Week Two Observation

Hello Blog,

Here is the required information regarding my observation.

Summary: 
My lesson was on the beginning consonant blend [fl-]. This was a continuation of our blend unit. We previously learned about blends (definition) and the beginning blend [sl-]. The two students in this group were already familiar with blending sounds together because of a previous lesson.  Because of this, this lesson was very appropriate for these students. 

Students first reviewed the [sl-] blend by reading words and a short passage.  Next, I introduced the beginning blend [fl-].  Students learned six new words with this consonant blend.  Students were required to read these words and give meanings to them by creating sentences.  Students used the following strategies to practice spelling these words:  skywriting and felt writing.   The students in this group were also required to match words to the corresponding pictures.  This helped student identification of words and required them to fully understand the meaning of each word.  Lastly, students were required to write simple sentences using each of the six newly learned words.

What Worked:

Students of all ability levels need multiple ways in which to learn how to spell newly learned words.  Skywriting and felt writing are easy ways in which this can be accomplished.  The two students most definitely enjoyed using these strategies as opposed to all written work. 

Chunking also proved to be an effective strategy.  These students need ample time to process and learn new material.  Breaking up the lesson into chunks worked well.

What I Would Change:

If time permitted, I would have also added a kinesthetic component to this lesson.  I wanted the students to end the lesson spelling each word using movement exercises.  The lesson ran a little long, so this was not achieved.  I would definitely like to have a clock for the next lesson, so I can better pace the lesson.