If you are a fan of the Prim-Ed ‘Comprehension Box’ and are also a regular and frequent user of digital tools in your classroom, then the Let’s Teach platform will be a perfect fit for you. The Prim-Ed, ‘Let’s Teach’ library is an online interface where teachers and students can access and engage with the very popular resource, ‘The Comprehension Box’.
Once you log in for your free two week review, you have access to the three levels of The Comprehension Box and the corresponding teacher manuals. The Comprehension Box 1 (red box) is aimed at 1st and 2nd Class, The Comprehension Box 2 (green box) is aimed at 3rd and 4th Class and The Comprehension Box 3 (blue blox) is aimed at 5th and 6th Class. You then set-up your students and assign them to the appropriate level box. The Let’s Teach Library is a digitised version of the actual boxes.
Then you must register your class. Each student can be registered individually and registration requires an email address. Realistically this will have to be a working email address that the children can gain access to their login details and password generated and sent through the platform. In this case, using their Google Classroom accounts would not work, so you would need to have the parents email.
When the children log-in, it does require a little bit of guidance from the teacher as to how to access the comprehension cards and questions. However, once they have mastered this the rest is very easy to navigate. The children can begin on card number one and work their way through the entire box, at their own pace. Each digital box is broken down in 15 different colour coded sections, which progressively increase in complexity as you move through them. Each card has a specific comprehension skill as a focal point. The child reads the card on screen and then completes the multiple choice questions. The child receives a score of how many answers they got correct and the option to view the incorrect answers they chose. They then move on to the next card.
From the teacher side, you can keep a track of what pupil is on what card and can collect data on what percentage they are getting correct. It is very easy to interpret and to use. Mistakes are highlighted and patterns of errors easily identified. These could then be used to target a mini-lesson on the specific area of difficulty. I really love this aspect of the platform, as I do not have to wade through checklists and grids to identify the areas that need improvement.
The digital version is pretty identical to the actual The Comprehension Box which almost every school has. If I was a learning support teacher in the senior end of the school, this would be one of my tools to help children work independently on skills they require. I would re-teach the comprehension skills being taught in the classroom. I would then work on completing a card together and then assign a card for the child to complete independently (either at home or in school). This would be a fantastic way to engage their attention, integrate technology and reinforce skills that they will require through their school life. The younger children would definitely need adult support to navigate their way around the platform. However, the older children would have no issues. A child in fifth or sixth class, with an exemption from Irish and/or with literacy difficulties would gain a lot from completing the cards independently. This is a great tool that a teacher could add to their planning for Literacy.
Teachers can avail of a free trial with this link – https://www.prim-ed.ie/lets-teach-library-free-trial/