kitchen table math, the sequel: Morningside error correction procedure

Monday, August 13, 2012

Morningside error correction procedure

From my notes from the Morningside Academy Summer School Institute, in this scenario students are reading words on the board out loud:

Common error patterns
  • Guessing
  • Attending to shape of word
  • Attending to only part of the word

Error correction
  • NAÏVE LEARNERS: Pre-correct by underlining part of word you predict will be an error
  • NAÏVE LEARNERS: Focus & change only the error portion (“I heard something else”) - DON'T write a whole separate word beside the word that was misread
  • Erase only part of word and write in what you heard
  • Erase multiple times – go back & forth between the word written correctly & the word written incorrectly
  • EXPERIENCED LEARNERS: Discrimination correction [see below]
  • Rule of thumb: 5 correct practices for every error
To explain, with naïve learners," which I take to mean beginners, if the word on the board is "tree" and a student read "tray," you would erase the double-e and write in 'ay.' You would not write the word "tray" beside the word "tree."

With experienced learners, you do write the word "tray" beside the word "tree," and then have students go back and forth between the two, reading each correctly.

Unfortunately, I no longer recall the reason for this distinction between beginners and more advanced students. I think it had to do with making sure beginners focus on the exact part of the word they are misreading.

update 8/13/2012: Children with developmental disabilities who have been taught to read with sight words may not be able to learn well from either of these discrimination procedures.

1 comment:

palisadesk said...

"Naive learner" is an Engelmann term -- one I very much like, because it is descriptive but not presumptive. It does refer to a "beginner" but more specifically, to a beginner who brings no relevant domain knowledge to the task. This can be die to previous environment, language background, age, or other factors, bit the most effective way to teach a "naive learner" differs from the best way to teach beginners who have more relevant knowledge or skills to draw on. This is what distinguishes Reading Mastery I (for naive learners) from Horizons A (for non-naive learners). Horizons is for students who already know letter names, know what is meant by the terms letter, word, sound and have demonstrated grasp of 1:1 matching and l-r progression.

Catherine, I was quite struck by the differences from DI procedures in Morningside's correction approach when I was there, but Kent's demonstrations and explanations made perfect sense. Overcoming habit and doing them correctly was a challenge for me in the classroom teaching component -- I was using a DI program I know (Horizons C) but needed both to implement the new correction procedures -- new to me, that is -- and insure a 5:1 + to - feedback ratio. Whew! Very challenging but the Morningside staff were very positive while not sparing needed corrective feedback. I've tried to incorporate the M'side procedures into my repertoire since, with mixed success.

I see the reference to Tiemann and Markle -- I got two of their instructional design books and must dig them out again. These make challenging reading due to the ideational density and rigor of the reasoning and cognitive demand -- not for the faint of heart. However they walk you step by step through the process of designing effective instructional sequences. I have a student now who is struggling with mastering a certain skill set and I'm quite sure my presentation is the problem and I need to adjust it. I have learned most from the students who have forced me to re-examine what I am doing (and often to change or modify it).