USING SAFMEDS TO MASTER VOCABULARY

So during my Master's program, one of my professor's, Dr. Scott, had us use a technique known as SAFMEDS to learn new vocabulary. It's an ABA method and it was an ABA class so it made sense to give us practical experience using it.

The system is incredibly simple and equally effective. The acronym basically says it all:

Say All Fast, Minute Every Day, Shuffled.

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Here's how you do it:

1. Take your set of vocabulary cards (typically 30) and shuffle them.

2. Hold the cards with the definition facing you.

3. Set a timer for one minute.

4. As quickly and accurately as you can, go through as many words as possible in that minute. For each card:

• Read the definition.
• Say the word out loud.
• Flip the card over to check if you were right.
• Stack the cards into correct and incorrect piles.

5. After the minute is over, stop. No cheating because you're only cheating yourself!

6. Count how many words you got correct and incorrect. Your goal is to be able to do 30 words correctly with 0 incorrect in one minute.

7. Chart your results.

• Mark your number of corrects with a dot, and your number of incorrects with an x.
• Any cards you did not get to should count as incorrect. So if you got 17 correct, 4 incorrect, and still had 9 in your hand, you would chart 17 correct and 13 incorrect.
• This is typically charted on a Standard Celleration Chart.

8. Repeat every day.

9. Watch your corrects go up and your incorrects go down.

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In the Classroom

Now this information may be useful to you personally - maybe you're taking classes or studying a foreign language - but when I saw how effective this technique was, my first thought was how I could use it with my high school students.

My students struggle with vocabulary. Like review it five ways, finally get it right, and forget it two minutes later struggle. A lot of them have learning disabilities and language impairments, so the struggle is real.

From the get-go they have trouble retaining vocabulary knowledge. On top of that I've found that they genuinely do not know how to study. They may want to study but they literally do not know how because they've never been taught. Maybe they've heard of or seen flashcards, but they don't know what to do with them. You might think I'm exaggerating - after all these kids are in high school - but I can't tell you how many of my student wrote their vocabulary words and definitions together on one side of the card, or wrote multiple words on each card.

So yes, they needed this.

And I gave it to them.

AND IT WORKED.

I'm not going to say that the day they walked in to me smiling way too much, packs of index card in my hands, they were jumping for joy at the idea of making flashcards. In fact they hated it. How could I possibly make them write so much?! Why did they each have to make a set? What was the point of it all? Why does the universe exist?

But I made them do it. And it worked.

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Preparation and Accommodation

Of course I couldn't just give my students the instructions I gave you above and leave them to it. First I had to consider how I may need to adapt this for my kids. Most of them get 100% extended time on their tests and assignments, so I needed to adjust their fluency target. The standard goal is to do 30 words in one minute. In order to provide 100% extended time, I would have to change this in one of two ways: either they could do 30 words in 2 minutes, or 15 words in 1 minute. My students often shut down and won't try if something seems too challenging, so I opted for 15 words in 1 minute.

I also needed to change the chart I would use. The Standard Celleration Chart is an amazing tool, but I knew my student's would never need a chart that went into the 100s. On top of that, one you hit 5 or 10 on the chart, the acceleration of the growth line (basically how sharply it goes up) drops significantly. I felt this would be discouraging to my students who would likely be starting around that point. The chart can also be confusing to look at and complete, and is visually cluttered.

I ended up making a very simple chart for my students to use. We still used dots for corrects and x's for incorrects and even that was confusing for my kiddos so I'm definitely glad I made this change.

Finally, I needed to ease them into using SAFMEDS. Rather than starting them off with a full set of 30 words, we started with 11 words they had already been exposed to in our figurative language unit. I figured this would allow them a chance to practice the mechanics of this strategy without having to learn new words at the same time. It would also increases their chances of early success (and resulting buy in) since they had a head start on learning the words and they would only have to do 11 in a minute to get a 100 on their vocabulary grade.

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Daily Routine

SAFMEDS is now part of our routine. At the start of every class I have a timer displayed on the projector, cueing my kiddos to get their flashcards out. Once everyone is settled I start the timer and they all go through their cards. After the timer is up, they fill out their graphs.

For grading, on Wordy Wednesday, I call the students up to me one by one and have them go through SAFMEDS at my desk, while the rest of the class completes independent work. I then give them a quiz grade based on their total corrects divided by their target. If a student does really poorly they can retake it once more after everyone else has gone, or during lunch.

Doing their quizzes this way takes more time, but I really like the one-on-one time it gives me with them and I get a far better understanding of their knowledge, confidence, and study habits than I would with a traditional quiz.

On Thursdays they are assigned 5 new words which they add to their stack. Gradually we are building up their vocabulary set, and they are continually exposed to all of their words.

*For students on Access Points, IND Curriculum etc, I increase the time to 2 minutes.

*If a student is processing really slowly but getting the words right, I let them keep going after the timer and give them the option of grading based on corrects divided by total cards instead.

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I wish I could say I took data on their vocabulary learning prior to implementing SAFMEDS and could therefore statistically show their improvement after learning the strategy. Unfortunately I can't.

What I can say is this:

• My student were excited to see their progress lines go up and would call me over to show me their graphs. When was the last time you saw high schools excited over vocabulary?
• They were analyzing their graphs. If they noticed their corrects weren't going up as fast, or that they plateaued, they were trying to figure out why and trying new techniques to improve.
• I've seen kids who never speak to each other offering encouragement and studying together.
• Some of my kids challenge each other on Wednesdays to see who will get the top score and or go through all of their cards the fastest.
• Sometimes kids will gather around my desk to cheer for the person taking their quiz.
• Students have told me they now use SAFMEDS for vocabulary in other classes.
• My kids have been spotted reviewing their cards on the bus, in the courtyard, during lunch, and in other classes (sorry coworkers!)
• I no longer stress about vocabulary instruction.

So that's about it. I hope I've done an adequate job explaining SAFMEDS and how useful it can be in the classroom. If not, please let me know and I will post an update!

If you use SAFMEDS, let me know how it goes!

USING AMBIENT-MIXER IN THE CLASSROOM

Just a quick post to share a cool tool I've found reduces the noise level in my room.

Okay, so have y'all heard of the site Ambient-Mixer?

It's a website where you can combine 100's of different ambient noises including sound effects and music, in order to make the perfect background noise for whatever you need. I first heard about it because people were using it to make really cool "audio atmospheres" based on books and TV shows, like "Gryffindor Common Room," "Neverland," and "Sherlock's Apartment." Being an uber-nerd, I created a mix for the Hufflepuff Common Room and I listen to it all the time when studying or doing homework.

It wasn't until this year that I decided to try using Ambient-Mixer in my classroom. I sometimes play PrimeMusic at a low volume when my students are doing independent work to limit their talking, but it was presenting some issues. I kept getting requests from kids to change the song or play sometimes specific, and music with lyrics could be distracting.

So one day I decided to pull up Ambient-Mixer and give it a try. After some complaints and arguing over what to listen to ("No not rain, it will make me have to pee!" "Miss what is this? I don't need to feel like some animal is gonna come eat me!" "Okay that weird giggling is creepy!") we found a mix the class liked overall and they got to work.

And they were quiet. I think they all were silent at first so they could listen to the sounds a bit. Then they got into the groove of working and stayed quiet. Not perfectly silent mind you, but far quieter than usual. It was beautiful.

So now I give my kids the option of silence, music, or ambiance. When they want the ambiance I sometimes let the class or one student choose what to listen to. You'd be surprised what they come up with. Mostly it's typical things like rain, bonfire, or a storm. But I've had kids challenge me like "I want to be in New York City," or "Let's be on a pirate ship."

A great thing about the site is that you can edit anything you open. I often adjust the sounds for the first few minutes until it's a nice balance, lowering the volume of anything too loud or sharp, and sometimes muting really distracting sounds (sorry calling deer in the forest. You make it sound like we have a cow in the room).

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Beyond just background noise, you can use Ambient Mixer to add some atmosphere during readings. I've got a fairy forest mix we use for A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I'll pull things like Marketplace or Dance Hall when reading Romeo and Juliet.

And you can make your own. The possibilities there are endless. Custom design sounds for your class, certain activities, or stories. You can even have the kids make some themselves.

It's a really cool tool and I hope you try it out.

ANOTHER UPDATE

Oh man...

So remember how I said I was finishing school and would be able to finally breathe and focus on other things like this blog again?

Hahahahahahahahaha yeah no.

One of my professor's recommended me for my universities Doctoral program in Special Education and said I should meet with the department chair. At first I said no I can't right now, but then I realized I could be passing up a good opportunity. When else would I have an "in" like this?

So I met with the chair. And he liked me and told me to apply.

So I applied. And did my formal interview. And they accepted me less than an hour later.

And now I'm back in school again.

But I'm not giving up on Disorderly Teaching! My goal over the next few weeks is to revamp the layout and graphics here and try to get posting again after that, so bear with me.

Ummm, hello?

You may have noticed that this blog went dark for quite a while. The truth is that the past few months have been incredibly difficult. I've been overloaded with keeping on top of work, my Master's classes, and my home life. Lack of sleep and self-care have left me exhausted and some things had to be dropped. This blog was one of them.

But! There is light at the end of the tunnel. I am in my final semester of school and once that's done I can't wait to come back here and start sharing with you all again. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I'll see you soon!

I'M THROWING IT OUT AND STARTING OVER

OMG. It is now late October, meaning school has been in session for two months (minus a week and a half for Hurricane Irma) and I still feel like it's the first week of school. My classes are not following solid routines, my lesson plans are all but nonexistent, and I feel like I'm running myself ragged but not actually teaching anything.

So I've decided to scrap all I have established (and established is a strong word. More like half-heartedly follow every other day) and do a mental reset. I'm basically going to start teaching as if it's the first day of school again. Teach class rules, routines, procedures. Establish regular assignments, grading categories. Everything.

Because what I'm doing now is not working, and I can't keep pushing through because I'm afraid to go against the flow and try to reset.

Wish me luck.

A NEW CHAPTER: HOW TO ACCEPT CHANGE

Another year, another change. That seems to be how it goes lately. You get settled in to a routine, figure things out to the point that you're actually preparing for the next school mid-year and then BAM! Change.

Last year it was that they were shifting Janice and my schedule so we only team taught half of the day. The year before that they got rid of double-block reading. The year before that we changed rooms and started team teaching. Looking back on it, I don't know why I thought this year would be any different. But really, this year is a doozy.

In the last few weeks of this past school year we found out:

• We are no longer team teaching at all
• We are moving from the biggest classroom in the school to the smallest (literally)
• I will be floating
• The district completely changed how we place students in Reading
• I will be providing support facilitation for the first time
• I will be teaching an entirely different Reading curriculum for the first time

So, knowing how much my ASD brain hates change, you can imagine how hard this all was to accept, and why I'm only writing about it now when the summer is nearly over.

I hate change. I especially hate change when it seems illogical to me, or if I feel that the real reason behind the change is being hidden from us. Those factors are definitely playing a role with some of the changes this year. But we did what we could to fight some of these changes (and lost on all counts), so now it's time to move on.

1. Ask yourself why you are resistant to this change.

Often you may find it's just that it's different and you don't want to deal with doing anything outside the status quo. If that's the case, suck it up buttercup. Some change is good. (Ironic, coming from me, I know).

Other times you will have a genuine reason to fight the change. Carefully consider if it's the former or the latter before overreacting. Then, consider if your reason for fighting the change is emotional or logical. If it's a matter of emotion, you may have to just let it go. However, if there is a logical problem which may affect your students' education etc. then go ahead and bring it up with administration. This may fall on deaf ears, but at least you'll know you did try and won't spend time later wondering what would have happened if you had spoken up.



2. Try to find good in the change.

Granted, this will only work in certain circumstances, but give it a try. For instance, I hate that I have to teach a brand new curriculum, but I am glad that the district finally recognizes a need to address phonics skills in high school for our struggling readers. It's going to take a shit ton of work to do it (and they'll probably change my teaching schedule again next year. Grr), but I know my students will benefit from it.



3. Recognize what you can and can't control.

There are two parts to this. One is the obvious step of realizing there are some thing you can't control and letting them go. But the other is recognizing that even if you can't do anything to change the situation, there are things you can do to have some control.

They're splitting Janice and I up so there's no more team teaching, but we love each other and still want to be around each other. So we decided I would float into her room, and we'll set up an office in the closet so whomever is on planning will be close by.

I'm doing support facilitation this year. I can't change that, but I can control how that experience goes. I can reach out to the gen ed teacher I'll be working with, do plenty of prep and research, and go in prepared on day one.



4. Take some time to bitch about it.

No, this is not going to do anything to change your situation or make the change go away, but it may help you feel better. Sometimes you're in a situation that you really can't do anything about and that is incredibly frustrating. Rather than keeping that frustration bottled inside of you and stewing over it for months, let it all out. Curse and complain, express all of your fears and doubts, and even cry a little. It won't fix everything but you'll feel a little but lighter once you let that all go. Just make sure you do it off campus where young ears and APs are out of earshot : p

As a bonus, letting yourself freely complain without a filter can often help you get to the root of your feelings on the matter, and help you identify what you can do to improve things.



5. Take care of yourself.

I think this is something that we as teachers often struggle with. Our entire career is built on putting our students ahead of ourselves and it can be difficult to break out of that mindset and focus on self-care. Despite that, we really should be thinking about it throughout the year and taking care of ourselves. This is doubly (tripley? quadrupley?) true when you're dealing with added stress.

This could become an entire post, or even series of posts, all by itself so rather than rambling on, I put together a Pinterest board that may help you in this area.





So I guess that's it. Sorry this post doesn't end with a magic spell or ultimate secret to take away the stress of illogical change. Sadly those do not exist, and the only thing you can really do is work through it. So I will leave you with this quote:

SUSTAINED SILENT READING: WHAT THE RESEARCH ACTUALLY SAYS

This post will be a bit of a departure from my usual fare. Typically I like to keep things light and conversational but some topics deserve a more in depth look. This is adapted from a (theoretical) research proposal I wrote for my Master's degree, but much of the research literature I used is relevant to everyday teachers so I wanted to share it.

If you find this topic interesting, I would highly recommend your read The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller. Also I have included a list of references at the end of this post for your perusal.

The Importance of Literacy

In the world of education, student literacy is perhaps the subject most lauded as crucial to success in school and beyond. Indeed, a literate society is a society that is able to thrive, improve, and expand. It was not until the invention of the written word that humans began to show exponential progress, and the importance of reading continues today. In the majority of high schools, demonstrating reading proficiency is a graduation requirement. Reading skills make up half of a student’s score on the SAT, and reading ability is often the greatest indicator of student success in post-secondary education.

Despite the importance of literacy skills, many students avoid reading whenever possible. Many of them never complete required textbook or novel readings, and the percentage of students who read for enjoyment is on the decline. Numerous researchers have posited that students need to spend additional time reading to build the literacy skills necessary for life, but this previously held belief has been shaken in recent years.

When the National Reading Panel released its report in 2000 following review of various research on reading practices, they concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support use of Sustained Silent Reading as more effective than other instructional methods. Many teachers and policy makers took this to mean that it was time to remove independent reading from classrooms across the county and around the world.

However, the National Reading Panel was simply stating that more research needs to be done in this area. In particular, the vast majority of reading research is conducted with elementary aged students, so additional studies are needed at the high school level. Studies have shown that the older a student is, the less likely they are to spend time engaged and enjoying reading. Given that, it is imperative that we examine the effect of independent reading on this group, and how it affects their literacy skills.

So let me repeat: the National Reading Panel doesn't say that silent reading doesn't work. They were saying that it needs to be researched further before it can be considered an evidence based best practice.

The Current State of Reading

According to a 2007 report from the National Endowment for the Arts, high school students “read less often for shorter amounts of time when compared with other age groups and with Americans of the past” (p. 7). “Less than one-third of 13-year-olds are daily readers. The percentage of 17-year-olds who read nothing at all for pleasure has doubled over a 20-year period” (Biancarosa & Snow, 2006).

This trend has been noted for decades, even in adults, and is likely to continue. According to a Gallup poll, in 1978 8% of American adults reported reading no books in the previous 12 months. That number has steadily increased. As of a 2011 Pew Research poll, 19% of adults report not reading any books in the previous 12 months, more than double the initial Gallup poll (Rainie, et al., 2012).

We are heading towards a country, not of illiteracy, but alliteracy - one in which we simply choose not to read – and this can be detrimental to the success of our students. Sullivan and Brown found that, “the positive link between leisure reading and cognitive outcomes is not purely due to more able children being more likely to read a lot, but that reading is actually linked to increased cognitive progress over time” (p. 37). Recently, “Hasselbring and Goin (2004) discovered that the variables that correlated most strongly with reading comprehension ability were the number of books read and the amount of time spent reading” (Cuevas, et al., 2014, p. 129).

Our students simply need to be reading more. The Common Core Curriculum advocates that students read wide and deep. Educators can provide a variety of content to students, but for them to access a wide enough range of text to build a broader understanding of the world, they must engage in independent reading.

The Use of SSR

In the 1960s, Lyman Hunt first proposed the use of SSR, advocating for dedicated classroom time for student silent reading. This SSR followed strict guidelines: book selection made by students, teacher modelling of silent reading, lack of teacher intervention, and avoidance of using accountability measures that may hinder a student’s enjoyment of reading. In 2000, Pilgreen published The SSR Handbook, which expanded and further clarified the guidelines.

For decades, SSR programs were utilized in curriculum throughout the world, from elementary school through high school. Teachers, coaches, and administrators proudly supported these programs, dedicating time several days a week to SSR.

Judine Ladbrook (2014) provided a review of research on SSR and noted that, “studies have supported using school time for pleasure reading for increasing reading mileage - which has a compelling link to reading achievement,” citing:

• Cunningham & Stanovich, 1997
• Garan & DeVoogd, 2008
• Guthrie, Wigfield, Metsala, & Cox, 1999
• Lenski & Lania, 2008
• Topping, Samuels, & Paul, 2008

 - and reading motivation:"  (p. 60)

• Chua, 2008
• S. J. Ivey & Guthrie, 2008
• McKool, 2007
• Yoon, 2002

It was clear that there was a connection between independent reading and reading skills.

The National Reading Panel Report

The issue with the use of SSR was that, while educators believed or felt it was effective, there was a lack of data to back it up. There was correlation between reading mileage and reading achievement, but no clear causation. Nor was there data to suggest that SSR was the best method of increasing how much time students spend reading.

“It must be noted that many of the scholarly articles, chapters, and books directly relating to ISR have been observational in nature, with relatively few true or quasi experiments having been published. Indeed, the highly influential National Reading Panel (NRP) concluded that there was “not sufficient research evidence obtained from studies of high methodological quality to support the idea that such efforts [ISR] reliably increase how much students read or that such programs result in improved reading skills” (NRP, 2000, p. 13)” (Cuevas, Irving & Russell, 2014, p. 131).

This sent a shock through the education community, especially for educators focused on literacy. SSR had been a staple of education, and now it seemed that the NRP was arguing against it. Cuevas et al. explained that, “the panel explicitly argued that rigorous, methodologically sound studies were still necessary in order to test the effects that ISR may have on reading comprehension and vocabulary development” (p. 131), not that SSR or independent reading lacked value, but many only got the first half of the message: SSR was out.

A Move Towards ScSR

While many backed away from SSR and all independent reading programs, some educators continued to advocate for such programs, and pursued the research the NRP report pointed out was missing. At the same time, these educators looked into how SSR could be improved and made more effective. From this desire came ScSR, or Scaffolded Silent Reading, which, according to Reutzel, at al. (2008), “redesigns silent reading practice conditions to deal affirmatively with past concerns and criticisms surrounding traditionally implemented SSR. […] ScSR is intended to provide students with the necessary support, guidance, structure, accountability, and monitoring.”

In 2014, Cuevas, et al. conducted a research study designed to address the concerns of the NRP report. “The design of [the] study was intended to meet the methodological criteria employed by the NRP for scientific reading studies […] It was experimental in nature, focused on secondary school students, assessed multiple groups, included a control group, included a pretest, and statistically controlled for possible nonequivalence of the participants” (p. 131). Their study featured three groups: a control, a group which took part in what they termed “independent silent reading” (ISR), and a “module ISR” group which utilized technology to scaffold ISR.

Both ISR methods differed from traditional SSR in that it was more structured, with teacher guidance for reading selection in both groups, and support during reading in the Module ISR group. The also added accountability measures for post-reading, as “researchers have found that students often do not follow through with reading during ISR time and have documented improved reading performance when measures of accountability were introduced alongside silent reading” (Cuevas, et al., 2014, p. 138).

Results of their study showed that, “students in the combined ISR group showed more than twice the amount of gain in total reading ability as the students in the control group” (Cuevas, et al., 2014, p. 140) and in the area of reading comprehension, the control group gained .7 grade levels, while the ISR groups had a mean gain of 1.8 grade levels.

The Importance of Enjoying Reading

In 2006, Clark & Rumbold noted that, “reading enjoyment is more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status. Reading for pleasure could therefore be one important way to help combat social exclusion and raise educational standards” (p. 6). Despite this, student attitude towards reading is often overlooked by educators, or deemed a frivolous, “touchy-feely” aspect that can’t be quantified and is therefore best left unaddressed.

Students who enjoy reading are far more likely to engage in reading for pleasure, and to actively participate during in-class independent reading, increasing how much they read each year. “Providing a fixed period of time for students to read materials of their own choosing either for pleasure or for information facilitates their attitude toward reading” (Yoon, 2002, p. 186). The use of free choice of books in independent reading can help address this area, as well as fostering a literate social environment in the classroom.

For these reasons we need to push reading enjoyment in all classes.

References

Biancarosa, C., & Snow, C.E. (2006). Reading next—A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy: A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York (2nd ed.). Washington, DC.

Clark, C., & Rumbold, K. (2006). Reading for pleasure: A research overview. London: National Literacy Trust.

Cuevas, J. A., Irving, M. A., & Russell, L. R. (2014). Applied Cognition: Testing the Effects of Independent Silent Reading on Secondary Students’ Achievement and Attribution. Reading Psychology, 35(2), 127-159, doi: 10.1080/02702711.2012.675419

Dickerson, K. (2015). Reimagining Reading: Creating a Classroom Culture that Embraces Independent Choice Reading. PennGSE Perspectives on Urban Education, 12(1). Retrieved from http://www.urbanedjournal.org/archive/volume-12-issue-1-spring-2015/reimagining-reading-creating-classroom-culture-embraces-indepe

Krashen, S. (2003). Rewriting History: A Closer Look at Some SSR Studies. Knowledge Quest, 31(5), 48-49

Ladbrook, J. (2014). sustained silent reading (SSR): what does the research say? English in Aotearoa, 2014(84), 58 – 70

National Endowment for the Arts (2007) To read or not to read: A question of national consequence. Research Report 47. Washington, DC.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Washington, DC: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Retrieved from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/nrp/Pages/smallbook.aspx

Pilgreen, J. L. (2000). The SSR handbook: How to organize and manage a sustained silent reading program. Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook.

Rainie, L., Zickuhr, K., Purcell, K., Madden, M., & Brenner, J. (2012). The rise of e-reading. Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. Retrieved from http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/

Reutzel, D. R., Jones, C. D., Fawson, P. C., & Smith, J. A. (2008). Scaffolded silent reading: A complement to guided oral reading that works! The Reading Teacher, 62(3), 194-207

Sanden, S. (2014). Out of the Shadows of SSR: Real Teachers’ Classroom Independent Reading Practices. Language Arts, 91(3), 161-175

Walker, K. P. (2013). Scaffolded Silent Reading (ScSR) Advocating a Policy for Adolescents’ Independent Reading. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(3), 185-188

Williams, L. M., Hall, K. W., Hedrick, W. B., Lamkin, M., & Abendroth, J. (2013). Developing an observation instrument to support authentic independent reading time during school in a data-driven World. Journal of Language and Literacy Education [Online], 9(2), 24-49. Retrieved from http://jolle.coe.uga.edu/

Yoon, J. (2002). Three decades of sustained silent reading: A meta-analytic review of the effects of SSR on attitude toward reading. Reading Improvement, 39(4), 186-195.