Jenna Fudge - Tompkins Ch. 5

I thought this chapter again, like the others had a lot of useful ideas that can be implemented in the classroom. Unfortunately again, it seems like I am not seeing these things in my current field placement. I am in a 2nd/3rd grade split and they do not have any word walls. The 2nd graders however sometimes have their spelling words posted on the wall and they are ordered based on like parts of the words (something we previously learned in class is not a good idea). The 3rd graders do not have their words posted but they are given handouts with their spelling words but written in cursive. Again, this is something we previously learned is not a good idea as far as teaching spelling. When I am trying to remember the spelling of a word and need to write it out or picture it in my head, I'm not doing it in cursive. Cursive is important for them to learn and they enjoy learning it but I think it should be kept away from spelling.

Tompkins Chapter 5

This chapter served mostly as a review for me because my TE301 class last year really focused on many of the same topics and especially on fluency. Reading the section on word recognition reminded me of the Kindergarten field placement class I was in last year; the CT in that classroom used a lot of strategies to help the students become fluent readers and writers. In particular, I remember that she had an enormous word wall that covered almost one whole wall. She started off with several high-frequency words that the students were familiar with. Then she added words to the word wall as the weeks progressed, and she would constantly refer back to the word wall during intruction.

Also, I always thought that word walls were only used for younger children as they learned to read and write, but in the chapter it mentions that "teachers can create word walls for older students too." After reading this part in the chapter, I realized that the second grade classroom I used to be in used a form of a word wall to aid them while writing. Each of the students had writing journals that included a glossary of high-frequency words and other words that the students may be familiar with but just not know how to spell. There was also space for the students to add more words in themselves. I thought this was a good resource for the students while writing and also for reading. I have not seen evidence in my new field placement of any type of word wall, but I haven't been in there that long and I haven't gotten to see a lot of literacy instruction.

Tompkins Chapter 5--Jessica Thelen

The topics covered in this chapter are what we just covered in CEP 301. We talked about the importance of teaching students to become fluent readers before they reach third grade. We also talked about how it takes a struggling reader much more exposure to a word before they can recognize it. I think it is important for all classrooms to have a word wall especially for struggling readers/writers. It is just another place they can find needed words.
In the kindergarten class I'm in they have two word walls. One that has seasonal or unit words on it. For example for Valentine's Day they had Valentine, cards, hearts, etc. They other words wall has removeable words so the students can take them off the wall and bring them back to their desks to copy them on their paper. This has helped a lot of the students write complete sentences because they are not worried about how to spell or stretch out words they should have already learned. After the students know how to spell the words on the word wall they no longer walk over and get them. I have noticed a decrease in the amount of students that need to take words from the word wall when they write.