1
Shelly Speagle
RE 5710
Dr. Woodrow Trathen
Fall, 2005
Question 1/Correction
Question 1 Response
How should reading be taught in first grade? What method should be used? Should children be expected to learn at the same rate? There are many “shoulds” in education and clearly there is no guide or explanation that answers the learning issues of all children. After many years of teaching, two children of my own, and graduate courses, I have learned that the “best” methods of teaching is anything and everything that works. So, I use many different methods and styles. However, there are several principles that guide my teaching.
This will be my twentieth year teaching. I have taught K,1,2, and 3 grades. I like this saying. Know your stuff. Know whom you’re stuffing and stuff them elegantly. Each year, I hope I learn some new stuff which I can use in my classroom.
The first principle that guides my teaching is that it is important to “understand” the child you are teaching. What are some of the behaviors that are common to the 5, 6, and 7 years old child (Kelly/Behavior.SVR)? It is important to note that the child’s chronological age man or may not mirror his development age. The five year old does not tell about school at home, loves to help, wants to be good, is very literal, and accepts an adult’s verdict as final. The five and one half year old wiggles, turns letters in all directions, is restless, and tires easily. The six year old is very changeable, stubborn, cries a lot, fusses with playmates, and may “refuse” to obey parents. The seven year old tends to be distracted, is more serious and thoughtful, erases a lot, and is less resistant and stubborn. Each year, I reread this list (which includes many more behaviors) and I distribute a list to my parents. Next, I believe that it is important to honor parents as partners in education. It is also important that teachers are responsible and concerned. Teachers need to continue to learn and continually change and improvement teaching strategies and knowledge. Lastly, learning must be active and developmentally appropriate. Teachers must consider learning styles. I consider all these principals when I make decisions concerning first grade reading instruction.
I teach at BanoakElementary School in CatawbaCounty. Banoak is anold rural school. The environment is usually too hot or too cold and something is always broken. We are a small school. I think we have almost three hundred students. I have an assistant that is shared with two other first grade teachers.
Most of our children’s parents attended Banoak and plan to remain in the community. The population is poor and most are either unemployed or work in furniture. We have a high percentage of free lunch children. We have very few ESL children. The parents love their school!
We have very good children. They are kind and want to learn. However, the children have very limited experiences and typically do not attend preschool. This year, I have eighteen white children. Sixteen of the eighteen children are considered at risk for reading failure. This is typical for my classroom. My principal knows that I enjoy working with children who need “a little more help” with reading. He supports my program and gives me the freedom to try innovative ideas. Last year, I started with seventeen out of eighteen at risk readers. At the end of the year, eight children read above grade level, eight read on grade level, and one child read Primer. I am confident that I can teach my children to read.
Assessment
At the beginning of the school year, I assess the children. The students are given the K-2 literacy assessment. The assessment covers phonemic awareness, book print, concept of print, word recognition, and spelling. It takes about one hour to administer. I use these scores, my judgment, and additional important data such as retentions to determine flexible groups of readers. The children are officially tested again in January and at the end of the school year. We also do ongoing assessments about every four weeks with at risk students. Naturally, we use other information such as informal observations to assess the children. These assessments offer important information about each student.
Reading Groups
I work with several teachers including Title I, Exceptional Children; two Orton trained teacher assistants, and my seventy-six year old mother to provide small ability leveled groups. After children are assessed, the group leaders assign the children to reading groups. These groups meet each day. We have a one hour and twenty minute uninterrupted morning reading block to teach reading. One hour is divided into two blocks of time. After thirty minutes, the children go to the bathroom and complete movement activities which include dancing, exercising to music, or playing movement games. The highest functioning group is the largest and is taught by the least experienced. The middle groups are taught by teacher assistants. The lowest groups are taught by certified teachers. My mom “subs” for any leader who is absent. She also takes care of any “emergencies” and occasionally rocks sad children and walks children who need an “activity” break. Her role is vital to the success of my program. The group leaders have a common sharing time each day to discuss lessons, brainstorm needed suggestions, and provide any needed assistance. During the first thirty minutes, the children complete a Saxon Lesson. The Saxon Lesson is combined with Orton and additional multisensory strategies. The next thirty minutes is spent reading leveled text. The children are moved through these leveled text. The teachers follow similar procedures. On Day 1, the text is previewed. After the teacher completes this picture walk, the children echo read. The teacher checks comprehension during the reading. On Day 2, the children partner read. The teacher provides needed support. On Day 3, the children round-robin read the story. The children have practiced and can read the material. We know that round-robin does not help beginning readers unless they have opportunity to practice the material. The procedure is adjusted as the year progresses. The groups are flexible. If a child’s ability improves after a few weeks, he is moved to another group. Additionally, we identify children who need additional reading support, these children are “pulled out” of the classroom and the Title I teacher and EC teacher provide additional instruction. We also try to identify any needs that the children might have and brainstorm suggestions such as referrals to Social Services and positive ways to deal with discipline issues. Each year, I tutor one child that needs additional help. I tutor this child after or before school for thirty minutes four days each week. My goal is to train additional tutors and provide this service for additional children. I follow the Dr. Morris’ procedure that we studied in graduate school and I find it very successful.
Leveled Text
I believe that carefully graded reading materials are important. I am sure that these materials are key when teaching at-risk children learn to read. For these reasons, I chaired a school raffle which raised $8,000 to purchase leveled texts for a K-2 Book Room. The collection was organized and a group of teachers worked many hours to carefully choose and organize leveled texts. We followed suggestions made by several Appalachian State professors including Dr. Darrell Morris and Dr. Janet Bloodgood. Each year, we continue to add to the collection. Additionally, we kept basal readers that have controlled decodable text. We ordered Wright Group and Rigby series. The room also includes books on tape and recorded texts. The books are beautiful and motivating.
Peer Teaching
My school day begins at 7:45. During the first thirty minutes, the children are divided into four groups. Each group has five children. Fifth grade students work with the groups. For the first several weeks, the older children play Sight Word Bingo with the children. Each child has an individual card filled with words appropriate to his reading level. Each child has a copy of their Bingo card to take home and play with their parents. The children love this activity. I supervise all the groups. The fifth graders help my class all year during this time. The activity changes as the year progress. The fifth graders help the children make books, record stories, and learn to write. The children also develop word banks.
Writing/Literacy Centers/Spelling
Writing is another important part of first grade instruction. We do daily writing. We use a process model. The topics are self selected and invented spelling is encouraged. The children work in centers each day. Most of the writing is completed in the LiteracyCenter. There is a Sharing Table for completed work. The children revise their work until it is ready to be published. We recognize the need for a real audience. So, we post completed work in the county library, the area grocery stores, and the mall.
Lap Reading
I read aloud to the children each day. I read narratives and poetry to my children while focusing on different authors. At the beginning of the year, I send a list of authors home, and ask for book donations. I enjoy this time. My children look forward to being read to each day. We have book celebrations such as Book Teas where children read to the group. I often tell the children about books that I enjoy.
Reading Center/Self-selected reading
I have spent many years developing a beautiful reading center. The books are divided into collections. The center includes two book display shelves, six book cases of grouped, leveled, and organized books, with a bench and large floor pillows. The center also includes a lamp and many baskets of books including big books. There is a listening center with various books on tapes.
Each day, the children read self-selected books for about fifteen minutes. The reading is independent. However, the children sometimes read with a partner. I read with individual children during this time. I used several strategies to help the children with this activity. One successful activity is BYOL or Bring your own lollipop the children enjoy eating lollipops while they read “silently.” My children have “whisper phones” to help with quiet or whisper reading. The “whisper phones” are curved pipes that they can use like a telephone. Another helpful activity for partner reading is to ask the children to sit facing different directions and read quietly into their partners ears. I have found many simple ways to encourage children to read.
Home Connections
I understand that parents are a powerful force in their child’s education. Children spend a small percentage of their waking hours at school. I know that how a student spends the time outside of the school day makes a tremendous difference in what the student knows and is able to accomplish. I also know that my partnership with parents will play a large role in their child’s success. I try to provide numerous opportunities to strengthen this partnership. First, I strive to provide many ways for parent communication. Before school begins, I schedule home visits. The home visit provides answers to many questions and helps establish a relationship with the family. If the family has needs or questions, I provide if possible or contact the needed agencies. Also, I explain forms and procedures during the visit. Next, I telephone families during the first week of school. This gives families another opportunity to ask questions. Then, I send weekly notes to families. I also provide positive phone calls and notes to each child. Also, we have four parent nights and an Open House during the year. We have a Family Math Night, two Family Reading Nights, and a Community Resource Night. Parent Volunteers help support the classroom in many different ways. After talking with each family, I try to find a way to help all parents “share” in the success of the classroom. I believe parents want successful children. I am always looking for ways to improve communication with my classroom families.
Lastly, I realize I need to keep learning. I need to be a better listener and questioner. I need to help children clarify their thinking. I want children to share personal triumphs and difficulties. I must be a strong and knowledgeable model. I am the single most power model in my classroom and I take that seriously.