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Reading Endorsement - Competency 2: Application of Research-Based Instructional Practices
In this course teachers will scaffold student learning by applying the principles of research-based reading instruction and integrating the six components of reading. Teachers will engage in the systematic problem solving process: use data to accurately identify problems, analyze those problems, design and implement interventions, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and intensify instruction based on individual student needs.
Israel Dominguez
ReplyDeleteSection 8
Fluency instruction is not taught in isolation. It is integrated into the entire literacy curriculum. From read-aloud to independent reading, teachers must provide students opportunities to develop automatic and expressive reading. Even when instruction highlights fluency, the modeling, prompts, and practice all focus on making meaning and getting enjoyment from the reading process. Following are some specific practices that are particularly important to fluency acquisition.
Assessments are vital to determine the reading ability. Assessments are tools that provide teachers data to make instructional decisions.
Why text books, supplementary materials and fiction are not aligning to each student’s reading abilities?
Blanca González 11/5/10
ReplyDeleteSession8:
Q:How will this inform your instruction?
A: Assessments are wonderful clinical tools that provide teachers with accurate and useful information about students’ reading abilities.
Literary Assessments are in place and used to determine the reading levels and ability of each student. With that being said, knowing their instructional level,
will then aid and determine the level of reading comprehension of the child. This will then drive the appropriate instruction, material and text for the child.
Q:What does this affirm in your instructional decision?
A:It will affirm the student's reading level. Their reading level will then be confirmed as on or below grade level.
Q: What questions does this article generate for you making?
A: I would just like to know where I could find a variety of materials and assessments for teachers to use with her low functioning reading students.
Taking into account that my students are all ESOL level 1, this article is very important for me to make my instructional practice match the actual reading abilities of my students. By using the data contained in assessments such as the FAIR and the ORF , I can determine the problem areas of each student and differentiate my instructional strategies. Evidently, my students are frequently exposed to passages well beyond their reading abilities, thus creating a high frustration level, which in turn results in indifference towards reading.
ReplyDeleteA question that comes up after reading the article is : Where can I find reading passages with different levels of complexity and from different genre?
beginning with the 2nd paragraph,"to construct meaning from various types of material, reading must be fluent". My students can barely read. They do not have fluency. They do not have an instructional level that matches with any of the school text which we are supposed to use. You could say they are on a constant frustration level, which if anything, reinforces their desire to not read. They also do not come from reading rich backgrounds. There is no reading done at home. How in the world can we expect our very low readers to succeed if we constantly frustrate them? I have an ESE self-contained class, but I also do coteaching and the regular students do not read much better and care less about reading than my ese students. This informs my instruction by letting me know that I have to follow what I know will help my students and not some calendar that has been made for students who are at an independent level. Another question is how in the world can these students that barely read on a 1st grade level be given an FCAT test on a 6th to 8th grade reading level? That just makes no sense whatsoever...
ReplyDeleteAfter reading “Align Each Student’s Reading Abilities to Appropriate Materials for Instruction,” I think teachers are being asked to do way too much. Although noble in its goal, expecting content area teachers to cater to each student’s individual reading level is not practical and unfair to teachers. It’s hard enough to prep and teach the material designed for the grade level of the class. Asking content area teachers to diagnose reading levels and then find alternative literary resources based on each individual student’s level seems impossible to me. It is up to the student and the student’s reading teachers to have the student ready for the appropriate grade level (and all expected reading assignments that come with it).
ReplyDeleteIn my computer classes, we don’t even have textbooks and I must rely on articles from the Internet to present a certain topic. If I had to find 4 or 5 similar articles, each written at the different reading levels of my students, I wouldn't have enough time to prep for my classes.
SPED 1 Session 8
ReplyDelete1. How will this inform my instruction?
I believe it is my professional responsibility to access and analyze student data to determine their needs. Therefore, this artical informed me of the need to provide each student with supplemental material in addition to content area materials to facilitate learning.
2. What does this affirm in your instructional decision making?
It affirm that I must continue to use student data and reading strategies to enhance reading activities that facilitate student learning.
3. What questions does this article generate for you?
The primary question for me would be am I using my knowledge and training to the best of my ability to help students improve their reading abilities.
Content area and reading teachers have a really difficult job to perform: to teach students concepts and content they are unable to comprehend due to their reading abilities.
ReplyDeleteOnce, teachers realize that some of their students are performing below grade level it is important to administer a literacy assessment to determine each student's current reading ability to set each student's reading goals.
Literacy assessments are also important when planning instruction.Teachers can take into consideration data collected from assessments to prepare activities that address each student's needs.
The article is interesting and informative,but it has also generated some questions for me as Where can teachers find other content-related materials?, Do teachers have to administer different assessments to address each student's needs? What will happen when students have to take the FCAT (Science)?
Session 8
ReplyDelete“Instructional Practices for Successful Fluency Development in Students”
Reflection:
I am fortunate enough to have my students grouped according to FCAT levels but nonetheless in the Intensive Reading and IR Plus classes I still see a slight difference in lexile reading levels ranging from 5th grade to college level in the regular intensive class and as low as 2nd grade in my IR Plus class. This makes it necessary to often differentiate instruction and have students work on appropriate lexile reading level materials.
Although these students were previously assessed and palced according to FCAt levels, we continue to further assess them using FAIR, Interim Assessments, administering the ORF all to further investigate and pinpoint the students’ true deficiencies; thus we can cater to their specific needs by differentiating instruction and helping them reach proficiency in reading.
I have seen improvement with my intensive reading students when using the EDGE program for reading. EDGE caters to specific needs and gears instruction toward FCAT and specific lexile levels with the unit novels which the students enjoy reading and learn a great deal from.
How will this inform my instruction?
ReplyDeleteAs a certified ESE teacher, fluency is one of the things that I have always taught but never to the point that it should be emphasized. Fluency assessment was something that I viewed as being taken care of in RIC Lab. However, as of last year I have found a new respect for the importance of fluency, but not fluency taught in isolation; fluency as a subset of comprehension and reading for simple enjoyment. Establishing student independent level allows them to view reading as something to enjoy instead of struggling through.
What does this affirm in your instructional decision?
It affirms the reading levels of the students and the ability to ensure that students at the elementary age realize the joy that maybe found in reading.
What does this article generate for you?
This article generate questions related to supplemental materials for subjects such as Science and Social Studies. The textbooks related to these two subjects are difficult for students with reading deficiencies to comprehend and maintain fluency. Students then show frustration and topics that can be fun become bothersome.
Juliette Hinds
I am a reading teacher, so in my class it is all about helping students learn strategies that can aid them in comprehension in their other classes. Although, not all teachers can cater to students independent level, in my class I do. Also, students are given the opportunity to practice fluency by reading and re reading and listening to a good reader (me) read. I think that although content area teachers can not provide such individualized instruction, the comprehension strategies and vocabulary strategies that are available can really help students who are struggling.
ReplyDeleteWOW! I teach 2nd grade and it is difficult enough to teach content to the students. I never really thought about how difficult it must be for intermediate and upper grade teachers to teach content to students who don't know how to read. All I can say is ... WOW! Lots of questions; lots of problems; not enough solutions!
ReplyDeleteThere are not too many changes I can make in my instructional decision making. I just feel very bad for teachers in those upper grades, as well as for the students. At my grade level, the population is mainly ESOL, and that basically justifies the struggle.
We just need to continue working hard to help struggling readers.
Assigment 8.
ReplyDeleteThe article generates serious questions and promotes actions to increase teacher's effectiveness.
According to the article it is imperative that, before instruction is started, an assessment of the literacy level of the students be conducted.
This is extremelly important to determine the level of comprehension of each student, and hence, take appropiate action to facilitate the proper instructional material according to their level of fluency to supplement their shortfalls.
This type of differentiated instruction will be beneficial for ESOL students regardless of the subject being taught. I have found that most students strugle with word problems because they do not totally comprehend what they are reading and can not clearly identify what is being ask from them. Therefore an effort should be made to provide material according to their literacy level to improve their ability to solve the problems.
In my class it is very difficult to meet the needs of everyones reading level. I am a history teacher and it would be way to difficult to find the material to meet everyones needs everytime. What I do is try to give lots of silent reading and group note taking to help kids understand what they are reading. It is easier for me to make more time for them rather than always bring different reading material. I try to pair up students who have weak reading levels with those with stronger ones to help them annotate what they are reading. This maybe the most difficult thing for teachers to do in there classroom because so many kids are very low readers. It is difficult but if every teacher is working towards the same goal it does make things easier.
ReplyDeleteInstructional Practices for fluency development
ReplyDeleteHow will this inform your instruction?
Before selecting a reading text, it is important to keep in mind the reading level of each student. Assessment is the first thing you need to do in order to determine the specific needs of each student.
What does this affirm in your instructional decision making?
Initial instructional level must be based on learning phonics generalizations and decoding strategies. Vocabulary and comprehension strategies will help students increase their level .
What questions this article generate?
1- What materials should I give my students?
2- What strategies are more appropriate to generate fluency?
3- What is the best methods to use?
4- How Can I assess the student's progress?
My students can read, however most of them choose not to. It's hard to get students who come from the kind of background that my students tend to to read anything. I try to find things for my students to read and write about that will be relevant for them. Relevancy is my key to reaching my students. For my, the relevancy is even more important then their individule levels, although I do see how I need to be more careful in taking the reading levels into acount. Students can surprise me though. My first year of teaching the students were reading 'Twilight', a fairly low level book. One girl in my class didn't want to read it so I told her to pick and book in the library. She chose 'War and Peace'. She finished almost the entire thing and had full comprehension on it.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to assess the students progress. My school employs many different, almost weekly tests of different kinds. The students are overly tested. Without a test though what way can I gauge progress?
I think if the students can't read at their grade level, it will be good to assess them to find which one is their instructional level and provide with some additional material for them to be able to increase their reading level.
ReplyDeleteI know for sure that if we used the data that FAIR provides and we plan accordingly to meet our students needs through interventions, DI, activities that can "catch up" it has to be some growth. I believe that sometimes we feel more frustated than the students and they mirror our feelings. I know is difficult, who said it isn't? But I truly believe if I believe in my students and show them effective strategies to learn, that make sense to them, they start to show progress.
To become a fluent reader it is a very complicated task. It is like to be out of shape for so many years and suddenly the doctor shows you the data that tells you that you have to get in shape. It will not happen in just one day, it required discipline, self-commitment, and motivation. I think that is the same with struggling readers if I show them the data, and I explain the future that it's waitng for them if they do not make an effort, and the choices that they have if they run the extra mile. it sure make a difference. Because at the very end is just a matter of choices or not?
Reflection: Assessment is the first thing we have to do to find the reading level of each student. Since I'm a 6th grade Language Arts/Reading teacher I have a small library with books for all reading levels,not only novels but also science and social studies content books. During silent reading or read aloud they have to share and discuss in group what each of them read. This helps them in their comprehension.Using reading strategies such as KWL, reciprocal teaching, before,during and after reading etc. has helped my students enhanced their reading abilities. As to content area teachers it is difficult to work with students that struggler readers and are not comprehending the text. Maybe they should present the vocabulary words before a teacher think aloud so students can brainstorm about the topic or chapter they will start reading.
ReplyDeleteQuestions?
Should content area teachers also learn reading strategies to apply in their class?
Maybe Reading/language arts textbooks should have more informational articles with data, history,and science to help students have a background knowledge?
Israel dominguez
ReplyDeletesection 8
A- How will this inform my instruction?
The reading levels and ability of each student. are accessed through some test. Those are my professional responsibilities to access and analyze student data to determine their needs. This informed me of the need to provide each student with supplemental material in addition to content area materials to facilitate learning.
B- What does this affirm in your instructional decision making?
This affirms that I must continue to use student data and reading strategies to enhance reading activities that facilitate student learning. :It will confirm the student's reading level. Their reading level will then be confirmed as on or below grade level.
C- What questions does this article generate for you?
My first question would be how am I using my knowledge to do the best for help my students improve their reading abilities. Since my students have low reading function.
The article states that "when text is too difficult and students spend valuable time and energy on decoding and word recognition, they have little or no time and energy left to construct meaning." This really hit home and has made an impression on me. I spend so much time worring about how to pronounce a word and getting each word right that I now comprehend better why students can not understand a thing when they are done reading the material. It made me realize that:
ReplyDelete-listening to the text on tape/cd
- reading it to them
- having them read it after will assist with word recognition and fluency.
Maybe jumping right into the text isn't always the way to go.
It also makes me wonder what other pre-reading strategies can I incorporate to assist with fluency?
The article reinforces much of what I am doing in my class now. I use Fountas and Pinnell running record and scale to determine and monitor literacy progress. Every other week students are given a leveled reader on their instructional level. They perform a number of instructional activities with these readers. After an initial guided reading of the book, students are given 2 fluency assessments using the reader. In addition students are given 2 comprehension assessments.
ReplyDeleteHow will this inform your instruction?
ReplyDeleteAs a SPED teacher I give my students an independent reading inventory at the beginning and the end of the year to see the student progress. So I am aware of the different resources out there.
What does this affirm?
That instruction should always be data driven.
What question does this article generate?
That each student need to establish his own reading ability and encourage daily to read to establish good habitat of readers.
Q. How will this inform your instruction? It is important that I conduct a literacy assessment to identify the areas where students are having problems.
ReplyDeleteQ. What does this affirm in your instructional decision? Based on the result of the literacy assessment, I will be able to make adjustments to the delivery of my instruction.
Q. What questions does this article generate for you making? Where I can get instructional materials related to the literacy assessment to use with my students? What types of assessments are available?
From the article, I learned that students should be able to construct meaning from content based literature and fiction. As a language arts instructor, vocabulary plays a major role in my instruction. I found it interesting that 90 percent of the reading we do in life is informational but when I sat and thought about it, it's true (i.e., DMV book, how to guides, etc.). Another poignant statement I found in the text was where it stated that "When a text is too difficult and students spend valuable time and energy on decoding and word recognition, they have little or no time and energy left to construct meaning." This is apparent with my lower level students when I can see the confusion and bewilderment across their faces as we are reading something in class.
ReplyDeleteThe article “Align Each Student’s Reading Abilities to Appropriate Materials for Instruction” , has repeated a lot of the same issues that we have discussed in class night after night. The article outlines the basic fact that one must align the instructional materials with students’ reading abilities. It is also extremely important to give students that opportunity to “read” materials at his/her instructional level. Although most of the issues discussed in the article sound very easy to follow, as a classroom teacher with students who are all reading below grade level it’s very difficult to accommodation the grade level textbooks when the students can’t read.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the fact that content area teachers should also be aware of their students’ reading abilities even though they do not teach reading. Content area teachers should also try to apply reading strategies within their classrooms in order to support their struggling readers.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. How will this inform my instruction?
ReplyDeleteI believe that as a teacher it’s my responsibility to take inventory of my students learning and accomplishments. We need to be aware at all the students learning styles so that DI can truly be effective.
2. What does this affirm in your instructional decision making?
I must continue to use student data and reading strategies to enhance reading activities that will facilitate my students learning to the fullest potential. Instruction needs to data driven.
3. What questions does this article generate for you?
I’m I reaching all my students in the best way and I’m I encouraging them to be the best possible readers they can be.
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From the article, I learned that students should be able to create meaning from content based literature. As a language arts instructor, vocabulary plays a very important part in my instruction. I am grateful they stated 90 percent of the reading we do in life is informational because it's true. Another stand-out statement I found in the text was where it stated that "When a text is too difficult and students spend valuable time and energy on decoding and word recognition, they have little or no time and energy left to construct meaning." This is very visible in my lower level students when I can see the confusion on their faces as we are reading something in class.
ReplyDelete