Reading Instruction

Check out my presentation on reading instruction programs:

http://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cbnb2J6I1p 

Week 4- RTI

RTI seems to be a very effective method of teaching literacy. In RTI, all students receive a good instruction by their regular classroom teacher. This is Tier 1. Students that are not making sufficient progress get intervention in smaller groups by either the regular teacher or a specialist. This is Tier 2. Students that need even more intervention need to move to Tier 3, where the level of instruction is increased and the number of students is reduced. Of this small percentage of students, some might be referred to special education services. Yet, most students are able to succeed with RTI.

It is important to note that while instruction is provided in these three levels, the Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention do not replace Tier 1, rather they accompany the regular instruction. Students that are receiving intervention still need to complete the required readings and activities of Tier 1.

The part of RTI that makes it so successful, in my opinion, is that RTI does not allow students to fall through the cracks. Teachers discuss the progress of their students very often, weekly, so that the students have a chance to receive appropriate intervention as soon as an issue is noted. The students’ achievements and levels are constantly assessed to see whether they are doing well or they need assistance. RTI does not support “waiting to fail”, rather intervention right away.

This positive detail of RTI causes a question to arise in my mind, however. Since RTI is so quick to assess students and intervene, what happens to a child that does not have learning disabilities, but he simply is a slower learner? Does such a child receive assistance even though he is perfectly able to learn effectively in Tier 1? 

Week 2- Common Core

The fourth-grade sample lesson plans showed me that a teacher can create lessons that are interesting and engaging, and that address the needs and abilities of each child, while still adhering to the common core standards. A teacher should think creatively, and use the standards to engage and teach each child.

To assess students’ reading levels, teachers can use running records or QRI-5. They can also use informal assessments. They should watch how the students work in a group setting, and take note of their participation in discussions and lessons. This would give the teacher an idea of whether or not the child is keeping up with the class.

Week 3: QRI-5

What is QRI-5?

QRI-5 is an informal reading inventory used to identify reading level. Each child is individually assessed in reading and comprehension. QRI-5 provides graded word lists and numerous passages designed to assess the oral and silent reading and listening ability of students from the Pre-K to 12^th grade.

What is the purpose of using QRI-5?

QRI-5 helps the teacher see the issues that struggling students may have and provide instruction based on the results of the assessment.

Have you seen similar assessment activities like QRI-5? What are they?

Yes, running records and miscue analysis.

What is your impression of QRI-5?

I especially like the QRI-5 method. It focuses on many different reading issues that a child may have, and allows the teacher to see where the child is up to in various areas. It is very detailed. I would definitely love to implement QRI-5 in my classroom; I think that this can help me pinpoint issues of students and address them appropriately.

Week 2: Assignment 3

Reflections on Videos:

After watching the 10 Mini Videos, I have gained great insight, ideas, and strategies to implement when teaching. Here are the main ideas that I learnt from the videos:

A parent has the ability to make a child love to read and wish to read from  very young age. When a parent reads to a child, the child grasps the concept of print, and, more importantly, he sees that reading matters.

In very young children, the ability to hear language is highly developed. By 12 months old, a baby is already a specialist in his native language. A baby can distinguish between sounds that adults cannot. Therefore, when a parent speaks to an infant, he/she is providing the infant with important information to become a good reader in the future.

When a parent reads to a child, and focuses on words and sounds it helps the child learn phonemic awareness. Word games help a child realize that words are made up of individual sounds. Playing word games help give the child important skills for reading.

Fluency, reading quickly without hesitation comes from understanding the text. Focusing on comprehension helps children gain the skills to decode rapidly.

One teacher introduces new words and ideas by using a word web. Teaching children vocabulary words helps them discover new words and meaning, and it also helps them as a writer since they become accustomed to using different words to make the writing more interesting.

Spelling should be taught in a fun way, so as not to give the students the impression that spelling is hard and that it has to be memorized. One teacher played a fun activity with her students where they had were learning about “ing”, and they noted whether each word had nothing, E drop, or double. Besides for being fun, this method showed the students that spelling has patterns and is not difficult.

Jigsaw learning supports comprehension, and skills of working collaboratively.

It is important for students to write every day in order to become good writers. They must also become comfortable sharing their writings so that they have the confidence to produce great writings. Students should feel that they are all learning together, sharing ideas, and learning from each other.

Ongoing assessment of a students is critical. It ensures that the students doesn’t just fall behind, and gets the appropriate assistance and guidance.