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SEEL

Cycle of Process

A Cycle of Process

1. State the Literacy Target

When introducing an activity, the teachers states the objective ("You will learn to rhyme," or "We are learning to rhyme") and the key word, sound, pattern, etc. ("We will rhyme _____[e.g. bear]" or "We'll hear words that sound like bear") and give some examples ("bear, chair, hair, pear, and care rhyme").

2. Model the Literacy Target

Model the literacy target. For example: in the case of rhyme instruction, repeat rhyme word pairs. The repetition of target rhyme pattern. For example, in the "Duck stuck in the muck" activity, the teacher could repeat, "Duck stuck. The duck's stuck, Duck Stuck? Oh, duck's stuck!"

3. Provide Playful Practice

Playful practice is the key to getting enough repition for each child. Over the course of instruction, the instructor should provide chidlren with many and varied playful opportunities to experience rhymes, alliteration, etc. In addition, the instructor provides children with opportunities to make responses across the breadth of the SEEL curriculum. These opportunities for the children to the "do" anbd "say" increase retention and facilitate active processing.

4. Review

Reviewing what was learned helps solidify the purpose and children's progress during instruction. Reviewing is also an excellent time to increase children's desires to participate in activities in the future through focusing on well-phrased positive reinforcement. Reviewing can be as simple as restating children's prgress towards the objective. ("Wow, you are learning how to rhyme really well.") and then reminding children of the target or key word that was used ("You found a lot of words that rhymed with the word bear. I heard you come up with chair, hair, pear, and dare to rhyme with bear").

5. Monitor Each Child's Understanding

It is important to assess children's level of participation and understanding. Assessment allows the teacher to determine whether children are making progress toward learning targets and correctly indentifying the component or producing the skill. Two forms of assessment can be easily implemented during and at the end of each activity to determine children's understanding and application of what was taught.

  1. Teachers can use observation to determine wether children "get" the activity and are performing as expected.
  2. Teachers can use probes to determine chidlren's understanding of the what was covered. Observations can be both informal and formal.
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