EDUC 650 Content Reading and Study Strategies

EDUC 650  Content Reading and Study Strategies

Reflection and Artifact

My artifact for EDUC 650 Content Reading and Study Strategies is a lesson plan that I prepared for my first grade students.  I choose to create a lesson on nonfiction text features because understanding text features will make nonfiction books easier for my students to navigate and will allow them better access to the information inside the book. This lesson focuses on a skill that will help my students for the rest of their lives, not just for this lesson.  This topic also seemed important because with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards the children are reading more nonfiction books than ever.

Nonfiction Text Feature Lesson Plan

To help my students better understand text organization of nonfiction books, I would use a mini-lesson on labels, photographs, and captions.  Throughout the school year, my students have a lot of exposure to fiction and nonfiction texts and have had several conversations about the differences.  By the time I teach this mini lesson, my students would be aware that with fiction text they predict what they think will happen; and with nonfiction, they predict what they expect to learn. To teach this mini lesson, I would use a big book called Clouds.  Before opening up the book, I would have my students look at the cover and predict what they think they will learn.  Then I would tell them that in nonfiction texts there are many helpful features that allow the reader to gain knowledge without reading all of the words.  To learn more about clouds and to check out our predictions, we are going to look through the book.  We are going to look for information that the author has included without reading the whole story.  At this point, I would do a walk-through of the book.  On each page, I would ask what they notice.  When they point out the pictures, I would share the captions and labels with them.  After going through the story, I would have the children check their predictions and share what they learned from the text.  Then, I would ask them how they learned so much without reading all of the words.  At this point, I am expecting that they will point out how the photographs, captions, and labels gave them information.  I would add these three terms along with the students’ definitions to our nonfiction text features chart.  I would also have the students share why knowing about photographs, captions, and labels is important to reading nonfiction text.  Their answers would also be added to our chart.

Once the children have an understanding of photographs, captions, and labels, I would ask them to find a partner who they will work with on a text feature scavenger hunt.  For the scavenger hunt, I would give each pair of students a sticky note with one of the text features written on it.   They are to look through books from out nonfiction bins and find an example of that text feature.  When they find that feature, they are to bring the sticky note and the example to me so I can check it.  If it is correct, they will put the sticky note on the example.  After they find one feature, they will be given a sticky note with a different text feature to find.  They will again find an example, have it checked, and mark it with a sticky note.  They will continue to search until they have found an example of all three text features that we are focusing on.  We will leave the sticky notes in the books for the duration of this unit.  That way, the students will not only get to see examples of the text features when they are searching for them, but they will also be reminded of the features when they choose nonfiction books for independent reading time. 

Professional Growth

            The knowledge that I gained during my content reading and study strategy course helped me gain insights into tools that promote reading comprehension.  The lesson plan that I included as my artifact is one such example.  The lesson incorporated inquiry along with a gradual release model.  The students began by noticing text features in a book.  After noticing a text feature, we talked about it, named it, and discussed why it is important.  Once the children had gained some knowledge about text features, they worked with a partner to complete a scavenger hunt that required them to apply their new knowledge.  Having children participate in an inquiry and in an application of newly-gained information promoted student engagement and student learning.  The lesson also was based on teaching the reader and not just a task because knowledge of text features is a skill that the students continually use.  Using inquiry, application, and real-world connections to promote comprehension were some of the insights that I gained during this course.

            In addition to the nonfiction text feature lesson, I learned other strategies that promote comprehension.  I learned the importance of teaching children how to make connections in their reading. The connection might be between the child and the text, between the text and the world, or between the text and another text.  I also learned the importance of teaching children how to use mental imagery in order to visualize their learning.  From this course I understood the importance of using questioning webs to teach children how to generate questions about their reading, and I saw how the ripple effect strategy can be used to help children synthesize their learning.

Student Growth

            I incorporated the comprehension strategies that I gained during the content reading and study strategy course into my teaching repertoire.  Therefore, those strategies were passed onto my students.  My students became proficient at connecting texts to themselves and the larger world.  My students grew in their vocabulary as readers.  They used terms such as inferring, visualizing, questioning, and connecting.  They also could accurately discuss features found in their books.  They knew about captions, bold print, table of contents, and photographs.  The growth my students made in their reading comprehension will benefit them for years to come because I focused my lessons on teaching the reader and not on a specific assignment.

Connection to Standards

Standard #3:  The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.  By teaching my students a variety of comprehension strategies, I was able to provide approaches that allowed for different learning styles. For the children who are more visual and prefer art, they could use a mental imagery strategy and a visual representation of their learning.  The curious students may choose a questioning web to share their new learning with the class.  The more concrete learners may use a graphic organizer that connects key concepts with details.  By teaching students how to make text-to-self and text-to-world connections, it allows them to create meaning by thinking about their own culture and community.  With so many options, I hope I reached all of my students.

Standard #4:  The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.  When teaching my students comprehension skills, I used a variety of approaches.   I used inquiry so my students would be able to make observations and create their own knowledge.  I frequently used think-alouds to model using a strategy.  The think-alouds were often part of the gradual release approach. After I would model a strategy, I would have the students practice before using it independently. In addition, I encouraged students to work with others and share their thinking.

Standard #7:   The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.  When planning to teach comprehension strategies to my students, I focused on several areas.  First, I thought about my students’ needs and the comprehension strategies that have been proven to work.  I also considered the Common Core and my district’s reading goals.  In addition, I made sure that my lesson’s focus was on teaching the strategy so that it could be used in more than one context.  By being thoughtful and explicit about what I taught, I was able to provide my students with a toolkit of strategies that will benefit them long after they leave my classroom.

EDUC 681 Emergent Literacy PK-3

EDUC 681  Emergent Literacy PK-3

Reflection and Artifact

My artifact for EDUC 640 Emergent Literacy PK-3 is a running record along with my analysis of the student’s strengths and weaknesses. The recording, scoring, and analyzing of the running record demonstrates the knowledge that I gained about early literacy and how children learn to read.  This is knowledge that will be used for the rest of my career as I best tailor lessons to meet student needs.

Running Record Analysis

The student read Stuck in the ditch (L. 9) with 91% accuracy and a self-correction rate of 1:10.  This child is mainly using meaning and structural cues to decode unknown words.  He self-corrected one time when the story did not match the picture.  This shows that he is beginning to monitor for meaning by cross-checking the story with the picture cues.  He is also willing to try at difficulty.  When he got to the word stayed, he made a couple of attempts before appealing to the teacher.   The child seems to have a grasp on many sight words but could still use reinforcement of others (can and walk).  The child’s biggest weakness is suffixes.  He read shouts for shouted, looks for looked, and Dig for Digger. 

Based on the analysis of the running record, I set a couple of goals for this child.  First, he would benefit from reviewing word wall words in order to increase his rate of recall and accuracy. He also needs to work on strategies for reading through words all the way to the end.  In conjunction with reading through words, he should focus on rereading sentences when they don’t sound right or look right.  Practicing these strategies will help this child use visual cues along with meaning and structure.

Professional Growth

            During my emergent literacy course, I learned the importance of using a running record in order to get a close look at a student’s reading behavior. The running record allowed me to notice what a child could do.  It showed if a child had a pattern of strengths or weaknesses.  It also allowed me to analyze what a child does at difficulty and showed if he was monitoring his own reading.  By analyzing the data provided on the running record, I was able to set specific goals for each student in order to meet his specific needs. 

            There were many goals that I set based on the data from running records.  For some children, the running record showed that they were independent at that reading level and were ready for instruction at a more difficult level.  For others, the running records showed that fluency was an issue. For those children, I may have worked on sight words or on echo reading depending on the specific fluency goals.  Still others needed practice with comprehension skills.  For those students, I may have introduced a graphic organizer or shared more information and vocabulary before reading.

            In addition to goal setting, I found running records to be helpful tools when conferencing with parents.  The running records gave parents concrete examples of their child’s reading behaviors.  This had a positive impact on student growth because the parents reinforced the same reading goals and behaviors that the child was working on at school.

Student Growth

            The knowledge that I gained from my emergent literacy class had a powerful impact on my students.  By using running records with all of my students, I am able to understand them as readers which allows me to arrange guided reading groups and strategy groups based on needs. Therefore, the children receive instruction based on what they already can do and on what they need to do next in order to improve as readers.    The home-school connection has also increased student growth because students are getting reinforcement of reading skills at home.

Connection to Standards

Standard #1:  The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.  One of the goals for this standard is for the teacher to understand how students’ conceptual frameworks and their misconceptions about an area of knowledge can influence their learning.  I met this standard by using running records to analyze student reading.  When I closely looked at student reading, I was able to identify which strategies were effective for the student and which areas were weak.  I set goals based on weaknesses and on any misconception the student may have had about reading.  This positively influenced student learning because it gave the student a variety of reading strategies to choose from at difficulty.

Standard #2:  The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development.  A big part of this standard is for teachers to use students’ strengths as a basis for growth, and their weaknesses as an opportunity to learn.  This disposition is apparent every time I complete a running record and set goals for a student.  I am always noticing what the child can do along with areas of weakness.  I begin with the strengths and build my lessons so that the child will use what they know in order to acquire new strategies and information.

Standard #8:  The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.  I met this standard by frequently using running records to assess student growth and reading behavior.  I used the data gained to set goals for that student.  In addition to being thoughtful about the reading goals, I am careful about the language that I use when reading with children.  I choose words and phrases that increase the child’s confidence as a reader.  I always begin by pointing out to the child what he can do before providing instruction in area that was difficult.

EDUC 529/683 Assessment and Treatment of Reading Difficulties and Practicum

Reflection and Artifact

My artifacts for EDUC 529/683 Assessment and Treatment of Reading Difficulties with Practicum are The Case Study cover sheet, the grading summary/rubric and the case study.  These items represent the learning that occurred as I worked with a fifth grader and a first grader who were struggling with their reading.

Cover Sheet

 

Case Study 

Background Information of Student:  Deni is a six-year-old female (D.O.B 07-09-2007) who is finishing her last weeks of first grade. She will be entering second grade for the 2014-2015 school year.  She lives at home with her parents and four-year-old sister.

Reason for Referral:  Throughout most of first grade, Deni had been reading at grade level according to Fountas and Pinnell Assessment System.  Even though she met the March benchmark, her classroom teacher did not feel she was secure at that level and noted inconsistencies with her fluency.  Due to those concerns, the classroom teacher referred her for the nine reading intervention lessons.  Deni’s attendance during the school year was within the district guidelines.

Parents agreed to the nine intervention lessons.  They reported no difficulties with letter recognition, letter sounds, listening, motivation, or attitudes towards school, reading, or writing.   Concerns regarding phonics, sight words, fluency, comprehension, time on task, and study strategies were noted; but no further information was given.

Case History:  Parents report a normal birth and no major medical difficulties with eyesight, hearing, other physical impairments, or attention.  Parents do seek speech-language services for Deni’s articulation outside of school, but no further information was given.

School History:  In 2012-2013, Deni enrolled in five-year-old kindergarten at Stormonth School which is part of the Fox Point-Bayside School District.  She progressed to first grade and will be entering second grade during the 2014-2015 school year.  Deni’s formal schooling has taken place in one school. 

Like Deni’s parents, her teachers report her to be a pleasant girl with a positive attitude towards school.  Her teachers describe her as being reserved and not a risk taker.  Her current teacher noted that his tentativeness impacts her willingness to try new strategies independently.

Summary of Assessment Results:

Pre-Assessment for Reading Analysis

Test Date	Test Name	Results	Comments
04-08-2014	Fountas and Pinnell Level H Fiction	Accuracy:  96% Fluency 48 WPM Comprehension: 6/6	Accuracy and comprehension are independent level.  Fluency is instructional.
4-10-2014	Fountas and Pinnell Level I Fiction	Accuracy:  94% Fluency 37.75 WPM Comprehension: 6/6	Accuracy and Fluency are instructional level.  Comprehension is independent.

Post –Assessment for Reading Analysis

Test Date	Test Name	Results	Comments
05-16-2014	Teachers College Level I Fiction	Accuracy:  98% Fluency 72.28 WPM Comprehension: 4/4	Accuracy, fluency, and comprehension are independent levels.
05-19-2014	Fountas and Pinnell Level J Nonfiction	Accuracy:  95% Fluency 43 WPM Comprehension: 4/6	Accuracy is independent level.  Fluency and comprehension are instructional.

Synopsis:  Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System 1 and Teachers College A-K Reading Assessment for Independent Reading Levels are used to determine student reading levels based on accuracy, fluency, and comprehension.

Pre-Assessment for Word Study

Test Date	Test Name	Synopsis	Results	Comments
04-11-14	F & P Word List 2	Assesses appropriate level for reading assessment	16/20	Begin assessing at level H
04-11-14	F & P  Grade 1 Word Features Test	Gives information about features of words student attends to	26/30	Cues to beginning sound, not yet reading through the word
04-08-2014	Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory	Assesses features   of the letter name-alphabetic to within word pattern spelling stages	Words Spelled Correctly:  9/26 Feature Points:  38/56 Total:  47/82	Within Word Patterns Long Vowel Patterns
04-11-14	F & P Phonological Awareness:  Segmenting Words	Measures student ability to segment a word into individual sounds	9/10	Proficient at this task
04-10-14	F & P 100 High Frequency Words Assessment	Measures student knowledge of high-frequency words	91/100	Cueing to beginning sound and some end sounds

Post-Assessment for Word Study

Test Date	Test Name	Synopsis	Results	Comments
	F & P Word List 2	Assesses appropriate level for reading assessment		Reading level known so not administered again
05-22-14	F & P  Grade 1 Word Features Test	Gives information about features of words student attends to	26/30	Four errors were different than the four pre-assessment errors
04-08-2014	Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory	Assesses features   of the letter name-alphabetic to within word pattern spelling stages	Words Spelled Correctly:  11/26 Feature Points:  40/56 Total:  51/82	Within Word Patterns Long Vowel Patterns
04-11-14	F & P Phonological Awareness:  Segmenting Words	Measures student ability to segment a word into individual sounds	9/10	Proficient at this task
04-11-14	F & P 100 High Frequency Words Assessment	Measures student knowledge of high-frequency words	96/100	Confuses words for ones with similar letters/pattern (Ex.  were for where; then for than)

Pre-Assessment for Writing

Test Date	Test Name	Synopsis	Comments
04-10-2014	Writing Assessment Prompt:  In the story you learned about a dog named Biscuit, now I would like you to write to tell me about your dog.	Samples a child’s writing in response to a prompt	Able to provide four facts about her dog

Post-Assessment for Writing

Test Date	Test Name	Synopsis	Comments
05-22-2014	Writing Assessment Prompt:  Since this is our last session together, I would like you to write about what you look forward to doing this summer.	Samples a child’s writing in response to a prompt	Able to provide three ideas

Running Records

Synopsis:  Running Records assess a student’s accuracy, fluency, and comprehension as he or she reads from a leveled book.

Date	Book	Accuracy and Self-Correction Rate	Fluency	Comprehension	Comments
04-30-2014	Bear’s Birthday Level I Fiction	Accuracy:  97% Self-Correction 1:3	78 WPM	5.5/6	Accuracy, fluency, and comprehension are all independent.
05-06-2014	All About Honeybees Level I Nonfiction	Accuracy:  95% Self-Correction 1:3.3	58.2 WPM	6/6	Accuracy, fluency, and comprehension are all independent.
05-09-2014	The Problem with Meli Level J Nonfiction	Accuracy:  93% Self-Correction 1:3.3	56.67 WPM	6/6	Accuracy was instructional level.  Fluency and comprehension are independent.

Attendance:  Deni’s school attendance was within the district guidelines, and she attended all nine intervention sessions.

Summary of Word Study Interventions and Progress:  Based on data obtained from Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory, all long vowel patterns were identified as Deni’s focus.  The assessment revealed Deni is not yet using any long vowel patterns.  Instead of using a long vowel pattern, Deni wrote only the vowel to represent the sound (drem for dream, shin for shine).  Deni’s objective was to read, write and discriminate between the CVC short vowel patterns/sounds and the CVCe long vowel patterns/sounds. 

During each of the nine sessions, Deni read, sorted, and wrote words with long and short vowel patterns.  As a result of this intervention, Deni gained an understanding that the CVCe pattern often makes a long vowel sound.  Since the  focus was only on CVC and CVCe vowel patterns, she overgeneralized the CVCe pattern on the post-assessment (frite for fright, wate for wait). Moving forward, Deni would benefit from work with other long vowel patterns.

Based on data obtained from Fountas and Pinnell Word Features Test and Fountas and Pinnell 100 High Frequency Words, Deni has a large sight vocabulary.  During the nine sessions, the examiner used the gradual release model to build on her existing sight vocabulary.  At difficulty, the examiner would model how she would think of a word with a similar pattern or look for a chunk she knew to solve the tricky word.  After several examples, Deni was encouraged to try the strategy and then began to try it on her own.  Practice with this strategy helped increase Deni’s instructional level and her fluency.

Summary of Fluency Interventions and Progress:  Based on data obtained from the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment, Deni’s oral fluency was noted as a focus area.  On a level H, her accuracy and comprehension were an independent reading level, but her fluency was instructional.  As the text difficulty increased, her reading fluency decreased.  She read 48 WPM on a level H and 37 WPM on a level I.   Deni’s objective was to read text at her independent level for accuracy and comprehension with appropriate fluency and automaticity.

Rereading text, previewing vocabulary, echo reading, and choral reading were strategies Deni engaged in throughout the nine sessions.  As a result of these interventions, Deni increased her fluency.  She went from 37 WPM on a level I to 72 WPM on a level I.  This growth allowed her reading fluency to reach the same independent level as her reading accuracy and comprehension on a leveled text.

Narrative and Expository Text:  The following texts were read during the nine intervention sessions:

·        Fun for Hugs-Narrative

·        Bear’s Birthday-Narrative

·        Stone Soup-Narrative

·        The Missing Cat-Narrative

·        All About Honeybees-Expository

·        The Lucky Penny-Narrative

·        The Problem with Meli-Expository

·        All about Bats-Expository

·        The Ugly Duckling-Narrative

Summary of Comprehension Interventions and Progress:  Based on the data received from the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment, higher level comprehension skills (making connections and using evidence from the text) were determined to be Deni’s goal.  For narrative texts, the examiner coached Deni using T-charts and Venn Diagrams to connect the stories to her own life and using story steps to retell the story adding specific details from the text.   For narrative texts, the examiner used the gradual release model and bubble maps to organize key ideas and supporting details.  After examiner modeled the bubble map with one text, Deni completed one on her own.

As a result of this intervention, Deni was able to answer both explicit and implicit text at her independent level.  With an instructional level text, Deni is independent with her comprehension on a narrative text, but instructional on an expository.  Based on the test results, the examiner would recommend that Deni spend time previewing new vocabulary and concepts in expository texts.

For both writing samples, Deni was appropriate with her responses.  She seems to be able to generate more ideas when she has a text as an example.  Moving forward, I would recommend that Deni continue to engage in both writing that is modeled after a text and writing that is personal narrative.

Parent Component:  Following each of the nine intervention sessions, Deni’s parents were given a form containing the text read, fluency and comprehension goals, a word study goal, and home connections.  On days when Deni read a narrative text, parents were asked to listen to Deni reread the text and then discuss the story with her or have her retell the story to them.  On days when we read an expository text, parents were asked to listen to Deni reread the text and engage her in a conversation about main ideas and supporting details.  For word study practice, parents were asked to have Deni sort her words and tell them about the word pattern.

Reflection on Teaching Plan:  Post-assessment data from the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment and from the Teacher’s College A-K Reading Assessment demonstrate the effectiveness of this teaching plan.  Following intervention, Deni increased her instructional reading by one level.  On a same leveled text (level I), she increased her fluency by 35 WPM.  This increase in fluency not only reflects use of new strategies but also an increase in reading confidence.  The examiner would recommend continued close monitoring of Deni’s reading with appropriate praise to maintain reading confidence and with time spent rereading familiar texts in order to solidify fluency growth.  The examiner would recommend that Deni continue to use graphic organizers to retell stories, to make connections, and to identify main ideas with supporting details.  The examiner would also suggest adding a writing component to the comprehension by encouraging Deni to use information from the graphic organizer to write a paragraph.

 Post-assessment data from Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory indicate that Deni made slight growth in the area of vowel patterns.  On closer review of the assessment, it is clear that Deni has gained an understanding of the CVCe vowel pattern, but is not yet applying it correctly.  The examiner would recommend that Deni continue to complete word sorts with long vowel patterns introducing a variety of patterns rather than focusing on just one.

Reflecting on the nine intervention sessions and the data collected, I would only make one change to the intervention plan before implementing.  Rather than focus on CVC and CVCe vowel patterns during word study, I would focus on multiple long vowel patterns for one long vowel sound.  This would help alleviate her overgeneralization of the one long vowel pattern that was our focus.

  

Practicum Rubric

Professional Growth

Throughout the practicum, I gained many insights and strategies that will help me meet the needs for students reading at a variety of levels.  First, I learned the importance of using a combination of word study, comprehension, and fluency practice within each lesson. Even though the three are intertwined, the teacher needs to be explicit about teaching the goal in each area in order to make it clear for the student.  I also learned that reading intervention is most effective when taught consistently and frequently.  This allows the student to build on the previous lesson while the knowledge is still fresh, and it provides frequent practice which is needed to solidify skills.  Since the lessons usually cover a lot of content in a short period of time, it is critical that the teacher is organized and well-prepared.  This allows the student to receive the maximum amount of instruction during that time.  One of the biggest contributors to student growth during my practicum was the increase in the student’s reading confidence.  Even though my lesson plan did not have an area to plan for this, I made sure in every lesson to praise what the child could do and build off of that knowledge.  A final insight that I gained is the importance of the home-school component.  When a student shares new knowledge and practices concepts with family members, it emphasizes the importance of what the child has done at school and continues to cement the learning.

Student Growth

Frequent, intensive, one-on-one reading instruction is a powerful way to help struggling readers. Both of my practicum students increased their reading levels, fluency, and knowledge of word patterns.  In particular, my fifth grade practicum student made amazing gains. She went up two reading levels on Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment and twenty points on her reading MAP assessment.  Even though I was well-prepared and worked hard with her,  I contribute some of her growth to the boost that reading intervention gave to the her self-confidence as a reader.  She was in her first year of middle school and had begun to decline.  I believe she was overwhelmed by the middle school workload and was not feeling as capable as previous years.  In our lessons, I continually pointed out what she could do and how much she was learning.  As our sessions progressed, I watched her come alive and enjoy reading again.  Even though content knowledge and preparation are important, reading teachers always need to remember to teach the whole child in order to achieve optimal growth.

Connection to Standards

Standard #1:  The teacher understands the central concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing are central to the discipline(s) s/he teaches.  One of the goals of this standard is for the teacher to appreciate multiple perspectives and share with the learner how knowledge is developed through these perspectives.  I met this goal when I worked with my reading students.  I taught them a variety of strategies to use when they reached difficulty or noticed that something did not make sense.  By the end of my practicum, both of my students were more independent at self-monitoring and deciding which “fix-it” strategy to try.  As I move into my role as reading interventionist, I will continue to equip my students with a variety of strategies in order to make them independent readers.

Standard #4:  The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.  During my practicum, I learned the importance of using a combination of word study, comprehension, and fluency practice within each lesson.  By having my students practice the three main areas of reading instruction, they grew as readers and had a variety of strategies to draw from when they reached difficulty.

Standard #7:  The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.  During the practicum, I learned the importance of reading intervention occurring consistently and frequently.  This allows the students to build on the previous lesson while the knowledge is still fresh, and it provides frequent practice which is needed to solidify skills.  Since my time with each student was so brief, I discovered the importance of being organized and well-planned.  But, I also learned that the teacher always needs to be flexible. I often found that I needed to tweak lessons based on a weakness or strength that was discovered during the lesson.

Standard #8:  The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.  During the practicum, I learned that assessment plays an important role in the planning process.  After each session, I reflected on what my practicum student did during the lesson in order to prepare the best lesson for her particular needs.  During each session, I was constantly evaluating what my student was doing and then choosing the most appropriate strategy in order to best support her particular needs.  

Standard #9:  The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out; opportunities to grow professionally.  Not only did I reflect on each lesson in order to set goals for my next lesson, I also reached out to colleagues in order to share information and gain perspective.  For both of my practicum students, I frequently talked to their classroom teachers in order to get their views on how the students were performing in that setting.  I also shared with the classroom teachers the goals that I was working on with their students and the strategies that worked particularly well.  In addition, I discussed my intervention approach with our reading specialist in order to gain her insights. As I move forward, I will continue to seek out the latest research about reading intervention in order to stay current and provide my students with best practice.

Standard #10:  The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well-being.  For each intervention session, I sent home a home-school connection sheet. The sheet shared with parents the goals for that session and the homework that correlated to the goals.  By having the students share new knowledge and practice concepts with family members, it emphasized the importance of what the child had done at school and continued to cement the learning.