Reading and Listening Comprehension
I just finished up a new pack and I’m super excited about it. Because it’s for me. And my team. But I thought hey, if I need it, maybe someone else needs it, too, so I decided to put it in my store.
Okay, yes, that’s A LOT of words on the page for a Back to School First Grader. Or a Back to School Kindergartener, and while I type the words Back to School, my tummy hurts just a bit because no. Just no.
But here’s why there are a lot of words on that sample page up there. That sample page up there with the multiple choice questions and/or the free response questions. I wanted choices because I like choices and, sometimes, I like to switch things up on my kids when they think they can run the classroom without me. Ha Ha So There.
Our kids are given a summative assessment at the end of every trimester from our district office. And every trimester, there are super long reading passages.
SUPER LONG READING PASSAGES.
And the font is small.
And the clip art is hideous.
And it doesn’t matter what level the kids are reading at. NOT AT ALL. It doesn’t matter that we’ve been doing reading groups and working at our own pace and becoming readers in our own time. NOPE.
Because the passages are ONE SIZE FITS ALL. And they’re LONG. Did I say that already?
But it’s fine, it’s okay, it’s no bother because the teacher gets to read the passages to the kids! Aren’t we so lucky? Isn’t that just going to solve everything?!
No. It’s not.
I said NO, IT’S NOT.
My high kids read it on their own even though I ask them to follow along with me. My at-grade-level kids sort of tune in and sort of tune out while they sort of read it on their own.
And my struggling readers? And my language learners? Well, they’re just looking at me. And some of them are beginning to cry. No matter how many times I tell them they are smart, we can do this, it’s just one test, I’ll give you an m&m, it’s almost lunch time, would you like $100, I always have someone who looks like they’re going to start crying or who is in the middle of crying. And it’s not always me!
It’s STRESSFUL! Because there are a lot of words on the page! Because the font is small and the clip art is disgusting and doesn’t even help us gain any clues AT ALL. Because we’re FIRST GRADERS!!!! And it’s also a Common Core standard! It is!
Okay, I’ve been yelling a lot in this post. I should calm down.
So here’s what I did.
I wrote 10 friendly fiction passages. I wrote them especially for kids. Because they need to be engaged. They need to relate. They need to buy in.
And then I wrote 10 friendly nonfiction passages. For the same reasons.
AND THEN.
I recorded myself reading the passages.
Wait until you see my microphone!
You know you want one. When I told Steve what I was planning for this pack (recording my voice), he said I needed a noise cancelling reduction professional sound something or other microphone and he went to Best Buy and that’s the microphone he came home with.
I half expected to see our garage become my own recording studio . . .
Anyways, you know how much I love microphones so I got right to work singing Hit Me Baby One More Time.
Just kidding.
Sort of.
I recorded myself reading all 20 passages!
Here’s why!!
We will work on these passages together AS A CLASS. Or in small groups. We will practice, practice, practice! We will feel prepared when it comes time to take those District Assessments! We will not cry! And I won’t, either! Honestly, I am not picturing any of my kids completing these independently. I see it as a we are doing this together and we are becoming amazing listeners and we are explaining how we came to our answers. I think it will be like we’re in college which is pretty darn perfect considering the tests we’re being made to take.
So . . .
I will put one of the Power Point passages (which I offered in this pack!) up on the board for all to see . . . and press play! And it will be ME reading it! But not ME in the present! I will rest my voice! And we will all listen! And I will be a role model on how to follow along AND listen! And how to stay TUNED IN. But if YOU’RE using it, then YOU will be resting your voice and I will be in your classroom reading to your kids!!!!!
Don’t be alarmed. Now I’m yelling because I’m happy!!!!
AND THEN! Instead of making copies for each student to have every single time we practice (which I’m thinking will be at least 3x a week because it’s not going to take up too much time), we can use our whiteboards to jot down our answers. All they need to write is A, B, C, or D if we’re working on the multiple choice ones. And we can do a little bit of writing on our whiteboards for the free response, too.
We can shake it up!
Obviously, I will make copies, too, just so they can get used to following along on their own paper. I’m just saying. There are OPTIONS.
Alright!
SO!
Here we go! Click on the picture to download this PP slide and to hear me reading the passage!
FYI: You will have to download it to your computer and then click the speaker icon that’s in the upper left corner to play my voice. I don’t know if I’m being annoying being so detailed or quite helpful. Take your pick.
Or, click {HERE} to get the PDF copy of this passage in multiple choice and free response!
I’m really hoping these passages will help my students feel more successful when we take those big District Assessments! I’ll keep you posted!
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