When it comes to struggling readers, one of the questions on the lips of educators and parents everywhere is, “but how do you get them to do ‘it’ on their own, without prompting, reminders or rewards?
The point game is simple and effective. Nicely described here. I use it in both my EBLI teaching and in my Reading Mastery group. Effective practices can and should be a part of any effective curriculum.
A few months ago I asked for help from a teacher's group regarding this exact issue. I had a few tutoring students who could not attend to words independently when reading, and would skip words, replace words, or add and delete letter sounds. A few people suggested this point game but did not go into detail about the rules. So I have been playing this game with my students and they absolutely love it, but I haven't been playing it the way it is described in this article.
I give them a point every time they do not skip over a word and try to figure it out. They also get a point if they fix a miscue independently.
If they read something incorrectly, I wait until the end of the sentence and I say "I get a point! Do you know why?" Yesterday a student and I were discussing that this is the only game we know of where you want to end up with zero points (meaning the student)! Playing this game has made a tremendous amount of difference in their reading. In fact, once they start their text and I haven't gotten out the whiteboard to keep track, they will remind me!
Since this game comes from a research based curriculum, should I not be playing it the way I have been? It's working for them at this time, so is that enough to warrant continuing to play it the way we have been? Or is there a reason there are a certain amount of points set up for each type of miscue?
What an interesting question! My first instinct is to say, stick with whatever is working with your students. I suggest using larger amounts of points to incentivize the most difficult tasks, be it not skipping over words or fixing a miscue independently. If your students are sufficiently motivated by earning one point, there is no reason to change it. Yes EBLI is an evidence-based program, however it sounds like the way you are implementing the point game is supporting your students and that's what matters most when it comes to this type of practice.
I will let @Tal Most respond, but if it's working for you and your students, you should stick with it! And of course, feel free to borrow any ideas or tweaks that Tal shares here :).
The point game works! Try it, you'll like it!
The point game is simple and effective. Nicely described here. I use it in both my EBLI teaching and in my Reading Mastery group. Effective practices can and should be a part of any effective curriculum.
A few months ago I asked for help from a teacher's group regarding this exact issue. I had a few tutoring students who could not attend to words independently when reading, and would skip words, replace words, or add and delete letter sounds. A few people suggested this point game but did not go into detail about the rules. So I have been playing this game with my students and they absolutely love it, but I haven't been playing it the way it is described in this article.
I give them a point every time they do not skip over a word and try to figure it out. They also get a point if they fix a miscue independently.
If they read something incorrectly, I wait until the end of the sentence and I say "I get a point! Do you know why?" Yesterday a student and I were discussing that this is the only game we know of where you want to end up with zero points (meaning the student)! Playing this game has made a tremendous amount of difference in their reading. In fact, once they start their text and I haven't gotten out the whiteboard to keep track, they will remind me!
Since this game comes from a research based curriculum, should I not be playing it the way I have been? It's working for them at this time, so is that enough to warrant continuing to play it the way we have been? Or is there a reason there are a certain amount of points set up for each type of miscue?
What an interesting question! My first instinct is to say, stick with whatever is working with your students. I suggest using larger amounts of points to incentivize the most difficult tasks, be it not skipping over words or fixing a miscue independently. If your students are sufficiently motivated by earning one point, there is no reason to change it. Yes EBLI is an evidence-based program, however it sounds like the way you are implementing the point game is supporting your students and that's what matters most when it comes to this type of practice.
Thank you so much for your thoughts!
I will let @Tal Most respond, but if it's working for you and your students, you should stick with it! And of course, feel free to borrow any ideas or tweaks that Tal shares here :).
Somehow it always goes back to behaviorism.
This is a feature that has been incorporated into the Direct Instruction programs since they were created 50 years ago by Siegfried Engelmann. See https://www.nifdi.org/videos/video-guides/introduction-to-teaching-authentic-direct-instruction/3885-1-nifdi-ho-packet-020821/file.html (page 6).
A key difference is the instructor never takes points for student academic errors.
Not a key difference at all.....we (EBLI instructors) NEVER take points away when playing the Point Game.
My mistake. I read item 7 and it sounded like the teacher taking points for a student error.