Cambrian Heights CSSI: Learning update: Nov 24

Last week we continued our work around emergent literacy. As part of our daily emergent literacy interventions our students participate in: shared reading, writing with adults, writing from adults, writing by myself, working with letters and sounds, and independent reading. The goal of our emergent literacy intervention is to: 1. Promote the children’s positive regard for literacy and their understanding of the functional, intentional use of literacy. 2. To increase the children’s skills in discrete skill areas that are critically linked to later reading success.

To support emergent literacy our students have been exposed to Predictable Chart Writing. This is a sequenced activity where irrespective of language skills, all students have the ability to participate successfully in the writing process. The first step in Predictable Chart Writing is writing the chart. We begin each lesson with a story. Last week our shared writing began with the book, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes! Once the story was complete, I modelled the sentence starter “I love my…” With the use of picture symbols on a choice board, students then took turns choosing their favourite shoe colour. As each student took turns making a choice, I modelled the writing on chart paper. Each letter and word was emphasized as I wrote their sentences. Together we read our story:

I love my red shoes. (Heather)

I love my blue shoes. (Danny)

I love my white shoes. (Eni)

I love my brown shoes. (Rim)

I love my red shoes. (Xiane)

I love my blue shoes. (Ryan)

Day 2 of the process involves re-reading our sentences as a group, and focusing on particular words or letters in our story. Students come up to interact with the chart paper by circling their name, or all the words that say "love", or all the letter "b"s. On day 3, the students work with their sentences, by either gluing their pre-cut words into their books to build their sentence, or cutting the words and building their sentence independently (in correct order, with spacing between words). We also add a relevant picture below the sentence. At the end of the year the students will have a whole book of sentences they wrote!