Dots and Dashes

​What does the word “code” conjure up for you? Secret code, da Vinci code, alarm code, code of conduct, computer code? Last year, we had a “Wonder Wall” in the classroom, which was a big whiteboard where students could write their inquiry questions. One boy was curious about Morse code and we all learned a lot about that topic through his research.

When you build a home, it must be built to code. The city, architect, contractor, construction company and labourers must all adhere to this code to ensure a safe and healthy building. Referee gestures and ship flags are types of code too. Essentially, codes are a system of rules to convert information.

The sound system of a language is a code as well, and can be just as complicated. When we tell a young reader to “sound it out,” this is known as decoding. In other words, it means to undo the mystery by tinkering with the system. The alphabetic principle, phonemic awareness, phonics, and spelling are all part of the code that needs to be understood to read and write.

How do you encourage children to tinker with text when teaching children to de-code?

I know that many primary teachers teach decoding and spelling within what’s known as “Word Work.” Don’t get me wrong ... I love the Daily Five framework and think that it has transformed literacy instruction. However, I’ve started calling it “Word Play.” Yes, it’s just semantics but many words have both positive and negative connotations. Do your students cheer when/if you assign home-work or are you excited about spending all day Saturday on yard-work? Why not choose the word with the positive vibe?

Here’s some things to try when playing with words and tinkering with text:

• Use lots of tactile literacy manipulatives – magnet letters/words, play dough, sand/rice trays, letter/word tiles
• Write and translate messages using Morse code, Braille, or cryptograms.

• Provide a variety of writing tools and surfaces
  • gel pens, chalk, dry erase pens, Boogie Boards, Doodle Boards
  • consider painting the top of an old, small table or desk with chalkboard paint
  • If you still have an old overhead projector in the school basement, consider using it as a spelling station. Kids are fascinated by it! I leave mine on the floor in a corner with a sheet of white poster board on the wall for the screen. Place mats around it to make it a comfortable, inviting space. (P.S. It is also great for creating shadow puppet plays.)
• Show students how to use the Smartboard as a station. (If you are the only person in the room to use this, it’s nothing more than a teacher-centric, expensive whiteboard, IMO.) Students can:
  • do word sorts (Words Their Way)
  • use the Popplet app to learn about categories and syllables
  • label pictures to develop vocabulary (PWIM; ELL strategies)

• Set up an area called the “Parts Department.”
  • Have utility containers (like at the hardware store) full of tinker objects (sticks, Lego, stamps, bolts, straws) to create letters and words.
  • Create a dual purpose for your math manipulatives by writing letters or words on the side of blocks to create literacy manipulatives.
  • If your classroom is Reggio-based, use natural materials to create literacy manipulatives. Make letter tiles by writing letters on flat stones, cork, slices of branches, or lima beans. You might prefer to store these manipulatives in clay pots or woven baskets.
  • Buy some MDF wide plank baseboards and cut them into 5-inch pieces. (Hint: Measure your container first to see what size these should be to maximize storage space.) Have the students help you paint the top surface with chalkboard paint. Keep these mini-chalkboards with colourful sidewalk chalk in the Parts Department to use when teaching parts of words such as word families, chunks, syllables, prefixes, suffixes, roots, and morphemes.

Create spaces and experiences in your classroom for children to play with words and tinker with text. They will be engaged with language and learning in a hands-on way. I’m excited to hear about some of the ways that other educators and parents take the mystery out of deciphering the code of language and literacy.

NOTE: I'm not advertising any of the resources, apps, or programs mentioned in this post. These are just some of the methods and materials that educators may use in literacy instruction. Be sure to tinker with them in a way that helps students learn and fits your teaching style and pedagogical beliefs.