EDLC 504 1
Video Reflection
EDLC 504
Jamie Wiggins
June 23, 2023
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Upon watching this video lesson, one thing was very clear, you must have a lot of energy
and different strategies to teach first graders and retain their attention. In this lesson the teacher
used several different strategies to teach the lesson. Among the strategies observed were whole
group discussions, partner talk, picture walk, answering in your hand, holding the answer and
then releasing it at the appropriate time, he used repetition by asking a question and having the
kids repeat it, he asked probing questions, syllable walk and different reading methods. Of all the
strategies that were observed we will focus on the picture walk; syllable walk and partner talk.
The strategy of the picture walk is when students and teachers go through the book and
look at the pictures on every page before they read the book. A picture walk “can make a huge
difference in the child’s overall comprehension of the book. It's a quick and simple activity that
you can do before reading the book. It also allows the child to become more familiar with the
book before actively reading the text” (Robson). The picture walk is a great strategy to use, and it
is very effective. It helps the child become interested in the book before they read it, may help
with unfamiliar vocabulary, and it assists the child in making predictions about the story to name
a few. Picture walks serve as a comprehension tool for children, but they also help get kids
excited about the reading that they will engage in.
Another strategy used was the syllable walk. This strategy helps students to develop
syllable awareness. “Syllable awareness is an essential building block for future reading and
spelling success” (Jennifer, 2023). The syllable walk was just an exercise that allowed the kids to
practice figuring out the number of syllables a word had while walking around the room. This
was an effective strategy because it got the kids up and moving and kept them interested in the
learning activity, they were engaged in.
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The final strategy that was used during the lesson was partner talk. “Partner talk is a way
to provide students with another learning opportunity to make learning their own through
collaboration and discussion. Partner Talk can be used for assessing classwork, making
connections to prior knowledge, discussing vocabulary, or simplifying concepts” (Simon, 2023).
The teacher went around and assured that the students were actively talking about the lesson
content and kept good conversations going. Partner talk is when the students turn to the person
beside or around them and have an academic discussion regarding the content that is being
taught. This is an effective strategy because it ensures that the students were listening,
participating, understanding and had something to contribute to the lesson. It is also a way to
keep the kids from getting bored and engaging in off topic conversations.
If I were teaching this lesson, I am unsure what I would do differently. Coming from
middle/high school to a first-grade classroom would be interesting and a great feat to
accomplish. I would try and bring forth the same amount of energy as this teacher had as well as
keep it fun as this teacher exhibited. I believe the strategies that he implements help the kids to
begin to see that they do not all see and think about things as they do. I believe his strategies
assist in moving kids away from the egocentric way of thinking that Slavin and Schunk discuss
in our text. “Piaget’s stages of operational development would suggest that these first graders
would be in the preoperational phase and this phase states that children are egocentric in their
thinking” (2021). Thinking to my own classroom of middle/high schoolers some of the
strategies that I may use would be the I do, you do, we do, model where I would demonstrate a
skill, then allow the kids to demonstrate the same skill alone and then we would complete it as a
group. I do believe that the teacher here touched on this strategy but not explicitly. I would also
likely have the kids to practice some writing with the activity so that they are not only playing
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and having fun with it, but they are practicing their writing as they go. I would utilize this
strategy because for me personally I learn better at time from writing things down. This strategy
would help reach those learners that learn best by writing things down.
The scripture that I believe best aligns with both the methods that the teacher used as well
as things that I may have done differently is 2 Timothy 2:2. This scripture states “you should
teach people whom you can trust the things you and many others have heard me say. Then they
will be able to teach others” (2023). This verse relates to the strategies in this video because the
teacher is teaching the students what he knows. He is using different methods to ensure that all
the students can comprehend the content material that is being presented. He then having the
students to demonstrate their learning through talking to each other and whole group instruction
which allows the students to add value to the lesson and teach others things that they have
learned.
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References
2 timothy 2:2 (NCV). YouVersion | The Bible App | Bible.com. (2023).
https://www.bible.com/bible/105/2TI.2.2.NCV
Jennifer. (2023, April 25). A step-by-step guide on how to teach syllable awareness. Early
Learning Ideas. https://earlylearningideas.com/how-to-teach-syllable-awareness/
Robson, D. (n.d.). How to use the picture walk reading strategy to build comprehension skills.
And Next Comes L - Hyperlexia Resources.
https://www.andnextcomesl.com/2020/08/picture-walk-reading-strategy.html
Simon, C. A. (2023). Using partner talk to strengthen student collaboration and understanding.
Using Partner Talk to Strengthen Student Collaboration and Understanding | Read Write
Think. https://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/using-
partner-talk-strengthen
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