Parts of the House Frame 3-Part Reading

Three-part cards make reading practice independent. The control card lets students find and fix their own errors, which is how humans learn best, with no teacher correction required. Beyond that, remember that interest drives learning. Students who are interested in building will choose these cards again and again, and that curiosity can carry even a reluctant reader through repeated reading practice. The cards also build vocabulary, part of the language comprehension side of reading in both Gough and Tunmer's (1986) simple view of reading and Scarborough's (2001) reading rope. By reading the names of these parts now, a student will recognize and understand them when they later meet them in a book about building or engineering.

Begin by using the picture-only cards to teach the names of the parts (via the three-period lesson), starting with the whole house frame. If there is a house under construction nearby, a visit to look for the same parts is a wonderful extension. When students are stretching past phonetic reading, use all three parts: lay out the picture cards, read and match the word labels to the pictures, and use the control cards to check for accuracy independently (no teacher help required). Students can then put their new vocabulary to work by naming the parts as they build their own models.

Typically Kindergarten (ages 5–6) and above. However, students of any age can benefit from these cards if they:

• Can read phonetically
• Are interested in building, construction, or how things work
• Need practice reading
• Prefer self-correcting activities to teacher correction