Week 3-Assignment 1

Shared Reading:

Ms. Perez literacy lesson begins with a shared reading phase in which all students sit together on a rug. During this time, Ms. Perez guides her students through the poem, and reminds them strategies that will help them sound out difficult words.  Shared reading promotes literacy in many ways. Firstly, during shared reading all students have access to the same text and everyone is learning at the same pace. Secondly, during shared reading a teacher can choose books on a higher level then she would usually opt for since she will be there to help the students out. Also, during shared reading a teacher can engage students in a think aloud and model strategies that are the focus of the lesson.

Shared reading is also a wonderful time to time to teach a new phonics lesson. Ms. Perez introduces the ot rhyme with the exciting poem “hot dogs”. By choosing a poem that students connect to she has captured the students’ attention and they are eager to learn.

Guided Reading:

During the guided reading phase, Ms. Perez scaffolds her students learning in an amazing manner. She teaches her students to verbalize the strategies that they used to figure out words they don’t recognize. Ms. Perez repeats what the students have told her because as Ms. Perez says, “when I verbalize the strategy they use, the more it gets internalized.” I loved the technique she taught her students to look at pictures to gain hints on the words. Her students performed better as soon as they did that. By teaching them various techniques she is enabling them to then go on and read on their own.

Differentiated Instruction:

Ms. Perez is a teacher who cares deeply about each student and strives to create a classroom setting which caters to all her students on different reading levels. During differentiated instruction, students have a chance to learn based on their own level. The classroom is divided into many centers and students chose activities that interest them. A lower level student will have an assistant teacher to guide her. For the advanced reader Ms. Perez ups the standard by believing in them and helping them research spiders. There is even a computer-based reading center. In such a calm and professional environment, it is no wonder that her students look so happy and at peace.

Reading and writing are very dependent on each other and Ms. Perez makes sure to include writing activities in her lessons as well. Students are encouraged to write a summary on the text they have read. By encouraging students to write about “what their fish can do” Ms. Perez is encouraging creative thinking. The fact that Ms. Perez will then create a book out of all their work makes students feel like real writers.

Assessments:

Ms. Perez uses assessments as a means to guide her instruction.  She uses a DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) leveled reader. While the student reads she fills out a running record in which she records the mistakes the student has made. With this information Ms. Perez knows what skills which student needs to sharpen.

Ms. Perez uses a brilliant charting method to record student levels. By charting progress so clearly, she is constantly reminded where her students need to get to and she has a great vision in mind.

I believe that assessments are the key to many locked doors when it comes to student progress and I recommend that all English Language teachers implement it in their classroom. In my own classroom I use the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessments. I assess my students in the beginning of the school year and place them into 3 literacy groups. (high level readers, average and weak) Then in the middle of the year I assess, recording student’s comprehension, fluency and accuracy. At the end of the school year I assess once again and give myself a big tap on the shoulder for a job well done.