Teaching Shapes Using Read-Alouds, Visualization, and Sketch to Stretch

Overview

From Theory to Practice

 

OVERVIEW

This lesson encourages strategic reading and real-world math connections using a variety of techniques. Three interactive read-alouds of winter-themed books guide students through the concepts of shape and pattern. During the read-alouds, students are encouraged to use a visualization strategy to synthesize information. Students then use illustrations to interpret texts visually. This will help them connect the reading to their world, as well as demonstrate their comprehension of the math concepts. In the final session, students apply what they have learned by choosing from a variety of learning center activities.

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Moyer, P.S. (2000). Communicating mathematically: Children's literature as a natural connection. The Reading Teacher, 54(3), 246–255.

• Books provide a useful tool for encouraging children to think and talk about math in real-world contexts.
  
  
• By choosing high-quality, math-related literature, teachers can seamlessly integrate the learning of math concepts and the development of language.
  
  
• Recognizing, interpreting, and creating patterns are important aspects of developing math skills.

Fisher, D., Flood, J., Lapp, D., & Frey, N. (2004). Interactive read-alouds: Is there a common set of implementation practices? The Reading Teacher, 58(1), 8–17.

• Read-alouds encourage students to read, build their knowledge about specific subjects, improve their vocabulary, and develop their concepts of print and story structure.
  
  
• There are specific strategies teachers can use to make read-alouds more effective (see Preparation, 1).

Whitin, P. (2002). Leading into literature circles through the use of the sketch-to-stretch strategy. The Reading Teacher, 55(5), 444–450.

• The sketch-to-stretch strategy allows students to demonstrate what they have learned from the read-aloud text and to make text-to-self connections.
  
  
• Students expand their knowledge by listening to each other and sharing what they have learned.

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