Friday, August 18, 2017

Color by Code Sight Words for First and Second Grade

I finished creating three sets of COLOR by CODE sight word sheets.  Each set has a theme that is of high interest to children.  I tried some of the pages out with my little gal and she LOVES the COLOR by CODE sheets!  I was so proud of how she used context skills and picture cues to catch the word "ocean" from the sentence at the bottom of the page.  She needed help with the word "Pacific" and she made a genuine attempt at decoding it phonetically herself before making an appeal to me for help with the word.  The video clip below is her cold read of the sentence.

Each of the COLOR by CODE sheets has a sentence at the bottom of the page for students to read.  The sentences are related to the pictures.  Sight words are willfully included within the sentences so that students can apply word recognition knowledge to reading whole sentences.  First graders may need help reading some of the words - - such as the word "Pacific".

"Little Gal" has such a high energy level and she is practically jumping out of her chair as she reads.  Nonetheless she is soaking up every minute of the reading exercise!

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
COLOR by CODE sight words sheets can be used as independent work when students are not working directly with the teacher.  The students are coloring according to the key provided on the sheet.  The children find the word and its assigned color.  Then they color accordingly.  The sight words are recurrent on the picture allowing children continuous exposure without a monotonous undertone

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.

Color words can be coded with crayons for students that haven't yet learned to recognize them by sight.  There is no previous word knowledge required to complete one of the COLOR by CODE sheets.  This helps minimize incorrect learning while increasing students' sight word knowledge.

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.

I printed the 18 COLOR by CODE sheets and went to my office supply store to have the pages bound as a book.  (They can also be bound with a stapler.)

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
The "book" format allows students to easily access their COLOR by CODE sheets for independent work time.  If you teach six to nine new sight words per week, the COLOR by CODE sheets could be one of your weekly assignments which would continue over a span of 18 weeks - - one sheet per week.  To maximize word knowledge acquisition, I recommend reviewing each set of words before the page is assigned.

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
Students that are crazy for coloring will love COLOR by CODE sheets - - like "Little Gal" who begged me for more!  I think she also likes using her newly developed reading skills to read the sentences printed at the bottom of each page and learn what I wrote about the picture!

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
The three themes that I selected for my COLOR by CODE printable pages are:   Food, Pirate, and Ocean.  Here are a few more photos from the Ocean Theme set.

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.
Each theme includes six printable pages with six to nine targeted sight words used on a page.  I used the first 128 sight words which are commonly known as Fry words.  A complete word list is included on the product description page.

If you are interested in this resource, click the image shown below to view it at my shop.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Color-by-Code-Sight-Words-Bundle-Three-Themes-FoodPirateOcean-128-Words-3124160

I also made a version with British spelling that can be found here:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Colour-by-Code-Sight-Words-Bundle-FoodPirateOcean-128-Words-British-Spelling-3124054

A few months ago I made a COLOR by CODE Earth Day freebie with animal groups.  Feel free to use it as a sample of my COLOR by CODE products.  Here's the link that post where you can find the link to the freebie:  Color by Code Earth Day.  I also wrote some blog posts about strategies to use and pitfalls to avoid when using COLOR by CODE printables.  If you'd like, read them hereSTRATEGIES and PITFALLS.

That's all for now!

These color by code sight word printable sheets are suitable for first and second graders that are learning new high frequency words on a weekly basis.  This color by code bundle contains 18 pages and included three themes.  Each color by code page targets six to nine Fry words.  There is a key for students to follow which directs them to color sections on a picture.  Color by code sight words are a great way to allow students to work independently while increasing Fry word knowledge.


Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly
   

Monday, August 7, 2017

Teaching Strategy to Improve Student Recall of Information Taught in Previous Units

If you are an elementary classroom teacher you have probably encountered situations in which your students are unable to recall information that you or someone else has already taught.  In spite of the fact that you have documented evidence showing student mastery of a standard or skill, the new data you have collected indicates that some children no longer possess a sufficient understanding of the content.

Let's imagine that you are a second grade educator planning to teach a unit on telling time.  You expect that most of your students can read time to the hours and half hours because it is a first grade standard.  You give your students a pre-test on telling time and are disappointed to find out that many of your students can't tell time to the half hours.  You can't help but wonder what happened. 

Our brains don't perform as we might expect.  We don't always recall material with perfection.  The same holds true for our students.  If you take a look at a school division's curriculum guide you might notice that a topic such as telling time is taught as a unit.  One or more weeks are devoted to a telling time unit.  Once the unit is completed very little time is spent on the subject for the remainder of the school year.  It might be nearly 12 months before students are exposed to anything related to telling time.  For instance, a former first grader that learned about tellling time to the hours and half-hours in the month of January is learning about telling time with five minute increments in same month of the following year as a second grader.  Unless reading times on a clock is part of a child's every day life, it has been 12 months since the task of reading time on a clock was performed. 

Although most math textbooks have built in review portions throughout each chapter or unit, small review pieces do an insufficient job of maintaining skills that were previously taught from the current school year or from similar skills taught in the previous school year.

The good news is that there is a simple fix to this problem.  There are strategies that can easily be implemented throughout the school year that help students solidify learning that took place earlier.  One such strategy is using review games and review centers in the classroom.  Games can be played with the whole class or in small groups.  Most students will find the experience enjoyable!  Additionally, many games are easy for a paraprofessional to take responsibility of which frees up the educator's time.  Independent centers can also be used as part of a daily routine.  They can be used as part of a rotation when students are not in small group with their teacher. 

I believe that any games or centers in which the students are required to use independently (without adult support) must be games or centers in which the students already have at least 94% accuracy of the featured skill or skills.  If this is disregarded, incorrect learning will take place.  The time it takes to conduct student pre-assessments, review the data, and use the data to determine who can use the games or centers independently is time well spent.  If your head is spinning around while thinking about how you can do this, stop and take a deep breath.  As a teacher, you are a tactician.  You can do this!  Here are a few examples: 

1.  Use math games and math centers immediately after teaching the unit or chapter of the featured skill.  Let's say you finished your telling time unit and everyone in the class passed with flying colors.  You proceed with a unit on money.  While you are teaching the money unit students can be using telling time games and centers independently.  They have passed with flying colors, you have the data that verifies this, and now you are extending their brain's capacity to recall the information later on because you are prolonging the number of days they are having experiences with telling time.

2.  Use math games and math centers regardless of whether or not students have 94% accuracy - as long as "High Adult Support" is in place.  "High Adult Support" means that an adult is alongside the children that are engaged with the game or center.  The adult's presence is not peripheral.

3.  Use math games and math centers that are one or more grade levels below the class grade level.  If you are a second grade teacher and you know that the math unit on money (the one you plan to teach) is months away, you will want your students to be engaged in first grade level games and centers (related to money) long before you begin your unit.  This strategy should be at play for all math topics that you plan to teach.  Don't wait until you are ready to teach a math unit about place value to the hundreds to review place value for ones and tens.  You don't want it to be a year (or longer) since students have had exposure to similar skills such as tens and ones. 

If you are going to stage games and centers as an independent activity, you need to procure your own assessment data.  Using the math data from students' previous grade level is not current.  In our utopia teacher mindsets, we like to think of our students as reviewing content from the previous year over the summer.  The reality is that we can't depend on that happening.  While there are good intentions on the parts of parents to review core subject content, summer often gets in the way.  During the summer months, families have backyard barbecues, go swimming, pack and move into new neighborhoods, and take vacations.  School review material gets placed on the back burner so to speak.

These telling time clip cards are just right for first graders that are learning to read time on analog clocks.  Every hour and half hour is included offering plenty of practice.  Students view the analog clock image on the clip card and find the matching time in digital form.  Four cards print on a single sheet of paper.  A color and black and white version are included.  Additional sets are available that take students to the next level which is to tell time in five minute increments.
Student using a telling time clip card center for summer review.
 

Below 94% accuracy = incorrect learning taking place.  Incorrect or confused learning will make teaching the unit (when you teach it) very demanding because you will have to reteach content that was incorrectly learned while the students were working independently.

The first two weeks of school is one of the best times to review the previous grade level's content.  Use review math games and review math centers on a variety of topics and continue to use them throughout new math units that you introduce and teach.  Consider devoting ten minutes of your daily math block to a math review game instead of using the review piece provided in the textbook. 

In another blog post I mentioned that I would include student probes for telling time.


Please be aware that a student probe is not necessarily the same thing as a pre-test which can offer you specific data about students' understanding.  The telling time probes that I've created are intended to give you a general idea of students knowledge about clocks and ability to read time in digital form.  You can get the probes by clicking here:  QUICK PROBES for TIME.

If you are looking for games about telling time, check out the BLOG POST where I informally probe the sweet gal in the video on identify time in digital form.  She is a quick study!  This little cutie also explored telling time clip cards which can be used as a center activity.

These telling time clip cards are just right for first graders that are learning to read time on analog clocks.  Every hour and half hour is included offering plenty of practice.  Students view the analog clock image on the clip card and find the matching time in digital form.  Four cards print on a single sheet of paper.  A color and black and white version are included.  Additional sets are available that take students to the next level which is to tell time in five minute increments.

The center quickly migrated to an outdoor space.  I was thrilled that we could make learning happen outside!

These telling time clip cards are just right for first graders that are learning to read time on analog clocks.  Every hour and half hour is included offering plenty of practice.  Students view the analog clock image on the clip card and find the matching time in digital form.  Four cards print on a single sheet of paper.  A color and black and white version are included.  Additional sets are available that take students to the next level which is to tell time in five minute increments.

If you are interested in my telling time clip cards, you can find them in the CLIP CARDS section of my shop HERE or click on any of the images shown below.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Telling-Time-to-the-Hours-and-Half-hours-with-Analog-Clocks-Unlined-2938071


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Telling-Time-to-the-Hours-and-Half-hours-with-Analog-Clocks-Lined-2938053

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Telling-Time-to-the-Nearest-Five-Minutes-with-Analog-Clocks-Unlined-2937995
  
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Telling-Time-to-the-Nearest-Five-Minutes-with-Analog-Clocks-Lined-2938025

These telling time clip cards are just right for first graders that are learning to read time on analog clocks.  Every hour and half hour is included offering plenty of practice.  Students view the analog clock image on the clip card and find the matching time in digital form.  Four cards print on a single sheet of paper.  A color and black and white version are included.  Additional sets are available that take students to the next level which is to tell time in five minute increments.
That's all!

Molly McMahon, Lessons by Molly