Children enjoy making simple pop-up books. A creative hands-on project can help you teach vowel sounds, spelling, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. Children can write a story in the pop-up book, which helps them learn to shape letters and read words.
Creative projects help make it fun for children to learn. They will work much harder to create a nice project of which they can be proud, than they will if they are just finishing a boring worksheet.
Creative projects help make it fun for children to learn. They will work much harder to create a nice project of which they can be proud, than they will if they are just finishing a boring worksheet.
When I talk about creativity, I am talking about more than just a creative art and craft project. Creativity in the classroom can make the difference between success and failure. Why? Creativity can help heal emotional problems as well as enhance learning skills. Creativity encourages students to want to learn, to explore new ideas, and to try again. Creativity includes more than fun hands-on activities such as the pop-up book pictured at the top of the page. Creativity can also mean trying a new teaching approach. Yes, instead of just continuing to use the same old teaching methods that you always use. Try something new. Not just anything, try something that has been proven to work with at-risk students. Remember, I work with students who are struggling, sometimes even failing in reading. The students who I work with have trouble learning to read, comprehending what they read, or with spelling and vocabulary.
For more on the importance of creativity in the classroom, see chapter 1 of my book, Afterschool Programming and Intrinsic Motivation; Teaching at-Risk Students to Read.
Reading failure is a major problem in our society.
Reading failure is a major problem in our society.
I combine my vowel clustering teaching technique with creative art therapy, and it works. At my reading clinic, we have had students move up four grade levels in reading in one year. These were students who walked in the door struggling and/or failing.
We must not give up. We can help students learn to read. I believe that every single student can be taught to read at or above their age level, notice I did not say grade level. At my reading clinic, we teach children to read at their appropriate age level. In this way, even students who have been retained are able to return to their actual age level in reading. It’s never too late, and yes, we can help students overcome the learning difficulties acquired over the coronavirus pandemic. All we need to do is change the way we teach children to read.
We must not give up. We can help students learn to read. I believe that every single student can be taught to read at or above their age level, notice I did not say grade level. At my reading clinic, we teach children to read at their appropriate age level. In this way, even students who have been retained are able to return to their actual age level in reading. It’s never too late, and yes, we can help students overcome the learning difficulties acquired over the coronavirus pandemic. All we need to do is change the way we teach children to read.
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