Continued Look into Developing Comprehension Skills with Five-Year-Olds.

I have continued to work on developing comprehension skills with all my students, and have worked with the same group as last time to video my lesson using Vosaic.  We had spent three days slowing reading the book, working on letter sounds, handwriting, and using magnetic letters to make and break words - a BSLA book called A Batch of Pancakes.

I have been using questions created by AI, and have found them really useful.  I also added my own questions to the mix as well.

When Vosaic was ready to analyse the transcript, I asked the question:  Is the teacher asking relevant question?  The answer was positive...

The teacher in the transcript is indeed asking relevant questions that engage the students and encourage critical thinking about the book "A Batch of Pancakes." Here are some key points regarding the relevance of the questions:

• Comprehension Checks: The teacher begins with straightforward questions about the book, such as "What do the kids want to make?" and "How many eggs does Nat ask for?". These questions assess the students' understanding of the text.
• Encouraging Textual Evidence: The teacher prompts students to find specific information in the book, such as asking, "Who says this is fun?" and encouraging them to locate the relevant page. This helps students practice using the text to support their answers.
• Critical Thinking: The teacher poses questions that require students to think beyond the text, such as "Why do you think Nat said, 'Fetch me 6 eggs'?". This encourages students to analyze the characters' motivations and the implications of their actions.
• Emotional Reflection: The teacher also asks about the characters' feelings, such as "How do you think the kids felt when the pancake mix fell on the floor?". This question helps students connect emotionally with the story and consider the characters' experiences.
• Practical Application: The teacher concludes with a question about how the kids could prevent spilling the mixture next time. This encourages students to think about real-life applications of the lessons learned from the story.

Overall, the questions are well-structured and relevant, promoting comprehension, critical thinking, and emotional engagement with the text.

I also wanted to know what I could improve on to develop good comprehension skills and critical thinking.  Vosaic gave this response:

While the teacher's questions are relevant and engaging, there are several areas where improvements could be made to further develop students' comprehension skills and critical thinking abilities:

• Diverse Question Types: Incorporating a mix of question types, such as open-ended, closed, and higher-order questions, can stimulate deeper thinking. For example, asking students to predict what might happen next or to create alternative endings could enhance engagement.
• Encouraging Discussion: Allowing more time for students to discuss their answers with peers can foster collaborative learning. The teacher could facilitate small group discussions before sharing with the larger class to encourage diverse perspectives.
• Follow-Up Questions: After students respond, the teacher could ask follow-up questions that prompt further analysis. For instance, "Can you explain why you think that?" or "What evidence from the text supports your answer?" would encourage deeper exploration of their thoughts.
• Connecting to Real-Life Experiences: The teacher could ask students to relate the story to their own experiences or current events. Questions like "Have you ever faced a similar situation? How did you handle it?" can make the material more relevant and engaging.
• Visual Aids and Graphic Organizers: Utilizing visual aids or graphic organizers can help students organize their thoughts and better understand complex ideas. For example, a cause-and-effect chart could help them analyze the consequences of the characters' actions.
• Reflection Activities: Incorporating reflection activities, such as journaling or exit tickets, can help students articulate their understanding and thoughts about the text. This practice encourages self-assessment and deeper comprehension.

By implementing these strategies, the teacher can create a more dynamic learning environment that promotes not only comprehension but also critical thinking skills among students.

I can see some useful suggestions in that feedback.  Asking 'Why do you think that?' or 'Show me where the story tells us that?' could be good for the group.  I had thought about asking how they would have felt if they were Nat or Tane, and I can see that giving them the chance to put themselves in the shoes of the characters in the book and explore their feelings and/or thoughts is something I should do.

In Term 4 I may change the focus group to hone in on a group of students who are struggling to make progress, while continuing to work on comprehension skills with the rest of my class.  It's a longer term, but also has a few days when we won't be doing Reading - Labour Day, Manaiakalani Film Festival, and Strike Day.  I'm looking forward to seeing my students make it to the finish line, and be ready for Year Two in 2026.

Using Vosaic

Our Principal, Russell Burt, introduced to us a AI powered tool called Vosaic.   The plan is to use Vosaic to video ourselves taking a lesson, and then use it to analyse our interactions and give feedback based on specific questions we might ask.  In this way we can get detailed feedback on our teacher practise.  I wasn't too sure about it all, but of course needed to get on board and give it a go.

At the end of term 1 had an initial practise run with the tool.  I set it on my table, and because there wasn't a lot of space on my table, I put my laptop on the floor, and proceeded with a typical reading lesson.  Once the students were ok with the equipment (they had a few questions about it), I guess I videoed about 6 or 7 minutes before stopping the recording.  When I got time, I uploaded the video to Vosaic and the first thing I noticed was that when looking at the transcript, it showed that I had spoken for around 43% of the time, and that the other 57% was silent.  What??  It took a bit of working out to realise that because my laptop was on the floor, it hadn't picked up the kids talking.  Hence the silence.  

So then I needed to work out the best way to ensure the students' voices would be heard.  After sitting with a colleague who was also having some initial challenges, we worked out that there was a button on the Vosaic that needed to be pushed in order for the speaker to work.  Problem solved!  So now on to another try at videoing.

This time when I uploaded the video to Vosaic, I had a good opportunity to see the benefits of the technology.  Apart from a detailed transcript of the lesson, it provided an AI summary of the lesson.

Then I was able to ask specific questions about the lesson.  So I asked -  What could the teacher do to encourage greater discussion within the group? 

After a few seconds AI came up with some suggestions, and ideas around what research says.

I think I did a good job of asking open-ended questions, but do need to work on some Think-Pair-Share activities.

Obviously, this was my first real try at using Vosaic.  And probably my question could have been better, and perhaps more linked to my Inquiry question around comprehension.  But I'm happy with how it all worked out.  I can see the benefit of Vosaic, and will utilize it more in Term 2.

Teaching as Inquiry 2025: Developing Comprehension Skills with Year One Students.

Our team of teachers decided that a focus on developing comprehension skills  in literacy, would be really beneficial for our little learners.  Our students spend so much effort on trying to decode their Readers, that they're not actually taking in what they're reading.  They often struggle to participate in discussion about the story, retell the main events of the story, or answer questions about what they have just read.

Why might our students struggle in comprehension?

* For many of our learners, English is their second language, and therefore they may have a limited vocabulary, and neither hear, nor understand, the nuances of English.

*They lack the confidence to answer questions, fearing they might be wrong, and waiting for someone else to answer.  Or, in fact, the confidence to ask a question to clarify thoughts they may have about what they're reading.

* Some have underdeveloped listening skills or hearing issues, and this makes it difficult to keep up with the conversation.

* They might just be shy, and we are not fully aware of their strengths and/or weaknesses.

Whatever the reason, comprehension (or lack of) is an issue that we need to address with our learners.

The question for me then is:  

How can I support my students to develop their comprehension when reading their BSLA Readers?

I will be focussing on a group of four students - all girls.  They all began the year with similar skills in reading - some letter sound knowledge, and a few basic high frequecy words up their sleeves.  In Term One they are each making steady progress in BSLA.  Their letter sound knowledge is growing each week.

I will be using Vosaic to record some Reading Lessons so that I can observe their interactions, and the role I play in supporting (or perhaps even heeding) their comprehension.  Time will tell how that goes.  I will also need to do some research around ways to increase comprehension, and will no doubt talk with my colleagues to see what they're doing in their classes.