Sami Vutsinas

Exit Slips for READ 436

#1
Describe the assessments you will use for instructional level readers, define the levels
(independent, instructional, frustration), and explain the factors that will influence your
grouping for instruction.

The assessments I will use for readers are Running Records and Daily Spelling
Assessment. Independent level readers are readers that can read that level content easily,
without intervention from the teacher. They read accurately, with a good comprehension rate
(90% and above). Their accuracy rate range is 98-100%. Instructional level readers are readers
that are understanding the content, but have some wiggle room for growth within and room
for the teacher to intervene some. Their comprehension rates are good (70% and above). Their
accuracy rate range is 94-97%. Frustration level describes students that are not ready for that
level of reading materials quite yet. The level of frustration clouds their ability to comprehend
the text (less than 50% comprehension rate). Their reading speed is slow and diffluent. Their
accuracy rate range is 89% and below. When I choose groups for instruction, I will keep the
groups between three and five students of similar levels. Independent readers with
independent readers, etc. How the students score on these assessments will have a lot of pull
on what group they will be put in.

#2
Define fluency and describe how you will teach it, including examples and resources from
class.

Fluency is the ability to read a text quickly, correctly, and with appropriate
expression/intonation depending on the text. I will teach fluency each time I do a read aloud
with the class, modeling reading with no expression (robotic) and with a lot of expression
(theatric) to have the students decide which they think sounds better. I will also do a Reader’s
Theater to get the students reading in a more theatric way, emphasizing specific words in order
to get a certain point across. I will also do a tongue twister activity and time the students
reading the tongue twisters for fun!
#3 Compare word study to the method used when you learned to spell.

I do not remember doing word study/studying patterns of words when learning to spell.
What I do remember is the teacher giving me a list of words, using those words in a sentence,
and me memorizing how to spell those words so that I could do well on the spelling test at the
end of the week. Word study is a much better, more comprehensive way to teach spelling
because students are given the knowledge to be able to connect certain words based upon
their spelling patterns. By learning the spelling patterns of words, it increases students’ ability
to spell more words that fit into those patterns without necessarily memorizing that particular
word’s spelling.

#4 Why do we use before, during, and after activities for comprehension? Name at least one
comprehension activity for each (before, during, and after) with resources from class.

The reason that it is important to do comprehension activities before reading a text is

because students need to be able to make predictions about texts based off of inferences they
make. This could be done by introducing a read aloud book and asking students to make a
prediction of what they think the story will be about based on the Title and the pictures. If the
students are struggling with making a prediction, then I will conduct a Picture Walk where
students will see all the pictures in the book and with no other context they will make a
prediction on what they think the book will be about.
Students should be doing comprehension activities while reading a text so that you can
ensure that your students are practicing being active readers. When studying main idea and
supporting details, students can be highlighting the main idea of a text and underlining
supporting details as they are reading the text. This will help keep the students engaged with
the text and actively thinking about what the big idea is of the text.
It is important to do comprehension activities after the students read a text because it
helps to ensure that they have actually comprehended the entire story/text. This could be done
through post-discussion questions or with an activity like a Main Idea graphic organizer or a
summarizing activity. Attached is what I did for my mini-lesson about comprehension. It has all
three parts of before, during, and after activities for finding the main idea.

- Comprehension Mini Lesson: 20-30 min.

- Teaching Main Idea

- Materials: paper bag, carrot, buttons, scarf, gloves, hat, frosty pic, 3 copies of the main
idea graphic organizer per student, 1 copy of the Mount Everest text per student, and 1
highlighter and 1 pencil per student.

- Pre-assignment: Paper bag of supporting ideas and then as a whole group, the students
have to craft a main idea… fill out the graphic organizer together to get some practice
with it.
 o SNOWMAN MAIN IDEA BAGGIE: Be writing on a graphic organizer on the board
the supporting details then the main idea when the students figure it out.
 -carrot, buttons, scarf, gloves, hat, frosty pic

- During: As a whole group do the graphic organizer for the first paragraph of the Mount
Everest non-fiction text (attached)
o (?) what do you think the main idea is of this paragraph? Supporting details?

- Post-assignment/Exit ticket: (Individual) Do the Graphic Organizer with Main idea and 3
supporting facts for the second paragraph and turn it in when finished!
#5
Compare our writing activities to what you see in practicum.
The writing activities we do in class have included: writing Cinquain poems, Daily Writing
Accomplishments, using mentor texts to model writing like from Martin’s Big Words (picking big
words to get thoughts across), and writing letters to our future selves. These activities all cover
such different parts of writing. The planning process, the importance of big words, the ability to
make a story connect to a photo, narrative a style writing, poem structure, and writing letters.
However; In my practicum, the only writing activity that I have gotten the chance to see was a
How To type activity where students had to write a paragraph with directions on how they
colored their pumpkin. Then, they swapped paragraphs with a partner and had to draw the
pumpkin based off of the instructions given by the partner. This activity emphasized descriptive
language and order of steps in their writing. Students definitely struggled with this and learned
the importance of being very specific and clear with their directions. It is crazy how little time
my CT spends daily on writing with her students. I definitely think they should be writing more
each day and taking advantage of the independent and small group time they have each day to
be practicing their writing.

#6- What is your plan for teaching Literacy in 2nd Grade?

Reading: Most days, we will spend time each day in smaller reading groups, where they will
focus on texts and content that is within their reading levels. Students will also spend time
reading independently in order to build reading time stamina (being able to read and stay
focused on the text for a significant amount of time).

-Comprehension: We will spend a lot of our time with reading focusing on students
comprehending the texts they are reading. Students should begin to not be relying on pictures
to read anymore.
-Students will begin to make and confirm predictions about Fiction and Non-Fiction
texts.
-Students will be able to ask and answer questions about what is read and locate
information in the text to help answer their questions.
-Students will be able to identify the main idea of the text.
-Students will be able to summarize the events in a story (beginning, middle, and end)

-Fluency: Students will practice reading with fluency (the ability to read a text with accuracy,
speed, and expression).
-We will practice fluency with repeated readings. This consists of rereading a short
passage several times until students have reached an acceptable level of fluency.
-Teacher-led Read Alouds modeling a robotic voice and a theatrical voice and students
choose which one sounds better.
-Students read aloud to each other. We will practice this with Mad Libs (see attachment
for more info).
-Word Study: when studying word patterns… students should be within word pattern stage
(which means they are… learning long vowel patters, r-controlled vowels like car or hurt, and
complex consonant clusters like ‘tch’ in ‘catch’)
-Building sight words/vocabulary

Writing: Students will be writing in class for at least twenty minutes a day to ensure that they
are getting the adequate amount of time to practice the writing process (Prewriting, Drafting,
Revising, Editing, and Sharing/Publishing). This year, students will also be practicing writing
letters, writing explanations, and writing in cursive.

Things I will be looking for students to be improving with their writing this year:
-Students use appropriate spacing between letters and words
-Students are using appropriate ending punctuation (periods, exclamation points, and
question marks)
-Students are capitalizing beginning of sentences and proper nouns.