· Web viewRead Theory. Submitted by Tim Ponder. on February 4, 2014 - 7:29pm . 94 Views0...
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Read Theory Submitted by Tim Ponder on February 4, 2014 - 7:29pm 94 Views0 Likes28 Comments Groups: MT Tech in the Classroom The next site also focuses on reading and is titled Read Theory. http://www.readtheory.org This site is also adaptive, and will begin with an activity that acts as a placement test for students. The site is designed to aid in learning Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas and Range of Reading and Text Complexity. This site also allows you as an instructor to create a teacher account, set up classes, add students to your class, set their starting level and track their progress. When you set up an account you must choose either a student or teacher account, which makes it a bit more challenging to review as you have to set up two accounts. I have set up a student account you are free to use instead of setting up a second account. The username is tponder, the password is literacy. I know several of you do not have Internet access for your students, and I would be very interested to see if you felt you could use some of the lessons in your classroom in other ways. I am also looking for a site or sites that provide more offline resources that address the same topics. The site can provide more hands-on computer practice in reading comprehension to prep for HiSET computer test Covers following Montana Reading Standards for RD 4 COMPREHENSION
Transcript of · Web viewRead Theory. Submitted by Tim Ponder. on February 4, 2014 - 7:29pm . 94 Views0...
Read Theory
Submitted by Tim Ponder on February 4, 2014 - 7:29pm 94 Views0 Likes28 Comments Groups: MT Tech in the Classroom
The next site also focuses on reading and is titled Read Theory.
http://www.readtheory.org
This site is also adaptive, and will begin with an activity that acts as a placement test for students. The site is designed to aid in learning Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas and Range of Reading and Text Complexity.
This site also allows you as an instructor to create a teacher account, set up classes, add students to your class, set their starting level and track their progress.
When you set up an account you must choose either a student or teacher account, which makes it a bit more challenging to review as you have to set up two accounts. I have set up a student account you are free to use instead of setting up a second account. The username is tponder, the password is literacy.
I know several of you do not have Internet access for your students, and I would be very interested to see if you felt you could use some of the lessons in your classroom in other ways. I am also looking for a site or sites that provide more offline resources that address the same topics.
The site can provide more hands-on computer practice in reading comprehension to prep for HiSET computer test
Covers following Montana Reading Standards for RD 4 COMPREHENSION
RD 4.1 Identify the main idea of a simple paragraph and/or multi-paragraph texts RD 4.2 Identify supporting details in text RD 4.3 Recognize transition words in text (e.g. similarly, however, on the other hand) RD 4.4 Determine the sequence of events RD 4.5 Paraphrase simple paragraph and/or multi-paragraph texts RD 4.6 Summarize simple paragraph and/or multi-paragraph texts RD 4.7 Formulate inferences from a text (e.g. use details, clue words, personal
experiences) RD 4.8 Draw conclusions from text RD 4.9 Differentiate fact from opinion in text
RD 4.10 Identify author's purpose (e.g.to inform, entertain, solve problems, or persuade) RD 4.11 Determine an author's point of view RD 4.12 Identify and connect prior knowledge to new information (e.g. knowledge of
birds connected to conservation issues) RD 4.13 Apply reasoning and logic to determine opinions, propaganda and bias within
text RD 4.14 Apply appropriate reading strategy (e.g., skimming, scanning, predicting,
inferring
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Tiffany Morrison
February 6, 2014 - 10:30am
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www.readtheory.org
I thought that this website would be a great one for students. I really enjoyed how interactive the site was. I went on the website and tried a quiz. I purposely did bad to see what it would do, and it immediately dropped me down to an easier level. I really liked that feature.
I, however, do not have internet access at the prison. I did print off the free sample lessons for each grade level to try and use in my class. I haven't used them yet. I am still trying to figure out exactly how I can use them with my students.
Using all these educational websites makes me wish that we had internet here!!!
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Kathie Daviau
February 6, 2014 - 2:55pm
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Math teachers need literacy as a skill set
Most math teachers have not been trained in reading instruction, but literacy must be part of their skill set. Reading a mathematical text or problem is really very different from other types of reading, which requires specific strategies unique to math. Most math teachers recognize the need to teach their students to read mathematical sentences -- equations and inequalities. So, math teachers have always been reading teachers without really realizing it.
Math texts are very compact; each sentence has a lot of information. There is not much redundacy. One must decode both symbols and words. Graphics often play an important role in understanding. Small words (of, off, a, any, etc.) are huge. Mathematical words (prime, median, mode, similar, product,difference, etc.) have different definitions than in traditional English. Students must read through the problem, find the question, and reread to decide what information is important.
Math teachers do not need to be reading specialists, but they need to help their students read mathematical texts.
Ok, I have not stayed on topic. I probably will not use this site, but as I played around on this site, all of my above comments came to mind. Yes, my mind rambles a bit.
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norenehp
February 9, 2014 - 9:25pm
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Math and Reading
So here I am, KD, listening to the Beatles Tribute, and I was reminded of the key to everything:
I get by with a little help from my friends!
I'll help you if you help me! What are colleagues for, right? =)
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Kathie Daviau
February 10, 2014 - 7:36am
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Little help...
Thanks, Norene! You and Liz have always been a great support for us!
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Tim Ponder
February 10, 2014 - 7:15am
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Math teachers need literacy as a skill set
In my opinion, this is perfectly on topic and a concept that is easily overlooked.
I apologize for putting you on the spot, could you elaborate a bit on what you do to help students read mathematical texts?
Does anyone else have any thoughts on this idea?
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Kathie Daviau
February 10, 2014 - 7:35am
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Singapore Bar Model For Word Problems
I use the Singapore bar model for my students. We use bars (rectangles) to show the pieces of the problem. The student needs to read the entire problem, pick out the given information, and represent what the problem is saying. This method forces the student to read the words rather than manipulate the numbers.
The part-part-whole is used for addition and subtraction problems. Repeated, equal pieces are used for multiplication and division. Most students are successful using this method.
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Forsyth ABLE
February 6, 2014 - 5:36pm
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Read Theory
I can see the value of this site, especially for older students who are not really into computer use. The ease of access should appeal to them. Also, the ability of the program to monitor an increase in reading ability is a great tool, once the challenge is there the student will naturally push themselves.
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Mark Morrison
February 7, 2014 - 11:03am
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Read Theory
This seems like an ok site. It would be good to use in a classroom. It seems like it would be a good site for lower level readers. I wish it had more free printable lessons though.
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Melinda
February 7, 2014 - 11:17am
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Read Theory
I like the fact that there is a placement test that determines level. We will have use this for both ESL and HiSET students and see how it works for them.
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melindaineureka
February 8, 2014 - 9:17pm
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using social media to encourage use of readtheory.org
Is anyone aware of how students respond to the "follow us on facebook" type ads? I'm unsure how popular this would be among adults I encounter since often they don't really want people to know they are trying to bring up low reading skills or even working toward a GED. I see pros and cons of social media of course. But is anyone out there finding the "follow us on facebook" approach one that helps rally students together in our ABE programs? And specifically for sites like readtheory.org, which is indeed a powerful tool?
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Tim Ponder
February 10, 2014 - 7:30am
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using social media to encourage use of readtheory.org
That is a really good point, and one I neglected to bring up when talking about Vocabulary.com.
It would be good to have a bit of dicsussion around this topic - if others have thoughts please share them.
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Liz81
February 11, 2014 - 2:26pm
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using social media to encourage use of readtheory.org
I have found that the use of Facebook varies with each student. Some students are avid users while others are only occasional users. However, I would always encourage students to take advantage following sites such as readtheory.org, because it just increases the exposure to educational resources. Social media connections are valuable tools. As an example, vocabulary.com sends its users a word-of-the-day via email. I think this is a terrific way for students to stay connected to learning outside the classroom.
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norenehp
February 9, 2014 - 9:20pm
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Read Theory
OK, I wanted to see how the website really worked, so I created four sample students at four different levels. The site truly is adaptive. When I missed more than the allotted number of questions, it did move me back a level and vice versa. I was curious about the questions at the higher level. They were solidly complex.
Then I decided to use both vocabulary.com and readtheory.org at the same time. It was great. I just opened a tab for vocabulary.com and copied and pasted words from the readtheory.org site into a vocabulary list that I had created. It didn’t take me long to
create a solid list that I could learn and practice spelling. I could also copy and paste the story into Word so that I could have the story to review when I did my vocabulary activity.
The key to the whole site is in its adaptive sense. I can see students working hard to do well so that they do not go backwards. They are in control.
I am just getting students used to using vocabulary.com. This will be a great tool to enhance that.
There are many of the Montana Reading 4 Comprehension standards that Read Theory addresses; however, I really like its appeal to RD 4.7 Formulate inferences from a text (e.g. use details, clue words, personal experiences).
Thanks, Tim, for sharing this one with us! I am hoping that we can come up with something for the corrections folks. (By the way, have any of you looked at the http://kalite.learningequality.org/content/kalite/ system that has been recommended for corrections?)
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Tim Ponder
February 10, 2014 - 7:24am
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Read Theory
I like the crossover between the two sites you looked at, I had not looked at using them that way before.
Did you look at all at the teacher management side? I like it, but I am curious to see what those in the classroom think of it and how it might be useful.
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norenehp
February 16, 2014 - 12:04pm
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Teacher Management
Tim, the teacher management of this site is quick and easy. The site does mention writing contests. I am not so sure that I would have students do this until I am confident in the site and how the contests work. Right now it appears that this is not a focus of the website, for it has no active contests. NP =)
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Liz81
February 12, 2014 - 11:11am
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Read Theory
Norene,
Have you had any students take the placement test yet? I am just curious to see how a student's placement level correlates with his/her TABE reading comprehension scores.
I am working in readtheory.org on my Samsung Note tablet and having great success. I love the ease and convenience of this program!
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norenehp
February 16, 2014 - 11:56am
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Read Theory Placement Test versus Teacher Placement
Liz, I am trying both the placement test and teacher placement (based on TABE). As of yet, I have not had enough students do either to draw a valid comparison. Stay tuned! Liz, I am also using our student login pattern for this and vocabulary.com so that we remain consistent - easier for the student to remember when doing multiple programs. For those of you in other programs, we use the following pattern in case you ever get one of our students:
Username: lastnamefirstinitial, e.g. smithj Pasword: aeMABLEIDnumber e.g.ae021234
Has anyone else matched TABE scores for beginning placement or are you just selecting the placement test when you assign a student to your class?
I can also see where I may just recommend the site to a student who will be leaving the program and still wants to continue doing computer work. I would not put that student into my class. NP =)
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ellen.guettler
February 10, 2014 - 12:26pm
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site exploration
HI from Ellen! I finally got on readtheory.org and created a teacher account, enrolled students in a class,and then took the assessment. I also logged in under tponder user name and password to explore his level 7 work. I think I may need to use this this site personally! I missed 2 on the intake assessment and got put in at level 11...!!! (Don't tell my boss!)
Now seriously, I loved the adaptability of the site and the leveled curriculum. I already got one of my high ESOL students on it, and she is going to work on it this week from home and give me her honest feedback. I enrolled all of my low level readers into a "Bozeman ABLE" class and will get them using it this week when they start back tomorrow.
I am excited because it will definitely help students improve on their critical reading skills. (There were 2 analogies that killed me!)
I love the fact that it is free and accessible from home or the center. I am going to add it to the reading resources folder on student desktops and assign it during our seatwork section. Thanks!
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FawnThibodeaux
February 10, 2014 - 1:13pm
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Read Theory.org
I logged in, created an account without any problems - BUT, the site keeps freezing during the initial assessment. Did you have this problem?
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norenehp
February 16, 2014 - 12:08pm
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Site freezing
Fawn, we have not had that problem at school. Of course, with your subzero temps lately, the site would probably be "freezing". =)
It will be interesting for us to see if students have problems with it off campus.
NP =)
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Liz81
February 10, 2014 - 12:47pm
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www.readtheory.org
I logged into Tim's student profile after creating a teacher profile. The student profile had already been started, so I completed the next reading assignment. I like the fact that the questions address a variety of comprehension skills, including standards 4.1 Identifying main idea and 4.8 Drawing conclusions from the text.
I also like the fact that the reading levels include SAT and college readiness. We have a lot of materials that cover beginning to intermediate reading levels, but not enough for upper level readers.
Norene, I love how you used Vocabulary.com at the same time as readingtheory.com. What a great idea!
I look forward to using this with my students.
Liz
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FawnThibodeaux
February 10, 2014 - 1:31pm
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Read Theory
I went to the site and created a teacher account for me. I then logged in to Noreen's tponder "student" account and went through the first lesson. I like that the passages are short but ask questions that have to be thought about. My question is do I have to create an account for each student in my class, and if I do, do I do that within my teacher account?
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Tim Ponder
February 10, 2014 - 1:54pm
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Accounts
Hi Fawn,
You can create accounts from within your teacher account. But I believe you can add students if you have an email for them.
We can try it out with my account if you like, you can add the email [email protected] to your class and I will let you know what, if anything I get on my end.
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FawnThibodeaux
February 10, 2014 - 2:40pm
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Read Theory
Thanks Tim!
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Christeenie
February 12, 2014 - 4:06pm
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Read Theory
Greetings From Christine
I completed the teacher account on readtheory.org and am exicted at the thought of inspiring my students. I like the assessment process knowing my students are at such different levels. I also found it to be a great challenge on a personal level and will not be divulging my assessment score! I can truly imagine the program motivating my students to improve their skills. I also like the fact that this program can help build a student's confidence using the computer.
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jstratman
February 13, 2014 - 3:24pm
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readtheory.org
Thanks again for another great resource!
I used the website in class, and tried using it with different groupings of students. I often group students instead of having students complete work individually, as it strengthens the feeling of community in the classroom and fosters conversation in English. Considering the different levels of literacy in my intermediate class, I first tried mixed level groupings. This was difficult because of the adaptive nature of the site (the more advanced students dominated the activities). That is definitely a great feature, so I decided to make the most of that by having students utilize the site one-on-one with their tutors. This worked out very well, as each student could be on their level and have their tutor next to them to explain incorrect answers or pronunciation of certain vocabulary words. They really enjoyed the varied reading topics and the discussions that followed!
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Forsyth ABLE
February 13, 2014 - 4:40pm
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ReadTheory.org
I had a comment from one of the instructors here, she logged on and will be participating on readtheory with all the students here because as she put it: "even though I tested very high, while doing several of the reading/minitests, I made mistakes and found myself getting frustrated. This made me more aware of how challenging learning is for our adult students. Sometimes it's the humbling moments that help us clue in to student needs."
Barb
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catcon
March 5, 2014 - 2:47pm
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read theory
I have several students using this wonderful site. They like how it is formatted and ease of use. They also like the reading selections and questions; thus far, they feel they will continue to use this site in the future and take advantage of all it has to offer them in their learning. I have also completed several of the reading selections and intentionally answered some of the questions wrong. The explanations readtheory gives are excellent and easy to comprehend.
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