end of step 3

We have now covered the -ed and -ing suffixes and my student is ready for the posttest on step 3.  Inservice on Friday really highlighted a nice meshing of the reading apprentice approach and the comprehension sos of Wilson.  There is a great deal of similarity between these two approaches to reading comprehension.  I can see how all students can benefit from using these approaches to help them better understand text and to engage metacognition in the process.  My student is becoming a more secure reader.  She is still struggling with making the correct sounds in her head but what comes out her mouth is different.  When I have her tap a syllable to check it she sometimes gives me a blank look and says, "that's what I said".  It's very interesting because I am sure she "said" it that way in her brain!  Gotta love it - but what a challenge for her!

So, this week coming up we will posttest on step 3 and begin step 4.  She will be well beyond substep 4.2 by the end of the school year, I'm sure! 

post first week of pssa's

My student survived her first week of PSSA's.  We spent Monday working on reading comprehension strategies.  The strategy that Wilson recommends is drawing pictures - both in your mind and actual drawings.  We also talked about using scooping to try to decode unfamiliar words.  On Friday I checked back with her and she said she didn't feel she needed to use the strategies.  She felt confident she had done well on the week's tests.  This week coming up we will once again meet only twice - Monday and Friday.  Monday I will again work on comprehension strategies with her.  On Friday we will begin the last substep in step 3.  She is moving through the program at a good rate.  Now I am concerned about what will happen next year when she goes to a new school.

getting ready for the big test

we are getting ready for the PSSA tests this coming week.  i am hopeful that the comprehension instruction will make a difference for my student.  last week we spent a lot of time on reading and understanding passages.  tomorrow i plan to give my student a sample passage in preparation for the tests beginning on tuesday.  it will be interesting to see how she does with it.

comprehension

I spent Friday afternoon on the comprehension piece.  I was impressed that my student could remember the salient parts of the short passage she had read several days before.  Drawing pictures in her mind seems to be a good strategy.  I will mention that to her tomorrow with regard to taking the PSSA's.  Tomorrow we start sub step 3.4.  I plan to be on substep 3.5 when I am next observed.

sub step 3.3

Well our instructor advised us to not linger on this sub step so I won't.  It deals with teaching the ct blend at the end of a two syllable word and another rule for spelling the /k/ sound.  My student grasped the concept and ran with it.  She certainly learns quickly when given rules.  I am so impressed.  Monday we will spend some time on 3 and 4 syllable words.  I believe she will do well with them and feel good about reading words like "fantastic".