I am delighted that my class has started the literacy initiative “Literacy Lift Off”!!! It is an intensive programme of Reading and Writing. Over the course of 1 hour pupils engage in a number of “stations” where activities are tailor made to their own level of competency over time we gradually lift the complexity of the what they can do in both reading and writing.
The aim of Literacy Lift-Off is to make pupils constructive learners. It teaches them ‘how’ to problem-solve independently.
Click here to view a video of LLO
Children are divided up into small groups ( max 7 per group). There are 5 stations and children spend 10 minutes at each. By the end of the hour they will have visited each activity and will take home their “new read” for homework.
There are now 5 adults in my room from Monday-Thursday and this is what we are up to!!
Station 1: Familiar Reading
Pupils read previously seen PM+ Readers.
Purpose: Development of enjoyment, fluency, comprehension and speed.
Station 2: New Reading
Children will explore and then take home a new reader each day. This challenges the pupils to discover new ways to go beyond their current operating ability and lift their literacy processing.
Purpose: Pupils learn to use strategic activities to read new texts.
Station 3: Phonics
Children are supported to improve their abilities in blending & segmenting words ( to make and break words) through lots of games and activities.
Purpose: To show children how words work, so that they can make a fast visual analysis of their reading
Station 4: Writing
Pupils write sentences using words that they encounter in their readers and the high frequency words that they are studying.
Purpose: That they will learn how they can write their own messages by hearing and recording sounds in words, using analogy and learning unusual words.
Station 5: High Frequency Words
Through games and small group instruction pupils learn to read the most common HFW appropriate to their age
Purpose: Children become aware of “tricky words” that allow them to access text with greater ease and to increase their reading fluency and accuracy.
“Power Hour” as we are calling it is a fantastic reading initiative and I cannot wait to see the results. The school has invested thousands of euro and lots of “teacher power” into Literacy Lift Off !!! I am so grateful to all of those who have been involved in fundraising over the last number of year.
The kids are LOVING it so far. Mind you, I have never been busy. The team have been meeting 2o minutes early every morning since it started. I spent a few hours planning this weekend for the coming week only!!!
Watch this space as I will be keeping you up to date on our “Power Hour” activities.
If any of you are already doing LLO I would love to hear from you. Any tips or advice for newbies?!!
Miss Mernagh 🙂
missmernagh.com 