Words and Sentence Level Work

(30 min daily)

Enable learners to become CODE BREAKERS who can:

• Decode words in the text and their meaning
• Recognize sounds that go with spelling patterns
• Automatically and fluently read and spell high-frequency words
• Use phonics and spelling patterns to work out unknown words

Learners use their Sebezaphones to:

• Identify letter patterns and say the sounds they make in words
• Recognize and fluently read Word Wall Words when reading text
• Correctly spell high-frequency words
• Identify words that rhyme with Word Wall Words and correctly spell them 

Activities

(a) to raise phonemic awareness by amplifying the sounds made by letter patterns: Doing a Word Wall and using word wall words to recognize and produce rhymes, spell other words, make new endings of words. 

(b) To apply phonics to predict and decode unknown words

(c) To strength ability to ‘cross check” by asking questions about word read out loud: Does it look right (letters/sounds match)? Does it sound right (the way we speak)?  Does it make sense (in context)?

Thinking Strategies to Make Meaning and Comprehending Text:  Shared/Guided Thinking/Reading

(30 min daily)

Enable learners to become MEANING MAKERS who can

• Develop receptive and expressive oral language by reading the author’s words out loud and expressing their thoughts and reactions to the text
• Express thoughts triggered by text read by teacher or oneself
• Express  what they already know about topic (activate their Schema)
• Make personal connections to the text/story/subject matter
• Visualise picture and sensory words; pose questions about the text; make predictions and inferences; note changes in their thinking 

Learners interact with the text by speaking their thoughts out loud into their Sebezaphone to:

• Describe what they see in pictures
• Capture the thoughts triggered by the text, e.g.  connections to the plot, character, picture and feelings expressed in story/information text
• Speak aloud predictions and inferences, summaries and changes in thinking while reading.
• Speak aloud their visualisations of picture words and sensory words used by the author
• Ask themselves if the word they have said looks like the word on the page; sounds right in the sentence; makes sense in the context of the passage
• Monitor comprehension, re-read and apply fix-up strategies as needed 

Activities to develop oral language, raise metacognitive awareness, interact with text and strengthen complex thinking strategies: Learners do Think-Alouds; Brainstorm to activate schema (recall background knowledge & experiences) and formulate questions; before reading. Applying thinking strategies while reading; draw/write/act out thoughts, share reactions after reading.

Writing: Shared, Guided writing, Individual, Pair, Group

(30 min daily)

Enable learners to become WRITERS by reading their drafts out loud into their Sebezaphone to

• Listen to how their writing sounds and ensure that it expresses what they had intended,
• Check good use of language to reflect the way it is spoken
• Edit writing by listening and checking for good grammar and applying correct writing conventions and mechanics to their text
• Read peers’ writing aloud into the Sebezaphone to offer constructive feedback 

Activities to edit drafts: Learners read their writing aloud to listen for clarity of meaning, coherence, fluency and correct grammar; to check good use of writing conventions and language. Peers read aloud each other’s writing with Sebezaphone and give constructive feedback.

Self-Selected Reading: Learners’ choice

 (30 min daily)

Enable learners to become TEXT USERS and TEXT ANALYSTS who use their Sebezaphones to:

• Read aloud to themselves to more fully hear author’s words
• Think out loud to capture thoughts triggered by the text, pose a question, form a visualisation, and make connections, predictions, inferences, transformations.
• Compare thoughts/connections/ with peers reading same book
• Read aloud and talk aloud while viewing books of high interest and appropriate reading level
• Express and hear own thoughts in reaction to what was read

Activities: Learners chose what they want to read and to which parts of their reading to respond to. Interact with text by writing thoughts on ‘Post-it’ notes and stick on page to mark the spot they had the thought; Write thoughts; Draw thoughts, Make connections between own Life Story and the book’s story. Learners compare reactions, thoughts triggered by text and assessments of author’s implied message.