Rochelle

Rochelle's Classroom Observation **Modelled Reading** At the start of a literacy lesson, the teacher usually reads aloud to the children from a chapter book. Although they are currently reading //Toy Story 3// together, I was told they would not be doing the reading during my observed lesson as it was coming up to Easter and they would have an Easter activity instead. Although I did not get to observe the reading, I was made aware that they are read various texts ranging from story books to more advanced chapter books. //Toy Story 3// is pitched at a more complex level than the children can read, as it allows children to engage with powerful writing, develop learning skills and increase their vocabulary (Hutchison, 2011).

**Guided Reading** Throughout the literacy lesson, small groups were called to the floor for a reading session with the teacher. The children in the lowest reading level requiring more help were selected first. Similarly to Hill’s (2006) idea of guided reading, the teacher chose texts that were at the children’s learning level whilst still providing some challenges. Each reading group was allocated a different book and each child received individual copies of the same text. Before the reading, the cover of the book and title were discussed. The teacher prompted discussion about the cover by asking a series of literal questions such as ‘What can you see on the cover?’, and ensured the discussion was relevant as ‘too much talk at this stage be confusing’ (Hill 2006, p. 81). The children then took turns reading the text aloud, and were encouraged by the teacher to ‘read with their eyes not with their hands’ when they attempted to cover words to sound it out. During the reading the children were asked literal and interpretive questions to help talk through the text and ensure all children understood any new subjects or vocabulary featured in the text (Hutchison, 2011). After the guided reading session I was told that the next lesson would be adjusted to respond to the children’s reading behaviour, which according to Hill (2006) is necessary for effective learning.

**Shared Writing** The teacher began the lesson with a shared writing session; the focus was on the use of adjectives and exploring ways to write more complex texts. The teacher posed questions to the children, such as ‘What is an adjective?’ and ‘Why should we use adjectives in a sentence?’ The teacher then held up a list of adjectives, and asked various children to read out the words and explain their definitions. The children then suggested sentences in which the adjectives could be used and the teacher wrote them on the board. According to Hill (2006) a big book can be used as a model for shared writing or even sharing a pen with the children so they can contribute can improve participation, but neither of these techniques were used. The shared writing session was a starting point for their guided writing, as it helped them understand how to use adjectives and taught them how to write more complex sentences (Hutchison, 2011).

**Guided Writing** The children who were not participating in the guided reading session were broken off into two smaller groups. One group was given a list of adjectives to use in sentences, whilst the other group were given pictures of dogs in which they had to write a sentence describing each dog. The teacher would wander around the classroom, viewing the sentences the children would write and provide support for those who asked ensuring the children would reach the desired outcome (Hutchison, 2011). Both of these activities focused on the use of adjectives, Hill (2006, p.88) explains that during guided writing ‘children might use writing frames or templates as a scaffold for writing’ which is why the children were provided with the adjective lists and dog pictures. Prior to guided writing, the children received a shared writing lesson, which according to Hill (2006) often happens to demonstrate important aspects of writing. Unlike the class featured in the //Early Years Literacy DVD//, there was no share time so the children could not present their work to the class and unless they explicitly asked for assistance their work was left uncorrected.