3-2-1 TUESDAYS WITH MS NIV

Issue #182, 2nd January 2024

You can wish the universe to conspire with you to achieve or goals, your wish to be fulfilled. Nothing wrong with that. But it would remain in the realm of positive thinking and may not move into possibility until there is an action plan attached to it.

Happy New Year dear educators, students, and parents. Have a super 2024, manifesting your wishes by setting goals and creating action plans for achieving the same. Here are a few tips that might nudge you along the way.

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Three images of the week

Two Thoughts of the Week

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”Confucius

“Action expresses priorities. “Mahatma Gandhi

One Video of the Week

Amara Leggett is an accomplished 16-year-old who has already graduated from both New Albany High School and Columbus State Community College.

Her talk centers around how to form a plan that allows you to do what at first seemed unthinkable, which for her meant graduating from high school and college simultaneously. Amara is an accomplished 16 year old – she has already graduated from both New Albany High School and Columbus State Community College. She will discuss how to form a plan that allows you to do what at first seemed unthinkable, which for her meant graduating from high school and college simultaneously.

Guest Expert of the Week

Reading with Ms. Meenu

Use Decodable Texts Instead of Predictable Texts with Beginning Readers:

Predictable texts are widely used by beginning readers. But I suggest replacing them with decodable texts. I’m not talking about beautiful authentic books such as The Napping House and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. I’m talking about those contrived, early readers with repetitive language such as “We cleaned the garage. We cleaned the house. We cleaned the garage. We cleaned the house. We cleaned the school and so forth. Those books are written from the standpoint that reading is a natural process, and the best way to teach it is by encouraging students to memorize words and use pictures to identify words. But that is not how reading works. The only way for beginning readers to get through those texts is by memorizing the patterns or using the three cueing strategies I discouraged in Move 3. But that is not reading! It is memorizing and guessing. It gives the illusion of reading but creates damaging habits that can be tough to break.

Three Purposes of Decodable Texts:

1.     Support readers in word identification.

2.    Allow readers to apply what they’ve learned from your phonics lessons.

3.    Direct the reader’s attention to the letters and sounds.

Happy Reading!

Meenu Gera, Consulting home and school librarian and reading guide.

And Finally…

Dear reader,
I have been a research scientist, a journalist, and an educator for over 3 decades. I read and, I write. With this weekly newsletter, I share what I read, learn, and, experience. At the same time, I engage with students, parents, and teams of teachers across K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and ed-tech organizations.

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