ELNG 310 Portfolio Activity Week 9
Teaching Reading
Names: Ian, Abigail, Robyna
Scenario
You are a new grade 1 teacher in a school in an ‘at-risk’ neighbourhood. The school has performed poorly in provincial reading assessments and is under pressure to see more students reading at grade level by the end of grade 3 - as per Ministry goals.
The school is in a low income area and there is a high level of transience in the school. You have 24 students in your class. About half have self identified as Indigenous. There are also an increasing number of newcomer English language learners in the school.
The school is a vibrant and welcoming environment. Staff are committed and engaged with the community. There is an Indigenous Advocate on staff and an elder who visits the school on a regular basis.
Instructions
How will you develop your reading program? What are your priorities? What strategies will you use? Where will you begin?
Develop your reading program:
We'll communicate our priorities to the students and families. We will explain the importance of literacy and how it can benefit everyone. Also, we will have a plan to explain how reading will be promoted, celebrated and encouraged everywhere throughout the school.
Our Group Priorities:
Determine the reading level the students are at: who may work independently or close to and who needs more support
Determine student’s interest
Strategies we will use:
Use the daily 5: read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, work on writing word work
Reading Inventories: having “just right texts” to find a middle point in the student’s interest and reading level. Making sure these texts are available are just as important
Incorporate and distribute a survey similar to the one received to determine what kinds of books the students like, what interests them and how they can be more engaged in reading.
Create a class library based on the information gained from the survey and discussions. Speak to the students frequently. Bring them to the school library and see where they go. Discuss their interests.
Give opportunities to celebrate reading. If the students what to talk about a book, give them that opportunity.
As the teacher, show your genuine interest in reading and frequently speak about a book you've read and why you loved it. Be a reading role model.
Where we begin:
Using EYE (Early Year Evaluation - ages 3-6) test to collect data on the student’s current performance
Bring the Indigenous Advocate into the classroom to share their experience in reading and why they find it important/how it has helped them throughout their life
Library field trip - allow the students to explore and observe which books they gravitate towards. Use this to build the classroom library and guide the students in choosing or being interested in appropriate text.
Read to the students at least 30 minutes everyday.
Encourage activities that require reading like instructions or recipes.
In developing your response consider:
The range of typical readers
Readers who might not be seen as typical
Effective reading instruction
Gradual release of responsibility
Levelled reading programs
Engagement, fluency and comprehension
You may also want to draw on other conversations and materials from earlier in the semester.