Bloom 3 Session 7

Bloom Session 7

In this session, we will learn how to create a decodable reader in Bloom.  The data files for this session are found in the subfolder Data\Reader.

Start Bloom.

Choose a Collection

1. The main window appears.  Click Other Collections.  The Open/Create Collection dialog box appears.
2. Select the English Books collection.  The main window reappears.

Create a book

1. In the Sources for New Books pane, select Decodable Reader template.
2. Click Make a book using this source.
3. We will be using the Decodable Reader tool to create the reader.  Decodable reader allows to to introduce letters and sight words in various stages  In the Decodable reader Tool  pane, click Set up Stages.
4. First we want to add the graphemes that need to be taught.  Click on the Letters tab. Copy the letters found in the file Letters.txt and paste them into the Letters and Letter Combinations textbox.  Or you could just type them in.
5. Second we want to use a word list that can be used as suggested words for the book. Click on the Words tab.  We could type or paste in the suggested words in the Type Words Here textbox.  Or we can have the suggested words in a UTF-8 text file.  Click Sample Texts Folder. Copy the text file (EnglishWords.txt) into the Sample Texts subfolder.  This is subfolder that Bloom uses for getting suggested words.  Close the subfolder.  Now the path of the file is displayed in the Place Text Files textbox.
6. Third we want to create the various stages for decodable readers.  Click the Decodable Stages tab.  Stage 1 already exists. We just need to define it.  Click Stage 1.   In the Previous and New Letters table, select the letters for stage 1 (Stages.txt).  In the New Sight Words textbox, add the sight words separated by spaces (SightWords.txt).
   
   To add the next stage, click Add Stage. In the Previous and New Letters table, select the letters for stage 2 (Stages.txt).
   
   To add the next stage, click Add Stage. In the Previous and New Letters table, select the letters for stage 3 (Stages.txt).
   
   To add the next stage, click Add Stage. In the Previous and New Letters table, select the letters for stage 4 (Stages.txt).
   
   To add the next stage, click Add Stage. In the Previous and New Letters table, select the letters for stage 5 (Stages.txt).  
   
   The paticipants should add the next 5 stages on their own (Stages.txt).
   
   All the letters should be selected.  You can get a information report for all the stages by clicking Generate a letter and word list report.  Now you are ready to create our reader.  Click OK.
    
7. Note we are now ready to create a reader for a stage 1 reader.  If  we want to create a reader for another stage, change the stage number by click the adjacent arrows.
   
   In the Front Cover page, enter Stage 1 Reader as the title for the book  and insert a picture from the Art of Reading collection.
   
   Click Add Page and select Basic Text & Picture and then click Add This Page. In the new page, insert a picture of a boy from the Art of Reading collection and enter some text (e.g. Dad sees John.  Mary and John see Dad.)  What happens if you change Dad to Mom?  Why?
   
   Click Add Page and select Basic Text & Picture and then click Add This Page.  In the new page, insert a picture of a girl from the Art of Reading collection and enter some text (e.g. Mary sees an ant.  Mary sees ants in the sand.)  What happens if you change ant to spider?  What happens if you change sand  to grass?  Why?

Exercise

1. Create a stage 2 reader of four pages.
2. Create a stage 3 reader of six pages.