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Reading
Reading
Knowing how students approach and view reading is important in understanding what they know about reading. Attached are some helpful tips on how to have informal observations to begin your assessment.
What is the difference between Skills and Strategies?
What is the difference between Skills and Strategies?
Strategies
Strategies
Specific goal directed focus (lessons) on decoding, understanding and comprehension of text.
used specifically during teaching of initial learning about text (letters, sounds)
practice helps students understand decoding, word recognition and understanding
explicit teaching, explaining and modeling of reading strategies
(Afflerbach, Pearson, & Paris, 2008)
Skills
Skills
Automatic actions that result in decoding and comprehension (speed, fluency)
teaching skill of how to think may need to be directly taught
skills should be reviewed and re-taught to reinforce its effectiveness
(Afflerbach, Pearson, & Paris, 2008)
Book Recommendations
Book Recommendations
This is an indispensable resource for teachers who want to explicitly teach thinking strategies so that students become engaged, thoughtful, independent readers.
300 strategies to share with readers in support of thirteen goals—everything from fluency to literary analysis. Each strategy is cross-linked to skills, genres, and Fountas & Pinnell reading levels
Promotes better reading comprehension with effective, engaging strategies that help students think while they read -- Connect, Question, Visualize, Infer, and Transform.
A great visual reminder for young readers to practice reading strategies.
RTI - Response to Intervention
RTI - Response to Intervention
At our school we have class review meetings in late September where teachers fill out a RTI triangle of their class (Tier 1, 2, and 3 based on Academic and Social Emotional needs). We meet with the School based team (LAT, Principal, Resource Teacher, Counsellor, and other support staff necessary) to outline where support is required in each class. The screening is based on Reading benchmarks, teacher input/observation, and prior learning concerns (LP, IEP, etc). This is usually reviewed each term to determine if support needs to be redistributed to other classes.
Tier 1
Tier 1
Assessment
Benchmark assessments – done multiple times a year
General screening- behavioural and academic
Instruction
High quality classroom instruction
Extra support in the classroom- collaboration with support staff
Tier 2
Tier 2
Assessment
Benchmark assessments – done multiple times a year
Progress Monitoring- regular basis
Instruction
High quality classroom instruction
Extra support in the classroom- in class support from a Resource/Support teacher, differentiated materials
Small group directed lessons
Tier 3
Tier 3
Assessment
Benchmark assessments – done multiple times a year
Progress Monitoring – frequent basis
Instruction
High quality classroom instruction
Intense and individualized support in the classroom- in class support from a Resource/Support teacher, student may have their own EA, highly differentiated materials
Extra support out of the classroom- pull out targeted to the student’s specific needs
Support can be provided by:
Support can be provided by:
LAT
Aboriginal Advocate
Counsellor
Classroom Support
Resource Teacher/CEA’s
Admin
Teacher
SET Teacher
Some strategies/interventions:
Some strategies/interventions:
In class support
Multi leveled text (Reading A to Z, PM books, high interest readers
Small group instruction
Teacher collaboration
Homework Club
Morning reading program - usually Tier 2/3
High 5 (intensive reading support program) - Tier 3
Pull out support - Tier 3
Sight Word Practice
Sight Word Practice
I purchased this pack from TPT and found my struggling students love it.
Have students go on a word hunt. Find sight words in their work.
Sight word memory game.
Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension
Comprehension Strategies
Comprehension Strategies
Activate background knowledge
Listen, then read
Modelling strategies
Re-reading
Retelling (beginning, middle, end)
Answering questions/making inferences
Making connections
Story Maps/ Graphic Organizers
Adrienne Gear Strategies
Daily 5
High interest, low level readers (RAZ kids)
Resources:
5 Ways to Support Students with Reading Comprehension
Strategies to help students who decode well, but have difficulty with comprehension (focus - elementary and middle school teachers).
Virtual Learning - Reading Comprehension
Strategies to help teachers promote reading skills in a virtual learning classroom. Contains online resources to aid in teaching.
Reading Fluency
Reading Fluency
fluency is the link between recognizing words and understanding them; moving past decoding
reading out loud encourages fluency; read like you speak
fluent readers can focus on higher level reading skills (understanding)
a strong foundation of skill based lessons allows for fluency to be developed
to encourage; repeated reading, teacher modelling, progress monitoring (benchmarks)
practice, practice practice
(Reading Eggs, 2019) (Read Naturally, 2020)
Resources:
Strategies to Develop Reading Fluency
Strategies to encourage fluent readers in an elementary classroom (includes resource links).
10 Strategies to encourage fluency for an independent reader.
Writing Disabilities
Writing Disabilities
Proficiency in Language is not a indicator of handwriting, spelling, and/or writing (Carmichael & Hale, 2016). Often direct teaching is necessary for children to be successful.
Approximately 4-6% of students have a written language learning disability (Bernstein, 2013)
Writing disabilities may be a result of sensory, integration or motor problems. In my experience, I see motor problems most frequently in early elementary school.
In our district we do a spelling assessment with the students to determine where spelling errors are occurring. In class we focus on many of these strategies listed to support struggling students (spelling practice, directed writing lessons, and handwriting practice. Some of the strategies (using graph paper) are areas I would like to explore more.
Handwriting
Handwriting
Handwriting is an important skill to retain, especially in a digital age. We are seeing an increasing number of fine motor skills, language difficulties and writing disabilities that are tied to the loss of handwriting skills.
Resources
Resources
Bernstein, J. H. (2013). Process Analysis in the Assessment of Children. The Boston Process Approach to Neuropsychological Assessment: A Practitioner's Guide, 300.
Carmichael, J. A., & Hale, J. B. (2016, December 22). Interventions for Students with Writing Disabilities. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.ldatschool.ca/developing-interventions-for-students-with-writing-disabilities-addressing-the-most-complex-academic-problem/
Reading Eggs. (2019, January 08). Reading Fluency: What is Fluency? Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://readingeggs.com/articles/2019/01/08/what-is-reading-fluency/
Read Naturally. (2020). Fluency. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.readnaturally.com/research/5-components-of-reading/fluency
Response to Intervention: What is RTI Reading Naturally, https://www.readnaturally.com/rti, accessed Nov. 29th 2020
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