The following three activities and plans are based on the content descriptions from Grade 1 in Australian Curriculum: English standards of Language, Literature and Literacy (ACARA, 2013), including teaching modeling by a think-aloud strategy, guided practice through teacher-led, student-centred discussion strategy, and independent practice through ICT. 

To begin this activity, the students will be shown various covers of picture books and will be encouraged to use their background knowledge, picture clues and recognised words in the title to make a reasonable prediction about the story. Before the students are asked to make predictions, I will use a think-aloud strategy to demonstrate my thinking processes of what clues in the text and pictures I am using to make that prediction.

For example, I will model making a reasonable prediction about what will happen inWemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes, based on the cover of book. I will make explicit my thinking, 

        “When I make a prediction, I first read the title and examine the image on the cover of my book carefully. Then I combine these clues given by the authors to guess what the story might be. By reading the title and looking at the pictures on the cover, I can predict that the book will probably be about a little mouse that worries. I would not predict that it would be about a pig or other animal because there isn’t anything on the cover to tell me that.”

The think-aloud demonstration will help less-experienced readers ‘identify their own thinking patterns as they engage with text’, with the goal that they will apply this strategy when reading independently (Flint, Kitson, Lowe, & Shaw, 2014, p. 307). At the same time, I will also use “far-off” ridiculous examples as a way to remind my students that we need to predict from the evidence provided to us. Afterwards, I will have the students model their predictions about the story and explain what pictures or parts of the book cover contributed to their guesses.

Teaching Strategies:

A think-aloud is a metacognitive strategy that helps students make predictions about the text and reflect on their own thinking processes as they read a particular text (Flint, et al., 2014; Block & Israel, 2004). Educators use this strategy as an instructional practice to help students visualise the thoughts they use during reading, and thus bring that thinking into the open so that they can replicate it more effectively in the future (Robb, 1996). Moreover, as an instructional practice, the think-aloud strategy is differs from prompting, modeling, or giving directions. The think-aloud strategy enables educators to demonstrate for their students how to select an appropriate comprehension process at a specific point in a particular text (Flint, et al., 2014). This is also beneficial for EASL students and struggling readers (Block & Israel, 2004). 

Students will be able to identify reasonable predictions and unreasonable predictions. Students will be given explicit instructions on how, when and why to use the prediction strategy.

 

This activity is based on the principles of social learning (Vygotsky, 1962) and on scaffolded instruction (Bruner, 1978), which provides opportunities for the students to practice using prediction strategies.

The students will watch a Pixar Short film and I will stop the film at three different stopping points, to allow them to form predictions and state the evidence that supports that prediction.

After watching the first stopping point, I will use probing questions scaffolding the students to predict, help them to think about where the evidence came from by asking questions such as, ‘What do you think this film might be about? Why do you think this?’, ‘What clues in the film lead you to think this?’, ‘What do you already know about this?’

In teacher-led, student-centred discussions, the educator models, scaffolds, provides explicit instructions, and encourages students to take on more responsibility within the conversation (Flint et al., 2014). When educators are participants and active listeners in the conversation and not merely directors, patterns of interpretive authority emerge that locate meaning in the negotiation of ideas and texts (Rhodes, 2008). In this type of discussion, the educator provides opportunities for the students to start the line of questioning and encourages them to expand their thinking. As participants, the students and the educator share the role of interpretive authority. 

 

Students will be able to flexibility in strategy use, such as multiple strategies that can be used in a particular situation. They develop oral language skills and motive in reading through engagement with iPads.

Producers:

In this activity, the students will be grouped to create their own story on iPads and then formulate predictions with the whole class. The students will collaborate to choose their characters, settings, and plot. Then they will take turns, use character voices and different tones of voice to create different moods in the stories and record the story on the app Tootastic. Creating their own stories will enable the students to draw upon their own experiences, and more importantly, support linguistically diverse learners in reading. Afterwards, the finished story will be viewed by the whole class, and other group members will be able to predict the story. 

 

Teaching strategies: Using ICT for independent practice 

IPads can be an exciting tool to enhance learning opportunities for the students. Shannon (2014) emphasises how the technology will fit into the curriculum to meet student needs. As she points out, education is shifting, and today, it is ‘student-centred, interactive, applied and project-based’. Also, students prefer visual literacy-pictures, sound and video to interact and create. Using iPads to create stories enables learning to be relevant, instantly useful and to connect with a student’s background and culture through real-life task (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). More importantly, iPads provide opportunities for the students’ social interactions and improve oral language outcomes as they communicate with others. Flint (2014) points out that when linguistically diverse students have opportunities to collaborate with others in meaningful contexts, there is increased communication and interaction among those in the classroom.

 

The activities and strategies recognise the students’ diversity within the classroom. The comprehension strategy of making predictions includes activating prior knowledge, making predictions, then reading and confirming or revising predictions. This strategy can help students monitor their comprehension.  

 

Furthermore, I would create a literacy-rich environment for the students, as Sawyer (2012) suggests that 'the classroom library should comprise a core collection and a revolving collection' (p. 167). At the same time, the selection of picturebooks has multicultural texts (p. 76). I will implement literature discussions to extend the conversation around multicultural texts. Literature discussions offer opportunities for students to share aspects of the text that are personally meaningful, thereby increasing engagement in the text (Mishra, & Koehler, 2006).

 

Block, C. C. & Israel, S. E. (2004). The ABCs of performing highly effective think-aloud: Effective think-aloud can build students' comprehension, decoding, vocabulary, and fluency. International Literacy Association, 58(2), 154.

Flint, A. S., Kitson, L., Lowe, K., & Shaw, K. (2014). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for engagement. John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. 

 

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teacher College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.

 

Robb, L. (1996). Use predictions to help kids think deeply about books. Scholastic, 106(3), 61. 

 

Rhodes, M. (2008). Reading comprehension: Making predictions. Instructor, 117(4), 54. 

 
Sawyer, W. E. (2012). Growing up with literature (6th, Eds). Linda Schreiber-Ganster. USA.

Shannon, J. (2014). Building oral language through the iPad Project: The journey. Practically Primary, 19(2), 37.