Literacy Enhanced Lessions

We've looked at Ferguson's Fettuccine Recipe in another post. The Do Now exercise is a vocabulary-matching task, next, there is a language grid and then a Gantt chart. The language grid helps students understand the structure of a procedural text and procedural sentences. It helps students become aware that procedure statements begin with an instructional or action verb. It is also worth explaining that the word order is the opposite of most sentences in the English language. Ferguson is also asking the students to notice the modal adjunct or modifiers used in written instructions. When students fill in the grid, it forces them to vary their reading speed as they find the relevant information.

Another way in which students are encouraged to reread the text is through the Gantt chart. The Gantt chart is a structured overview, a hierarchical graphic. Again students need to reread the text with a specific goal in mind. They must vary their reading speed as they decide the order of each task. Best of all, the students are encouraged to visualise each task as they match the steps to the time chart. The process of visualising is helped by the addition of sequenced images that match the instructions dice, brown, boil, and serve.

Literacy in Curriculum Subjects, Inquiry Presentations

While preparing for the CoL Inquiry presentation, 'Where are we at?' it occurred to me that my inquiry depends on teachers sharing their literacy-based lessons with me.

Ms Rani is teaching MRS c GREN as a mnemonic to help students learn the test used to determine if something is living or non-living i.e. the life processes. Rani is also helping students to access the text by providing students with a list of key terms and by asking the students to scan the list before writing a Prediction. In addition, she has asked students to list any vocabulary words they do not understand. Students are encouraged to define these terms.

Another literacy feature in the lesson is the Finding Information grid. Students are required to find evidence for key aspects of the living process. The grid helps students work to determine important details within the text. This is a reading skill which students often lack. It is also a research skill students need to work on to improve their comprehension. Overall, this strategy encourages students to employ various reading speeds and it asks them to reread the text with a goal in mind. It is the first step in helping students avoid blindly using the cut-and-paste strategy.

Teacher PLD

Over the past few weeks I've run various PLD sessions. One For staff on the usual Monday morning session and one at the Manaiakalani ToD. There few resources beginning to appear. The first is a simple vocabulary matching exercise for a Yr 12. Mr Cunard is helping students learn the complicated vocabulary and definitions of fitness.




Ms Apelu has used a scanning exercise to help students read an article on banning Tictok from Parliamentary Services. Before they are given the article to read, students should write a prediction.

Big Brother, Little Sister -enhanced text for Yr10

Pre-reading exercises. Big Brother, Little Sister

This week was dominated by the letter C. As in, C is for Covid. I still managed to create a pre-reading resource. It is designed to lead into the reading of Witi Ihimaera's 'Big Brother, Little Sister.' Just today, a student walked in late to class, sat down, looked at the sheet and exclaimed, "I can't do this. I've never been to Wellington." I quietly explain we are helping students with the skill of visualisation. For many students, this skill is not automatic. Students have this skill but often this skill is weak. Students need encouragement to work on this skill. Some students will say that this is what they do. They then explain that when they create pictures in their head, they thought, they are doing this only because they are dumb. I show the students that as I read this text, I create a picture in my mind of two young children walking through the back streets of Newtown. I visualise what it is like. It is late, the children are alone, cars rush passed. No one notices them.

Reading Observation Information Sheet

Monday Morning PD