The Ambitious Guest
Sample Reflection Journal Entry
Lani Akamai
Lesson 1.1
One of the new understandings I made this week about a shared literacy lesson with my class is that they really enjoy poetry. Before I read the poem Covers to them, we discussed the new words and concepts. As they talked about what they already know about covers and the different types of covers there are, I found out their background knowledge. The next step was to read the poem to them. We then read it as a group. After several more choral readings of the poem, we talked about their favorite blanket. We then did a shared writing of a poem called My Blanket. The poem is now on a large chart in the classroom and is part of the material the students can and do read.
I found out that with a simple poem I could teach many literacy skills including left to right, one-to-one matching of words said to words in print, and a few sight words. I also was able to focus on the teaching of beginning letter sounds. I really think the students now have a basic understanding that the “bl” sound makes the sounds you hear at the beginning of the word “blanket.”
I also found out that my students really like to read poetry. Next time we do a shared reading of a poem and a shared writing of our own original poems, I hope to include time for them to draw a picture to go with the poem and write as much about their picture as possible. I think we can make a small class book of all their poems.
One of my students who never participated in past lessons really followed along and was engaged with reading. I will continue to do more poetry with all of the class and also individually with this
Lani Akamai
Lesson 1.1
One of the new understandings I made this week about a shared literacy lesson with my class is that they really enjoy poetry. Before I read the poem Covers to them, we discussed the new words and concepts. As they talked about what they already know about covers and the different types of covers there are, I found out their background knowledge. The next step was to read the poem to them. We then read it as a group. After several more choral readings of the poem, we talked about their favorite blanket. We then did a shared writing of a poem called My Blanket. The poem is now on a large chart in the classroom and is part of the material the students can and do read.
I found out that with a simple poem I could teach many literacy skills including left to right, one-to-one matching of words said to words in print, and a few sight words. I also was able to focus on the teaching of beginning letter sounds. I really think the students now have a basic understanding that the “bl” sound makes the sounds you hear at the beginning of the word “blanket.”
I also found out that my students really like to read poetry. Next time we do a shared reading of a poem and a shared writing of our own original poems, I hope to include time for them to draw a picture to go with the poem and write as much about their picture as possible. I think we can make a small class book of all their poems.
One of my students who never participated in past lessons really followed along and was engaged with reading. I will continue to do more poetry with all of the class and also individually with this