Partner Work, an Important Part of Silent Elephant “e”
Let’s talk about partner work!
Partner work is a vital, integral part of Silent Elephant “e” and every concept taught in every lesson throughout the program incorporates this essential learning strategy.
In Phonetic Reading with Silent Elephant “e”, partner work is taken seriously. Students are specifically taught the responsibilities of a good partner and why it is so important to be a caring, dependable partner.
Each partner plays two roles: they EXPRESS and they RECEIVE. Each role takes the concept they are learning into a different part of their brain ensuring that they truly KNOW the concept and can connect that knowledge to new concepts as they continue learning.
When a student (young or old) can EXPRESS the concept being learned in their own words or drawings, they solidify that concept—it becomes “their own”.
The flip side of expressing what they know is RECEIVING, or actively listening to, the concept being expressed by their partner. This active listening shifts them into another part of their brain where they analyze their partner’s words and drawings for correctness and clarity. This analysis deepens their own comprehension of the concept.
When working with partners, children share their work and explain it by verbalizing their thought processes around that concept as they apply previously taught phonemic awareness skills and phonics skills and the particular phonics skill emphasized in the day’s lesson.
Further, when they actively listen, each child mentally reviews and checks for accuracy as they listen to themselves and their partner.
This total procedure, expressing and receiving (listening), strengthens their personal understanding of the day’s objective(s).
There is also a social element to partner work. Students love becoming the “teacher” for their partner and visa versa. This essential partnership builds positive social bonds, as it ensures that each partner truly understands and is able to apply the concept(s) being learned in their personal reading, writing and spelling. They are a positive support for each other’s learning.
In the end, each partner is empowered with their own personal success that is built upon their previous successes plus empowered by being a strong advocate for the success of their partner!
After reading this and the last posts in this series, you now know the basis of how phonics is taught in Silent Elephant “e” and how I designed the worksheets to ensure success of ALL students.
Now, you are ready to begin teaching the phonics lessons in Parts 3-14.
Trust me, you will be astounded at the progress and confidence your children will achieve in phonics as they learn the way in which they learn best with Silent Elephant “e”!
It’s exciting to watch children and adults blossom into successful, confident readers, writers and spellers!
If you have further questions about partner work and the home-school connection in Silent Elephant “e”, feel free to contact us.