Letrs Unit 3 Session 2 Check For Understanding

LETRS Unit 3 Session 2: A Deep Dive into Check for Understanding

LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is a comprehensive professional development program designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively teach reading. Unit 3, focusing on phonology and phonological awareness, is a cornerstone of this program. Session 2 within this unit delves into the crucial aspect of Check for Understanding, a critical tool for ensuring that students are grasping the foundational concepts. This article will provide an in-depth exploration of LETRS Unit 3 Session 2, unpacking its key concepts, strategies, and practical applications in the classroom.

Understanding the Importance of Phonological Awareness

Before diving into the specifics of Check for Understanding, it’s essential to reiterate the importance of phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the broad skill that allows individuals to recognize and work with the sounds in spoken language. It encompasses various skills, including:

• Rhyming: Recognizing words that sound alike (e.g., cat, hat, bat).
• Alliteration: Identifying words that begin with the same sound (e.g., Peter Piper picked a peck...).
• Sentence Segmentation: Breaking a sentence into individual words.
• Syllable Awareness: Recognizing and manipulating syllables in words (e.g., umbrella = um-brel-la).
• Onset-Rime Awareness: Identifying the onset (initial consonant sound or sounds) and rime (vowel sound and any following consonants) in a syllable (e.g., in the word "cat," the onset is /k/ and the rime is /at/).
• Phonemic Awareness: The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in words. This is the most sophisticated level of phonological awareness.

Phonological awareness is a foundational skill for reading. Students who struggle with phonological awareness often experience difficulty with decoding (sounding out words) and spelling. LETRS Unit 3 aims to provide teachers with the knowledge and tools to effectively assess and develop phonological awareness skills in their students.

LETRS Unit 3 Session 2: Check for Understanding - The Core Concepts

Session 2 of LETRS Unit 3 emphasizes the importance of systematically checking for understanding throughout instruction. It stresses that simply presenting information is not enough; teachers must actively monitor student learning to ensure comprehension and address any misconceptions promptly.

The session highlights several key aspects of effective Check for Understanding:

1. Purposeful Questioning: Questions should be carefully planned and aligned with the learning objectives. They should go beyond simple recall and encourage students to think critically and apply their knowledge.
2. Active Participation: All students should be actively involved in the Check for Understanding process. This can be achieved through various strategies, such as think-pair-share, choral responding, and individual whiteboards.
3. Immediate Feedback: Providing immediate feedback is crucial for reinforcing correct answers and correcting errors. Feedback should be specific and informative, explaining why an answer is correct or incorrect.
4. Differentiation: Check for Understanding strategies should be differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. This may involve providing scaffolding for struggling students or challenging advanced learners with more complex tasks.
5. Data-Driven Instruction: The results of Check for Understanding activities should be used to inform instruction. If students are consistently struggling with a particular concept, the teacher should revisit the concept and provide additional support.

Strategies for Checking Understanding in Phonological Awareness Instruction

LETRS Unit 3 Session 2 provides teachers with a range of practical strategies for checking for understanding during phonological awareness instruction. Here are some examples, categorized by phonological awareness skill:

A. Rhyming

• Rhyme Generation: Ask students to generate words that rhyme with a given word. For example, "Tell me a word that rhymes with 'cat.'"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students consistently produce rhymes. Note if there are common errors (e.g., producing words with similar sounds but not true rhymes).
• Rhyme Identification: Present a set of words and ask students to identify the rhyming pairs. For example, "Which of these words rhyme: dog, log, sun?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can accurately identify rhyming pairs. Note any confusion or inconsistencies.
• Rhyme Oddity: Present a set of words and ask students to identify the word that does not rhyme. For example, "Which word doesn't rhyme: hat, bat, wig?"
  • Check for Understanding: Monitor students' ability to discriminate between rhyming and non-rhyming words.

B. Alliteration

• Alliteration Identification: Present a sentence or phrase and ask students to identify the words that begin with the same sound. For example, "Tell me the words that start with the same sound in 'Silly snakes slither slowly.'"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can accurately identify words with the same initial sound.
• Alliteration Generation: Ask students to create their own alliterative phrases or sentences. For example, "Make up a sentence where all the words start with the /b/ sound."
  • Check for Understanding: Evaluate the accuracy and creativity of students' alliterative phrases.

C. Sentence Segmentation

• Word Counting: Say a sentence and ask students to count the number of words. For example, "How many words are in the sentence 'The cat sat on the mat'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can accurately count the words in a sentence. Use manipulatives like blocks or counters for support if needed.
• Sentence Deconstruction: Present a sentence and ask students to break it down into individual words.
  • Check for Understanding: Note whether students can distinctly separate each word in the sentence.

D. Syllable Awareness

• Syllable Counting: Say a word and ask students to count the number of syllables. For example, "How many syllables are in the word 'elephant'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can accurately clap or tap out the syllables in a word.
• Syllable Blending: Present syllables separately and ask students to blend them together to form a word. For example, "What word do we get when we put 'but' and 'ter' together?"
  • Check for Understanding: Monitor student's ability to synthesize syllables into whole words.
• Syllable Segmentation: Present a word and ask students to break it down into its individual syllables. For example, "What are the syllables in the word 'computer'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can accurately segment words into syllables.

E. Onset-Rime Awareness

• Onset-Rime Identification: Present a word and ask students to identify the onset and rime. For example, "What is the onset and rime in the word 'sun'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can correctly identify the onset and rime in various words.
• Onset-Rime Blending: Present the onset and rime separately and ask students to blend them together to form a word. For example, "What word do we get when we put /h/ and /at/ together?"
  • Check for Understanding: Monitor students' ability to blend onsets and rimes to create words.

F. Phonemic Awareness

• Phoneme Isolation: Ask students to identify a specific sound in a word. For example, "What is the first sound in the word 'dog'?" or "What is the last sound in the word 'ship'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Listen for accurate identification of individual phonemes.
• Phoneme Identification: Present a series of words and ask students to identify which words contain a specific sound. For example, "Which of these words has the /k/ sound: cat, dog, sun?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can accurately discriminate between words that contain a specific phoneme and those that do not.
• Phoneme Blending: Present individual phonemes separately and ask students to blend them together to form a word. For example, "What word do we get when we put /k/ /a/ /t/ together?"
  • Check for Understanding: Monitor students' ability to synthesize individual phonemes into whole words.
• Phoneme Segmentation: Present a word and ask students to break it down into its individual phonemes. For example, "What are the sounds in the word 'cat'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe if students can accurately segment words into individual phonemes. This is a crucial skill for decoding and spelling.
• Phoneme Addition: Ask students to add a phoneme to a word to create a new word. For example, "What word do we get if we add /s/ to the beginning of 'top'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Evaluate student's ability to manipulate phonemes within words.
• Phoneme Deletion: Ask students to remove a phoneme from a word to create a new word. For example, "What word do we get if we take away the /p/ from 'plate'?"
  • Check for Understanding: Observe student's proficiency in removing phonemes to form new words.
• Phoneme Substitution: Ask students to substitute one phoneme in a word with another phoneme to create a new word. For example, "What word do we get if we change the /k/ in 'cat' to /h/?"
  • Check for Understanding: Monitor students' ability to substitute phonemes, indicating a high level of phonemic awareness.

Practical Strategies for Implementing Check for Understanding

Beyond specific activity examples, here are practical strategies for implementing Check for Understanding effectively in the classroom:

• Think-Pair-Share: Pose a question, have students think about their answer individually, then discuss their answer with a partner, and finally share their ideas with the whole class. This encourages participation and provides opportunities for students to learn from each other.
• Choral Responding: Ask a question and have all students respond in unison. This is a quick and easy way to check for understanding and keep students engaged. Be mindful that this can mask individual student difficulties.
• Individual Whiteboards: Provide students with individual whiteboards and markers. Ask a question and have students write their answers on their whiteboards and hold them up. This allows you to quickly assess the understanding of all students.
• Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: Ask a question and have students indicate their understanding by giving a thumbs up (they understand), thumbs down (they don't understand), or thumbs sideways (they're not sure). This is a quick and easy way to gauge overall understanding.
• Exit Tickets: At the end of a lesson, have students write down one or two things they learned or one question they still have. This provides valuable feedback and helps you plan for future instruction.
• Observation: Carefully observe students as they are working on activities. Pay attention to their body language, facial expressions, and interactions with their peers. This can provide valuable insights into their understanding.
• Pre-planned Questions: Design a series of questions ahead of time that directly relate to the lesson objectives. This ensures that the Check for Understanding is focused and relevant.
• Wait Time: After asking a question, provide students with adequate wait time to think about their answer. Research shows that increasing wait time can lead to more thoughtful and accurate responses.
• Non-Verbal Cues: Teach students non-verbal cues to indicate understanding or confusion, such as nodding, shaking their head, or raising their hand.
• Technology Integration: Utilize online tools and apps that provide interactive quizzes and assessments to check for understanding. These tools can often provide immediate feedback and track student progress.

Addressing Misconceptions and Providing Feedback

A crucial aspect of Check for Understanding is addressing misconceptions and providing effective feedback. When students make errors, it's important to:

• Identify the Error: Pinpoint the specific misunderstanding or mistake the student is making.
• Provide Corrective Feedback: Explain the correct answer and why the student's answer was incorrect. Be specific and avoid vague statements like "That's not quite right."
• Model the Correct Process: Demonstrate the correct way to perform the skill or concept.
• Provide Opportunities for Practice: Give the student additional opportunities to practice the skill or concept with guidance and support.
• Offer Positive Reinforcement: Acknowledge effort and progress, even if the student is still struggling.

Differentiation and Scaffolding

Check for Understanding strategies should be differentiated to meet the needs of all learners. This may involve:

• Providing Scaffolding: Offer support to struggling students by breaking down tasks into smaller steps, providing visual aids, or using manipulatives.
• Modifying Questions: Adjust the complexity of questions to match students' individual levels.
• Providing Choice: Allow students to choose from a variety of activities or formats for demonstrating their understanding.
• Providing Extensions: Challenge advanced learners with more complex tasks or open-ended questions.
• Small Group Instruction: Provide targeted instruction to small groups of students who need additional support.

The Role of Data in Informing Instruction

The data collected from Check for Understanding activities should be used to inform instruction. If students are consistently struggling with a particular concept, the teacher should:

• Revisit the Concept: Reteach the concept using a different approach or strategy.
• Provide Additional Practice: Offer more opportunities for students to practice the skill or concept.
• Adjust Pacing: Slow down the pace of instruction to allow more time for students to master the concept.
• Modify Instructional Materials: Adapt instructional materials to better meet the needs of students.

Conclusion: The Power of Intentional Monitoring

LETRS Unit 3 Session 2 emphasizes that Check for Understanding is not simply an add-on activity but an integral part of effective instruction. By systematically checking for understanding, teachers can ensure that students are grasping foundational concepts in phonological awareness, address misconceptions promptly, and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Implementing the strategies and principles outlined in this session will empower teachers to create a more effective and engaging learning environment, ultimately leading to improved reading outcomes for their students. The intentional monitoring of student progress, coupled with responsive teaching practices, is the key to unlocking reading success for all.