The Grade 4s are progressing between the 1st and 3rd Stages of Literacy. Stage 1 encourages students to decode and encode in order to read and write. Most of the Grade 4s in the Portal are reading at a PM Benchmark of 25+, however there are a few students who are well below this development level.
A few students in the class struggle with their printing practice and many are challenged by spelling. Though a few are intrigued by cursive writing, the majority of the students are still learning to develop their printing legibility and accurate letter formation. A few students (including my student with a diagnosis of Dyslexia) are intermixing their upper and lower case letters as well as inverting certain letters. Many students prefer to use the technology available in the class to help them record their thoughts and responses instead of writing. When the technology is not available, scribing is often offered to better support the students. Stage 2 suggests that consistent opportunities for practice is integral to writing fluency.
The Grade 4s all enjoy Buddy Reading and Read-Alouds, however I do encourage independent reading as well from our class library. My students are encouraged to utilize Reading Strategies such as 'sounding out', 'peeling off', 'vowel alert' and 'I Spy' to help them with word recognition and comprehension. As Stage 2 suggests, partner practice such as Buddy Reading and Read-Alouds encourage the students to build and develop their fluency.
Stage 3 is an extension of the previous stages. The students begin to critically reflect and analyze varying texts. The complexity of this extension includes reflection on perspective, point of view, character analysis, and purpose. This unit in particular is a motivator for Stage 3 progression and development.
A few students in the class struggle with their printing practice and many are challenged by spelling. Though a few are intrigued by cursive writing, the majority of the students are still learning to develop their printing legibility and accurate letter formation. A few students (including my student with a diagnosis of Dyslexia) are intermixing their upper and lower case letters as well as inverting certain letters. Many students prefer to use the technology available in the class to help them record their thoughts and responses instead of writing. When the technology is not available, scribing is often offered to better support the students. Stage 2 suggests that consistent opportunities for practice is integral to writing fluency.
The Grade 4s all enjoy Buddy Reading and Read-Alouds, however I do encourage independent reading as well from our class library. My students are encouraged to utilize Reading Strategies such as 'sounding out', 'peeling off', 'vowel alert' and 'I Spy' to help them with word recognition and comprehension. As Stage 2 suggests, partner practice such as Buddy Reading and Read-Alouds encourage the students to build and develop their fluency.
Stage 3 is an extension of the previous stages. The students begin to critically reflect and analyze varying texts. The complexity of this extension includes reflection on perspective, point of view, character analysis, and purpose. This unit in particular is a motivator for Stage 3 progression and development.