The Four-Blocks Literacy Model

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The Four-BlocksLiteracy Model

• Working With Words
• Guided Reading
• Self-Selected Reading
• Writing

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Expected Outcomes

• Participants will
• Study and describe the major components of
  Working with Words
• Develop and implement lesson plan activities
  based on the Working with Words Block
• Create and make hands on instructional supports
  for classroom use.

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Lets Look at the Research

• by Patricia Cunningham,
• Dorothy Hall and
• Cheryl Sigmon

• by Karen Erickson and David Koppenhaver

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Research Jigsaw

• The Teachers Guide to the Four Blocks
• Group 1 Word Walls, Pgs 122-124
• Group 2 Word Wall Variations, Pgs 130-135
• Group 3 Phonics Spelling, Pgs 136-137
• Decoding and Spelling, Pg 159
• Making it Multi-Level, Pgs 161, 164
• Group 4 Making Words, Pgs 142-147
• Children with Disabilities
• Group 5 Purposes and Priorities, Pgs 110-112

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Show what You Know!

• Word Walls
• Word Wall Variations
• Phonics and Spelling
• Making Words
• Decoding and Spelling Variations
• Making It Multi-Level
• Purposes and Priorities for SWD

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Word Wall WordsCreating the Wall
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Form Basics

• Letters need to be approx. 2 inches high
• Dark, thick marker on light sentence strip on
  dark (high contrast) background
• Given a choice, manuscript, not DNealian
• Upper and lower case from beginning
• Different color background for each word in each
  category (t-words, b-words)
• Cut out block shape around letters, leaving
  approx. ¼ in. border
• Visually similar words (am/am) on different
  background
• Homophones (too/to/two) on different backgrounds
• Alphabetic by first letter only

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Word Wall WordsChoosing Words
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Word Wall FoundationsChoosing Words

• Used to teach words that you dont want student
  to have to work to decode or spell
• Exposure vs. learning
• Needs/wants/use vs. curriculum-driven direct
  instruction
• Distributed vs. massed practice
• Permanent vs. temporary accountability

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Word Wall Content Basics

• Unimportant words need not apply
• High frequency words
• Generative patterns (transfer words)
• At, can, like, old
• High Utility
• Student names, teachers, school name, tv
  favorites
• Spelling demons
• Words kids regularly misspell in writing

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Common Rimes (Wylie Durrell, 1970)
ack ap est ing ot ail ash ice ink uck ain
at ick ip ug ake ate ide it ump ale aw i
ght ock unk ame ay ill oke ank an eat in
op ell ine ore
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Carolina Literacy Groups Onset Studies

• Onsets in Three Levels of Ease of Learning
• Easiest h, n, d, fl, m, j, r, h, t
• More Difficult sh, dr, cr, f, bl, pl, tr, cl, pr
• Most Difficult sp, sn, str, sc, th, ch, br, ch, k

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Carolina Literacy GroupsRime Studies

• Rimes in Three Levels of Ease of Learning
• Easiest it, ay, in, ap, ill, an, ack, ip, ing,
  at, ore, ug, ell
• More difficult aw, ide, ake, ock, unk, ick, oke,
  ank, ice, ash, ump, ink
• Most difficult ine, ain, ate, ail, est, ale,
  ight, ot, uck, eat, op, ame

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Word Wall WordsRoutine for Adding Words
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Word Wall Use Basics

• 5 words a week
• Issue is deep, thorough knowledge not content
  coverage or exposure
• Cumulative list
• On the wall until every kid consistently spells
  word correctly without looking.
• Introduce homophones in separate weeks, not all
  at one.
• Daily 10-minute activities

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Introducing Words

• Put word cards on display separate from word wall
• Temporary wall location, chalkboard tray, pocket
  chart
• Pronounce first word to class as they look at it
• Discuss meaning or use
• Clap and cheer/chant 3 times
• A-N-DAND!!
• (older kids) make cheerssee reference on WIKI

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Introducing Words cont.

• Each child writes word
• Incorporate handwriting by modeling correct
  letter formation on overhead or board
• Repeat with remaining words
• Draw around shapes of words in block
• Last words introduced in mid-to late April

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Word Wall WordsRoutine for Practicing
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Word Wall WordsLets Give it a Try!
On the Back Cross Checking Cunningham, 128
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Word Wall WordsLets Give it a Try
On the Back Be A Mind Reader Cunningham, 129
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Working with Words Center

• What are students doing?
• word sorts
• using magnetic letters
• reading ABC books
• making words
• playing word games
• What mini-lessons do I need to teach to get it
  started?
• how to do a word sort
• how to use an ABC chart
• how to use materials at the center (letter
  stamps, word cards)
• how to use a dry erase board
• what to do when you are done with one activity

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Daily Activities

• Cunningham 125-130, 138-162
• Erickson 116-124
• Handout

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Websites for Working with Words
http//classroom.jc-schools.net/read/words.html
PowerPoint Word Wall Vocabulary Presentations
http//teachers.net/lessons/posts/1138.html
Word Wall Activities List http//www.wordplays.co
m/fcgi-bin/jumble.pl for teachers type in
secret/big word to get list of little words goes
along well with making big words http//fdlrssprin
gs.org/literacy_resources.html FDLRS Springs
website for literacy activities Http//region2libr
ary.org FDLRS Region 2 website for links to
helpful compilations of literacy
resources http//www.bbc.co.uk/schools/laac/words/
dg3.shtml Rhyming games http//www.readwritethink
.org/materials/wordfamily/ Interactive kids
sort words by rime http//www.readwritethink.org/m
aterials/wordbuild/ Interactive add onset to
make real words http//www.woodlands-junior.kent.s
ch.uk/Games/mag/abc.html Interactive making
words using click/drag magnetic board
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Thanks Resources

• To Dr. Karen Erickson and her work with our kids
  and teachers
• To FDLRS Springsfor helping us get this
  initiative started in our region.
• Visit our WIKI Space to see other resources
• http//fourblock.wikispaces.com/WorkingwithWords
  

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Now..for the rest of the story

• Lo Tech Accommodations
• Software Demonstration
• Implementation Assignment
• Make and Take Activities
• Session Evaluation