue
saying the second sound. uhh
6.
Now say the last sound. nnn
The teacher has already taught students the pre-skills needed to decode
words: (1) say sounds; (2) say the sounds that goes with the letters; (3)
shift eyes to the right. These are some of the pre-skills USED in the
sounding out routine. So, the main NEW skills and steps that are
taught are in steps 3-6---mainly, shifting eyes to the next letter and
saying the next sound. Students don’t know how to do this yet.
[In other words, if you know that eventually you want students to learn a
complex cognitive routine, such as sounding out or decoding words,
solving equations, and writing essays, you first do a knowledge analysis
of these skills to see what students have to know in order to do the
routines. Then you teach the pre-skills. Therefore, teaching the
cognitive routine itself should be little more than teaching students the
steps. You do NOT want students trying to learn the pre-skills or the
elementary skills at the SAME time that they are learning to assemble
these skills into a routine. This will be too big a load for many
students, and they will fail.]
2.
Objective
The teacher writes on the board words whose letter-sounds students
already know (a, m, s). The teacher points to each word and says, “Sound
it out.” Students sound out each word within 3 seconds.
3.
Review.
Three pre-skills are reviewed. Why? Because they are PART of the
cognitive routine for sounding out. If students don’t have these pre-skills,
they can’t sound out words.
Teacher.
“Get ready to say some sounds. First I’ll say a sound and
then you’ll say that sound. Get ready. ahhh.”
Class.
“ahhh.
Teacher.
“mmm.”
Class.
“mmm.”
Teacher.
“sss.”
Class.
“sss.”
Teacher.
“Individual turns. Julie…aaa.” [The teacher makes sure to
call on students who may need the extra practice.]
Julie.
“ah.”
Teacher.
“Yes, ah.”
“Sammy…mmm”
Sammy.
“mmm.”
Teacher.
“Yes, mmm.”
“Phyllis…sss.”
Phyllis.
“sss.”
Teacher.
“Yes, sss.”
“Okay, let’s review our letter-sounds. [Teacher writes
letters on the board. Notice that they are the same ones
whose pronunciation was just reviewed.]
“Everybody. What sound?” [Teacher points to each letter.
Students say the sound. If any student makes an error, the
teacher corrects it, with model, lead, test/check. “That
sound (points) is ahhh. Say it with me… What sound?...”
The teacher makes sure to come back to that sound to
retest the student who erred.]
“Now let’s read our sounds.” [Teacher writes letters on
the board. The letters are the ones in the words students
will sound out.] “When I touch under a letter, you say the
sound.” [Teacher starts at the ball and moves her finger
under the letter.]
a
m
o---->
o---->
s
o---->
[The teacher corrects any errors. “That sound is aaa. Say
it with me… What sound?]
4.
Readiness.
Teacher.
“Everybody, sit big. Eyes on me. Feet on the floor….Oh,
you are such good students. You got ready so fast.”
5.
Frame.
Teacher.
“Now you are going to learn how to SOUND OUT words!!”
Focused Instruction
6-8. Model—lead—test/check.
Teacher.
[Writes am on the board.]
a m
o-------->
“I’ll read this word the slow way. When I touch under a
sound I will SAY the sound. I WON’T stop between sounds.
Here I go.” [Touches under edach letter] “aaammm.”
[Model] “Again. aaammm.”
“Do it with me. Get ready.” [Lead]
Teacher/
Class.
“aaammm”
Teacher.
“All by yourselves. Get ready.” [Touches under each
letter] [Test/check]
Class.
“aaammm.”
Teacher.
“Yes, aaammm.” [Verification.]
[Teacher repeats these steps with ma, and sa.]
Closing
The teacher reviews all the words students have sounded out and corrects
errors. The teacher decides if some children need extra practice later that day
and before the next lesson on sounding out. If they are not firm on these first
words, surely they will never be firm on newer and longer ones.