All About Me...    

My name is Tracey Capuano, and I am excited to be your child's third grade teacher!  I enjoy students and truly love teaching!  This is my sixteenth year as a Codington teacher -- and I have two daughters, Maiah and Angelia, who completed their elementary years here, so I have been a Codington parent, as well.  In addition to spending time with my children, I also enjoy reading, scrapbooking, American history, and my two cats!

My background includes a Master of Education degree in Curriculum and Instructional Supervision and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, as well as certification as an instructional coach and elementary educator, and special education certification in seven areas of practice.  I have around twenty-seven years of teaching experience, including positions within all levels of education -- preschool, elementary, middle, and high school -- and have experience in teaching a wide range of learners, including general education students, as well as gifted students and students with disabilities. I also previously served as our school's MTSS Coordinator, organizing the student support process and providing specialized instruction in reading, writing, and math for students.  I believe that this wide range of experience enables me to understand the many variables associated with a successful learning setting for my second grade students.

I approach literacy instruction with a focus on the five components of reading, which include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as well as a focus on spelling and writing.  I plan active lessons that integrate concepts and skills through engaging strategies and attention to student interest. Typical teaching strategies include skill modeling and guided practice, read aloud, book and author studies, cooperative learning activities, readers’ theater, class discussions, group games, and activities that integrate technology. I use a variety of fiction and nonfiction books and passages, as well as poetry, articles, songs, and other reading material.  

For math instruction, I focus on building a conceptual framework for numbers and operations, as well as teaching explicit strategies for computation and problem-solving. Typical strategies include modeling concepts and strategies with manipulatives, guided skill practice, cooperative learning activities, projects, and group games.

As an educator, I believe it is important to focus on all aspects of child development in the classroom.  In addition to meeting your child's academic needs, I also focus on each child's social and emotional development and take specific steps to ensure that my classroom is a positive place where children learn within a supportive community of parents and students. I value a learning climate where students support each others’ efforts, celebrate their strengths, and feel confident in who they are as individuals.  I seek to develop a strong rapport with your child and to truly understand his/her unique attributes and abilities.  My major goal is to interest students in the learning process, while also promoting student responsibility.  I believe that children learn best when the content and class activities are active and of interest to them, and I believe that this enables students to become responsible for their effort in the learning process.  

We will have a great year!  You may contact me at tracey.capuano@nhcs.net or through the main office.