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Teaching Young Readers
"Give a man a fish, you feed him for the day;
Teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."
-Lao-Tzu
"Give a man a fish, you feed him for the day;
Teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."
-Lao-Tzu
Literacy Focus Project
For this project, we were asked to create a product that would be applicable to our real-life teaching setting. In one of my teaching positions, I conducted small-group reading intervention groups daily, as did many of the other teachers in my building. Oftentimes we asked ourselves, "What are some of the best, most effective ways to use this time?" I created a PowerPoint presentation and wrote an accompanying paper explaining my presentation and research, meant to be shown to my colleagues. This presentation was meant educate other teachers in my building on effective strategies for building reading fluency that can be used during small-group intervention time. Below you will find links to the PowerPoint presentation on Small Group Reading Interventions and Reading Fluency, and the accompanying paper.
For this project, we were asked to create a product that would be applicable to our real-life teaching setting. In one of my teaching positions, I conducted small-group reading intervention groups daily, as did many of the other teachers in my building. Oftentimes we asked ourselves, "What are some of the best, most effective ways to use this time?" I created a PowerPoint presentation and wrote an accompanying paper explaining my presentation and research, meant to be shown to my colleagues. This presentation was meant educate other teachers in my building on effective strategies for building reading fluency that can be used during small-group intervention time. Below you will find links to the PowerPoint presentation on Small Group Reading Interventions and Reading Fluency, and the accompanying paper.
Teaching Beliefs and Practices Paper
This paper was completed in two parts, at two separate times in the semester. Initially, I reflected on my personal reading instructional practices and beliefs at the very beginning of the course. Later, I identified aspects of my own teaching of reading that were affirmed by course-related experiences, aspects of my teaching of reading that have been drawn into question through course-related experiences, and discussed my plans for continuing to learn about and practice effective reading instruction. It was a rich experience to draw upon examples of how my thinking was challenged and changed as a result of my learning during the semester.
This paper was completed in two parts, at two separate times in the semester. Initially, I reflected on my personal reading instructional practices and beliefs at the very beginning of the course. Later, I identified aspects of my own teaching of reading that were affirmed by course-related experiences, aspects of my teaching of reading that have been drawn into question through course-related experiences, and discussed my plans for continuing to learn about and practice effective reading instruction. It was a rich experience to draw upon examples of how my thinking was challenged and changed as a result of my learning during the semester.
Literacy Learner Case Study
This case study began by identifying a struggling reader in my classroom. I wrote extensively about my focus student's home and family life and literacy history, and assessed my classroom's emotional climate in relation to this student. I administered several pre-assessments and analyzed this data in order to create lesson plans designed specifically for my focus student. After teaching the lessons and completing post-assessments, I was able to reflect on my lesson plans and write a mock report of recommendations to teachers and parents of this student. I found this process to be very effective for this particular student. All of these components are included in the document below.
This case study began by identifying a struggling reader in my classroom. I wrote extensively about my focus student's home and family life and literacy history, and assessed my classroom's emotional climate in relation to this student. I administered several pre-assessments and analyzed this data in order to create lesson plans designed specifically for my focus student. After teaching the lessons and completing post-assessments, I was able to reflect on my lesson plans and write a mock report of recommendations to teachers and parents of this student. I found this process to be very effective for this particular student. All of these components are included in the document below.
Literature Position Paper
This assignment served as a final reflection piece for a reading methods and literature course. The objective was to synthesize my knowledge and understanding of children's and adolescent literature from the course. This assignment was unique because the focus was on literature as literature, and not only as a tool for achieving curricular goals. My takeaways from this course are explained in my Literature Position Paper.
This assignment served as a final reflection piece for a reading methods and literature course. The objective was to synthesize my knowledge and understanding of children's and adolescent literature from the course. This assignment was unique because the focus was on literature as literature, and not only as a tool for achieving curricular goals. My takeaways from this course are explained in my Literature Position Paper.
Expanding My Own Literacy:
Learning to Read Through a Variety of "Lenses"
Independent Reading Project
My learning throughout graduate school went beyond the topic of educating children and elementary literacy. I spent most of my time dedicated to learning about how to strengthen the reading comprehension of my young learners, but I did have great opportunity to strengthen my own reading comprehension and appreciation for literature by learning how to read literature
through various lenses and for multiple purposes... something new to me! This assignment included had many goals. First, I located a variety of children's and young adult literature across genres, all published within the past 10 years. During the selection process, I read through different lenses, including including myself as a reader, and being a teacher as a reader. Also, I considered the reading purposes of pleasure and pedagogy. Throughout the semester I carefully and critically read the pieces of literature I had selected. After completing all 20 books, I analyzed and synthesized theoretical understandings of children's and adolescent literature while considering and connecting themes and current issues of literature across the various titles. The result of this work is this Independent Reading Project paper.
My learning throughout graduate school went beyond the topic of educating children and elementary literacy. I spent most of my time dedicated to learning about how to strengthen the reading comprehension of my young learners, but I did have great opportunity to strengthen my own reading comprehension and appreciation for literature by learning how to read literature
through various lenses and for multiple purposes... something new to me! This assignment included had many goals. First, I located a variety of children's and young adult literature across genres, all published within the past 10 years. During the selection process, I read through different lenses, including including myself as a reader, and being a teacher as a reader. Also, I considered the reading purposes of pleasure and pedagogy. Throughout the semester I carefully and critically read the pieces of literature I had selected. After completing all 20 books, I analyzed and synthesized theoretical understandings of children's and adolescent literature while considering and connecting themes and current issues of literature across the various titles. The result of this work is this Independent Reading Project paper.
"The Reading Teacher"
To the world, you may be just one person; but to one person;
but to one person, you may be the world."
-Josephine Billings
To the world, you may be just one person; but to one person;
but to one person, you may be the world."
-Josephine Billings
An Inspiration Article
During the TE 842: Elementary Reading Assessment and Instruction course, our weekly assignments consisted of authentic
opportunities to illustrate our learning. I truly enjoyed completing these types of assignments rather than the typical essay-style responses we expect most classes to follow. For the module on motivation in reading, I wrote a piece that was designed to be like an article in The Reading Teacher section of the International Reading Association journal. Read to find out about how one student's words impacted me as a teacher and how I connected this to my learning on reading motivation...
Realize that, as a teacher, you just may be "the world" to a student!
During the TE 842: Elementary Reading Assessment and Instruction course, our weekly assignments consisted of authentic
opportunities to illustrate our learning. I truly enjoyed completing these types of assignments rather than the typical essay-style responses we expect most classes to follow. For the module on motivation in reading, I wrote a piece that was designed to be like an article in The Reading Teacher section of the International Reading Association journal. Read to find out about how one student's words impacted me as a teacher and how I connected this to my learning on reading motivation...
Realize that, as a teacher, you just may be "the world" to a student!