The Threads of Reading Blog » reading achievment

Digital Story Telling

KTankersley — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:20:18 +0000

If you are looking for ways to motivate children to improve their writing and thinking skills, consider having students produce digital stories. A digital story is a multi-media text consisting of pictures and video clips embedded in a document like a Power Point that is enhanced by a narrated soundtrack that tells the story. According to the research of Burn and Reed (1999) digital story telling can be a great motivator for even the most reluctant of reader. Digital story telling can be used for presenting both fiction as well as non-fiction text on a topic of interest in the content classroom. Digital story telling helps students organize their thinking, have a purpose for writing, and develops pride and self-confidence as the completed work is shared with other students. Digital story telling can be done either in groups or by individuals and even the most reluctant reader and writer will be motivated to complete a digital story project.

Silver Bullets for Instructional Success

KTankersley — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:07:04 +0000

Research indicates that there are two instructional strategies that, when done well, can boost students’ reading abilities: Sustained silent reading and direct vocabulary instruction. Yet, says Robert Marzano, no schools or districts in the United States have created programs that combine the two. The strategies, observes Marzano, are silver bullets “just sitting out there.”

Teaching Reading for Long-Term Mastery

KTankersley — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:19:00 +0000

One of the complaints I hear from teachers is having to spend a substantial amount of time each year preparing students to take state assessment instruments. My stance is is that this is not necessary. We can take a few good lessons from how the coaches of Olympic athletes prepare their protegees for that all important day. For years, prior to the actual Olympic event, these coaches provide guidance to build muscles, increase endurance and build stamina in the young athletes. As the big day finally approaches, they refine their instruction so that their mentees can maximize their performance and do their best. So too, should teachers provide long-term practice over the entire course of the school year. No matter what state, most typical state reading tests focus on four text elements: main idea and supporting details; relationships (sequential, comparative, or cause and effect; generalizations or conclusions; or some facet of the author’s craft or writing style. To ensure that students will score well on these tasks, using them regularly throughout the year. When students are used to analyzing stories in this way on a daily basis, it is second nature to respond appropriately on state tests. For more helpful tips on maximizing student performance, see “Tests that Teach: Using Standardized Tests to Improve Instruction.” (ASCD, 2007). You can pick up a copy of “Tests that Teach” from the main pages of my website.