Letrs Unit 7 Session 1 Check For Understanding

LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is a comprehensive professional development program designed to equip educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively teach reading and spelling. Unit 7, Session 1 focuses on a specific aspect of literacy instruction, and the "Check for Understanding" component is crucial for ensuring that participants grasp the core concepts. This article delves into the details of LETRS Unit 7, Session 1, exploring its content, the significance of checking for understanding, and practical strategies for implementation.

Unpacking LETRS Unit 7, Session 1: A Deep Dive

LETRS Unit 7 typically revolves around morphology, the study of word formation. Session 1 often introduces fundamental concepts, providing a foundational understanding for subsequent sessions. Here's a breakdown of what you might expect:

• Introduction to Morphology: This segment typically defines morphology and its importance in reading and spelling. It highlights how understanding morphemes (the smallest units of meaning in a word) can unlock the meanings of unfamiliar words and improve decoding and encoding skills.
• Morphemes: The Building Blocks of Words: Session 1 introduces different types of morphemes, including:
  • Free Morphemes: These can stand alone as words (e.g., cat, run, happy).
  • Bound Morphemes: These must be attached to other morphemes to form a word (e.g., prefixes like un- and suffixes like -ing).
  • Roots: The core meaning-bearing part of a word.
  • Affixes: Morphemes added to the beginning (prefixes) or end (suffixes) of a root.
• Inflectional vs. Derivational Morphemes: This distinction is crucial.
  • Inflectional Morphemes: These change the grammatical function of a word without changing its core meaning (e.g., adding -s to cat to make cats, adding -ed to walk to make walked). They are typically suffixes and signal tense, number, possession, or comparison.
  • Derivational Morphemes: These change the meaning or the part of speech of a word (e.g., adding -ness to happy to make happiness, adding un- to happy to make unhappy). They can be prefixes or suffixes.
• Morphological Awareness: This refers to the ability to consciously reflect on and manipulate the morphemic structure of words. It's a key skill for reading comprehension and spelling accuracy.
• Implications for Instruction: Session 1 usually concludes with a discussion of how morphological knowledge can be integrated into literacy instruction. This might include activities such as:
  • Word sorts based on morphemes.
  • Morpheme trees to visually represent word structure.
  • Explicit teaching of common prefixes and suffixes.
  • Using morphological analysis to decode unfamiliar words.

The Critical Role of "Check for Understanding"

The "Check for Understanding" component in LETRS is not merely a formality; it's an integral part of the learning process. It serves several vital purposes:

• Gauge Comprehension: It allows instructors to assess whether participants have grasped the key concepts presented in the session. This is crucial for determining whether to proceed to more advanced topics or to revisit and reinforce foundational knowledge.
• Identify Misconceptions: Participants may develop misunderstandings or incomplete understandings of certain concepts. Checking for understanding helps to uncover these misconceptions so they can be addressed directly.
• Promote Active Learning: When participants know they will be asked to demonstrate their understanding, they are more likely to engage actively in the learning process. They pay closer attention, ask questions, and think critically about the material.
• Inform Instruction: The results of the check for understanding can inform future instruction. If a significant number of participants struggle with a particular concept, the instructor can adjust their teaching strategies to provide more support in that area.
• Boost Confidence: Successfully demonstrating understanding can boost participants' confidence in their ability to apply the concepts in their teaching practice.

Effective Strategies for Checking Understanding in LETRS Unit 7, Session 1

There are various strategies that can be employed to effectively check for understanding in LETRS Unit 7, Session 1. The most effective approaches are often those that are interactive, engaging, and provide opportunities for participants to apply their knowledge. Here are some examples:

1. Think-Pair-Share:

• Process: Pose a question related to the content of the session. Have participants think about their answer individually, then pair up with a partner to discuss their responses. Finally, have a few pairs share their ideas with the larger group.
• Example Question: "Explain the difference between a free morpheme and a bound morpheme. Provide examples of each."
• Benefits: Encourages active participation, provides opportunities for peer learning, and allows the instructor to gauge the overall level of understanding.

2. Quick Writes:

• Process: Provide a short prompt and ask participants to write a brief response (e.g., one or two paragraphs) explaining their understanding of the concept.
• Example Prompt: "In your own words, explain what morphological awareness is and why it is important for reading and spelling development."
• Benefits: Allows participants to articulate their understanding in writing, provides a written record of their learning, and allows the instructor to assess individual comprehension.

3. Exit Tickets:

• Process: At the end of the session, distribute index cards or slips of paper and ask participants to answer a specific question or summarize the main points of the session.
• Example Question: "What is the most important thing you learned in this session about morphology? How will you apply this knowledge in your classroom?"
• Benefits: Provides a quick and easy way to assess understanding, allows the instructor to identify areas that need further clarification, and provides valuable feedback for future sessions.

4. Hand Signals:

• Process: Use a system of hand signals to quickly gauge understanding. For example:
  • Thumbs up: "I understand."
  • Thumbs sideways: "I'm not sure."
  • Thumbs down: "I don't understand."
• Example Usage: After explaining the difference between inflectional and derivational morphemes, ask participants to indicate their level of understanding using the hand signals.
• Benefits: Provides a quick and non-threatening way to assess understanding, allows the instructor to identify participants who need additional support, and encourages active participation.

5. Word Sorts:

• Process: Provide participants with a set of words printed on cards. Ask them to sort the words into categories based on their morphemic structure (e.g., words with prefixes, words with suffixes, words with both, words with neither).
• Example: Provide words like unhappy, cats, walking, discover, reread, quickly, jump, impossible.
• Benefits: Provides a hands-on activity that reinforces understanding of morphemes, allows participants to apply their knowledge in a practical way, and allows the instructor to observe their reasoning and identify any misconceptions.

6. Morpheme Trees:

• Process: Provide participants with a root word and ask them to create a "morpheme tree" by adding prefixes and suffixes to create new words.
• Example: Start with the root word act. Participants can add prefixes like re- and in- and suffixes like -ing, -ion, and -ive to create words like react, acting, action, inactive, reactive.
• Benefits: Provides a visual representation of word structure, reinforces understanding of how morphemes combine to create new words, and encourages creativity and exploration.

7. Kahoot! or Quizizz:

• Process: Create a short quiz using an online platform like Kahoot! or Quizizz. Ask questions related to the content of the session and have participants answer them using their smartphones or tablets.
• Example Questions:
  • Which of the following is a free morpheme? (a) un- (b) -ing (c) cat (d) -ness
  • Which of the following is an inflectional morpheme? (a) pre- (b) -ed (c) -ment (d) dis-
• Benefits: Provides a fun and engaging way to assess understanding, allows the instructor to track progress and identify areas that need further clarification, and provides immediate feedback to participants.

8. Error Analysis:

• Process: Present participants with examples of student writing that contain errors related to morphology (e.g., misspellings, incorrect use of prefixes or suffixes). Ask them to identify the errors and explain why they are incorrect.
• Example: "The student wrote unpatient. Explain why this is incorrect and how you would correct it."
• Benefits: Allows participants to apply their knowledge of morphology to real-world examples of student work, develops their error-correction skills, and helps them to understand the common challenges that students face with morphology.

9. Explain to a Child:

• Process: Ask participants to explain a concept from the session as if they were explaining it to a child. This forces them to simplify the information and use clear, concise language.
• Example: "Explain what a prefix is to a seven-year-old."
• Benefits: Highlights the level of understanding achieved by the participant and allows them to be creative with their explanation.

10. Case Studies:

• Process: Provide participants with a brief case study of a student struggling with reading or spelling. Ask them to analyze the student's difficulties and suggest interventions based on their knowledge of morphology.
• Example: "A fourth-grade student consistently misreads words with prefixes, such as unhappy and disagree. What morphological strategies could you use to help this student?"
• Benefits: Provides a practical application of the concepts learned in the session, allows participants to develop their problem-solving skills, and helps them to see the relevance of morphology to their teaching practice.

Analyzing and Responding to the "Check for Understanding"

Once you've employed strategies to check for understanding, the crucial next step is to analyze the data you've collected and respond accordingly. Here’s how:

• Identify Patterns: Look for patterns in the responses. Are there specific concepts that a large number of participants struggled with? Are there particular types of questions that were consistently missed?
• Categorize Errors: Categorize the types of errors that participants made. Were they related to definitions, examples, application, or something else?
• Provide Targeted Feedback: Provide feedback to participants based on the patterns you observed. If a large number of participants struggled with a particular concept, revisit that concept and provide additional explanation and examples. If individual participants made specific errors, provide them with personalized feedback and support.
• Adjust Instruction: Use the results of the check for understanding to inform your future instruction. If participants struggled with a particular concept, adjust your teaching strategies to provide more support in that area. This might involve using different examples, providing more hands-on activities, or breaking down the concept into smaller, more manageable parts.
• Differentiate Instruction: Based on the results of the check for understanding, differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Provide additional support to participants who are struggling, and provide more challenging activities to participants who are ready to move on.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

While checking for understanding is essential, there are some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Assuming Understanding: Don't assume that participants understand a concept just because they nod their heads or say "yes." Actively check for understanding using the strategies described above.
• Asking Closed-Ended Questions: Avoid asking questions that can be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Ask open-ended questions that require participants to explain their understanding.
• Only Checking at the End: Don't wait until the end of the session to check for understanding. Check for understanding throughout the session to ensure that participants are following along.
• Not Providing Feedback: Don't just collect data from the check for understanding; provide feedback to participants based on their responses.
• Ignoring the Results: Don't ignore the results of the check for understanding. Use the data to inform your instruction and provide support to participants who are struggling.

Extending Learning Beyond Session 1

The concepts introduced in LETRS Unit 7, Session 1, are foundational for understanding morphology and its role in literacy instruction. Encourage participants to extend their learning beyond the session by:

• Applying Morphology in Their Teaching: Encourage participants to actively look for opportunities to integrate morphological instruction into their daily teaching practice.
• Analyzing Student Work: Encourage participants to analyze student work for evidence of morphological understanding or misunderstanding.
• Collaborating with Colleagues: Encourage participants to collaborate with their colleagues to share ideas and best practices for teaching morphology.
• Reading Professional Literature: Encourage participants to read professional literature on morphology and literacy instruction to deepen their understanding of the topic.

Conclusion

LETRS Unit 7, Session 1, lays the groundwork for a deeper understanding of morphology, a critical component of effective reading and spelling instruction. The "Check for Understanding" element is not a mere add-on but a vital process for gauging comprehension, identifying misconceptions, promoting active learning, informing instruction, and boosting confidence. By employing a variety of effective strategies and thoughtfully analyzing the results, educators can ensure that LETRS participants truly grasp the core concepts and are well-equipped to implement morphological instruction in their classrooms, ultimately leading to improved literacy outcomes for their students. The journey into morphology begins with a solid foundation, and a robust "Check for Understanding" is the key to building that foundation effectively.