Vowel Clustering Uses Hands-on Teaching Strategies

by Elaine Clanton Harpine, Ph. D

Some children say that reading is the hardest thing they must learn in school; therefore, we need to find ways to make learning to read easier for children. With vowel clustering, we use hands-on learning. Start with a positive, supportive group or class that creates an atmosphere of acceptance for every student. Then, add a simple craft project as a teaching tool. For example, a simple pop-up house can become a hands-on way of teaching decoding or encoding skills, spelling, comprehension, story writing, or practicing oral fluency when reading. Working together as a class on a hands-on project can also teach social group skills, a method for initiating positive interaction, polite participation in a group activity, the initiator for intrinsic motivation for reluctant children, and the means to provide step-by-step directions which helps to increase comprehension. Yes, a simple construction paper pop-up house can become a major teaching tool in the classroom.

At my Reading Orienteering Club after-school program, each workstation incorporates handson exploratory activities to strengthen the learning process. Hands-on teaching techniques encourage creativity, determination, persistence, commitment, and even control over actions and behavior. Research shows that children learn better through hands-on structured activities. Hands-on projects when used as teaching tools increase intrinsic motivation or the child’s desire to work on a difficult task. Research has proven that intrinsic (internal) motivation is better than prizes or awards. Working with others in a positive group-centered structure also helps to motivate struggling students. The key to success lies in how the hands-on project is used. Hands-on learning can become a key ingredient for student success in the classroom.

Students may make a fancy house and write a story about their house. Have students choose a color for their house. Then, write a story. “At the pink house, everyone….”

Students may also make a very simple house. Place their spelling words on the back of their house to help them practice. They can even make a book. Pop-up houses are easy to make. The student decides how simple or fancy the house should be.

A hands-on project may be simple or fancy, but it must connect with the lesson being taught.

For more on using this simple little house as a teaching tool and for the pattern, see my blog post from February 19, 2022: https://www. groupcentered.com/reading-blog/a-handson-project-helps-create-a-positive-learningenvironment-to-help-students-correct-learninglosses-part-5-of-a-series

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact me at clantonharpine@hotmail.com

At my reading clinics, we never just stop and finish a craft project so that children may take their project home. Remember, the project is a teaching tool. If the craft project is not finished at the end of a session, the student’s name goes on the project and it goes on the “to be finished” table. Why? Because the hands-on craft project is teaching decoding, encoding, spelling, comprehension, or reading fluency. Because the hands-on craft project is teaching teamwork, completion skills, and self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to finish a task). Hands-on crafts projects tied to the learning process create a standard for completing what you start. When the students return, they finish their project during free time, not just by finishing the craft project, but by returning to the teaching task and completing the decoding, encoding, spelling or comprehension task from the original workstation assignment.