Week 7 - Assignment #3

1. Explain the three levels of words and how you can use word levels to decide which words to teach. By taking 1st level tier words that are familiar to the average student and using them as form of English advancement. Taking words like "bad", "look", and "run", (as the video mentioned) all while using them to teach the second level tier of words like "freeway", "hurricane", or "democracy". Then once those skills have been acquired, use the 2nd level tier of words to teach the 3rd level tier of words like "unicameral" and "legislature" thus increasing a child's vocabulary and fluency without them being too cognizant of what is happening. 

2. How do you teach your students to "chunk" words as a strategy for decoding unfamiliar words? By using letter blocks that are provided in the classroom and using them to get the class to play a game of scrabble as a way of educational recreation. 

    When do you provide this instruction? Shortly after the kids come in from recess, it would provide a smooth transition from playing outside. Some kids are still high off that adrenaline by the time recess is over, therefore if you have them going from 100 back down to zero with purely educational material it may prove difficult, especially when their interest level slightly wanes by that time. 

3. Based on Professor Allington's comments and the classroom examples, what are some ways you might foster word study in your classroom? By breaking the class into little-small groups during quiet reading time and find texts for them that matches their overall reading ability.