Kimberly's+Project+Page

Literacy-Issues Worth Fighting For

Directions: Rank these issues in order of importance to you from 1 to 10. (1-most important; 10-least important)
 * Full-Day Kindergarten || 6  ||
 * Smaller Class Size || 2  ||
 * Achievement Gap || 7  ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Universal Preschool || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Professional Development || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">5  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Family Involvement || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Early Intervention || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">4  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Better Access to Books || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">8  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Extending the School Day/Year || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">10  ||
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Fairness in Funding Schools || <span style="display: block; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 22pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">9  ||

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Time: 40 Minutes **
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Fluency is a critical part of literacy development. It is important that students build their fluency so that they can put more energy into understanding what they read. One way to build fluency is through silent reading. Silent reading provides realistic practice for students. Silent reading should start off at an independent level and gradually increase.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__Materials:__ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Photocopied pages of Chapter One from Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Highlighter

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I began the lesson by suggesting to Mia that we do something nice for her great grandmother. Together we came up with the idea of recording a story onto a tape cassette and giving it to her grandmother as a present. Mia was very excited about the project. I explained to her that in order to do this she would have to practice over a period of time so that she can read it well.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I then modeled the process of smooth, expressive reading by orally reading from the book.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I then asked her to silently read the selection and instructed her to highlight any words that were unfamiliar to her. Once she was finished, I reviewed all highlighted words with her. I assisted her in correctly reading the word and discussing its meaning.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">After evaluating the length of time it took to read the selection, I find that her accuracy is good but her automaticity is weak. I plan to use this assessment in planning my next lesson.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__Reflection:__ Mia is not a motivated child. I was worried at first that she would not be very cooperative in the tutoring sessions. However, I am very excited by the fact that I was wrong. I know how important her family is to her and how much she likes to please them. I used this knowledge to create a fun project that Mia was very responsive to.
 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It is interesting that you chose to have Mia record herself on audio tape for her grandmother. This will encourage her to practice repeated readings, while at the same time building skills for showing good character. This reminds me of the recordable blank books that the stores now sell for keepsake memories. --Prof. K. **

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">** Time: (3) Fifteen Minutes Lessons (total lesson = 45 minutes) **
One way to build fluency is through repeated reading. Repeated reading assists students in achieving accuracy and rapid recognition of high-frequency words (automaticity). As students reread, they meet high-frequency words over and over and eventually these words become part of their automatic recognition vocabulary. According to one study, slow-reading second-graders doubled their reading speed after just seven weeks of repeated reading training (Dowhower, 1987). In order for this technique to be effective, reading material needs to be selected based on the student’s instructional level.

= __ Materials __ = Photocopied page of a selection (approximately 100 words) from Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel Timed Reading Progress Chart

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">At the beginning of this lesson I reviewed the project that was previously introduced to Mia regarding an oral reading to be given to her great grandmother as a present. I discussed the idea that when we practice reading, we get faster and better at it. I then explained that she was going to read a portion of the text over and over and that this would help prepare her for her final oral recording. I also explained that I was going to be timing her and that we could mark her success together on a chart for her to see. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">After each timed reading, I reviewed her miscues with her. Her timed repeated reading scores were used to evaluate her progress.

= __ Reflection __ = When I first learned about this concept in our literacy class, I was very skeptical regarding its effectiveness. I thought that students would find the activity boring and therefore be unresponsive to it. I was completely wrong. As a matter of fact, Mia found this exercise to be very exciting. Seeing her own success motivated her. At the end of each timed reading, she would want to know her score, to see if she improved. She did not want to stop the activity because she wanted to see just how good she could get. I believe she liked the fact that she was in control of the activity and her performance. This seemed to empower her and drive her to want to do better.
 * In this way, you are also teaching Mia to self monitor her own reading. Have you thought about having her set a goal for WCPM, or words correct per minute? --Prof. K. **

** Tutoring Lesson 3 ** ** (Day 5) ** **April 7, 2011**

__Session Time__: Approximately 20 minutes Choral reading is an excellent way to foster fluency and expression in reading. Choral reading lends itself to repeated reading as the student rereads in order to improve timing, expression, and smoothness.

In this lesson, I used the choral reading technique to continue to build Mia’s fluency. We used the same text (//Frog and Toad Are Friends)// that we have been working from. This allowed Mia to be confident in her oral reading since the text was familiar to her. Mia and I sat together and took turns reading selections from the text. Throughout the lesson, I encouraged Mia to follow along with her index finger, which assisted her in keeping her attention on what was being read.

This lesson provided Mia with an opportunity to practice what she has been learning in a fun and engaging way. She was very observant of my use of expression and smoothness when I read and diligently tried to mimic what I was modeling. She did a great job too. Choral reading is a great technique because it can be used as a whole-class or small-group activity.

// Reflection // : Mia was very responsive to this lesson. She liked the fact that she could take breaks from reading orally and was able to follow along silently at times. I think these little breaks prevented her from tiring faster and allowed her to keep up her momentum. She demonstrated more ease in reading the selection in comparison to when we first began. She is definitely more familiar with the words being used, which has increase her automaticity when reading the selection. I also believe that she demonstrated more expressive reading than in the past as well.

** Tutoring Lesson 4 ** ** Day 6 ** ** April 9, 2011 **

__ Session Time __ : Approximately 25 minutes

Fluency is sometimes referred to as the bridge between decoding and reading comprehension. Studies have shown that less fluent readers comprehend less. One technique that is commonly used to build fluency is reading along with a taped version of a text. In this lesson, I used this technique to continue to build Mia’s fluency. I told Mia that I wanted to celebrate her success thus far by having a “listening party”. We had some popcorn and juice for a little while and then I pulled out a taped version of the book that we have been working from. Mia and I sat together, each with our own copy of the selection. I explained to Mia that reading along silently while listening to a taped recording of a book is also a fun way to read. After the “listening party”, I asked Mia if she would like to orally read a selection from the text for her own “audience” which included her younger sister and myself. She was thrilled to have the attention and performed wonderfully.

__ Reflection __ : Mia has always enjoyed having books read to her. Therefore, it didn’t surprise me when she showed exceptional interest in this activity. She didn’t see it as work, but rater fun. She read along and listened to the different expression used throughout the story and tried to recreate the same expressiveness in her own oral reading. Looking back at my first tutoring session, motivation was a big factor for Mia. Like most children, Mia responds well to activities that are fun and motivational. I truly believe that motivation really is the key to her own success. I believe that one's education and literacy starts, first and foremost, in the home. I firmly believe that it is a parent's obligation and responsibility to be active participants in their child's growth and development from birth till adulthood. These actions could include reading books together, playing games, doing school work, creating projects, going to a library or museum, and much, much more.
 * Each tutoring session has a reflection that provides a window of insight into the session itself. It will be interesting to look at how your lesson plans/assessments/reflections work together to paint a picture of Mia's literacy needs and targeted areas of improvement. As a parent, this valuable tool will help you with speaking to her teachers since it's like a mini-case study on her! --Prof. K. **

<span style="color: #ff0009; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Toria's Response 1/30/11: <span style="color: #ff0009; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I completely agree Kim that learning begins in the home. Reading to a child at any age is beneficial. However, as future teachers we can't force this to happen in every home. Families appear to be doing less and less and putting the responsability on the school. How would you, as a teacher, promote home literacy in the home?

A teacher really has great power in creating a bridge between the home and school. I often find that most parents want to know how to help their child, but lack the formal training or education. Every year I make it a point to reflect on literacy development at Back to School Night and invite parents to my classroom on a daily basis. In November we had a Literacy Breakfast. Our classroom was packed! I wasn't surprised that you rated Extending the School Day/Year last. You and Toria are making excellent use of your workspace pages. The format seems to really work. Smaller class size is an issue that I also fight for, as long as the teacher is highly effective. Otherwise it really doesn't make that much of a difference according to research. --Prof. K.

I also believe that most parents want to help their children, but may lack the "know how" to do so. Inviting parents into the classroom is a great way to include them and offer support to them in helping them help their child. I also find that young children love when their parents are involved in school activities.....it's a big motivator for all. --Kimberly

With the economy the way it is, it has become difficult for parents to take an active role in their childs education working overtime and sometimes multiple jobs. I strongly believe that education begins in the home but on the flip side I also understand how it may be difficult to do homework and read to your children after working long hours. I like the idea of inviting the families into the classrooms and think once they get that initial wake up call it opens up the lines of communication in the home and can make it easier. Sometimes parents get so caught up in their routien it becomes difficult to change. Everything on the list is important it seems almost impossible to rank when everything is essential for a positive and thriving learning enviornment. --Frances M.

Fran, so glad to see you on here. I agree economic times has changed the face of parent interaction with children. However, it doesn't have to be a parent so to speak. The caregiver be it another family member or babysitter can be just as active as a parent and effective. I understand parents have to do what they have to do to get buy. Yet i get frustrated. Children should be the families number one investment. When a parent works to have cable so the child has something to watch instead of reading to them its hard to swallow. Some people do work their tales off and cutback. So many people don't. Rough to see those children not getting the attention they need and then hearing from the parent that they have to work. Then you meet the parent and they have the latest cell phone and are dressed in designer clothes.... -Tori Also some of the hardest working families are also the ones that make, making time for their kids a priority. Those are the people that we need to praise.

This is a rough one, I completely understand from both ends. I understand how difficult it can be raising children when you are not financially prepared and as a result you have to make sacrifices and unfortunately sometimes the children suffer. Although I do not agree with it I can empathize and understand how easy it is to become overwhelmed resulting in not reading to your kids or helping them with their studies. You assume that the brunt of the work is done in the classroom and your children's education will not be jeopardized. With that being said, I do think that children are our investments and should be top priority. Their education is first and foremost and the learning process begins in the home and will not thrive unless nutured in the home even as they get older and more independent.

From the parent point of view, what is something a teacher has done to make you feel appreciated? Then on the flip has a teacher ever made you feel unwanted?

Journal Entry 1/29/11 What does a “balanced approach” to reading instruction mean? // By Sebastian Wren, Ph.D. // “The philosophy underlying the Whole Language approach is that reading is a natural process, much like learning to speak, and that children exposed to a great deal of authentic, connected text will naturally become literate without much in the way of explicit instruction in the rules and conventions of printed text.” || I disagree with idea that reading is a natural process. I believe that children need to be given certain tools and groundwork, such as learning how to decode and sound out words, in order to be able to read. Language on the other hand, is a natural process. Humans are born with the predispositions to learn to speak. There are many aspects of the Whole Language approach that I don’t necessarily agree with. However, I do believe it is a great idea to integrate reading throughout all subjects and I also believe that it is important for children to make connections when reading. || “In a Phonics classroom….Children are explicitly taught rules about the way words are written and spelled, and they are taught spelling-sound relationships.” || I tend to side more with the phonics approach to instruction. I believe that learning to decode words is a must in order to be an effective reader. Without this groundwork, I think it is extremely difficult for children to develop comprehension and an appreciation of reading. However, I do realize that this approach alone is not the answer to improving the literacy of our children. This approach is flawed as well. When we really get into phonics you will learn that it is best taught in the context of authentic reading. Countless worksheets are really ineffective, as children need to recognize patterns within words and come across them when actually reading. --K. || “Arguably, the Great Debate, or what some have more appropriately dubbed the “reading wars,” has been one of the most destructive forces in reading education. The battles have grown from ideological differences to personal, politically charged attacks on character. Teachers, and more importantly children have been caught in the crossfire.” || I found this to be a very powerful statement. It says a lot about society today. It seems like everyone is trying to find someone to blame for our poor literacy problem. And, what’s worse is that our children are extremely impacted because of this constant debate and finger pointing. || “It is important to remember that a compromise between these two approaches to reading instruction will not necessarily result in the single, best approach.” || Should there be one single approach to reading instruction? Now you see why they call it "The Reading Wars." :) --K. || “A balanced approach could be generically described as “mixing some Phonics with Whole Language,” but how this is accomplished in any particular classroom is unclear.” || I think many teachers don’t know “how” to teach a balanced approach to reading. They are either very set in their ways or simple don’t have the “know how” to do so. This is one of the key reasons that I believe professional development is so important. I also think teachers need to rally together and try to support and motivate each other, especially those that may be “set” in their ways. || “..it is doubtful that the best approach to reading instruction will be scavenged from these two philosophies, and it is even less likely that any instruction that is not squarely centered on the individual student’s learning needs will ever be universally effective.” || I agree that instructional lessons need to be based and constructed around children’s needs rather than a philosophy. || <span style="color: #ff0009; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Toria's Response 1/30/11: <span style="color: #ff0009; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Exactly, stradegies to help a child need to be constructed around their paticular needs! Philosphies and knowing them prommote our development as professionals but the best application of them should depend on the child. I think that is what seperates the researchers from the classroom teacher. This article touches the science between the two thoughts but it does not touch on the science of the brain. Taking from our psychology course, I can't help but believe that stradegies to help a child are going to rely more on the working of the brain then just philosophy. Literacy cannot be forced but fostered in a brain wired to learn.
 * = // Information from the Text // = || = // My Reflection // = ||
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<span style="color: #5d0e5d; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I agree, I think sometimes teachers become overwhelmed and burned out because of the stress put on standardized testing and lack of resources. With this in mind, I'm sure it can be very difficult to plan instruction based on children's individual needs. What do you think? Are teachers being pulled into so many directions that it inhibits them from being effective teachers? I wonder.......-- Kimberly

<span style="color: #ff0009; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I think some teachers do. From what I have seen the best teachers take advice from all sides and do what they feel is best. In the end if you are in it for the right reasons I think you always try to do best by the children. They stay your focus. A good teacher knows when to ask for help and advice.

<span style="color: #5e175e; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">I agree completely:) <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">You also have to be willing to continuously grow professionally as a lifelong learner. What we know about literacy instruction now is obviously so different that what we knew even 5, 10, 15+ yrs. ago. There are always new studies and breakthroughs that we have to be aware of as teachers. For example, if you asked someone how to use a SMART board five years ago they'd look at you completely confused. Now, they seem to be everywhere! Standardized testing is stressful, and it really isn't going anywhere. However, I always argue that if you are meeting the needs of your students and doing what you think is best, they will be better prepared. Test prep is important (teaching the students how to take a test) but it can't be taught all year long. I'm constantly trying to see what strategies my students are using and consider the ones that will be most helpful. In all seriousness, teaching to the test is boring! I've even read some studies that suggest that skill and drill can actually have deeper negative effects on student achievement. They probably become so disengaged and unmotivated by that kind of instruction. Excellent responses and discussion so far!

There are still teachers that look completely confused when you mention a SMART board. They still have a chalk holder! Those are the ones that don't continue to grow. I have used SMART boards here and there but just recently had a chance to teach a sample lesson using one. How amazing! I think they bring a sense of technology to the classroom that our student's are so used to at home. It can be hard to compete when so many have Gameboys and their own computers. As teacher's are educated and seek professional development in such technologies we also need to teach the basics. Kids learn just as much playing in a dirt pile as any technology. I can see becoming so trained in technology we forget the fun and learning shaving cream can bring. Writing letters in such a tactile different element, so much fun for some! I see the technology and test taking stradegies becoming one. Soon these tests are going to be computer based.

I can see how students become disengaged and unmotivated in current test practice. Eventually, we won't be teaching to the test but teaching to succeed on the test. Daily classroom activities will be engaging with added stradegies. Just as we discuss the extreme techniques in teaching reading, and then balanced learning we will one day discuss the extremes of classroom learning, test prep, and then the balance between them.

Kimberly Hartland Journal Entry 2/9/11

National Institute for Literacy || “Effective phonemic awareness instruction teaches children to notice, think about, and work with (manipulate) sounds in spoken language.” || I believe that phonemic awareness should be taught to all at an early age. It helps to establish the groundwork for emergent readers. When children notice and think about what they are saying, it can be a great asset in comprehending. || “Along with phonics instruction, young children should be solidifying their knowledge of the alphabet, engaging in phonemic awareness activities, and listening to stories and information texts read aloud to them.” || Phonics instruction is a key element in reading programs for beginning readers. However, it needs to correspond with additional instruction and activities, such as listening to stories. All this helps to give what they are doing meaning. || “Fluency is important because it provides a bridge between word recognition and comprehension.” || I agree that fluency is important in order to be an effective reader. When a child reads very choppy, it’s almost impossible to comprehend what is being read. However, it is important to remember that fluency doesn’t always guarantee comprehension. As a teacher, it’s important to always assess for both. || “Monitoring your students’ progress in reading fluency will help you determine the effectiveness of your instruction and set instructional goals. || It is important to monitor and assess all aspects of a student’s reading, including fluency. The more effective a teacher is at assessing their students accurately, the better equipped they are for preparing instruction for them. || “Before students read a text, it is helpful to teach them specific words they will see in the text. Teaching important vocabulary before reading can help students both learn new words and comprehend the text.” || Children learn the meaning of words both through direct and indirect ways. I believe that both methods can be very effective. Presenting vocabulary to student prior to reading a text helps them become more familiar with the word and its meaning therefore setting up a knowledge base ahead of time. || Kim, I thought you brought up a very important point in your reflection from page 19. Often times when we think of assessing in school. We think solely of the children. As professionals we are assessing the learning developments in the child but at the same time we can learn of the strategies we have developed are effective. If the strategies are ineffective then we need to switch gears and adapt to the needs of the child. These adaptations may develop from the assessments. Assessments are not just for the student. -Toria
 * "Put Reading First"
 * == // Information from Text // == || == // My Reflection // == ||
 * p.4
 * p. 14
 * p. 19
 * p. 27
 * p. 31

<span style="color: #762caf; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Kimberly Hartland <span style="color: #762caf; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Journal Entry 2/1/2011

// Creating Literacy Instruction for All Students // __Chapter 1__ "The Nature of Literacy" || Information from the Text My Reflection

“Behaviors are learned or increased when a person receives reinforcers such as praise, privileges, gold stars, or monetary rewards or simply sees that the responses are correct.” || This type of learning can be observed from even the youngest of children. Young children quickly learn that if they do “good” things or perform well, they are rewarded from their parents with praise. I’m sure many have heard of the “potty” chart that most parents use to encourage their children in potty training by using stickers or gold stars every time they are successful. I believe that praise is one of the biggest motivators that a teacher can offer. Children seek approval and when they get it they feel good about what they have accomplished and good about themselves. It is so important to help build a child’s self esteem and confidence. By doing so, you are letting them know that you believe in them and what they can achieve. || “The amount of talk to which children are exposed is correlated with the size of their vocabularies and their later language and cognitive development.”
 * // p. 5 //
 * // p. 14 //

// p. 20 // “In study after study, knowledge of vocabulary has been found to be the key element in comprehension.” || Language plays such a large part in literacy. A child’s ability to read can be either enhanced or limited by his language development. One of the best things a parent can do for a child is to talk to them. This is one of the best ways to enhance a child’s vocabulary and prepare them for school.

Fostering language development in the home is essential. However, as teachers we cannot control whether children are going to get quality language exposure. One’s culture and values can play a big role in determining this. Therefore, it is our job to provide quality, language-rich instruction in our classrooms. And of course, it is always a good thing to involve and encourage parents to do the same. || “Perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of highly effective teachers is that they cared for their students and believed in them.” || This is so powerful. As a teacher, it is essential to believe that __all__ students can learn. Children need to feel that you genuinely care for them and believe in them. They need to feel safe and secure in their environment. Doing so will help them gain the courage to try their best and to take risks…… They need to know that you have their best interest at heart. || In regards to the page 20 quote. I agree whole 100%. Commonsense - how can a child comprehend if they don't understand. Having the ability to say a word is one thing. The word having meaning is another. We all know what the moon is. If a child did not know the word "moon" but could read the sentence: The moon is in the sky.Then what meaning do they assign the word "moon"? The moon could be anything. Given the child understands the other words the moon could be a cloud, bird, balloon etc. in their mind. If asked then what time of day it was? The child from that sentence could not determine day or night. However a peer that knew the meaning of moon might gather it was night.. -Tori
 * // p. 23 //

Kimberly Hartland Journal Entry 2/6/11


 * = // “Creating Literacy Instruction for ALL Students” // =

__ Chapter 2 __
|| “In addition to the areas specified in NCLB provisions, Thames and York (2003) identified four areas that literacy experts from diverse backgrounds and differing philosophies agree should be emphasized. These include motivating students to read; linking reading, writing, listening, and speaking; using a wide range of proven methods to create the right balance for each child; and using a wide variety of printed materials and literature.” || I think this statement does a great job of describing what needs to be done to improve literacy. I really like the fact that they start of by saying that we need to motive children to read. I think motivation is essential in any learning environment. Children need to be engaged and like what they are doing; learning should be fun. I think that when the fun is taken out of learning, it is very easy to lose motivation as well. || “RTI is a whole-school improvement program that enlists all staff members, the community, and parents to ensure that the literacy potential of all students is fully developed.” || Child development is everyone’s responsibility. A common misconception is that it is solely a teachers or parents responsibility, when in fact; it should be a collaborated effort of all in the community. It is our children that are going to be the next leaders of our communities, shouldn’t we invest in them and their potential????
 * = // Information from the Text // = || = // My Reflection // = ||
 * p.31
 * p. 32

I support the idea of RTI. I think the concept helps to ensure that no child “falls through the cracks”. || “Learning to read in their native language provides ELLs with a solid foundation for learning to read in another language.” || I agree with this idea. If children have a solid language basis in their own native language, it is much easier to transfer that knowledge into another language. They are able to make better connections between the two. For example, if a teacher is holding a red crayon and says to the students in Spanish “crayon rojo” and then says “red crayon” in English, a child who knows what a crayon is will be in a better position to understand the connection between the two languages. || “In developing teaching techniques that are appropriate for diverse learning styles, you have to be aware of the ways in which students think and process information.” || Learning needs to be a two-way street. Children need to be active participants in their learning experience. Dialogue between teacher and student is so important. As a teacher, you need to talk to your students so you can gain insight into their thought process. By doing so, you will be able to plan for a more effective learning experience for each child. || Whole school improvement is key. Year to year the child's teacher will change however when a whole school has knowledge and is used to support the student then it allows for more smooth and consistent learning throughout the child's education. Support teachers and staff such as speech teachers, basic skills, and therapists will remain the same year after year in most cases while the lead teacher will change. When most the staff follows a child through development there is a greater chance of success. Expectations are the same, the child will feel safe, and the child's history will be known. Their learning plan then isn't for a year but for all of their educational experiences.
 * p. 36
 * p. 47

I was quite frustrated a couple years ago. I worked with children in first grade. The teacher that year, was one of the stand-out teachers you hope you are lucky to observe. Over the years I have worked with Janie and the progress from day 1 to day 180 is amazing. With all students those that are "gifted" to those that struggle. One of the reasons I believe her students are succesful is because she has high expectations of all. The following year I was assigned to assist the 2nd grade teacher. Many of those students from Janie's class were in this 2nd grade. The teacher looked the part, she looked good on paper, but she did not connect with the students. I saw children slip. I tried to tell the teacher these children were writing whole pages last year, that they could write more then 3 sentences. However, she never expecting more then what they gave. Fortunately she was not asked back.

I think having an RTI program would prevent years such as this. Not just students would have high expectations but the teachers as well. I believe in the above mentioned scenario there were not enough staff members on board from the prior year and children did fall through the cracks. -Toria

Kimberly HartlandJournal Entry 2/9/11 “(Evaluation) is a judgment by teachers, children, parents, administrators, and the wider community as to whether instructional goals have been met. Evaluation also helps teachers determine what is and what is not working so that they can plan better programs. || Evaluation is a key element in the teaching-learning process. It provides the framework for instructional planning. It is important to evaluate students’ performance so that you have a better guide as to what works and what doesn’t work. I think that evaluation can also be useful in building students’ confidence and helping them develop a better understanding of their own abilities. It is also important as a teacher to self-evaluate. By reflecting on our own work, we are able to evaluate it and look for ways to improve it in order to become a more effectiveness teacher || “One of the best placement devices is an informal reading inventory (IRI). In fact, if properly given, it will provide just about everything a teacher needs to know about a student’s reading.” || I think IRIs are a great tool to diagnose children’s difficulties so that instruction can be directed toward what ever skills they may be lacking in. From a parent’s point of view, I think IRIs are essential to the early elementary grades such as 1st and 2nd. I think that many times students reading difficulties are overlooked until 2nd and 3rd grade when subject matter becomes more difficult and good reading skills are needed. I think that if IRIs were more regularly used early on, students with difficulties could receive extra remedial help so they wouldn’t fall behind. || “When students misread words, the logical assumption is that they are lacking in decoding or word recognition skills.” || Or maybe they just need more time to think about what they are reading??? || “To save time, teachers sometimes administer word-list tests instead of IRIs. Because they require only the ability to pronounce words, these tests neglect comprehension and may yield misleading levels for students who are superior decoders but poor comprehenders or vice versa.” || The use of word lists or sight words are predominately used in my town’s public school. They give kindergarten students a list of 100 words and then they drill them until they know them. When they enter 1st grade, they are again tested on those same words to see how many they know.
 * // “Creating Literacy Instruction for ALL Students” // __ Chapter 3 __ ||
 * == // Information from Text // == || == // My Reflection // == ||
 * P. 57
 * p. 63
 * p. 66
 * p. 76

I am not against the use of sight words to teach vocabulary. Actually, I think it can be very beneficial to many students. However, I do not think this type of learning works for all students. I know it didn’t work for my seven year old daughter. || “Comprehension is the ultimate aim of reading, so IRIs and running records are better indicators of performance when retelling and/or questioning are included.” || Finally, it has been said. Comprehension should absolutely be the ultimate goal of reading. Children HAVE to understand and give meaning to what they read, otherwise its useless information. I think more time needs to be spent talking about improving comprehension rather than timing children to see how fast they can read. || “Despite limitations, criterion-referenced tests are generally more useful to teachers than are norm-referenced tests. They indicate whether students have mastered particular sills and so are useful for making instructional decisions.” || Schools should be issuing tests that will benefit children learning and teacher instruction. We should no be focusing on tests that are used primarily because policy makers prefer them. Tests such as the NJASK that release their results after the child has left for the summer are not useful in helping the teacher improve instruction for those children. || Carefully constructed rubrics describe the key tasks that students must complete or the main elements that must be included in order to produce an excellent piece of work.” || I think rubrics are a great concept. As teachers, I believe it is our job to help students become more independent learners. Rubrics are an idea tool to put the student in charge of his own work and outcome. However, I agree that it should only contain a certain amount of criteria. A rubric that focuses on many things can become overwhelming for a student and cause him to lose sight of what is important. ||
 * p. 83
 * p. 85
 * p. 86

p.66 reflection I wonder the same thing. Some response times are limited other times they are limited by the teachers attention span. Some children do need more time to process, no doubt. Just take the general rule of thumb if you tell/ask a 3 year old something you have to give them at least 1 minute to process and follow the direction. It can be frustrating and teachers can sound like broken records instead of giving children time. I would imagine since we all develop at different speeds that children have different processing time needs.

On the other hand if we give too much time then we can disrupt the flow, fluency, and/or comprehension. -Toria

Kimberly Hartland Journal Entry 2/15/11

“Creating Literacy Instruction for ALL Students” Thomas G. Gunning __ Chapter 4 __

“Having reading and writing materials in the home, being read to, and talking to their caregivers about reading and writing foster children’s formation of the “big pictures.” || Reading, writing and talking is part of everyone’s daily life. It gives children foundation. Sharing these with your children provides for great bonding experiences and really can give you insight into what your child’s interests and likes are. I think a keyword here is caregiver. I cannot recall if I touched upon this before but I think it is important. Often times we think of learning to read as the teacher's job and then the parent. However, it is everyone's job. A caregiver may be a child care staff member, a grandparent, even a teenager who helps watch the child is a caregiver. The more a child is exposed and from different perspectives the greater importance they will give to reading and writing. Children imitate what they see.-Tori || “Although a classroom can be arranged in many ways to induce children to take part in literacy activities, Morrow (1997) recommended that a variety of centers be set up….” p. 125 “Although it can and should be taught, literacy can also be fostered by ‘setting the scene’ and through subtle encouragement.” || Variety, variety, variety! In order to foster literacy, you have to make its environment fun, happy and inviting. Different materials and models set at eye-level is a great way to engage children and make the process more appealing to them. If you accomplish this, the student will see the activities as exciting rather than a drag. When we meet next Friday I will share a variety of my resources from early literacy with you. Dr. Morrow's expertise in this area is quite engaging. If you ever attend one of her workshops you will be instantly involved in story retellings, chants, etc. A great resource for looking into what makes the Reading K-3 experience so effective can be found at learner.org. If you click on Language Arts, you can scroll through professional development training videos that exemplify the early literacy classroom experiences. I've gotten so many great ideas from that resource as well. --Prof. K. || “Being read to develops children’s vocabulary, expands their experiential background, makes them aware of the language of books, with many pleasant associations with books.” || Children learn to feel before anything else. When a child is read to, their dopamine (a chemical in their brain) is triggered and they are able to associate a good feeling to it. They learn that reading is good because of those feelings. This then gives them the motivation to __want__ to read.
 * == //Information from Text// == || == //My Reflection// == ||
 * P. 123
 * p. 124
 * p. 127

I feel like we are in psychology class. I couldn't agree more. That dopamine initially though may be triggered by the reading experience, not the actual reading. By that I mean if they are reading with their mom, the release of dopamine is from spending time with their mother. Overtime reading will release the dopamine because the memory of reading with the parent will be recalled - even if on a subconscious level. Each experience is a building block for another. -Tori || “Reading aloud is particularly effective for developing language when the books are carefully chosen and when there is interaction before, during, and after each book has been read.” “Being read to and discussing books also builds thinking skills.” || Read aloud is so important to the growth of children’s literacy. It aids it the development of language and helps give them background knowledge that will help them achieve a higher level of understanding. || “The teacher’s role should be an active one, modeling the writing process at every opportunity.” || Teachers should always model what they are teaching. Children learn by example. Students should also be included in the process as much as possible as well as be encouraged to do it on their own; whatever level they may be on.
 * p. 132
 * p. 150

This is a hard one and so very important. As I sit here typing I have a sweatshirt on from the camp I worked at years ago. On the back are three important words, the camp put it on all the t-shirts for staff. "Professional Role Model" The reason was to remind the young staff members whatever they did they had a responsability to be their best and that they were looked up to. When you wear those words it's hard to mess up. I think for teachers and those that have close contact with children should embody this phrase inside and outside the classroom.

A few teachers, unfortunately, stop acting as models when they leave the classroom. Children are always watching, you never know when you may run into a student. More importantly I believe for many of us teaching is a calling. I may be paid by one district but my job doesn't stop when I leave the town.

We model in life by example. We model reading. We model activities. We model how to be a good friend. We model positive attitudes. We model in everything, everywhere, all the time.

I am an awful speller. Always have been. Grammar not a strong suit either. Both do not stop me from writing at home or in the classroom. When a child asks a word and I am unsure the spelling I have no problem taking out a dictionary or using dictionary.com. I take the opportunity to model. I help out with homework in my child care program. These 5th and 6th graders (even 4th on occasion) are working on concepts in grammar I haven't considered in years. If I am unsure again I research the answer. I don't just say I don't know, I'm not good at it. That one sentence sends such a message. Investigating for improvement on the other hand sends a very different message. -Tori

Modeling instructional expectations is important. We need to teach/model what we expect from our students, otherwise we can't get upset when they are not meeting the learning objectives or expectations. I also, however, feel as though the standards for "teacher behavior" outside of the classroom are sometimes unrealistic. For example, does the news have to publish an article every time a teacher is arrested for some offense? I honestly could careless if a gym teacher in my town is arrested for DWI. Many districts do state in their contracts that you can be terminated for causing public embarrassment to the district. --Prof. K.

It's a very fine line. Right now the political climate has the spotlight on teachers. Good or bad, and the media likes to pick up on the bad. Take the teacher from PA that blogged about her students. Do I agree with what she did, no. Do I think we need to hear about it on the news every few minutes, no. We are human we make mistakes. "Teacher behavior" is a very broad category. There are things in my life I am positive not every family would care for. I do believe teachers have a right to privacy, I just think we need to be careful to.- Tori *This brings to mind a bulletin board my mother's school did years ago. She's been retired for years, so a little longer then years ago :-) The school asked each teacher over the summer to have a picture taken of themselves in their favorite reading spot. One teacher was in her favorite chair, another upside down in a jeep, my mom had my father take a picture of her in the Bahamas on the beach.... it was a neat way to model reading for pleasure. || “Language is the foundation for phonological awareness. The larger children’s vocabularies are the better their articulation of speech sounds, the easier it is for them to acquire phonological awareness.” || Once again, another reason why it is so important that children be read to. The more a child is read to, the more vocabulary they are exposed to. This can only benefit all aspects of literacy including the ability to acquire phonological awareness. || “If students experience difficulty learning to segment words, you might try a technique designed by Blachman and colleagues known as Say It and Move It.” || I have personally used this technique with my daughter. It was extremely helpful. I used a rubber band and every time she would say a sound in a word I would have her stretch the rubber band out. || “Knowing where the student is, you can build on his or her knowledge and, through scaffolding, lift the student to a higher level.” || This should be every teacher’s goal for all children that pass through their classroom. ||
 * p. 158
 * p. 164
 * p. 176

Kimberly Hartland Journal Entry 2/21/11

"Creating Literacy Instruction for ALL Students" Thomas G. Gunning __ Chapter 5 __

Overall Reflection: I find that there are two central words used throughout this chapter. Those words are “practice” and “opportunity”. In order for students to effectively learn, they have to be given a lot of practice and many opportunities to apply their skills.

“To create this bond between a word’s written appearance and its pronunciation and meaning, students must have many opportunities to encounter the word in print.” || By giving children more opportunities to see and hear a word, you are giving them more opportunities to make connections and associations. As the children begin to make connections between the two, they become more comfortable with the word and are able to recognize it instantaneously. This helps them build their sight word vocabulary, which aids in fluency. Very true! The more a child see's an object and hears the name of the object word association becomes 2nd nature.---Frances M. || “A good children’s book can be a powerful medium for presenting or providing practice with phonics.” || Children’s books are an excellent way to assist in literacy instruction, including phonics. Most books are very engaging with great illustrations and rich language. Selecting just the right children’s book can sometimes make all the difference. If used effectively, it can be a great motivator.
 * == // Information from Text // == || == // My Reflection // == ||
 * p. 188
 * p. 195

I agree. Phonics books can be very engaging as long as the teacher picks the right books. As part of our assessments for our tutoring project we had to do the interest survey. If a teacher knows where the child's interest level lays they can choose books that appeal to a child. The child will be engaged in the material and be exposed to the phonics as well. It's a win, win situation.-Tori Good point Tori, there is such an assortment of phonics books available that cater to the interests of all students. Aside from being used as an educational tool it is also a way to get students familiar and comfortable with reading, hopefully encouraging a life long interest in reading.---Frances M. || “The more time the at-risk students spent working at their level, the better their progress. This suggests that lessons provided to small groups of students who have approximately the same level of development in phonics is more effective than phonics instruction provided to the whole class.”
 * p. 204

p. 231 “Students shouldn’t progress to the next (phonics) level until they have mastered the current level.” || I completely agree with this concept. Too often I find that teachers fall into the process of teaching phonics on a whole class level. Unfortunately, when this is done a student can fall really behind because they are not given the chance to develop and master a previously taught skill that they will need to build upon.

(I grouped these two quotes together because I think they go hand-in-hand in supporting why it is so important to assess students regularly and then to teach to individual level.)

How can I child be expected to understand a concept if they don't understand the concept before. Each concept acts as a foundation. A contactor wouldn't build a house on a foundation of cement that was still drying and settling. The house would not be level, the foundation would become weak and crack. Each concept is the foundation for the next in phonics. The foundation must be concrete to be secured in the knowledge bank. -Tori It is so important to properly assess students after each lesson, if they don't fully understand one lesson how can they be expected to move to the next one. Phonics is such an important part of reading and writing that if the basics are not in tact, the student is almost being set up to fail. Frances M. Not just to properly assess but also to do something with that assessment. Some schools don't do much in regards to assessment, other schools assess but don't do anything with the results, and a good school/teacher will assess and reagrange lessons to meet the needs of the children based on results.-Tor i This seems to be a hot topic for us! We will definitely have to discuss this further at our independent study group meeting. --Prof. K. || “An excellent device to use for reinforcing both patterns and high-frequency words is a word wall.” || I think word walls are starting to become more and more popular in classrooms. I am just starting to notice some of the younger teacher’s in our school using them. I think they are an excellent idea and provide for even more opportunity for students to encounter more words in print regularly. It also is a great resource for students to refer to if they need assistance with spelling a word. Word walls is not something that I am familiar with, but I can see how this teaching technique is beneficial. ---Frances M. I cannot wait to share my PowerPoints with you later this week. I have some amazing word wall examples that I know will get you excited about teaching word study/phonics. Right now I am using a word wall in my 3rd grade classroom with the read aloud "No Talking." Everyone comes in my classroom and asks, "Why does your read aloud say NO TALKING?" I enjoy the fact that the kids can answer them before I even get the chance! --Prof. K. || “Give students as much guidance as they need, but gradually lead them to the point where they can decode independently.” || As teachers, it is important that we scaffold our students with the expectation that they will be able to perform on their own. In order to do this we have to model the process, provide multiple strategies and above all we have to give them the opportunity to practice and apply the skill. || “A popular technique for fostering fluency is repeated reading.” || I personally would like to explore the effectiveness of this tool a little more. I would think that by having children read the same thing over and over that they would become bored and lose interest in the exercise. I especially think that a child, who dislikes reading or is indifferent towards it already, would become even less motivated. (__Toria__ – I know that you have mentioned that this technique is a problem for you and that rereading the same thing over and over is difficult with ADHD and trying to stay focused.)
 * p. 211
 * p. 225
 * p. 242

It can be very hard for as a student. It's like that with many things in life for me. I find it very hard to watch the same movie twice, read the same book again and again. The method is very effective if the teacher engages the children and changes the reading each time. Example: Day 1 simple exposure to the book children can follow with a recorded book or the teacher reads, picture clues. Day 2. Children read along with the teacher or CD & teacher begins to ask questions. Day 3 Buddy Read. Day 4 write about a page in the book. If the teacher mixes up the lessons and different learning is occurring it can work. If different challenges are given it helps.

I've talked about going back to how we learn 1+1=2. I also look to stradegies that help me and my friends in life. I hate to watch movies twice, unfortunately a few close friends LOVE to watch movies over and over. I am not the sort to quote lines randomly from movie or remember little details but they are. I take from this to the classroom everyone can gain something different from a book. Life lesson, reading stradegy etc. I also learned a coping technique for myself as I am subject to watching movies with them. One stradegy is to look at imdb.com and read the goofs. When I then have to watch the movie I have something to look for, a goal. I also can prepare ahead of time. Maybe I bring a project to work on etc.

I translate these strategies in the classroom by presenting questions that have the reader looking for an answer. Say you are working with the "at" family you could challenge the children to keep track of how many "at" words they can find. Or if I can see a child loosing interest instead of "loosing" them or them becoming a distraction and wiggling around. That child could be a helper my page flipper, or maybe I need a tissue I can ask the child to grab it. I can give them "job" to move around.

I am also reminded of another lesson. We don't always get what we want. Sometimes we have to do things we don't like. It's a life lesson. While every child is unique and different styles work for each one. Exposure to different styles is also good. We can all learn maybe even if the lesson is patience if nothing else.-Tori

I know I went on a rant here, I apologize. An additional thought...a child who struggles or is not engaged may be overwhelmed by a full page of words. Sometimes breaking down the page or covering up some words makes it mentally more manageable. It's one of the reasons poetry can grasp a student's attention. Short bursts of words, sometimes written to form shapes. Since many follow a certain rhythm poems can be a bit musical and appeal to students for that reason alone. Technology also aids teachers when students don't want to go back to reading the same text. For example, if you go to [|http://mrkunz.podomatic.com] I had my fourth grade students last year practice and record poems for the fall season. They must have read the poems 10+ times before they were ready to record and post on the Internet. This was helpful because they were practicing with a purpose in mind. They also kept track of their daily words correct per minute (WCPM) on individual post-its. They were motivated to see that repeating reading resulted in higher scores in oral reading fluency. Again, I like that Toria suggested that the activities be varied. --Prof. K. ||

Kimberly Hartland Journal Entry March 7, 2011

“Creating Literacy Instruction for ALL Students” Thomas G. Gunning __ Chapter 6 __ “To be proficient readers and writers, students must build their vocabularies and learn strategies for coping with difficult words.” || One of the many important responsibilities of a teacher is to help students build their vocabulary by providing language rich learning environments and many opportunities to apply what they have learned. It is also important that teachers provide instruction and modeling on the use of strategies to help students figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words.
 * == // Information from Text // == || == // My Reflection // == ||
 * p. 260

It takes years to develop "your own" rich learning enviroment. The best way to create such a climate is to steal from teachers around you. Immatation is the best flattery. In a sense veteren teachers are modeling behavior for newer teachers. Hence the idea of mentors. -Tori || “The first and most effective step that a teacher can take to build vocabulary is to provide students with a variety of rich experiences.” || As I mentioned above, it is essential that teachers offer an environments in which students are presented with a variety of meaningful experiences. A good place to start is by introducing students to a lot of various types of books that are rich in the language used. || “Vocabulary knowledge is the most important predictor of reading comprehension.” || Children learn a lot of vocabulary indirectly through their day-to-day experiences. However, many disadvantaged children are not exposed to a lot of experiences that would enrich their vocabulary. Therefore, it is essential that vocabulary be taught directly as well in order to promote better reading comprehension. || “in order to build the kind of word knowledge that affects comprehension, learners must actively work with new words – for example by building connections between new words and words they already know and situations with which they are familiar.” || It is important that children have many opportunities to work with words. By doing so, they are more likely to make better connections which will aid in their comprehension.
 * p. 261
 * p. 263
 * p. 264

Words are everywhere! Math, science, social studies, art, gym, music... you name there are words. Every class has the opportunity to work with words. Reading is not just for Language Arts anymore. -Tori This is true. Our school reading coach actually had each class take on a letter from the alphabet to come up with words that match our school. We have a school word wall in our cafeteria. Another reading coach that I worked with even had a word wall in the gym! --Prof. K. || “In school, words are used to instruct, correct, and direct. They should also be used to have fun, as one of the functions of language is to create enjoyment.” || Learning should be fun. Reading should be fun. As teachers, this is something that we should always try to remember and take into consideration when planning our instruction.
 * p. 270

Fun = Engaging!!! -Tori Also a good idea to keep in mind what is engaging and interesting to one is not always fun for someone else. I like to look at a lesson and think "Would I have fun doing this?" || “A good way to begin the day is with a new word. The word might tie in with the day, the time of year, or some special local or national event.” || I think this is a great idea. I’m actually considering even doing it with my girls at home and making a game out of it each day.
 * p. 272

One of the kindergarten teachers wears a badge or sticker everyday. Each week the sticker changes and on that sticker is the word of the week.

For older children even younger I like to play word find. Give children say 6 "random" letters and see how many words they can create with those few letters. -Tori || “Having students retell a story in which a word appears also seems to foster vocabulary growth. Words are used with more precision and in more elaborated fashion during students’ second and third retellings.” || I think children like to tell stories from a very early age. I find that most will talk to anyone who will listen (at least for my daughters). Retelling a story is a great way to develop vocabulary in a fun and exciting way that many children are familiar with.
 * p. 279

Also great for comprehension I would guess. It also gives a child the opportunity to make the story their own.-Tori || “A thesaurus is an excellent tool to help them use a greater range of vocabulary by seeking out and using synonyms.” || I still use a thesaurus to this day. I refer to it often on the computer when writing. I don’t think it is used in school as much as it should be. It’s a great tool for both adults and children. || Kimberly Hartland Journal Entry: March 13, 2011 “Creating Literacy Instruction for ALL Students” Chapter 7
 * p. 280

“As (children) transact with text, proficient, active readers are constantly relating whey they are reading to other experiences they have had, other information in the text they have read, and texts previously read.” || Good comprehension involves children making connections between what they are reading and what they already know. These connections are what make their comprehension so effective. The more they read, the more connections they make to assist in future readings. Because you like to "soak up" a lot of ideas and turn key them with your own children, you will probably find my comprehension handout informative. I have copies for our study group session and we will discuss the different activities. The great thing is that even though you are rather unimpressed with your daughter's school, you are taking a crucial step in providing best practices for literacy instruction at home. How often do you do these mini-lessons with your own kids? Also, where do you find the time? (I'm just curious...) --Prof. K. || Comprehension instruction for young children should e explicit and concrete and in keeping with where they are developmentally.” || Teaching strategies to children that aren’t ready, or at the level needed to use them, is useless for them and a waste of time for the teacher. It is a teacher’s responsibility to assess students and teach to their level. Once a teacher falls into path of teaching to children on the same level, those children who are developmentally not ready for the instruction, will be lost. I find this to be very unfortunate to the children that need it the most.
 * == // Information from Text // == || == // My Reflection // == ||
 * p. 309
 * p. 311

Oh my goodness how right you are. How can we lead children to new learning when they aren't ready. I contractor wouldn't build a house without a foundation! To teach with out a base is to teach at a child not with the child. The child will be lost and so will their attention. -Tori || “Strategy Instruction” || Teaching comprehension strategies is essential to children at all levels. Although, some children pick up on these strategies automatically, most do not. Teachers need to instruct and model these strategies constantly. They also need to give students various opportunities to practice and apply these strategies. || “Summarization, which builds on the organizational strategy of determining main ideas and supporting details, improves comprehension and increases retention.” || I think children learn summarization very early on. As a mother of three, as soon as my girls could talk, they wanted to tell (or retell) me about things they saw or heard. My oldest daughter would watch infomercials on t.v. and then tell me all about them and why I should by the products. I think summarization is a child’s first attempt at a comprehension strategy. Of course, as they get older the strategy needs to be more enhanced. || “Research on metacognitive processes suggests that poor readers find it especially difficult to monitor or repair their reading. They often read materials that are far beyond their instructional levels.” || Unfortunately, this happens everyday in classrooms. However, after reading //Best Practices in Literacy Instruction//, I am finding that it is a huge problem in the middle and high school level where content subjects are taught. Most of these classes are taught with one text, instead of leveled readers for the content area. This puts many struggling students at a disadvantage because most of them can’t read the text.
 * p. 312
 * p. 326
 * p. 339

Indeed. Even if a child is interested in a subject they will do well if they struggle to read and thus understand the information. Children understand that they struggle and become frustrated as they get older. The metacognitive process is amazing unfortunately many students don't speak up or realize they can. Unfortunately we hear stories of students acting out and we don't hear enough students raising their hand and asking for alternate text. If they do it's usually to deaf ears. Sad. As teachers we need to be advocates for these students and their families. -Tori ||

__ Tutoring Project __

Mia is 7 years old and in 2nd grade.

__2/18/11__ - Started the assessments with my daughter, Mia, today. She seemed very exciting to be helping mommy with her schoolwork. I figured I would start out with the fun ones first.

__Garfield Assessment:__ Total raw score was 36. Her score was evenly divided with an 18/18 (recreational/academic). Unfortunately, I wasn’t too surprised with the outcome. She is very indifferent towards reading and this survey basically confirms what I have observed of her to date.

__Interest Survey__: Mia had many interests. Her main interests were animals (horses, dogs, & cats), families, friendship and drawing.

__2/20/11__ - Mia was not as excited as she initially was when she saw the next two assessments that we were going to do. She definately didn't think they were as fun.

__ Examiner Word List __ Second Grade List - Total Identified Automatically 9/20 First Grade List - Total Identified Automatically 14/20 Kindergarten List - Total Identified Automatically 18/20 Mia is performing instructionally on a first grade level and independently on a kindergarten level.

__ Words Their Way Spelling Inventory __ Mia is performing in the middle of the Within Word Pattern level, which features the long vowel patterns.

__ 2/22/11 __ __ Reading Assessment __ Mia read a passage from a 2nd grade benchmark, Arthur’s Funny Money by Lillian Hoban. Mia pronounced most of the words correctly, however her reading was very slow with many pauses and hesitations. Her word accuracy seems to be on target, however her automaticity is very low. She mainly reads word by word.

__ Writing Assessment __ Mia did not want to do this activity at all. After much persuasion and motivation, she finally complied. She wrote about her favorite animal. Overall, Mia’s assessment showed her to be functioning on a Level 2 in all areas except Mechanics, where she placed at level 1.