Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Welcome READ 5512 Seminar: Literacy Trends and Issues
Welcome to our class blog! I am excited to present to you our new presentation tool. It will work like Blackboard (which I do not have access to as of yet!)! You will still email your presentations to me and I will then post them on the blog for the class to view and respond. I think it will work just fine. If it doesn't go as smoothly as we would hope, don't worry! We will problem solve as we go through the semester!
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I think this is a GREAT idea!
ReplyDeleteI think so too!
ReplyDeleteLet's give it a go~!
ReplyDeleteI am in! The library is great, jump in.
ReplyDeleteAdd me to your blogs and we can stay in touch.
ReplyDeleteYeah! I'm in! I think we all will do just great!
ReplyDeleteThat wasn't hard at all.
ReplyDeleteZH says to check out her blogspot and list your fav read.
ReplyDeletehttp://zlitt.blogspot.com
Thank all of who have joined my blog! Hopefully we can make this suit our purposes for the meantime! I have called NSU Tahlequah and they are waiting on all the appropriate "deans" to sign off on my paperwork. So prayerfully we will be up and running sometime next week. Thank you for making me feel better through your encouraging emails. Looking forward to reading your "thought-provoking comments and musings about the chapter!
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'm in!!! NOW, what?
ReplyDeleteWe ask questions like: Why is it important that the Literacy Coach knows what the curriculum offers?
ReplyDeleteM.Hinson says I would like to join now:)
ReplyDeleteOne of our discussion questions was?
ReplyDeleteWhich for of coaching do you feel would work the best for your school?
Collaborative Consultation is really what we are using at this time, in my opinion. However the reading coach does reside in the Kindergarten bldg. which is across the street from First and Second Grade. But she communicates quite frequently over our email system.
Responding to Pink Rose I too believe that we will all do great!
ReplyDeleteLaura the profile picture is great, looking forward to having you in my class again this semester.
ReplyDeleteThe second question of our discussion was about credential of a coach? Master's Degree in the area of this, to me is essential, because of the added coursework that the individual has sought out to learn and the additional content in Reading that the individual has been educated with.
What do you think about this in middle school Laura?
responding to Z.Handley, according to Robinson and McKenna, the literacy coach must guide and help the educators too implement some kind of consistency throughout the school. So, the familiarization of the curriculum would be needed.
ReplyDeleteAdolescent Literacy was the handout Anayai gave and asked us, to respond by Wed. and write 3 open ended questions and post them...
ReplyDeleteHere are mine:
1.Multiliteracies Designs help with the middle school students to comprehend text,Would this be because the students are able to take an approach that would be hands-on and show ownership? Why or Why not?
2. The Multiliteracies consisted of Visual,Audio,Spatial, Gestural and Linguistic Design approaches to learning.Could students many different needs be addressed using one or all of the above? Explain?
3.Flexible Sequencing was discussed and the use of large calenders for posting, seems effective. Would this facilitate the process of creating students that would visually see a goal and deadline and succeed? Why? or Why not?
These are the questions to which you are respond for this week! Make sure you respond to the questions by Monday at midnight. Then to each other by Wednesday! Hopefully I have not caused more confusion for you!
ReplyDeleteWhich form of coaching do you feel would work the best for your school? (Collaborative Consultation – which is the role for a reading specialists that works with the children and partly with adults).
(Peer Coaching) – where its just the teachers planning together and modeling for each other).
(Or do you think that it would be a coach that is part of the staff full time and only works with the adults).
What kind of credentials do you think a coach should have? (Do you think they should have a reading degree? Why or Why not).
Please make sure to have your FQRs submitted by Monday at midnight as well! Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteQ1: At my school the full time staff member serving as Reading Coach has been used. As large as our school is I think they worked best as resources for teachers to seek out. They did do staff develpoment and demonstration in class as needed. At smaller schools perhaps a more direct teacher/student system could be beneficial. I see that situations effect how a school would choose to implement a RC.
ReplyDeleteQ2: Defining credentials for such a position could be done with little thought. Degrees and certifications could be manditory. However,I would like to see titles and credentials established through years of teaching and self-development as well as established through institutions of higher learning. I care less for a degree than I do wisdom, experience and devotion to a cause.
T Marie when you get your response to the two questions posed by the discussion leaders, you simply post them on the blog. Then in turn your peers will respond to you.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Zane...why is it important for a RC to know what curriculum offers?
ReplyDeleteIt seems one should know the strengths and weaknesses of their school or districts chosen materials as an educator. That being said, in terms of following pacing calendars and unit objectives, a RC may or may not need to be as bound as a classroom teacher. I see the RC performing his or her expertise to the enrichment of the reading process. This will often mean reaching beyond defined grade expectations for students and situations to get to the heart of the need. This idea of meeting the student where they are has been a point of contention in NCLB. Some schools have interpreted NCLB as dictating that children should only be instructed at their definitive grade level, not their need level. If RC are bound to such initerpretations they would be of little use, as would be any curriculum that doesn't address a student's needs.
At the Middle School level, I think it is essential for the coach to have at least a Master's Degree in the field for them to be truly respected and certified to provide effective strategies and feedback.
ReplyDeleteQ1 -For my school, I think a Collaborative coach would be best. One that works with the students, for instance maybe afterschool reading academy; but also works with teachers to bring best practices for teaching, or improving reading within the content areas; specific practices to improve reading within the content area, and then follow-up observations to provide additional support for the classroom teacher.
ReplyDeleteQ2- I think they should at least have a Master’s level degree, with out the additional training and perspective a higher level degree produces, one cannot be considered a Literacy Coach.
What are some difficulties that surround instituting a Reading Coach position in a school or district?
ReplyDelete*Resentment among staff pertaining to possibly being observed and assessed.
*Assumptions about degrees garnering more "respect" among educators that specific experience could be faulty.
*How does the RC interact with the school. This has been defined in the presentaion a being multi-fasceted.
*Does the position work in the way special education consultation does? Meaning, if it ultimatley works, do we discontinue? Can a school test out? Does the job availability require failure or could a successfull school maintain such a position?
Lastly, how could the job of RC be used most effectively while also proving it's effect on education? This is the bane of public service. You must document your success.
It seems to me a RC would be a two to three year gig at any school, either successfull or not. Beyond that the position itslef would be discontinued for it's lack of individual, exclusive impact.
LSteel...How would a RC coach work at a middle school. That seems to be a daunting task.
ReplyDeleteI figured out how to get here on my own!!!! Yippee! Now, let me see if I can figure what I'm suppose to do now that I'm here!
ReplyDeleteChapter 7 - Literacy Coach
ReplyDeleteQuestion #1 At the elementary school that I worked until 8-31-09, more of a collaborative consultation approach was utilized. The classroom teacher would identify the students' needs and the reading coach (RC) responded to those needs. The RC collaborated with the principal, teachers, and other adults within the school setting to make sense of and understand the school's structure, strategies, and goals.
Question #2 To effectively support teaching and learning, the credentials for a reading coach (RC) could be varied but should include: college level reading and reading research, specialized training in reading, some teaching experience, and a true committment to educating our youth. A reading specialist certification or Masters Degree should also be on the list of credentials.
Which form of coaching do you feel would work best for your school?
ReplyDeleteI feel that having a coach as part of the staff full time would be the best resource for our school. In which this is what we have. It is great to have that collaborative support, guidance, and modeling that the literacy coach provides. They also share professional development opportunities for the teachers to learn about strategies, curriculum, and even training on different literacy assessments. It would be great for the literacy coach to pull students out, but this is why we have reading interventionists, they work as an extra hand for the literacy coach.
What kind of credentials do you think a coach should have?
ReplyDeleteI feel that a reading coach should have a masters degree in reading. The three or four reading classes that one takes when getting their undergrad degree just doesn't seem like enough knowledge and training to be modeling and mentoring other teachers about implementing literacy and literacy strategies. As an educator, I want the best resource that I could find within the school, to help me implement literacy in the classroom. Having a literacy coach that had an extra two years of training over reading, seems to be the best possible resource than that of someone who has had three or four classes over teaching literacy.
In response to the power point....
ReplyDeleteWe have a curriculum coach otherwise known as Reading coach who is willing to work with a grade level team or meet individual teacher's specific needs as well as pull as many resources needed to satisy a desired unit. This is the first year that we have had her and I can honestly say she has been great. She will help teach or give the resource to you but most of all she has been an incredible resource to the staff.
I believe the credentials should be a certain number of years in the classroom. An extensive knowledge of what the current trends and issues are. A passion to further grow in professional development. A master's degree would be nice but experience should not be ignored. Our curriculum coach taught and then worked for a textbook company for a while. Her extensive knowledge of curriculum planning gave her great experience to help meet our needs. I do believe that they should know the curriculum that the school has purchased but also have the ability to think outside of the box to enrich certain lessons that a publishing company misses.
Great Job Donna!
ReplyDeleteKim Jobe I like the idea of the credentials for the RC to also include the number of years in the classroom.
Q1. We have had a RC until this year because of the grant not being renewed. However, I feel while we had a RC, she provided examples, modeled, and helped me to determine how to help my children obtain reading scores better then they even thought of. Now, that she is gone, I have realized just how much she did for us. And, we now work within our PLC's to collaborately to encourage each other and work with each other with ideas to help improve our reading curriculum.
ReplyDeleteQ2. With the "highly qualified" status that the state now requires of each teacher, I feel that a reading coach should have a Master's Degree with passing the appropriate tests. The reading coach should be required to have some kind of higher creditials than a regular teacher.
ReplyDeleteKim Jobe, I like the idea of the RC credentials including classroom hours also!
ReplyDeleteJamie, I agree. I have already learned alot just by getting started on my Master's.
ReplyDeleteAlex, some people in our building used our RC for a curriculum resource also. Interesting.
ReplyDeleteI agree Kim Jobe, that is a very good point you made about the literacy coach having so many years experienced in a classroom as well. There could be a reading coach that has their masters in reading and has never stepped foot in a classroom, which would not be someone that I would consider to have expert advice on how to implement literacy strategies in the classroom. I would want a literacy coach that has classroom experience as well as education in teaching reading.
ReplyDelete@Melissa since you said that "we now work within our PLC's to collaborately to encourage each other and work with each other with ideas to help improve our reading curriculum." do you see first hand the need to have a greater knowledge base in the area of reading? I have to admit that the more you learn, the more you want to know. Reading is such a complex field, that I don't think you ever get to a place of "knowing enough"
ReplyDelete@several of you, a Master's degree is imperative when considering a RC position.
@Donna I also like the idea of having to complete classroom hours in order to be certified. Can you imagine never stepping into a classroom before finishing your bachelor's degree? That is what you were saying or not?
I have enjoyed reading your posts and I look forward to more thought-provoking
dialogue (sorry!)
ReplyDeleteAlex Guss, I agree that depending on school size and needs would depend on collaborative consultation or full time reading coach on staff. Like students' needs, school needs are different than others and must be evaluated and serviced according to data driven from student assessments.
ReplyDeleteT. Marie, I agree that a person must make a true committment to educating our youth! When hired to be a literacy coach I feel that the expectations should be held with that being number one, dedication!
ReplyDeleteMore questions:
ReplyDeleteWhat could a H S Lit. Coach do for the teacher that is only into their own subject matter and doesn't allow for individual differences?
How could the Lit. Coach support the faculty (Teacher & Asst. etc.) within each class?
Alex Guss....great questions regarding all aspects of having a RC. It is true that a staff must trust and respect the person who is "modeling" good literacy instruction. The one thing I believe they must have is humility and an attitude that they are learning too. Its very difficult to find a person who has taught K-5 (in an elementary of course) and can consider themselves experts at every level. I believe the staff has to recognize that this person can be a wonderful resource....and not there to diminish or change what they are doing. The great thing about RC is that they can help you focus on enriching your literacy instruction and knowledge! There is a great deal of humility that teachers must posess to make it work also!
ReplyDeleteWOW! These are such well thought out responses. I really had to scan down to get here.
ReplyDeleteAnswering the question on the "difficulties" surrounding instituting a Literacy Coach posistion: The difficulties are there. I remember when a close friend of mine was trained to be a Lit. Coach for a really large school in TPS. She gave up most of her classroom possessions and sunk herself into the job heart and soul. Then when the district abolished the job she realized that "oops" I guess I will use all that I learned and taught the staff through prof. dev. in my new pre-K. class. It is discouraging and hopeful to know that Reading-Literacy Coaches require a commitment from the community, school system, and teacher involved. It is difficult for school systems to have a big chunk of finances for a bldg. Literacy Coach.
The next comment is on the form of coaching for my past TPS School. It would have been collaborative. In the beginning I worked with very experienced teachers. Near the end of my tenure I worked with inexperienced teachers that would slowly need to be shown new and viable ways to work out reading for each individual child.
On the credentials, I say clap-clap to Alex. Experience, as long as you learn, is a really great teacher. I also would require, (pd. by indiv. or district) membership in International Reading Assoc., along w/ a publishing on what is happening currently.
Q 1: The form of coaching that would work best for my school is Peer Coaching. We do not have the funds for reading specialists, and won't for some time. My school has one teacher per grade, k3-12.
ReplyDeleteQ 2: A literacy coach should have a masters in an educational field, be an excellent reading teacher, have special training with adult learners and have a love for serving others. A reading degree would be helpful, since what they are developing for their school is reading related.
A Guss: I think a coach could be permanent, in the way that every year there are different struggles with each class. What skills, methods I use this year, might not be as effective the next, and if you taught the exact same thing every year how boring would that be? I agree with the resentment at being observed by fellow teachers. You would need a teachable staff.
ReplyDeleteMy disadvantage is not having used a RC at all. I'm my own RC. :)
M Hinson: I agree with the course work at an undergrad level is simply not enough to really dive into helping teachers of all background succeed.
I am glad Zane mentioned belonging to professional organizations like IRA. I have been a member for only two years now but I can say the journals I received with my membership have helped revolutionize my practice as a reading teacher. For all you middle school teachers out there, Journal of Adult and Adolescent literacy is a MUST HAVE! Even if all you want out of there are titles of books for your kids to read, it would be a wonderful resource to guide your practice. If you are not a member of any professional organizations, consider becoming one. IRA Rocks!!
ReplyDeleteFor most of my years, I have taught "stories" or novel units. It never donned on me that as a middle school teacher (especially) that I needed to do more in explicit strategy instruction. If students can navigate through text, they will in essence get the gist of the story. Reading the research on explicit strategy instruction helped me understand my role as a reading teacher.
Anayai, Yes! I do see a greater need in the knowledge of the reading base. Without a reading coach this year, it is more difficult to remember when benchmarks are supposed to be assessed. Our PLC, even though at times can be difficult, is helpful. Personally, I feel with 6 years teaching in 2nd grade, I am wanting the desire to expand my mind and understanding in reading. Therefore, you are correct in saying that one can never learn enough.
ReplyDeleteFrom Gayla:
ReplyDeleteWhich form of coaching do you feel would work the best for your school? (Collaborative Consultation – which is the role for a reading specialists that works with the children and partly with adults).
> (Peer Coaching) – where it’s just the teachers planning together and modeling for each other).
>
>
> (Or do you think that it would be a coach that is part of the staff full time and only works with the adults).
> I believe that the coach should be part of the full time staff. Courses in reading instruction do not prepare teachers for the real classroom. Often they teach more theory than practice and do not teach how to put the theories into practice. Having someone who is experienced and knowledgeable in reading instruction whose specific job is to provide support to a new teacher or someone who is new to a school district and/or curriculum would be extremely helpful to help them get started and keep on track with the expectations and goals of the district and the building principal.
> What kind of credentials do you think a coach should have? (Do you think they should have a reading degree? Why or Why not).
> I think they should have a reading degree. A coach should be highly trained and up to date on the latest trends of reading instruction and assessments.
>
Q1 - The collaborative consulation format would work better than a peer coaching model at our school. A collaborative consultant would be available to provide direction and new insight into the classroom. With peer coaching, time would gradually eat away at the process rendering it ineffective. Also, without selective grouping, groups would most likely be made up of like individuals (friends) who may already share/plan together. Ultimately, I believe the authors' suggested model of a full-time coach working only with adults would reap the most overall student achievement.
ReplyDeleteQ2 In my opinion, a reading coach should possess a minimum of a Master's Degree in Reading in order for the reading coach to be well-trained in the various instructional strategies used in the classroom or with individual students. Also, reading coaches should have experience teaching in a classroom setting so they have a real world setting in which to apply their knowledge more effectively.
In response to K. Jobe's statement regarding the credentials needed for a RC: I agree, as noted in my Q#2, the RC should have experience in a classroom prior to entering as a RC. The number of years would need to be determined by school/state officials.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jaime's statement also regarding the qualifications of a RC: I agree that 3-4 classes does not offer adequate knowledge and training to model and/or mentor teachers about literacy implementation and strategies.
Kim Jobe: I like your attributes when describing an RC; you included trustworthy, respectful, humlity, and openness to learning attitude.
Open-ended questions for "Engaging Middle Years Students: Literacy Projects That Matter"
ReplyDelete1) Who decides and how are the appropriate projects determined?
2) How do you effectively gain support of a community to assist the students with educational projects?
3) How do you improve the literacy and learning outcomes for middle year students?
4) How are the terms "student achievement," and "student engagement" defined, identified, and sustained?"
5) Are there follow-up visits or long term goals in place?
6) How is the success of the literacy projects being measured?
Kim Kobe...I agree that a Literacy Coach should have classroom experience. I also believe that they should have a Masters in Reading that provide them traning on the most current reading instruction and assessments. Professional development should also be ongoing to keep up with trends.
ReplyDeleteErin.....I agree about the possibility of the coach being permanant. We used to have an LC but the position was cut. My school is a literacy first school and we have several new teachers that are just going through the literacy first training and trying to merge that with the required reading curriculum of the district. I think it would be very benificial to them to have someone to help direct them in their reading instruction.
Z. Handley......Our LC was a great resource for us too until her job got cut. I'm not sure if it was just funding that was the reason for the cut.
Alex....I agree that the size of the school possibly playing a role of how the LC is used. At the school I am at now the LC we had was part of the full time staff and worked only with the teachers. The school I was at before MT was very small and having an LC in a collaborative consultation position would have worked best. In the second semester there I started teaching a second grade class that was on a first grade level and it would have been great to have and extra resource for the students.
Alex....I agree with th possibility of resentment at being observed and assessed. When I first started at MT the LC would come in and observe and I was very uncomfortable about why she was sitting in my room watching me. I eventually came to realize that she was just there to provide feedback and looked forward to reading her comments.
In response to the article that Anayai gave us, my 3 open ended questions include:
ReplyDelete1) In a multiliteracy classroom, what teacher professional preparation should be made to help focus on such a wide range of learning types?
2) How would you make accommodations for each learning type?
3) It was said in the article that the teacher learns with the students during some projects, with that said, how would you use plan projects in your local community?
In response to the powerpoint quesions.
ReplyDeleteQ.1 In our school system I have found that co-teaching, peer teaching, does not have a positive outcome. The teacher does not like any type of interference from another teacher with the same qualifications or additional degrees. I have also found that pulling students out for additional support can bring unnecessary comments as well. Please remember that I am talking about high school.
For lower grades,I can see the benefits of all 3, but the more we can work one on one with the student, as well as keeping the classroom teacher involved, can only help reinforce the skill, receiving additional support, but all students would receive the reinforcement.
Q.2 RC should have at least a masters degree, and have teaching experience. I agree with Kim. How can a RC be effective if they do not have classroom experience? You have to be able to pull from your experience, and know the different techniques and approaches, keeping in mind that each student learns and progresses at different paces. Learning styles also play a factor in our approach. Knowing the materials that we are using, and materials that we may need to use also play a part in accomplishing our ultimate goal in being an effective RC.
In response to Zane.
ReplyDeleteI am in the H.S. atmosphere and most of the teachers are closed off to the idea of changing the teaching style to meet the needs of the students. Of course, the teachers I am working with have been teaching for numerous years and 2 of them will return this year. There thinking is the student should be able to understand what is being taught. As a co-teacher, when I enter this style of teaching, I have to be supportive of the teacher, but I also am very mindful of the student,and their particular style of learning. As I go around to each student I use different techniques to demonstrate what is being introduced,reinforced, but I am also very careful as to not make any type of remark about the other teachers style. I will pull the teacher into our discussions, student and mine, bringing the other classroom teacher into the conversation helps in 2 ways: showing we can work together, demonstrating the techniques,the idea two brains better than one, and allowing the student the support needed. At no times do I try to make the teacher I am working with feel that I am superior, or that I own their room/students. I hope this makes sense.
What could a H S Lit. Coach do for the teacher that is only into their own subject matter and doesn't allow for individual differences?
Kristine Vivar responds
ReplyDeleteQ1 I like the idea of using a peer coach. Ilove the idea of someone with experience coming into the classroom and demonstrating a lesson. We actually have a Literacy First coach at one of my schools and she meets and plans with all teachers and actually taught a full day in each classroom.
Q2 I think a reading coach should have a minimum of 10 years experience teaching in the classroom. I also think the reading coach should have a masters degree in reading.
In response to A. Guss questions about middle school rc. How would a RC work in the high school? With all the EOI's demonstrating that we do not have adequate readers trying to put an at risk program for this age group in is tough.
ReplyDeleteWhen I told my building admin. I was working on my M's in reading they thought it was a great idea. Due to the fact that we have reg. ed. students that can not read. Next thought was how to bet started? Work with students I already work with, special ed. Then working it into students that are referred by their core teachers. To-date, I still am not working with any students, and we do not have any type of remediation going on at our MS or HS.
From Kristin Vivar:
ReplyDeleteResponse to question one: I like the idea of using peer coaching. I love the idea of someone with experience coming into the classroom and demonstrating the lesson. We actually have someone at Addams who does this . She is a Literacy First coach and she does exactly this type of thing.
Response to question two: I think a reading coach should have a minimum of 10 years teaching experience in the classroom setting. I also think the reading coach should have a masters degree in reading.
Article Questions:
ReplyDeleteEngaging Middle Years Students: Literacy Projects That Matter
1) How could you use community resources to provide meaningful projects that are relevent to all students and teach the neccessary skills?
2)How does the challenges students face effect their academic performance at school?
3)Do you think it neccessary to use the "multiliteracies" the article mentions to plan meaningful projects to get students involved in thier learning and provide for their achievement? Why or why not?
Q1 I am late. thought the deadline was monday by midnight, sorry. I personally like the idea of having a reading coach i can collaborate with. I can do my own research for my class, but it is nice to have someone with more knowledge to bounce things off of.However, i am not sure that all teachers are self motivated and may need a more direct approach from a RC. Some may need a plan laid out by an RC. It may also depend on how large your school is as to how effective either idea may be.
ReplyDeleteQ2 I think that an RC needs as much education in their field as possible. The more the better. As i said before, i can research ideas and questions myself but it is nice to be able to run ideas by soemone who has MORE knowledge on the subject than i do. If i have to ask for help then i have exhausted all of my resources and i am looking for answers and not dead end answers. I think a masters is a minimal requirement in this area.
T. Marie: I agree with the RC having having college courses under their belt. I also think that years of experience play a key role as well. Seeing a person who is dedicated and self-motivated to improving their knowledge and skills almost means as much as college credits, when it comes to soemone who is competent and trustworthy.
ReplyDeleteJaime: I here that. I have had a few classes through nsu but feel that I have just begun to scratch the surface. Great starter classes but an RC needs classes that are more in depth and research based. This subject is extremely important to our students and needs to be taken seriously. Extensive education and training is going to help make a difference.
ReplyDeleteAlex Guss: Definately. College is good but nothing can replace on the job training. Expereience in this area is crucial and self-development simply tells me that this person is motivated toward the success of students.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1: Collaborative coaching would be best because the Reading Coach would be able to give the classroom teacher some insight on helping the students. The Reading Coach would also collarborate with the principles and other administrators to learn the history of the students achievement in the building.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I believe that a Reading Coach should have a Masters in Reading, be an excellent reading teacher, have a lot of knowledge of reading research, and at least two years of teaching in the classroom.
I agree with Melissa Brown that a Reading Coach provides examples, models and helps the classroom teachers in their school building. A Reading Coach helps the classroom teacher to think the way he or she teaches their students to read.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Melissa Hinson that a literacy coach is at the school to guide and help the educators implement consistency throughout the school. I also agree that the Reading Coach needs to be familiar with the the curriculum that the school is using to teach reading in the classrooms.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Cosborn in that learning styles play a factor in our approach to teaching. Not everybody has the same learning style and if you do not use every learning style then some students may fall behind in reading.
ReplyDeleteKristine must have teaching in her blood. Ten years experience is wonderful. With "experience" being cut because of the economy... (You know less pay for less experience.)I would really dislike it to affect the children's reading performance. Sometimes you do pay for what you get. Literacy coaches may be in place in the future or some type of encouraged quantifiable professional development. I love the peer tutoring however teachers of first grade students would say “we can’t come to your class to listen to stories because we have so much work to do before testing.” Or teachers of fifth grade tests would use the same excuse. Once in awhile my class could take a skit or memorized poem to break the monotony of their day and improve our self-esteem along w/ many language arts skills.
ReplyDeleteLiteracy coaches will have to tread lightly. However if they are made welcome or suggested they are needed by Administration it will become something others adjust to with or without reservation.
Oops, I meant to say the fifth grade students had to study for tests.
ReplyDeletePeer tutoring. Rasinski suggested that the older students tape or record stories for the younger students to listen to for improving phonemic awareness like "word attack" and "word identification". Also you just might save money on book orders.
Way to go Chris Osborn: Yes, gently guiding the other teacher or teachers, especially at HS or MS is one way to urge. I am not saying that I know the correct way. Taking a class from Jo Myers this Summer showed me many sensory awareness issues that I should be incorporating into my teaching. It did get one of the 3 yr old biters to stop biting. Anyway, there are so many individualistic ways to teach each student. We are getting back to larger classrooms and teaching of test taking skills that we fail to encompass all that must be taught or suggested to be taught for those that are truly in need. Many classmates in this Trends and Issues class have realized that in their comments. Having kids that pass but cannot read is not just a problem at your district. I am sure America is passing many of the students onward. I am passionate about reading. We know that scientific and neurological advancements are being made daily concerning the brain and reading skills. It just blows one’s mind to realize all that is going on and how far behind some school systems are concerning individualized instruction.
ReplyDeleteQ1- I feel that collaborative consultation coaching between teachers, the literacy coach, and students would most beneficial at my school. The teachers can always use the extra support and help when necessary with fresh ideas, and I think that is true for all schools! At my school, in TPS, the students do not have a strong background from home with parental support- especially when it comes to studying and help with their homework. The students would definitely benefit from seeing a specialist for a time period every so often to get that one on one attention, or even in a small group setting for reading and writing.
ReplyDeleteQ2- I definitely feel that a reading coach should have both a Master's Degree in Reading, as well as experience in the field of teaching. I also feel that a reading coach needs experience with a variety of ages/grade levels, since a reading coach does work with all grades. In order to coach other teachers, a reading coach really needs to have a deep understanding of the subject field of literacy in order for him or her to be considered a reliable and credential source of help.
I like the idea of students recording their own voices reading a text. That way, they can catch their own mistakes and truly hear how they sound reading. Also, it is good for students to hear each other reading, to hear what fluency sounds like. I would have students wear ear phones while listening to themselves and other students reading, to block out any other noises, so they could truly hear well.
ReplyDeleteI agree Richard- I am very independent in planning for my own class, but I would like to have a reading coach to give me some more insight and advice on what I have planned, to help make my plans even that much more meaningful for the students. It does help teachers to stay motivated when there is someone else who is giving your ideas and checking up on progress.
ReplyDeleteDonna Hall- I agree that peer coaching could be too time consuming, and in my school, collaborative consultation would work better in my school as well. Also, I agree with you about the credentials of a reading coach- one needs to have experience in a real classroom to apply that experience.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Kathy Crosby about taking into consideration the different learning styles. I know that with my ELL students, I use a lot of hands on activities and use actual objects instead of pictures to learn a lot of vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteAshley, as an Ell pull out teacher, I would love to be more involved with the planning process for my ELLs.Too often, teachers do not consult with me about accomodations for the Ell student. Also, I could give the teachers some good strategies to use for instuction for Ell learners. I appreciate your willingness to include me when you have one of my Ell students in your class. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex about the prospect of feeling nervous or anxious that someone is watching you. I think that when a literacy coach is used, it is important to build trust between the coach and the staff. At Addams, the coach taught lessons in the classrooms for several weeks before she observed.She made it clear that she was only there to give feedback...not to evaluate or judge.There were some teachers who were nervous, but now it seems to be going smoothly.
ReplyDeleteHi! I am Sue Ann Mayberry I am trying to send you my response to the questions.Q1 – I live in a rural area, so a collaborative coach would and does work best in our school. Classroom teachers can monitor and determine where some of the students’ weaknesses are through classroom materials that are worked on during class. The reading specialist brings the tools that help the teacher come up with materials that help the students become successful readers. I believe that coaches, teachers, and students should work together to improve each struggling student’s reading ability to grow to their full potential.
ReplyDeleteQ2- I feel that my undergrad classes did not give me the tools, such as enough independent reading time with struggling readers, to qualify me to help the students meet their grade level goals. That is why I feel that a reading coach should have a Master’s degree in Reading. I look forward to learning new information that will help students become grade level, motivated, and lifelong readers.
I am responding to the two questions.
ReplyDeleteI believe Collaborative Consultation would work best in my school. I would love for a consultant to come in to my room and observe my teaching then consult afterwards and even model a lesson for me.
I do believe a consultant should have a masters degree in reading or at LEAST have some kind of intense training.
Ok! I changed my display name! I figured that no one would know who I was! Sorry everyone!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex. The reading coach needs to be very familiar with the reading curriculum-more so than the classroom teacher. But I also think it is very important to use the curriculum as a tool. They need to be aware that there are a lot of materials and ideas out there that can assist not only the districts adopted reading series. I believe the reading coach should be required to keep in the reading loop by attending workshops and seminars to learn the latest on reading techniques with not only below level readers but readers who need to be challenged.
ReplyDeleteZ Handley, I agree that undergrad did not prepare me to teach the struggling readers! I would have loved to have had a reading coach there with me my first year of teaching. Now that I look back I feel sorry for those little first graders.
ReplyDeleteKristine Vivar, I use my ELL teacher to bounce ideas off all the time. I do have a few ELL students but I feel a lot of the ideas she gives me also helps me with my low performing students. The specialists are there to help the students but I believe most of them are more than willing to be a resource for the teachers also.
ReplyDeleteQ1. I believe that peer coaching and having a full time staff working with adults would work best with my school. We have many students that are on the Reading Sufficiency list and I feel that all of our teachers could benefit from a reading specialist teaching us strategies and then by our staff collaborating and doing the peer coaching. Having techniques modeled could help teachers to be able to implement those techniques better!
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Q1: The collaborative consultation would definitely be better for my school setting. What is ironic about this is that we have a full time staff member who is an instructional coach and she only works with the adults. This is her first year and I really didn't understand her job very well until I read this chapter. She sets up and facilitates professional development opportunities. I appreciate all she does but wish it was more of the collaborative consultation that is described in the book.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Q2: I think it would be beneficial for the reading coach to have their reading degree. I think having their master's degree in Reading makes them a more credible and reliable source. I also believe this person should have classroom experience to fully understand things from a teacher's perspective.
Q2. I think a reading coach should have both a reading degree and experience in teaching reading. You can have a piece of paper that says you are qualified to teach reading but it is a whole different world when you actually start working with the many different levels, personalities, backgrounds,ect.. of students. Nothing prepares you more than hands on! Testing out different stategies on different students is the only way to see what is going to work for each individual student! So having the book knowledge will help you to choose what techniques to try. Having the experience in the classroom will help you to know what will work best for your students!
ReplyDeleteAwesome responses to the posed questions and comments from your peers! I think the blog is working well for us! What do you think? Tell me how you really feel about the blog.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I have a better sense of my class mates and our expectations in regard to posts and dialogue. This was helpful for me to process the reading and concepts about reading instruction.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Cosborn....
ReplyDeleteIn regard to pulling kids for help ~
your comment reminded me of a frustration when getting help with struggling students. It has been a building expectation that specialist must stay in the room and do small group instruction for struggling students as we meet with our regular reading groups. I'm all about getting the help I need but am I crazy or being rude and stubborn when I really want them to remove them from my room?
Anayai,
ReplyDeleteI like the blog but honestly blackboard will organize and keep the responses in better order. When you respond to someone's comment it will stay with that group. I'm a team player and will do whatever you wish. Just keep in mind ~ how are you organizing who responded to what and how many times.
In response to Winnal....
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned it was your rc's first year. You might ask if she would demonstrate some of the pd she has set up for you. Ask her to show you "how to" implement a strategy that you really want to implement. You might be surprised that by her being asked or invited she could be more inclined to help. If she is not very assertive in that way, and invitation could help you get more out of the resource! Just a thought!!!
Is my blog account working?
ReplyDeleteLast night I was trying to work on my two questions. Blog said it was down. Z Handley let me use her account to post my two answers on time. Thanks for good friends in a class. I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.
ReplyDeleteKristine - I would also love to have a coach come in and teach/model, before she observed me, or offered suggestions. I would want to build a comfortable camaraderie with them, and be able to brainstorm great ideas.
ReplyDelete1. How does a teacher determine the growth of a struggling student's or students' reading ability given the limited time he/she is allowed to spend with the student?
ReplyDelete2. Three models that a coach provides are small-group instruction, seatwork, and center time. As a teacher, how would you use one of these models in your classroom?
3. How helpful do you feel that coaches and teachers working together is for the success of the struggling student?
In response to Jaime's answer to Q2. I agree! I feel that an educator would benefit and get more tools to use from someone with a masters in reading. Not to say that a person with a bachelors could not teach reading because that's what we all do everyday! But the courses that are part of the readng degree give you the tools to help those struggling readers effectively!
ReplyDeleteIn response to Kim:
ReplyDeleteThe problem I have is that when I want to pull the students out of the classroom the reg. ed. teacher feels they should stay in the class to receive the instruction. Yes, I feel that students should be pulled out of the class to receive more direct instruction by the specialist, but I think that more and more are fustrated with the amount of interuptions, and not enough instruction time.
2nd thought - what happens to the issue of self esteem. We want to encourage these students not discourage them, would it not be better to remove until we see a defiant change in the skill we are trying to improve on. Also, when I am in the reg. classroom, I not only help the students I am in there for, but I end up helping other students as well. Which is good, but again takes away time for students I am in there for.
In response to Cosborn ~
ReplyDeleteGood points, I could see how they might be labeled, I just find it really distracting to have a 2 sometimes 4 specialist in my room...(dont get me wrong...not complaining about the help) Kindergarteners just have rubber necks and really want to know what is going on all around the room. I see your point...and it is well taken!
Hattie Rose: I agree with you. A RC should have experience in the classroom if she is going to be able to advise a teacher on what to do and not come across as critical or judgmental or. She needs credibility. What about someone who wants to be a RC or reading specialist but hasn't been a classroom teacher (does not have a teaching degree)? Are there other ways, (substitute teaching, tutoring, volunteering in schools) in you opinion, for someone to gain that experience in addition to earning a Masters degree?
ReplyDeleteWinnal: Yes, it seems like the role of a RC could be fuzzy if not implicitly explained to those she/he is meant to help. I would think that if the school does not have an additional Reading Specialist position, the RC would be most helpful taking the collaborative consultation approach.
ReplyDeleteKathy Crosby: Yes, a RC can offer a new perspective, fresh ideas, and encouragement - what a great resource.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Beth Sparks, In my opinion I feel that substitute teaching or volunteering in schools may give the person an idea about being in a classroom but I think that they would need some sort of student teaching whereas they would be in a classroom setting for at least 4 months! That way they would be able to collaborate with the teacher and know what the teacher is talking about from experience and not just from "the book". There are so many factors that come into play when it comes to helping a student that is struggling in reading. Knowing how to deal with students through classroom experiences will have a great effect on how the students will fair with the extra help they will need.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Kim: You are exactly right! I didn't think about that, but she is a little reserved/shy and may just need an invitation into my room. She probably doesn't want to step on any toes. She is extremely sweet and has been very helpful with sending us useful websites, etc. Thanks for you thoughts!
ReplyDeleteResponse to Beth: We actually have 3 reading specialists in our school plus the reading/instructional coach. I think that is why I was so confused at first on what her job was supposed to be. So far, she only handles professional development. She came in and watched my class for me so that I could go to another school and observe a writing lesson. I thought this was great!
ReplyDeleteResponse to Kim in response to Cosburn (this could get a little confusing :)
ReplyDeleteThose are some excellent points! As a 4th grade teacher, I really appreciate the reading specialists who pull my students out for extra help. My school discourages pull out and really wants the students to stay in the classroom with the reading specialist. However, our rooms are SOOOO small that we can barely move around and the noise level gets to a point that it is hard to concentrate when you have several groups going at once. It will be nice when the construction is complete and we have the room capacity to hold several reading specialists and groups in the same room. My worry is I never want my students to feel bad about themselves as readers (knowing they are the ones being pulled out). I do not see any signs of this right now but I am always concerned about it.
In response to Anita Winn, It is great to have an RC facilitating professional development but the chapter brought out how so many teachers do not get the follow up training that they need to implement effectively what they have learned. Do you find this to be a problem at your school and what do you feel would help this situation?
ReplyDeleteFollow-up training is a problem at my school, as well. However, helping the situation is very complicated. After meeting the yearly professional development requirements the State requires and meeting the District's individual areas needing to be addressed, there is very little time left for additional professional development. Being involved in yearly planning, it is a struggle to meet the demands. I have thought a lot about this since this week's readings, and a solution to this is not easy.
ReplyDeleteAlex Guss said... LSteel...How would a RC coach work at a middle school? That seems to be a daunting task.
ReplyDeleteI agree it would be a daunting task. I’m not quite sure what it would look like or where one would start.
I agree with most all of the qualification responses made above, and I also agree that the person would have to have the respect of the building teachers if he/she wished to accomplish anything.
Anayai - I would like more information on joining IRA, The journals you mentioned would be a great help for me, I struggle incorporating novel studies into my already jammed packed curriculum!
In response to Cosborn's 1/24 post, the focus of the full-time reaching coach at the middle school and high school in my district is to provide training to classroom teachers of all disciplines in various reading strategies to benefit students. By focusing on increasing teachers' skills, the rationale is it will, in turn, be able to reach more students on a daily basis than a pull-out program.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Laura Steele's interest in the IRA .... Laura, the Southwest Regional Conference of the IRA will be held on Feb. 5-6 in OKC. I have gone to the state conference for the past few years, and it has always been filled with tremendous amounts of information. If interested, google it. I've always found it beneficial.
ReplyDeleteIn response to reading the article provided, my three open-ended questions are:
ReplyDelete1) Can this multiliteracies framework be accomplished using the current textbook-centered classrooms?
2) Knowing that students are more productive learners when actively engaged, why hasn't the curricula moved to require this type of learning?
3) How can education move away from the more structured, black-and-white teaching/learning environment to the more open-ended style of instruction multiliteracies offers?
"Engaging Middle Years Students: Literacy Projects That Matter"
ReplyDeleteQ1: The article had great ideas for engaging students during the literacy project, but what happens when it is over? Is it back to spelling, grammar, and sentence structure?
Q2: How can a teacher engage and include an ELL student in the project?
Q3: What are some ways a teacher could help motivate students to reach their goals throughout their literacy project?
ZH says- Hi- I let Sue Ann use my blog so one response to me should have been to her. No problema.
ReplyDeleteI do love the blog and I hope that our Professor Anayai Cooper is able to show it to teaching professionals. The only difficult part is the scrolling really far down. Also some have had a hard time with making blogs.
The open ended questions from the wonderfully in-depth article on engaging Middle Years students with Literacy Projects that Matter are below:
1. How would you as a teacher of Middle Years students use the multiliteracies designs of meaning in your class? How could all of these different designs be persuaded from the students?
2. How will the flexible sequencing be arranged in your classroom so that the adolescents will stay on task and use time and planning with reading goals to their advantage?
3. How could an active project use a variety of Strategies like problem solving, skits, and scenes of everyday life which relate to content knowledge?
Anita Winn- You have a good point about classroom space. What was going on when today's classrooms were designed? Noise and other involuntary distractions could have an effect on us all. I wish you had a classroom as big as the one that I taught in a while ago.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Beth's Q1
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I would take the children around the community to different outings. I would have them write in a journal about the different things they were learning. I would also have them write any questions they had while on the trip. The journal would be a helpful tool to build knowledge about the community, as well as building vocabulary and spelling skills.
Questions for the Article, Engaging Middle Years Students: Literacy Projects That Matter.
ReplyDeleteQ1. I believe in community based,cross curricular, projects. As a teacher how do you feel about community based projects?
Q2. From the article students are solving problems and addressing issues that relate to obesity. Should these students be consered about obesity and why?
Q3. This article also talks about teacher "silence" Do you feel that teachers should keep silent and let students come up with their own solutions to fix problems?
Beth's Q3 mentions literacy projects and Z Hanley Q3 talks about skits. During my Internship, I let the students put on a skit. The children read a story in their literature book, picked a character, and acted out the story. The students loved it. They were excited every time it was my turn to have a lesson. The students wanted to put on another skit. I learned through this activity that students can learn to read if given the opportunity to make it meaning to them.
ReplyDeleteOne way I had students stay on task while reading was that I would ask them, "What does that paragh mean to you. As students discussed what was being read they understood the story better. They also said they actually learned something that day. Which made me excited.
ReplyDeleteWell, I had in my notes to e-mail the "two" open-ended questions. Not sure where I got that :) I guess I will post my questions instead. Engaging Middle Years Students:
ReplyDeleteQ1: The three-step planning model seems complicated and time-consuming. How does it work in an environment where we are so overwhelmed with testing?
Q2: What does the research say about multiliteracies designs of meaning?
Anayai asked if we liked the blog? I myself love the blog, there is alot of scrolling to be done though. Really looking forward to not only learning the material in the class, but with the expertise in our classroom, I feel that I will be learning from each of you, too.
ReplyDeleteReplying to Sue Mayberry ... for me, the objective was to help kids develop problem solving skills and provide hands-on, engaged learning. This reminds me of a quote I heard at a Great Expectations seminar .... "Don't be a sage on the stage, but a guide on the side." When it's time to go home and students say, "Already," I know they have been engaged. On the flip side, when they ask how long until it's time to go home, I need to rethink what I have done ... lol
ReplyDeleteI think the blog is a good idea, yet Blackboard would be more organized, rather than having to scroll all the way down this each time to respond and read comments. This is a good way to communicate, though.
ReplyDeleteResponses to Ch. 1 Presentation:
ReplyDeleteQ1 and Q2 (combined)-
When I am teaching reading in my classroom, I do not spend much time on teaching phonics (I teach 5th grade), yet I do teach many strategies to help the students when they come to words they do not know. I teach chunking out the word to see if there is a word you know within the word, prefix and suffix meanings, reading sentences around the unknown word, including re-reading the sentence to look for context clues, look at the pictures (if any) and/or any graphic sources available, and making connections with what you already know about word parts, etc. These strategies usually help the students, and of course, if they still need understanding with an unknown word, they can look it up in the glossary/dictionary, and put the definition in their own words. This is how I help all students, including my struggling readers. I do go back to the traditional way of telling the students to sound out the word, as needed, as well.
In my opinion, a positive to systematic and analytic approaches to phonics is that the students do need to be reading words correctly and with fluency, which teaching phonics does strengthen, and allow students to feel more confident while reading aloud.
A negative to these approaches, is that in some cases, it does cause students to focus so much on reading the words correctly, especially when reading aloud in front of the class, preventing them from being able to comprehend what they are reading. Sometimes, the students have difficulty doing a re-tell, or answering comprehension questions after reading because they were so focused on reading fluently and getting the words right, rather than thinking about what they were reading during reading.
I feel that the way I am teaching reading, in the sense of comprehension and phonics, I teach it effectively how I am by teaching so many different effective strategies that students actually do use in my classroom. Though, I could always spend more time with struggling readers, and working more one on one with those students. I would ask them specifically what strategy they are using when they come to a difficult word to decode, while reading in a small group, or just reading to me alone. I would have them analyze and evaluate the strategy's effectiveness, and if needed, teach them another strategy that might work better for the individual student. I would check periodically to ensure they are using the strategies that work for them.
Question #1
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom I have used phonics. As a third grade to fifth grade teacher I have not taught phonics with a systemic approach. I have used the more "sporadic" approaches and taught larger chuncks or word parts and had success with it. However,I do not see one way as being all that philosophically seperate from the other.
I also do not see how identifying weeknesses is profitable. Ofcourse, one way of instruction is only one way. Reading is a complex process. However, learners themselves are equally complex. Reading instruction, phonics and whole language, systemic phonics and analytical phonics. They are strategies that have uses, but do not represent the entirety of the reading process. The major weakness for each style is that we look at each as an island and not for what each covers in the multi-faceted process we call reading. I would prefer to avoid use of systematic phonics. I do think it can blur the purposes of reading and discourage curiosity as a focuss of study. However, it does result in effective decoding and can be usefull for some students.
Question #2
With stuggling readers in my classes I have used lower level reading material, decoding strategies involving phonics at various levels to address decoding problems. There are some process failures that these methods do not help with, ie. dislexia, hyperactivity, attention deficit and so on. Often, the thing that has worked best with my classes has been to seek out interests of the students. We find things to read about. We require simple decoding for simple communcation. I may require writen requests for materials, instruction, special requests. Then I respond in kind. Interest and neccessity can be very usefull for motivating the desire to read. Often, not always, this can rerout dead ends.
Looks like I should do this on word first and transfer the material. Sorry for the spelling above. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteResponding to Donna about Great Expectations Seminars, I too remember hearing the quote about "Don't be a sage on stage ,but a guide on the side",we have been fortunate at our school and have been offered classes through Great Expectations, which is a program at NSU.This has been used as professional development hours,at our District. We are considered a Great Expectation school.
ReplyDeleteResponses to Ch.1 Presentation
Q1
Phonic instruction is used in my classroom and the whole word approach.Phonic lessons are presented on Monday by myself along with RC tutor that goes over the phonic lesson for that week,she stays in my room for about 20 minutes.And then the RC comes 3 more days and pulls out 5 kids to work with on the concept.
Systematic approaches to teaching reading is effective with some students but the analytic approach seems to help all my students this particular year. I really have not tried to focus on the negative aspects of either approach.
Q2Approaching problems with struggling readers?
Using sight word flashcards made from the Dolch words are big in my room. This forms alot of word recognition with the students. Educating the students with letter sounds and spelling patterns seems to help with the students who do not have a very big sight vocabulary. I have found that the students reading low level AR books from the library are not exposed to words in print that are complex , so using the sight word flashcards has helped in my room. However the Robust Vocabulary that goes along with our Storytown books are very useful in helping the students see a word that they may have heard and are not able to recognize it in print.
The age group that I work with is 7 and 8 year olds, so I am looking forward to hearing about the approaches with the older students. One thing that I do differently with the struggling readers also is to teach them about chunking a word.
Responding to Alex Guss... I like the way "interests" is incorporated in the reading approach process of your classroom. I can see how this probably cuts down on boredom.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Ashley Jackson...the approaches in your classroom seem like they would be effective because you are focusing on ALL learning styles with reading and meeting the needs of each individual student, by offering different resource material, to effectively educate the students in your room.
ReplyDeletequestion 1
ReplyDeleteSince I teach first grade I teach phonics very frequently. I teach phonics whole group and in my small group reading. I tested my kids at the beginning of the year to see what needed to be focused on. Within my small groups, I focus on the skill they need to them help with. We learn little stories to go with each skill to help them remember when they are reading or writing. I also teach reading strategies. Each student has a reading strategy card in their "baggie book". This helps remind the students but it also helps the parents know you don't only sound out.
question 2
I am not too comfortable giving suggestions for the older students but I am sure they could use the strategy card also. As an adult I use these strategies every time I read but don't realize it. The students need to be taught these strategies and also be able to verbalize what they are using.
commenting on Ashley
ReplyDeleteI teach first grade but I still use some of the same strategies as you do. I am sure I focus more on phonics than you but finding chunks and rereading works well with a lot of my readers. The strategies are the same with the little ones and bigger kids.
commenting on Melissa,
ReplyDeleteFlash cards are also really big in my room. I made flash cards on a ring for each of my students. I made each set a different color. Example: preprimer-yellow, primer-orange etc.. This was done for my own organization. The students read the cards to me and I place a check mark on the card. Once they have three check marks I take the card off the ring. Once they have 7 cards left I place the next set of flashcards on the ring. These flashcards are in their baggie book so they are expected to read the flashcards every night along with their book to their parents.
reponding to melissa and alex
ReplyDeletedoing an interest survey would be great for incouraging reading-I definitely think if they are interested in the book they are more likely work harder to read it.
There are many aspects to reading. Phonics is a one stop solution to decoding words. It can be taught at just about any age. In my school where ELL (english laguage learner) is a major focus one sees how well phonics can work and how complex this web is. I have had students that could read fluently in just about any text you could provide them, yet their comprehension might actually be nill, nothing at all. This is due to a lack of vocabulary and context, such as sayings or expessions. I could sit down and read spanish text right now and sound somewhat convincing. However, I would not know more that a word or two at best. I wouldn't call this a negative for phonics, it is just something to know when dealing with Emergent and Decoding readers. There can be an illusion. One could appear fluent with strong phonics skills, but not actually be "reading" in the ultimate sense.
ReplyDeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteInterest inventories could be great. However, in terms of finding reading materials for students who are not motivated to read for information I have found that finding characters that the student can identify with and relate to is very helpfull. Sometimes it seems that going outside of ones comfort zone, or interests, is also helpfull.
Great comments on the section guys! I want to thank all of you for your patience and for using this alternative responding method until I get through the red tape with NSU concerning Blackboard. You guys are a great group of students to begin my college teaching with! Believe it or not, you guys are teaching me as well!
ReplyDeleteResponding to Alex Guss, I completely agree with using students' interests as a motivation for reading! I think that is a simple, yet very effective way for students to get hooked and to stay interested in reading, and it works with all ages and grades!
ReplyDeleteResponding to Jennifer Baker, I am really glad to hear that younger students are receiving some of the same reading strategies that I am using with 5th graders. As a result of that early education and exposure to such strategies, the students will more likely truly understand the concepts of the strategies, and will hopefully be using them naturally on their own by the time they make it to the older grades, like 5th! I always like to hear that the younger grades are already using these strategies that are commonly viewed as being only used by the older kids.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much Melissa! I always try to reach all learners by incorporating activities that will appeal to all learning styles..doesn't always work out the way I plan, but I do consider these things when I lesson plan and while I am teaching everyday. I think that to be effective in reading, and in any and all subject areas, a teacher needs to do everything he or she can to teach to all different learning styles, when possible. It's so important to make every child feel successful, and in my opinion, when a teacher teaches many different strategies to students, then this outcome of success is possible and likely for each student. I think one of the worst things in reading (or any subject), is for a student to get discouraged, to not feel like success is attainable, and to give up.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about finding a students interest, which is not always easy, is that once they want to read the phonics, punctuation, comprehnesion, and general reading curriculum becomes something that is a means to an end and all that old stuff becomes electric.
ReplyDeleteBut again, I am dealing with third and up. Working at lower levels in public schools means letter lessons and more phonics and that is a reality. I have no idea how I would teach first grade with an interest tilt.
ReplyDeleteQ1. I teach Pre-Kindergarten and I have also taught Kindergarten. In my class I use systematic phonics. I teach letter recognition and sound recognition. I have several ELL students in my class and this approach seems to benefit them well. But depending on the student there are some positive and negatives about systematic and analytic approaches. If a student is not grasping the systematic approach they may need to have the analytic approach implemented. As I increase the level of phonics I use the analytic approach. Both approaches depend on the needs of your students.
ReplyDeleteQ2. For those students that have problems with decoding I use the analytic approach. For some older students you may need to go back to the basics to build that strong foundation in phonics. I may pull a few that are struggling and review the basic sounds and then practice segmenting and blending. If the student continues to experience problems then I will use the analytic approach by using words that they are familiar with and build on those words.
By the way - Slide one of the presentation was very clever! I thought something was wrong with my computer or you couldn't spell until I read it and was able to understand it! Very clever!! LOL!
Q-1: My current classroom consists of infants to pre-k students, therefore phonics, as we reference here, are not a part of my daily curriculum. However, I do use phonics with my 1st and 3rd grade students during my tutoring sessions.
ReplyDeleteOn the positive side, both approaches require the child to have the ability to hear and distinguish sounds in the spoken words. Both contribute to increase the child’s phonological development. However, with the analytic phonics, there is an assumption that all children have the phonemic awareness skills needed to compare the sounds within various words. Unfortunately, usually only the good readers have mastered this skill. This could be viewed as a negative aspect of the analytic approach.
There are positives and negatives to both approaches; however, the best approach may be careful combination of both (part whole language and part phonics) to take into account each student’s learning style, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Phonics does improve reading for the struggling readers but should be included in the context of a total balanced comprehensive reading program.
Q-2: Decoding is a vital element in the stages of reading development where letters and groups of letters represent the sounds of spoken words. The use of decoding strategies with the struggling readers should include teaching the sounds of language. If the student is skipping words while reading or “sounding-out” words incorrectly, there are strategies that can help the student. The Dolch vocabulary word lists can be used to build sight words for both young and the older students. If an older student is struggling, a decoding strategy called “chunking” can be useful. Buddy reading, reading in small groups, repeated reading, strategies for self-monitoring and self correcting are effective methods. There is, however, no “cure-all” solution but programs that incorporate phonics, reading for meaning, and tutoring can serve as effective interventions.
In response to Jennifer Baker - I agree with the use of flash cards. This is how I learned as a kid. When I taught Kindergarten I used flash cards for their letter recognition. But they also had to say the sound in order to get a check. This worked with most of my students but for those students that didn't have the parental support, did not do as well. Those students I had to work more with during class and pull them often.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Marie T and HattieRose T. Phonics flash cards were used during my first grade internship. The children would read the cards everyday. The cards did help the students learn the sounds of each letter.
ReplyDeleteIn reading groups flash cards were also used. Before each book was read flash cards that had sight words on them was asked around the circle of students. After the flash cards were read, The students would run around the room signing,Skip to the Lu My Darline. Then the students would sit down and we would read the story. The students loved reading time.
ReplyDeleteIn response to sue ann mayberry on 1/28...
ReplyDeleteI to am a believer in journaling, the idea of going on field trips and returning to the classroom and journaling the information from the trip would seem effective. Thanks for sharing that great idea:)
Question 1: When I was teaching 5th grade reading I would teach the students to read for meaning. I would use strategies that would help them to understand what they were reading. I would also teach my students to self-monitor and self-correct what they were reading. I believe that these steps are very important in becoming a successful reader. By teaching them to ask themselves open-ended questions they are becoming independent readers and relying on others to help them less.
ReplyDeleteQuestion 2: I agree with Ashley in that a positive to systematic and analytic approaches to phonics is that the students do not need to read the words correctly and fluently, which is strengthened by phonics, but it does allow them to feel confident in reading aloud. A negative approach is that it causes the students to focus on reading the words correctly and it keeps them from understanding what they are reading. Sometimes it causes the students to have difficulty re-telling the story, or answering comprehension questions because they are so very focused on getting the words right and on reading fluently, instead of thinking about what they are reading.
Decoding: I agree with HattieT in that if I had an older student who was struggling with reading then I would go back to basic phonics instruction to build that strong foundation that is needed to help decode words. If they still continue to have trouble the I would use the analytic approach by using words that they are familiar with and build on those words. One way to do that would be to use flash cards, which is what we did in my internship in the first grade.
I think that the blog is a good idea. I am looking forward to learning from everybody in class.
In response to T.Marie, you made some valid points. However, I do think for most children who are struggling readers, phonics is a vital component to add to their repertoire of skills to be used. The teacher MUST determine specific skills that are missing and begin instruction at that point. Without doing this, it's much like asking someone to climb a ladder with several rungs missing. Again, this is simply my perspective.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ashley Jackson, I agree with trying to accommodate all the learning styles when teaching reading! This is so important because all students do not learn the same which is why a teacher may have to use the systematic and the analytic approach to phonics. The class I took last semester was called learning styles and I learned so much on helping students through their learning styles!It really makes a difference. Think about how you learn (auditory,visual,kinesthetic,or tactile). Now imagine learning phonics in a conventional classroom. It makes it very difficult to learn if the way YOU learn is not an option!
ReplyDeleteAs educators we need to try to reach all the learning styles by presenting lessons in all four styles if possible! (Audio, visual, kinesthetic, and tactile).
In response to Alex Guss .... For primary students, they become interested in just about anything put before them ... just their nature. If the teacher is excited about it, students will become excited about it. When students go to the media center to check out books, they are always eager to get independent reading material related to what we are studying in class .. social studies, science, verbs ... no end to it.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your comment about students able to "word call," but not comprehend what they are reading, I seem to recall the text discussing the need for providing many, many strategies for students to use in order to assist them in constructing meaning. In teaching my 2nd graders, I use a variety of phonics instruction. Second graders are ending the 3-years of suggested phonics instruction, so many of my students already have mastered the skills. For the most part, I use the analytical phonetic approach, but with struggling readers, I do small group instruction on the skills that are not mastered.
I appreciate all of the comments .. you guys really make me think about my instruction!
Responding to Jennifer Baker ... I appreciate the idea of putting students' sight words on rings for nightly review. I struggle with a way to do this and manage it effectively. This might just be it. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1
ReplyDeleteWhen I taught pre-k for 17 years, phonics and phonemic awareness activities were apart of what I did on a daily basis.I used songs,books,games, centers, dramatizations and group times centered on letters, letter sounds,rhyming and abc order. We also had a 20 station computer lab with the Waterford early reading program that exposed the students to early reading skills.Each student spent 15 minutes a day on direct instruction on this system. I noticed a huge improvement on the students at the end of the year assessment after we started using this reading program.
Now that I am working with ELL students,grades K-5th, I am using the Waterford system with several of my sudents in 1st and 2nd grade. I hope this will prove to be beneficial for them as well. I have also started using some of the strategies and ideas I learned this year at my Literacy First training.Literacy First has proved to be a great resourse. I really like the assessment tools and the follow up activities to address the area of concern.
Q2: All of my Ell students are struggling readers. I have found that teaching vocabulary, along with phonics, works best with the younger students. The upper grade Ell students are a challege. They MUST have the vocabulary in order to have any comprehension in reading. I am finding this to be very very difficult. The reading level in 4th and 5th grade textbooks is extremely hard for ELL students. I often have the classroom teachers use modified spelling words and vocabulary words, but the reality is, the OCCT tests do not allow these modifications and my Ell students do well on math tests, but do not even come close to passing the reading. I hope to find out some ways to help these students, in the courses that I will be taking in the next 2 years.
In response to Kathy Crosby...
ReplyDeleteI like that you mentioned meaning and someone else mentioned interest. Like you, I believe that teaching them how to self monitor and correct is a gift that you give them.
The hard thing that I have found is how many different needs there are and effectively meeting them. Some kids benefit from a systematic approach and others analytical. It's hard for me to do a one size fits all...blanket program anymore considering the needs.
I was taught to read with a blanket phonics program. I could decode anything but never understood what I read. I would have to read and reread for comprehension. Through my personal experience, I believe there needs to be a balance in a classroom and that kids are taught purpose. By that I mean, the whole purpose of reading is for meaning. Phonics are simply tools to do that with.
In response to Alex Guss- I disagree with what you are saying about phonics. Being that you teach 3rd through 5th you probably do not see what I see in Pre-K and K. Phonics may not be the entire reading process but it is definately the beginning! Emergent readers need that phonological foundation to help them build the vocabulary they need to be able to implement the reading process. At 4 and 5 yrs. old they need to start somewhere. It is all a process and phonics is part of it!
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1:
ReplyDeleteMy approach to phonics in 2nd grade is, again, a mixed approach. For the most part, due to the development of second graders, I use analytical phonics, and much of the lessons are arranged in this manner. For struggling readers or SPED students, I revert to more of an explicit approach. However, this changes based on the complexity of my class.
As to the positives and negatives of each approach, for me, it seems that matching the approach to the individual student needs would be the determining factor in whether there are positives or negatives with the approach. In my opinion, a student who needs more phonemic awareness and letter/sound instruction would benefit from the more small group explicit instruction. For students who have mastered most of the phonetic skills, the analytical approach would be more beneficial. The caveat is that both groups of students are given ample opportunities to apply their skills and are also taught numerous other strategies to become effective readers.
Question 2:
I've taught 2nd grade .. and only 2nd grade ... for 15 years, so I do not have much exposure to teaching older students. For my students, as I have said, I determine what skills are lacking and begin there. At my school, this is done more in a portfolio assessment format that follows the student through third grade. This portfolio assesses phonemic awareness, phonetic skills, sight word recognition, fluency, etc.
During one of my previous classes, I did tutor a 6th Grade student who was reading on a end-of-the-year 2nd grade level. I did tap into his intense interest in science, and I taught him skills for reading expository text, such as previewing the article/book, reviewing headings and captions, and looking at "bold" words, which were the "important" words in the text. Also, assessing background knowledge and activating prior knowledge is a great help for students to begin focusing on what the text/book could be about. By providing additional strategies to assist in the comprehension of text, as well as working on decoding skills, and integrating writing, he became much more willing to "attempt" the readings. Also, providing much needed support, in the way of scaffolding, was very beneficial.
In Response to HatieRose T.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the props on the paragraph!!! It was actually hard to type because the word correction kept spelling it right!
You and Ashley are right on with the learning styles! With so many "sensory defensive" kids, doing hands on and incorporating movement in anything we teach is so important. And can I go as far to say that they never get too old for the Kindergarten stuff...like shaving cream, playdough and paint! I use it with my 3rd graders that I tutor and they love it!
Q1) While both systematic and analytic phonics require that students to hear and distinguish individual sounds analytical phonics makes the assumption that children already have the ability to hear those individual sounds. I use Literacy First in my classrooom. A Literacy First classroom is rich in print, teaches phonics and phonemic awareness.I teach kindergarten so I teach using a lot of phonics and phonemic awarness in my instruction. I assess them at the beginning of the year to see where they need to start and build my instruction based on that assessment. Assessment is ongoing so that I can continue to change my instruction to meet the needs of the class and individual students. I use whole group and small group instruction and use the assessments to guide my instruction. I also use whole group, small group and individual writing and reading activites to see how they are using phonics in their writing and reading.
ReplyDeleteQ2? The chapter stated that phonics instruction is relevant in younger students because the words being decoded are likely in their oral vocabulary but in older students the gap between oral vocabulary and phonics instruction is to great. I believe that phonics is necessary for the first three years of reading instruction and only benificial to older students who are struggling.
Article Questions: Engaging Middle Years Students.
ReplyDelete1. Would it be more effective to use multiliteracies through the core curriculum? This allowing the students and teachers more time for instruction and reflection?
2. On page 198, step 3 Strategies
Students expressing their knowledge, would that not only come back to prior knowledge, or would the students also use information that they have currently obtained from research?
3. Would we not be better off using students interests to promote this technique?
Comments to this article: Are we moving away from learning styles, and moving more towards authentic learning activities?
To me, it seems that alot of time would be spent on this type of teaching, am I missing something. Teachers already have so much to do, and such little time to complete it in.
winnal - I agree with your statement on how these seems time consuming
Reply to HatieRose
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comment about 4 and 5 yr olds needing a foundation of phonological awareness. The one obsticle that I see is that when a child of this age pronounces a word incorrectly people, teachers, spend time overlooking the pronounciation error, instead of taking the time to pronounce it correctly before going on. Not drawing attention to the error as so much just pronouncing the word correctly so that the child hears it correctly.
HattieRose,
ReplyDeleteWhat exactly did you disagree with. I made cases for and against strategic phonics, which I think you are refering to. I stated that I would prefer to avoid such things, but that they do result in the ability to word call. I prefer more of a Whole Language approach if it all possible.
The fact that phonics is notthe entire reading process is more to the point of understanding what reading is, which aquiring meaning form symbols. I have stated that I di not see this as a critisism but simply as a fact.
Donna,
The word call issue that I refered to had more to do with ELL than anything else. However, I have seen educators assume that a student is reading well becausae they can word call fluently. My point is that phonics is rightfully only a piece of the reading process. Furthermore, some readers, even college students get through life without knowing letter sounds. I have meet them and they read faster than me!
The second paragrach of Assessing Reading Fluency on pg. 32 and Confusing Fast with Fluent on pg. 35 discuss in brief the issue of word calling vs. comprehension. These sections of our reading indicate that there is in fact a concern among reading experts and supporters of the use of phonics about defining successful readers.
ReplyDeleteA test called the Dibbles does exactly what is described on page 32. There are statistics in regard to reading speed that set ratios of graduation with grade level reading pace achievement. For instance, it indicates that graduating third grade students should read atleast, atleast 110 words per minute...to fall into the 80% likely to graduate statistic.
However, some school districts use this as a static level of expectation and demand summer school for readers who do not meet this goal. This could fall under the pg. 35 topic of "Confusing Fast with Fluency."
Question #1:
ReplyDeleteI approach phonics in my classroom with a more systematic approach. This is my first year teaching first grade, so I feel more comfortable using the basal as a guide, eventhough I do not teach from the basal....I'm thankful that it's there to help guide me through my first year. It has a lot of phonics instruction that focuses on small simple parts at a time. I also use sight words in my classroom as well. I try to teach using different kinds of reading strategies, because I feel that it better reaches all learners.
Positives on systematic and analytic approaches: Since I am a first grade teacher I do see the positive impact on teaching phonics to first grade students. It does seem like it gives them a faster start in reading with spelling skills, reading comprehension and especially word recognition.
Negatives on systematic and analytic approaches: I see the negative with older students, because they are so focused on decoding the words and seem to loose comprehension more easily than younger students.
Quesiton #2
I think for older students who struggle with reading the more one on one time or small groups with the teacher is best, but teachers don't always get that opportunity in reality. The teacher needs to use different strategies to see what best suits each students needs.
In response to Gayla, Kim, HatieRose,
ReplyDeleteIn response to how a student learns. In theory what, we have read in this chapter as well as the methods we use are great techniques. Unfortunately, what I am seeing at the m.s. and h.s level are students that do not have any type of technique, and for those m.s students, they are usually social promoted. Once they get to the h.s. level they think this will continue, until we, teachers, realize that these students do not have any type of reading skill, comprehension, understanding. Making our job harder in getting in touch with the importance of a "good reader". The students that I tutor are at risk and I have found that as long as I listen to their needs, desires, hobbies, etc., and provide materials that they enjoy I may have a student that I can eventually get to read on a 2nd to 3rd grade level. He never was given the phonics that he needed at the early ages, and once he started school and it was determind he was behind, the skills still did not get introduced. I have been introducing some phonics with him, but at this stage in his life, a sr., I am lucky that he is able to read words, and comprehend what he is reading. I hope this makes sense to you.
Response to Alex Guss .... I think teachers of primary students have a different perspective on phonemic awareness/phonics and the importance they play in beginning reading ability. Likewise, teachers of upper elementary, middle school, and high school also have different perspectives. I think that's what makes this process so thought provoking ... each of us bringing these different perspectives together in one format.
ReplyDeleteMany people talked about the use of flash cards in reading instruction, I am not opposed to this practice. However I must caution you that we don't read words in isloation. Words are meant to be read in context in order to construct meaning. This is the problem I have seem MANY times in early childhood reading instruction. The students can and do read the words on the ring with a great amount of automaticity, but when the words are in context a lot of time either the student is not able to read it or they are unable to comprehend what they read.
ReplyDeleteJust food for thought!!
Q1: I approach phonics instruction synthetically, and then differentiate if needed into a broader analytic form. Some kids seem to need words to be broken into big chunks (cr-ack v. c-r-a-ck). I think the better developed their phonemic awareness is, the easier their path to reading will be, regardless of the method that phonics is taught.
ReplyDeleteQ2: I teach the individual letter sounds, consonant blends and digraphs, vowel digraphs, etc. and encourage them to use those, and the common rules (long -i in kite) when sounding out a word. I teach children with a variety of cultural backgrounds, and we go over vocabulary words regularly in our reading. It was interesting to read about older students vs. younger students regarding comprehension. I think it is very helpful to teach kids about word roots. This strategy can make them more self-regulated learners and it spans across the curriculum.
How do you approach phonics in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteTeaching kindergarten, I feel you should teach phonics systematically and explicitly. I feel that teaching in a systematic phonics program that has good research outcome, is a great starting point for young children. Along with phonics instruction children need phonemic awareness activities, listening to books of all kinds aloud, and practice writing the letters or words on paper. I always had a whole group, then small groups/literacy centers for my reading block. The five essentials of reading were always my main focus phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary.
How do you approach decoding problems with your struggling readers, especially older students?
ReplyDeleteWhen my second graders are struggling in reading and decoding, I go back to the basics, using hands-on centers that teach digraphs, dipthongs, and blends. My goal is to teach them decoding skills, not so they can decode every word, but when they do come across an unfimilar word they will have the ability to decode the word (granted if that word is spelled phonetically correct). Some older students that struggle with decoding, I feel do not have a stong knowledgable background in phonics and phonemic awareness. Depending on the assessments is where you would begin to work with the student, for example if a student that could not decode words struggled in blends and initial sounds, then those literacy skills should be taught again.
I agree with you Beth about teaching systematically then differeniating in an analytic form. Depending on your students and their needs will depend on how you teach literacy skills.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Darece Question 2, I agree that in reality we as teachers don't always have the opportunity to pull a few students aside to work with just them, it would be nice!! Also I feel that using a different strategies for different students is a great example of differentiated instruction and should be a must in every classroom, and not just for reading.
ReplyDeleteGayla, I agree when you said that phonics is necessary the first three years of reading instruction, and with students that are older but struggle. Without these skills, students would be missing very important strategies to read independently.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Anayai .... Flashcards
ReplyDeleteI teach at a Literacy First school. One of the components of the portfolio is sight word recognition in isolation. There are three separate lists, with the last list containing 300 words. How do I approach this list of words, a combined total of 500, if I recall correctly, for those students who are weak in this area? Just wondering and looking for an appropriate strategy for this.
HattieRose T. said...
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alex Guss- I disagree with what you are saying about phonics. Being that you teach 3rd through 5th you probably do not see what I see in Pre-K and K. Phonics may not be the entire reading process but it is definately the beginning! Emergent readers need that phonological foundation to help them build the vocabulary they need to be able to implement the reading process. At 4 and 5 yrs. old they need to start somewhere. It is all a process and phonics is part of it!
HattieRose,
In no way did I ever state that phonics is bad for any reader. I am not certain what you disagree with.
Donna Hall said...
ReplyDeleteResponse to Alex Guss .... I think teachers of primary students have a different perspective on phonemic awareness/phonics and the importance they play in beginning reading ability. Likewise, teachers of upper elementary, middle school, and high school also have different perspectives. I think that's what makes this process so thought provoking ... each of us bringing these different perspectives together in one format.
Donna,
Let's not make this about generalities. I have asked for a disagreement to be clarified. I understand discussion and differing opinions. I value it.
I am not sure what the nature of this comment is Donna. Do you think I should not have asked HattiRose what it was she disagreed with regarding my statements on phonics?
I think I am advocating for discussion here. If I let it go it would be an act of disrespect. I do want to know what HattiRose thinks about the discussion. It just so happens that after reading here comment I was still left not understanding what she had not liked or infered.
If you can site a comment I have made that discourages discourse please do, as it was not my intent. I intend to understand what happens here and I will ask for clarity.
In response to Donna Hall's question about sight flashcards. The teacher at my little girls school sends a paper with ten sight flash cards on them that we are to practice each night. She also sends different books home that are to be read. The teacher also has a wall that see puts the cards on and reviews the list each week.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jamie:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and the 1st chapter in our book that states, "Children should receive phonics instruction for about 3 years and struggling learners will need to continue longer until they can successfully decode" (Robinson& McKenna p.10).
I also agree with Jamie when she states, that she uses basic hands-on centers that teach digraphs, dipthongs, and blends. During my internship these decoding flash cards were gone over every morning for the students to read. After the cards were read the students would do a worksheet that went with the new cards that we introduced for the day.I think they would have enjoyed the hands-on centers.
ReplyDeleteQ.1 What ways could a teacher help a struggling Highschool student learn to read?
ReplyDeleteQ2 The book states that decodable text is used because it expands on the amount of practice that is possible, they are common syllables within other words so it is beneficial to be able to read them quickly and easily. Do you believe that decodable words should be used in a classroom?
ReplyDeleteQ3
ReplyDeleteThe book also states that if a student is struggling with reading in the third grade he/she will continue to be a struggling reader.
As teachers do you see that this statement is true? I do not know.
Q1 How do you approach phonics in your classroom? In your professional opinion what are the positives and negatives of systematic and analytic approaches? At the middle school level, I really don’t approach phonics in my classroom. If a student has problems with a word, I will often time say the word for them instead of having them sound it out. My professional opinion is the approach to teaching phonics is that it needs to be balanced and based on the individual student needs. with 150 students in my classes this is slightly impossible, however if I were to have one class of 30 students, I would be able to individualize what works best for them and build on their individual strengths and weaknesses.
ReplyDelete Q2 How do you approach decoding problems with your struggling readers…especially older students? What can you do differently to help these kids? I don’t approach decoding problems with any of my kids, I don’t have them read aloud inside the classroom, and when they do read aloud in pairs, their partner is there to act as the teacher and guide them through the word as if they were me. We have them sound it out, and or give the word and have them go back and re-read the sentence with the correct pronunciation. It varies depending on what we are reading. Most of the reading is done outside the classroom, so I am dealing with comprehension more than decoding or pronouncing the words.
Ashley - I agree since I am a 5th grade teacher also. Most of the time I am reminding them of the strategies to decode words, only a few times have I encountered a student with no clue as what to do when they come across a word that is difficult.
ReplyDeleteAlex - I agree with vocabulary and comprehension. Several of my students this year are excellent decoders, but are consistently asking me what words mean. We have dictionary look ups, and what do they think it means in context, but at times explaining it to them after the look up is when I see the light-bulb.
sueannemayberry - That statement from the book bothered me too. The struggling 3rd grade reader will more than likely be one forever? Sheesh, what the heck are upper elementary teachers supposed to do? What would make a positive difference in this child's life of literacy?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alex Guss ....
ReplyDeleteMy comment was directed to the fact that primary teachers work with phonemic awareness, phonics, etc. on a daily basis ... part of our daily curriculum. By working with it on a daily basis, a primary teacher's view or perspective on its importance may be different than a teacher in upper grades who do not deal with it as a normal course of instruction. My comment was my viewpoint of why perspectives are different ... nothing more.
Sueanne and Erin,
ReplyDeleteI missed that statement on struggling 3rd grade readers. I would think we would put much more money, research and time into early childhood development than we currently do if this was the case.
1 Feb. 2010
ReplyDeleteIn response to Sue Ann I have heard it said that third grade is the big deciding factor, seventh grade also. This may be taken with a grain of salt Sue Ann because there is usually something to disprove the "struggling reader" syndrome. Many children will need the basics of reading under their belt by third grade. Do not rush them as very young unready pre-K's that are possibly summer birthdays. It has been found that maturity and stress push heavily on a child at around eight. The State testing is ever present and the child is asked to produce. Yes, third graders and even seventh graders have a lot on their plate. However, I would say...never ever, ever give up. Practice, practice and more practice. What a good question, Sue Ann. Smile.
Touché ' Guss
ReplyDeleteHow much does a teacher of three year olds make?
White matter in the brain displays that third graders can and will learn.
Because I teach fourth grade, I do not solely teach systematic phonics. For my struggling readers, I teach missing skills in my small group settings and one-on-one. I believe in the upper elementary grades, a combination of both systematic and analytic, are best. I really like the analytic approach (I know this word, thus, I must know this word e.g. cat, hat, mat). This makes a lot of sense in my opinion. These skills should be taught while reading authentic text and not just in isolation. Some fun word strategies for upper elementary students are rubber band, morphemic analysis, roots, suffixes, prefixes, word families and word relationships. Some motivational strategies that students enjoy are guess the covered word, making words and sniglets.
ReplyDeleteZane,
ReplyDeleteHow true your statement is about 3rd grade being that critical year. I hate the fact that I have heard educators say that "if we don't have students reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade, the chances they will ever be on grade level are slim." I know the research must reflect this, but I feel we have the responsibility as educators to never give up on a student! Bravo to you!!
In response to Jaime: I like your idea of going back to the basics and using hands-on centers. There are some wonderful phonics games that I use with my tutoring students. They love to play them and do not realize they are working :)
ReplyDeleteIn response to LSteele:
ReplyDeleteI love your idea about reading in pairs and having their partner guide them through an unknown word. In my class, we are doing the Daily 5 and one of their choices is Read to Someone. If they come to an unknown word, their partner counts silently to three and then asks them is they want coaching or time? If they say time, they are given more time to figure out the word. If they say coaching, the student pulls out their bookmark I have given them with the following fix-up strategies:
1. Look at the pictures.
2. Try to sound out the word.
3. Look at the beginning letters.
4. Look at the ending letters.
5. Look for a smaller word in the word.
6. Skip the word and read the sentence to the end.
7. Try to guess! What word makes sense? Does your guess look like the word you see?
8. Use the words around it.
9. Go back and re-read. Does it sound right?
10. Put another word in its place.
11. Ask a friend or an adult.
12. Look in the dictionary.
These are on a bookmark at the following website in case anyone wants it:
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/teacher_resources/literacy_pages/fixup_strategies.htm
How do you approach phonics in your class? Also, in your professional opinion what are the positives and negatives of systematic and analytic approaches?
ReplyDeleteIn my second grade class I was required to teach phonics from a workbook. The four second grade teachers got together and decided which workbook may be the most effective before getting the administrators approval. It seems that there are so many more complete ways to teach the phonetical program and you can bet that I tried them. Some second graders had to learn sound letter correspondence when they came to class. Peers worked with them. Others used sounds in spelling words, since parents insisted on twenty words a week. At other times we used word cards, made up stories, (for word blends) and magnetic letters. On rainy days we got out all of the magnetic letters and produced sentences, words, and funny rhymes. This “class work” was the “fun work”. Perhaps I used more of the analytic or word analogy phonics without even knowing that I was using that in teaching vocabulary and word recognition with sounds. I know I used synthetic with individual and group reading. As a teacher I knew that real literature was important.
To do differently, I would love to be super teacher and super organized teacher so that each child may benefit from my form of Grad. Student Differentiated Instruction.
Decoding problems with students vary. What as a teacher could you do differently?
ReplyDelete1. Definitely get to know the student’s strengths. (I usually did that.)
2. Start the morning with Journal writing while rotating around the room to see that each student has come up with an idea and phonetic spelling. (Many times I point out where the student dictionaries are located and a beginning hint. In our class we used the grade level or levels above us for dictionaries.)
3. Do not teach every student on the exact same page. Variance should be according to the individual. Build on the strengths.
4. As I teacher, I should be more “sensory aware”, especially when using decoding strategies. Singing and jumping out words have been proven to be successful ways of learning for many struggling readers. Tactile efficiency will help some learners. Use it with your whole class. Not everyone is auditory or visual as a learner. Stay on task and enable the student to stay on task with resources for the parent and or caregivers, and other teachers as deemed necessary.
Anita: The Daily 5 is great. I bet there are other teacher's using that also. It seems that we all will need strategies so that each moment is really a teachable or learning moment. You are doing fantasmagoric!
ReplyDeleteIn response to Gus about the vocabulary...I am completely at a loss as to how to help my new to the country ELL students learn to read. Can they learn to read without knowing the sounds that our letters make? If they can't read in their own language at 5th grade, how will they learn in english? Di I concentrate mostly on vocabulary? I know you have a lot of ELL in your class. How do you help them? I am open to any suggestions. Right now, I am having 3 of my 5th graders reading Brown Bear to Kinders. to help them with vocab and fluency.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Winnal
ReplyDeleteI like your fix up strategies. I use several of these with my Ell students. Now I have a few more good ideas...thanks!
Asley,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on using the different learning styles in the classroom. I wish you had been my teacher in 5th grade. I had an open classroom and was very distracted by all other activity going on in other areas. I found it very hard to stay on task since we were allowed(encouraged) to work at our own speed and at any place in the open area classroom. However, we were not allowed to work in groups or in centers and it was supposed to be quiet. Very hard for me because I had a lot to say!
I like the use of lieracy stations with could include a listening center, fluency station, paired reading,etc to incorporate all different types of learning styles.
Way to go Ashley. You covered so much with your 5th graders.
ReplyDeleteThe comments about looking at the picture for clues (if there are any), in reading text are so true.
I guess when they get to the higher grades they forget that descriptive view. Younger grades say to pay attention to the words and not always the pictures. How funny! Agreeably dictionaries and glossaries are a must.