Module 1 Summary

PowerPoint-Expository Text-Understanding Text Organization

I really enjoyed watching the Expository Text-Understanding Text Organization. This is something I have been teaching my second graders. I think it’s important for students to know and understand that all text follows a certain structure. As teachers it’s important to teach students about expository text and provide examples of how different text structures can be. This PowerPoint provided a great overview of the different expository text structures and the key words that are associated with each. It also provided great graphic organizer to use when teaching text structure within expository texts. It’s important for students to understand the different organizational patterns that are associated within expository text. This will help them to learn the signal words used with in and hopefully allow them to have more understanding when reading or writing an expository text.  

Video-Reading Strategy for Struggling Readers

I found this video to very informative and provided many great ideas to use within the classroom with struggling readers. The definitions of the key terms were extremely helpful, as well as how each activity related to the particular reading skill shown within the video. I can’t wait to explore the website presented in this video. I already have a few students in mind that could benefit from many of the activities that were presented in this video. Struggling readers often try to avoid reading because they feel embarrassed when reading because they don’t read perfectly. Working with struggling readers in a small setting using some of the activities presented in this video will certainly help change their thinking towards reading. I’m currently tutoring three students who have reading difficulties. I can’t wait to introduce my students to some of these amazing activities to help increase their reading abilities.

Fry’s Readability Test and Irwin-Davis Readability Test

Both readability tests were very interesting to read about since I had never heard of this before. With the new Common Core Standards, we are encouraged to use more leveled articles that integrate social studies and science concepts into our reading block. I often find it difficult locating articles that are “just” right for my students reading level. This is an option for me to look into as I start pulling articles into my reading lessons for students to practice close reading strategies on complex text.