# data[].attributes.body
A word map is a visual organizer that promotes vocabulary development. Using a graphic organizer, students think about terms or concepts in several ways. Most word map organizers engage students in developing a definition, synonyms, antonyms, and a picture for a given vocabulary word or concept. Enhancing students' vocabulary is important to developing their reading comprehension.

Why use word maps?

They're useful for helping students develop their understanding of a word.

They help students think about new terms or concepts in several ways by asking the following questions:

"What is it?"
"What is it like?" and
"What are some examples?"

They help student build upon prior knowledge and visually represent new information.

How to use word maps

1. Introduce the vocabulary word and the map to the students.

2. Teach them how to use the map by putting the target word in the central box.

3. Ask students to suggest words or phrases to put in the other boxes which answer the following questions: "What is it?" "What is it like?" and "What are some examples?"

4. Encourage students to use synonyms, antonyms, and a picture to help illustrate the new target word or concept.

5. Model how to write a definition using the information on the word map.

6. Have students use their word maps to create a personal dictionary to use in class.

http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/word_maps

# data[].attributes.body
The teacher should begin the anticipation guide by writing four to six statements about key ideas in the text; some true and some false. Include columns following each statement, which can be left blank or can be labeled Yes, or No (Maybe can also be used). Introduce the text or reading material and share the guide with the students. Model the process of responding to the statements and marking the columns. Read each of the statements and ask the students if they agree or disagree with it. Provide the opportunity for discussion. The emphasis is not on right answers but to share what they know and to make predictions. Read the text aloud or have students read the selection individually. If reading aloud, teachers should read slowly and stop at places in the text that correspond to each of the statements. Bring closure to the reading by revisiting each of the statements.

# data[].attributes.body
Within this strategy, the children will practice writing their ABC's, work in collaborative groups, find their ABC's with a flashlight, and actively work on phonemic awareness in which focuses on and begin to manipulate individual sounds.

HI Modifications:  This strategy would engage the learner in the classroom I am in currently.  This would be a way to scaffold their learning, meet their IEP goals and expose them to a different technique of phonemic awareness.

Fluency
Objective
The student will gain speed and accuracy in letter recognition.
Materials
Large box
Black bulletin board paper
Line the box with the black paper.
Glow-in-the-dark chalk
Write upper and lowercase letters on the back wall of the box.
Flashlight
Black construction paper
For student use
White chalk
Activity
Students use a flashlight to quickly identify letters of the alphabet.
1. Place box (turned on its side) and flashlight at the center. Provide each student with
black paper and chalk.
2. Working in pairs, student one shines the light on a letter.
3. Student two quickly names the letter.
4. Continue the activity naming all the letters.
5. Reverse roles and repeat the activity.
6. Practice writing the letters with chalk on a piece of black paper.
7. Peer evaluation
F.003 Letter Recognition
Glow Go

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Alphabet In My Mouth!: Reviewing Alphabet Letter-Sounds with a Fun Song

# data[].attributes.headline
ABC, easy as Mama and Me! 
(Annie Sampogna - ESE 450)

# data[].attributes.subject
ABC, easy as Mama and Me! 
(Annie Sampogna - ESE 450)

# data[].attributes.body
This strategy is asking students to help the Mama animals find their baby animals. This game is all about matching! The students will match the uppercase letters (Mama animals) with their lowercase letters (baby animals).

A fun way to scaffold this strategy for the students who are getting it quickly is to have the cards flipped over and matching them by flipping two cards at a time and seeing if they get a pair. They would keep going until all their cards are flipped with the animals showing.

A way to modify this activity for students with HI is giving them four cards and having them match them. Once the students are able to match the four cards the teacher gives them with 100% accuracy the teacher can increase the number of cards given.

# data[].attributes.body
Cumorah Richardson
Matching newspapers articles to the titles that match.

How it works:
Teacher cuts out articles from a newspapers. The teacher  cuts the title off of the title. Learners have to read the articles and match the titles to the articles they have have read.

-helps learners improve their reading comprehension
-helps learners identify summaries

# data[].attributes.body
Purpose:
Anticipation Guides are a great tool to tap into students' prior knowledge, stimulate interest in the topic or story, spark discussion, and support comprehension.
Steps:
1. Create the Anticipation Guide: Depending on the subject, type of text, and the level of your students you can modify the guide to fit you lesson.
2. Model: Demonstrate expectations, introduce the text, and show students how to respond to the statements.
3. Instructions: Read aloud each statement and ask students to discuss whether they agree or disagree with the statement.
4. Read: Either read the text aloud or have students read independently. If you read aloud, be sure to pause at points in the text that correspond with the statements.
5. Review/Discuss: Review the statements again and encourage discussion.
Anticipation Guides can be used across subjects.
Source: http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide

# data[].attributes.body
Chandler Milazzo
Word walls are universal and can be adapted for each subject.
The purpose of a word wall is to create a permanent visual describing words that the students will be required to know/understand in order to successfully grasp the concept they are learning or the text they are reading.
ELA:
The words can be related to the book or story that is being read, the concept words that are newly introduced, or common words they will see most in text. These words can range from Tier 1 to Tier 3, depending on what the teacher wants to focus on.
Science/Math/Social Studies:
A word wall can be used in any other these subjects, or any subject, and can include words that relate to the particular area section they are studying. Science example could be words such as precipitation, condensation, atmosphere, etc. can be placed on the word wall when studying the water cycle. In math, when the class is studying fractions, words such as numerator, denominator, quarter, part of, etc. are all words that can be placed on the wall.
Word walls can be used in any subject to help students comprehend what is being said and gives them a visual to look to when they need clarification

The teacher and the students should create the wall together. This is important because it ensures that each student is a part of the discussion and can provide input on what should go on the wall and what is not necessary.

New words should be added weekly and the word wall should be referenced daily so the students can see their relevance.

See site below to view how word walls are used in classrooms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Language Arts

Ask students to hunt for words in their reading and writing that fit the phonic or word study pattern being studied. These words can create a word wall that illustrates examples of the different patterns studied. Students could keep a word study notebook to record the known patterns and their new understanding about words, and can play games and activities that apply their word knowledge.

Math

Word walls in math can provide visual cues and graphic representations of content. Consider using a math word wall that has three parts: key vocabulary, "in your own words" definitions, and a variety of ways to portray a function. For example, multiplication is portrayed by the following symbols: x, *, and ( ).

Number sense, concepts, and operations word wall
The purpose of the mathematics word wall is to identify words and phrases that students need to understand and use so as to make good progress in mathematics. Mathematical language is crucial to children's development of thinking. If students do not have the vocabulary to talk about math concepts and skills, they cannot make progress in understanding these areas of mathematical knowledge. They need to be familiar with mathematical vocabulary and mathematical terms to understand written and spoken instructions. See math word wall resources >

More ideas for word walls in math
Many teachers are familiar with basic word wall strategies including the use of a flashlight (to put the light on words) and a fly swatter (to highlight words). Teachers are also familiar with tested favorites like bingo; I Have, Who Has; and Mind Reader, but they really wanted other ideas. The purpose of this post by Dr. Deborah Wahlstrom is to identify additional ways to use word walls with mathematics content. More math word wall ideas >

Science

Using interactive word walls in science
Science is a vocabulary-intense subject that is dependent on students learning new and often times difficult vocabulary to increase comprehension and help them make connections between and among concepts. When science students are given the opportunity to interact with the vocabulary, they are more likely to remember it.

Ideas for using the words on your wall are only limited by your imagination. Some examples include:

Students categorize and sequence from largest to smallest (cell, bacteria, yeast, tissue, ribosome, organ, organism, organ system, protozoa, virus) Variation: Students are given vocabulary words, and their classmates must arrange them in the correct order and justify the placement.

Students remove words from the wall and make connecting statements about the words. The class can then create a summarizing statement, for example: cells make up tissues, and tissues make up organs.

For more ideas like these, read the full post by Toni Enloe.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Word Walls | Classroom Strategy | Reading Rockets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A word wall is a collection of words which are displayed in large visible letters on a wall, bulletin board, or other display surface in a classroom. The word wall is designed to be an interactive tool for students and contains an array of words that can be used during writing and reading.

# data[].attributes.body
Purpose: This is important because when we create images in our minds, and connect pictures to words, we are able to retain and reproduce information.

Objective:  Through guided visualization, students learn how to create mental pictures as they read.

Related Visual Imagery Strategies can be used before, during and after reading in order to create an understanding based upon background knowledge,  build schema (knowledge that is built upon other knowledge in order to categorize and remember information) and to explain their current comprehension levels after reading.
Process:
Step One - Teachers should guide their students and model how they themselves create mental images while they read. A story should be read an the teacher should stop several times while reading and think aloud to model what they are picturing in their head that reflects what they just read.
Step Two - As the teacher thinks aloud and explains what they are thinking to their students, a picture should be drawn to represent the event, character, setting, or incident that has been described and visualized. This way students know what is expected of them while they read.
Step Three - As a class, the teacher would then read another story, this time filling out the wheel with the students. The teacher would pause at times and ask students to draw something that stood out. The teacher would make sure to talk about how pictures might be different based on how we visualize the story in our head.
Step Four -  Students will use this strategy on a story of their own, practicing stopping while reading in order to comprehend what they are reading and drawing a picture to represent their thoughts.
(If they have trouble knowing where to stop, teach them to pick up on main events, descriptions of the character and setting, and identifying the beginning middle and end!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Generating an image while reading requires that the reader be actively engaged with the text.

Creating mental images while reading can improve comprehension.

How to use visual imagery

Follow these few simple steps to provide practice developing students' mental images:

Begin reading. Pause after a few sentences or paragraphs that contain good descriptive information.

Share the image you've created in your mind, and talk about which words from the book helped you "draw" your picture. Your picture can relate to the setting, the characters, or the actions. By doing this, you are modeling the kind of picture making you want your child to do.

Talk about how these pictures help you understand what's happening in the story.

Continue reading. Pause again and share the new image you created. Then ask your child to share what he sees, hears, tastes, smells and feels. Ask what words helped him create the mental image and emotions. By doing this, you are providing your child with practice with this new skill.

Are your images identical? Probably not! This is a great time to talk about why your images might be different. Perhaps your child went on a school field trip or had a school assembly that changed the way they created the picture in their mind. Perhaps experiences you've had as an adult influenced what you "drew." These differences are important to understand and respect.

Read a longer portion of text and continue the sharing process.

Once this is a familiar skill, encourage your child to use mental imagery when she is reading by herself. You can feel confident that these mental pictures will help your child understand the story in an important way.

Resources

Into the Book: lesson plans that help students learn to visualize:

Article from Reading Rockets:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Visual Imagery | Classroom Strategy | Reading Rockets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Generating an image while reading requires that the reader be actively engaged with the text. Creating mental images while reading can improve comprehension. Follow these few simple steps to provide practice developing students' mental images: Begin reading. Pause after a few sentences or paragraphs that contain good descriptive information.

# data[].attributes.body
Alyssa Pfeifer
·    Reader’s theater can be used to develop reading fluency. This strategy has students read parts from a script out loud. By rereading their part multiple times it helps the student to develop fluency skills.
How it works:
-step 1: Choose a story that can be divided into parts or characters.
-step 2: assign reading parts to each student.
-step 3: Ask students to read their scripts orally for practice.
-step 4: Have students read their assigned parts to the audience.
For students the HI disabilities I would give them the script ahead of time. In addition, I would model for them what it looks like to read the passage or text with expression. To help with reading fluency I would use the strategy of choral reading so that they can hear what fluent reading sounds like.
Choral reading is reading aloud together with the whole class or a group of students. The strategy of choral reading helps students build fluency, confidence in themselves, and motivation to read. Due to the fact that students are reading aloud together students that may not be the best readers or feel self-conscious about reading  aloud have a built-in support.  Choral reading provides students who are less skilled readers opportunities to practice reading and get support before reading on their own. The strategy of choral reading provides students with a model for fluent reading that students can listen to.
·   How it works:
-step 1: choose a book or passage that works for the reading group.
Step 2: provide each student with a copy of the text so that they are able to follow along.
Step 3: read the passage or story aloud and model fluent reading for the students.
Step 4: ask the students to use a finger to follow along.
Step 5: rear the passage again and have everyone in the group read the passage aloud together.
Link to video of Reader's theater:
https://youtu.be/P-Suvry_pw8
Link to video of choral reading:
https://youtu.be/o_-z8d0sRUA

# data[].attributes.body
improve students' comprehension

framework for identifying the elements of a story

organize information and ideas efficiently.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Story Maps | Classroom Strategy | Reading Rockets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Story maps use graphic organizers to help students learn the elements of a book or story. The most basic story maps focus on the beginning, middle, and end of the story. More advanced organizers focus more on plot or character traits.

# data[].attributes.body
-This method was originally proposed by S. Jay Samuels with the goal of developing decoding automatically.

How it Works:

-Step One
The students will read a passage or text at their level as the teacher follows along and notes mistakes and errors.
-Step Two
The teacher and student look over and discuss errors and mistakes made and corrects them together
-Step Three
The student re reads the same text with goal of eliminating the mistakes.
-Step Four and Five (if needed )
If the student is still not reading fluently the student and teacher will go over errors again.  Student rereads the the text a third time.
(If the student continues make errors after third time reading then a lower level passage may be more appropriate)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Repeated Reading: A form of Guided Oral Reading.mp4

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As much as I love to read, sometimes I dreaded teaching reading. I was reading by four and everything in language arts came easily to me - it just clicked. When I had students that didn't improve their reading with my strategies, I didn't understand why. Now that I am working with my son, I am understanding why many of those strategies just don't help him.

Don't Read the ENTIRE Reading Passage

Oh boy. I learned straight off the bat to stop my son from doing this. What a nightmare! Students who struggle with reading don't like to read. All he did was keep reading no matter what happened. He would skip words and entire lines, misread words, and make all kinds of errors. His goal was to get done with reading as soon as possible.

Instead Read One Paragraph at a Time

A poor reader gets overwhelmed easily. Looking at a whole page of reading causes panic and frustration. Instead, tell your students that you are only focusing on one paragraph. Stress the importance of identifying the key ideas in each paragraph before moving on.

While reading the paragraph, highlight any unknown words, then identify the main idea of the paragraph. Identify the support for or any example of the main idea.

Don't Pre-read the Test Questions

I remember being taught in a PD session to have students read the questions first, then read the passage. I faithfully taught students to do that for a number of years. I watched my son use that strategy and soon realized why he didn't pass reading comprehension tests. Instead of trying to comprehend what he was reading, my son looked for the key words in each question. If - and I mean IF - he found the section that answered the question, he had no idea what it meant and just copied the sentence with the key word in it.

What I realized is he couldn't answer the questions because he didn't understand the text. As a strong reader, I can search for the keyword, read that section, and know how to answer the question. A student that struggles with reading comprehension needs to focus on understanding the reading first.

Instead Focus on Reading Comprehension

Just focus on comprehension of the article. If the student understands the article, he will be able to answer the questions.

Don't Tell Students to Look Back in the Text

Again, this is a great strategy for kids who are strong readers. I know I always felt that having an open book test made it "easy" for kids. However, some kids can have an open book and never find the answers. My son has poor reading stamina, so after the first question he will just stop looking in the text and guess. It is too much text for him to focus on and look through.

Instead Take Notes

For struggling readers, as much as they may hate it, they need a good note system. For a reading passage, I use a small sticky note for each paragraph. On each one, we write the main idea of the paragraph and jot the support at the bottom. Since it is so hard for low readers to scan the text, I want the key ideas to be on the notes.

Once students know how to do that, teach them how to use the sticky notes to help answer the comprehension questions. We read the question and check the main ideas notes. Many times the answers are related to the main idea. If it isn't, we use the main ideas to determine which paragraph most likely answers the question.

For textbook comprehension, such as in science or social studies, I personally like to use interactive notebooks. It is important that the key ideas be easy to find. Like many kids with processing issues, my son's fine motor skills are a work in progress. In his interactive notes, the main topics and questions are printed so it cuts down on how much he has to write. (I do cut the interactivities out and glue them. When I taught, I had my artsy students help other students.)

If you would like to keep these tips in your planner, here is a free printable for you to download and print.

**I would like to clarify that my son is considered a low reader, but he isn't really low. He is on grade level but struggles. I have started homeschooling him because of a vision processing issue. The problems caused by processing issues are very similar to ADHD and other development issues. This article is based on my work with him.**

The article I used in the example is from my resource Paired Passages: The 13 Colonies.

You might also be interested in this post, 5 Overlooked Signs of a Struggling Reader.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As much as I love to read, sometimes I dreaded teaching reading. I was reading by four and everything in language arts came easily to me - it just clicked. When I had students that didn't improve their reading with my strategies, I didn't understand why.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Oral and Partner Cloze: Effective Fluency Strategies | Scholastic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Use these two strategies to help students gain confidence and increase fluency as they prepare for and practice reading out loud in the classroom.