English Methods K-2 Teaching English in Grades

English Methods K-2

Teaching English in Grades K-2

There are four components of instruction in English language learning for children in the primary grades. The purpose of this paper is to discuss each of these components -- phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, and reading -- and present learning activities suitable for grade levels kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Some options for differentiation will be provided to accommodate different ability levels and learning styles in the regular education classroom.

Rupley (2009) noted that a number of studies over the past seventy years underscore the important role played by the teacher in students' learning to read. That may seem obvious, but Rupley refers to the benefits of direct/explicit instruction with respect to the components of language learning. Direct/explicit instruction is "active, reflective teaching in which the teacher recognizes that reading is an interactive process and that students can be effectively taught to become better readers" (Rupley, p. 120). In other words, it is not enough for teachers to provide reading materials and expect that students will develop the skills they need through exposure to books and worksheets. The teacher must be a thoughtful practitioner and take an active role in helping children build the foundations for learning to read.

For this paper, the general characteristics of the "typical" learner at each grade level, kindergarten through second grade, are discussed. Activities for each grade level are organized under each of the four components of instruction. Most of the activities can be adapted for all three grade levels. Depending on the student population, some activities that appropriate for kindergarten students in one class, school, or district might be better suited to first graders in another location.

Kindergarten Students

Kindergarten students generally enter school at age five. Most kindergarten teachers will notice a disparity among students with respect to school readiness. One factor is chronological age; with students so young, even a few months can make a big difference. "Children move through two distinct developmental phases during the kindergarten year -- one of caution, literalness and general compliance; a second of experimentation, oppositional behavior, and uncertainty" (Wood, p. 42). A child closer to four years of age can thus be expected to behave differently than a kindergartener nearer to the age of six. Basic personality would make a difference as well. Kindergarten students will come to school at different stages of readiness based upon family demographics. Students with older siblings have heard about school from their brothers and sisters and may have seen them reading and doing homework. These students may have a better idea of what school "is all about" compared to the only child or oldest child who does not have that same indirect experience. Children may also come to kindergarten with diverse preschool experiences. Some children will have spent their preschool years in the home, cared for by a parent or grandparent; pre-reading skills may or may not be part of the day. Likewise, childcare facilities and preschools vary in types of programs they deliver; that can impact school readiness. Finally, socioeconomic status of the family will also play a role. Lloyd, Li, & Hertzman (2010) found in a longitudinal study of urban, disadvantaged children that lack of early learning experiences negatively impacted reading achievement in later grades. It is the task of the kindergarten teacher to reach all of these children in the teaching of reading.

Chip Wood (1994) wrote about the "typical" child for each age group in his famous book Yardsticks. He acknowledged that his discussions of each age group were "snapshots of development" (p. xix) but also explained "children's growth and development follow reasonably predictable patterns" (p. 26). The activities for kindergarten students (as well as those for first and second graders) detailed in this paper reflect Wood's findings and have basis in his recommendations.

Learning is at its best for the five-year-old when it is both structured and exploratory; structured through a clear and predictable schedule; exploratory through carefully constructed interest areas where children can initiate their own activity. The best teachers observe learning activities and create teacher-directed instruction to complement the children's interests and meet the learning expectations for the age (Wood, pp. 41-42).

First Graders

First graders generally enter at age six. Hopefully, kindergarten provided an opportunity for students to build reading readiness skills. Once again, the teacher will find some disparity in the classroom, the result of the same factors that characterized the kindergarten classroom -- chronological age, personality, inherent ability, socioeconomic status, and prior school experience. It is probably the case that many students attend first grade in the same school in which they attended kindergarten. In such cases, students would benefit from consistency in instruction materials and methods. Kindergarten is not mandatory in all states. Even within states there are both full- and part-time kindergarten programs. A child who has not attended kindergarten at all or who attended a different school may be at a disadvantage, although not necessarily. The first grade teacher must address various abilities, learning styles, and differences in prior school experience when teaching reading skills.

Six is an age of dramatic physical, cognitive and social change…[Children] love to do their assignments, but are decidedly more interested in the process than in the product…Children delight in cooperative projects, activities and tasks…A teacher's words, tone, and body language all have great effect on six-year-olds…In many ways this is a key moment, a turning point, an open door. At six, the child is extremely open, receptive to all new learning. The eagerness, curiosity, imagination, drive and enthusiasm of the six-year-old is perhaps never again matched in quantity or intensity during the life span (Wood, pp. 59-61).

Second Graders

Children are generally seven years old when they enter the second grade classroom. Children who attend the same school for kindergarten and grade one come to second grade with an understanding of the school culture, classroom procedures, and common vocabulary from commercially-prepared curriculum materials such as basal readers, phonics programs, math programs, and similar materials. Wood (1994) characterizes seven-year-olds in the following ways:

Sevens are hard workers and often perfectionists…[They] love the routine and structure of school and appreciate their personal relationship with the teacher…[They] are good listeners and still enjoy being read a story. They show great interest in new words…They like working and talking with one other person (in board and card games, on puzzles) but don't always do well on group projects (pp. 71-72).

Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Before children can learn to read, they must understand that words are made up of sounds. They must understand how sounds work in words (Write-Express, 2010). A child's level of phonemic awareness on entering school is widely held to be the strongest single determinant of the success that she or he will experience in learning to read -- or, conversely, the likelihood that she or he will fail (Adams, 1990; Stanovich, 1986, in Adams, Foorman, Lundberg, & Beeler, 1998). In fact, research clearly shows that phonemic awareness can be developed through instruction, and, furthermore, that doing so significantly accelerates children's subsequent reading and writing achievement (Ball & Blachman, 1991; Blachman, Ball, Black, & Tangel, 1994; Bradley & Bryant, 1983; Byrne & Fielding-Barnsley, 1991, 1993, 1995; Caslte, Riach, & Nicholson, 1994; Cunninghman, 1990; Lundberg et al., 1988; Wallahc & Wallach, 1979; Williams, 1980, in Adams et al.) Ukrainetz, Ross, & Harm (2009) reported that regularly scheduled classroom instruction specifically on phonemic awareness was shown to benefit at-risk kindergarten students as much, and in some cases slightly more, than pull-out instruction. Phonemic awareness is the most basic building block for learning how to read. Research indicates that, without direct instructional support, phonemic awareness eludes roughly 25% of middle-class first graders and substantially more of those who come from less literacy-rich backgrounds (Adams et al.).

TEAMS Educational Resources developed general guidelines for levels of phonemic awareness. Preschoolers ages three and four are usually able to identify words that rhyme, Four and five-year-olds (a group that includes kindergarteners) realize that words are made up of syllables; they can clap their hands and count the "word parts" they hear. Six-year-olds (usually first grade) understand onsets (beginning sounds) and rimes (roots of word families) and can make substitutions. For example, they will understand a word puzzle such as "What rhymes with / at / and begins with / f/? Six years olds usually can isolate beginning, middle, and ending sounds and can blend them, for example stretching out the sounds / c/, / a/, / t//, then putting them together to say "cat." Second graders, and some first graders, can count the number of sounds they hear in a word as well as identify the sounds themselves. They can break down the word "man," for example, into its component sounds / m/-/a/-/n/. Second graders can usually substitute phonemes to make new words. For example, they could figure out what new word would be made by taking the / t / out of "stand" (sand) (TEAMS, n.d.)

Phonemic Awareness Activities for Kindergarten

The National Institute for Literacy (2010) suggests simple word games for kindergarten students that can be incorporated into circle time or whole group reading instruction. For differentiation, the teacher could use different word sets for instruction in small groups. These word games could include phoneme isolation ("What's the first sound you hear in 'cat'?"), phoneme identity ("Which sound is the same in 'man,' 'mitt,' and 'mess'?"), and phoneme categorization ("Which word doesn't belong -- 'fan,' 'fat,' 'tap'?").

Kindergarten students enjoy rhyming activities. A good circle time activity is a simple game in which children give a thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate whether or not a pair of words rhymes. For most kindergarten students, it would be best if they heard the words spoken aloud. Picture cards or picture/word cards could be added, but those activities could also serve students in first or second grade.

Kindergarten students would enjoy a game in which they could clap and snap their fingers. The movement in this activity would be very engaging for students who are five and six years old. The teacher demonstrates the movements: clap, clap, snap. Students follow the teacher's motions and repeat the rhyming words. For example" Clap, clap, snap, fall. Clap, clap, snap, ball." Another variation on the game would be for the teacher to provide the first word and students in the class provide the rhyming word. This game would work well as a morning meeting game but could also be used during reading instruction and in small groups. Again, the teacher could differentiate the activity with the words selected for use in the game.

Kindergarten students would also enjoy a game in which they walked in a big circle, taking one step each time a rhyming word is said by the teacher. When the teacher says a word that does not rhyme, the children sit down. At this point, children are only hearing the words and they would not be confused by seeing words in print that rhyme but that have different ways of spelling the same sound (e.g., flea, spree, key, me) (Patti's Activities, n.d.)

Phonemic Awareness Activities for First Grade

The color CVC word-picture cards (Appendix A) can be used with first graders in several ways. The teacher can have students identify the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in each word. They can isolate the sounds, then blend them together to say the words. Students can identify rhyming pairs. The teacher could use the cards for small group or whole class instruction during reading lessons. For review and practice, s/he could use them during morning meeting or at circle time at the end of the day. Several sets of the cards could be made and used in centers. Children could do the activities above with a partner or small group.

Phonemic Awareness Activities for Second Grade

In the second grade classroom, the CVC word-picture cards (Appendix A) could be used as described for the first grade activities for review and practice. Students could also sort the word cards by beginning, middle, and ending sounds. As with students in kindergarten and first grade, second graders can benefit from the physical activity of reaching for and manipulating the cards. The teacher can use the cards with a pocket chart and small or whole group instruction. Second graders may also enjoy these activities with a partner.

Second graders would also enjoy the clapping game and movement activities used in the kindergarten and first grade classrooms. The teacher can review the words taught in previous grades and add new words, especially words with beginning and/or ending blends (e.g., clip, mask, stamp). Second grade students could participate in a movement activity in which they perform one activity when they hear the teacher read a certain sound at the beginning and a different activity when they hear a sound at the end. For example, a teacher might read a list of words and the children would hop on one foot when they heard / k / at the beginning and wave their arms above their heads when they heard the / k / at the end of the word.

Second graders can "air write" the beginning (or ending) letter they hear when the teacher says a word aloud. Like the other activities, students can do these as part of whole group or small group instruction. The advantage to these activities is that they require very little preparation. A teacher could even play some of the word games while students are lining up to go to lunch or recess.

For an engaging game that requires a little preparation, the teacher could put a collection of small objects in a bag. A student could pull an object out of the bag, identify it, then name other words (with the help of classmates) that have the same beginning or ending sound.

Phonics

Phonics is the basic reading instruction that teaches the relationships between letters and sounds. According to a study by the Partnership for Reading, the objective of phonics instruction is to help children learn and use the "alphabetic principle," which is the systematic and predictable relationships between written letters and spoken sounds (Write-Express, 2010).

Phonics Activities for Kindergarten

Kindergarten students are usually working on letter identification. On the board, the teacher can place magnetic letters or tiles, using upper- and lowercase letters from all or part of the alphabet. At circle time, or during small group instruction, the teacher can have students match the pairs that go together. This is a good center activity as well, where students can use magnetic letters or letter tiles on small cookie sheets.

Kids Learning Station has three types of upper- and lowercase matching worksheets. The first requires children to correctly identify a matching lowercase letter from a field of three choices. The second worksheet also asks children to correctly identify a matching lowercase letter from a field of three, but the letters have a horizontal rather than vertical orientation. The third asks children to draw a line connecting the uppercase letter with its lowercase partner. These worksheets aid children in their visual discrimination skills and also give them practice using their fine motor skills by drawing circles and lines in the appropriate places. The worksheets can be accessed and printed directly from the web: http://www.kidslearningstation

.com/preschool/uppercase-lowercase-worksheets.asp

The CVC picture-word cards at Appendix A can also be used for phonics work. Children can learn to read the cards; the pictures are a self-check as they make the connection between letters and sounds.

Phonics Activities for First Grade

First graders can enjoy a simple word search puzzle, locating words listed in a word bank that are written vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. The word search provides students an opportunity to read simple words, practicing the symbol/sound correlation. There are commercially published word search books available for first graders or teachers can create them at www.puzzlemaker.com. The advantage to teacher-created puzzles is that they can incorporate words that have already been studied in the classroom, including words from other content areas or associated with holidays.

First graders will also enjoy a phonics treasure hunt. This activity will allow them to move around the room, so it is a good choice of activity to use after children have been sitting for a while. Ahead of time, the teacher writes words on index cards and hides them around the room. The words should be ones that have already been discussed as a class. The teacher then hands each student a card with a letter on it; students must find the words that correspond to their letters. This activity can be customized for holidays. In autumn, for example, the teacher can write the words on pumpkin shapes. In the spring, the teacher can put the words on small slips of paper hidden inside plastic eggs.

Phonics Activities for Second Grade

Most second graders still enjoy Dr. Seuss books as much as they did when they were younger. Some students can read all or parts of the books independently, which adds to the enjoyment. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish is a good choice for a phonics activity because it contains many rhyming words that children can learn to spell. The teacher begins with large chart paper or a white board, writing five phonograms, -ad, -op, -ish, -ink, and -- ump. The teacher reads the story, asking students to listen for words containing the phonograms. After the story is finished, the teacher will ask students to recall as many of these words that they can. Each time a student identifies a word, s/he will be asked to point to the correct phonogram on the board. The child will tell the class the beginning letter of the word.

This activity is best suited for whole class instruction.

Appendix B explains how to design a worksheet entitled "Which Letter?" For each letter, the teacher includes a very simple poem such as this one: "This letter of the alphabet is in some messy words you know, like mucky, muddy, mopping, milk. Now write some other words below! A teacher could use this worksheet for whole class instruction with an overhead or interactive whiteboard. It could also be used for guided or independent practice by small groups or the whole class, depending on students' abilities. More advanced students could be encouraged to write their own words associated with each letter, while struggling students could draw pictures.

Spelling

Spelling success doesn't just happen. It is the result of a conscientious spelling and word-skill program that provides a menu of activities [http://www.sittonspelling.com/activities/2010-2011/SSIA-2010_09_20-G1.pdf]. The spelling activities described for each grade level below can easily be adapted across all three grade levels and for differentiation within a grade level.

Spelling Activities for Kindergarten Students

Kindergarten students would enjoy drawing pictures and labeling them with their spelling words. They could also spell words by cutting letters from old newspapers and magazines, then gluing them on a large piece of construction paper or poster board. Students who have difficulty grasping a pencil could say and spell words into a tape recorder [www.yourdictionary.com].

Spelling Activities for First Graders

First graders would enjoy using alphabet stamps and colored ink pads to "write" their spelling words. Children would benefit from the tactile experience of writing words in sand or gelatin powder. They could also "write" with their fingers on the carpet or a piece of sandpaper. The teacher could provide alphabet cereal or pasta for children to use in a center or as a whole class activity. The children could glue the cereal or pasta on construction paper, or they could spell the words and have a partner check them before returning the materials to the bowl [www.yourdictionary.com].

Spelling Activities for Second Graders

Second graders may enjoy making their own flash cards to study spelling words, either with a partner in the classroom or at home with a family member. Students may also enjoy word search or crossword puzzles; teachers can create puzzles with classroom words at www.puzzlemaker.com. Because puzzles are easy to make with this online tool, they can be differentiated for students within the classroom.

Second graders can be challenged to find spelling words in newspaper or magazine articles. They can also write their own articles or stories using spelling words. Most second graders will be interested in codes. They can be "secret agents" by numbering the alphabet from one to twenty-six and then writing their spelling words in code [www.yourdictionary.com].

Reading

There are three important components in a reading program designed for students in the primary grades: vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Kindergarteners, first graders, and second graders need direct instruction of vocabulary. Biemiller & Boote (2006) call it "essential." In their study, they found that children could acquire approximately four hundred new words a year. Borgia, Horack & Kiley (2005) advocate teaching vocabulary to young children by enabling them to make the words "their own." Their ten simple strategies incorporate a wide variety of learning styles: 1. Say the word (auditory); 2. Stretch the word (segmenting); 3. See the word (visualizing); 4. Clap the word (kinesthetic); 5. Compare the word (analogies); 6. Draw the word (visual/spatial); 7. Sing the word (musical); 8. Make the word (artistic); 9. Write the word (kinesthetic); and 10. Use the word (application, meaning) (Borgia, Horack & Kiley, p. 47).

One way to begin building basic reading vocabulary is through sight word lists. Many schools use either the Dolch or Fry lists; there are a number of sites on the Internet that allow teachers (and parents) to print free flashcards. It is suggested that teachers of first graders print both the kindergarten and first grade sets, while second grade teachers should print the kindergarten, first grade, and second grade sets. This allows for review and practice as well as differentiation for struggling students.

Reading Activities for Kindergarten Students

To build basic vocabulary for kindergarten students, the teacher could combine Dolch or Fry flashcards with picture flashcards. Students could then make simple sentences such as "I see a --." Teachers can use commercially prepared picture flashcards or make a classroom set with magazine photos or digital photos of objects in the classroom. Teachers can increase students' vocabulary and exposure to print by labeling everything in the classroom. A teacher can print the Dolch kindergarten list from http://www.kidzone.ws/dolch/kindergarten.htm. The Fry words can be printed from http://www.fishforwords.com/sight-word-lists.php.

Appendix C shows an example of a vocabulary worksheet. There are many such worksheets available at no charge on the Internet. Teachers can also use this example as a template to create their own worksheets. For a whole class activity, a teacher could adapt a worksheet to an interactive whiteboard so that the class could complete it together.