The first step in engaging students in their literacy learning is to ensure that they are able to access the content and develop confidence in their abilities. “Believing in yourself is more closely linked to achievement than any other motivation throughout school”(Gambrell & Morrow, 2015, pg. 63). The Common Core State Standards place importance on rigor and higher-level comprehension skills. It is not enough to read a text, but students must also deeply comprehend and understand the text in order to make new meaning from it. As educators, we focus on providing quality, comprehensive literacy instruction to our students with high expectations. We must also give careful thought to our instructional approach to make it accessible for all students. A group of students is composed of different ability levels, we cannot take a “one size fits all” approach. Teachers can help provide individualized instruction through the practice of differentiation. Differentiation is the process of planning instruction to support differences in student learning needs. “In other words, when teachers differentiate they are meeting the individual needs of their students without diminishing expectations or sacrificing curricular rigor”(Gambrell & Morrow, 2015, pg. 9). The following artifacts illustrate different ways that educators can design instruction to meet the needs and engage all learners.
Diagnostic Reader Report
During the NLGL program I had the opportunity to conduct diagnostic assessments and complete reader profile reports on three occasions. These profiles are developed from the results of a collection of literacy assessments. They are designed to provide a holistic view of the reader and their specific needs. “In order to deliver comprehensive literacy instruction for all students, it is important to use pedagogically sound assessment techniques to support differentiated literacy instruction”(Gambrell & Morrow, 2015, pg. 8). Assessments given can vary, but typically include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to determine the student’s instructional level. They may also include a student reading survey to help instructors understand a student’s attitude toward reading. “Students often need concentrated instructional support in these areas in order to learn important foundation skills and strategies that they might have difficulty discovering on their own”(Gambrell & Morrow, 2015, pg. 17). A reader profile report is a valuable tool in designing differentiated instruction and interventions to address a learner’s specific needs. When a student receives differentiated instruction and targeted intervention, they are able to access content and build confidence, while continuing to strengthen their literacy skills.
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Scaffolded Reading Experience
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In ECI 541 I planned and engaged my students in a scaffolded reading experience. Scaffolding is the practice of designing instruction to support student learning in their Zone of Proximal Development, while continuing to foster increased independence with a certain skill or task (Vygotsky, 1978). The Gradual Release of Responsibility model, or GRR as it is affectionately referred to, is one approach to scaffold student learning. “In general, the gradual-release model describes a process in which students gradually assume a greater degree of responsibility and independence for a targeted learning outcome”(Gambrell & Morrow, 2015, pg. 17). In my scaffolded reading experience I utilized the GRR to guide my students through a lesson on character point of view using the text, “Ten Cents a Pound” written by Nhung N. Tran-Davies. The story is a back and forth conversation between a mother’ perspective who works in coffee fields and her young daughter’s perspective who wants to do the same. During this lesson my students engaged in pre-reading activities to build their schema, were provided modeling with the use of think alouds, used a graphic organizer, and worked with partners. These elements of my lesson provided my learners with the support needed for them to be successful and engaged throughout the lesson.
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WRAPI
In ECI 509, I designed an engaging writing lesson that provided scaffolded instruction during the prewriting phase of the writing process. This was the students’ first introduction to narrative writing in second grade, our writing was dictated by EL curriculum. Second grade EL module 2 focuses on Learning through Science and Story: Fossils Tell of Earth’s Changes. Students had been close reading the text Stone Girl, Bone Girl by Lauren Anholt, the nonfiction biography of Mary Anning. The summative assessment for this module was to write their own narrative story about discovering a fossil. I incorporated a variety of strategies to scaffold the lesson for my students. My lesson included activating prior knowledge, the use of a mentor text, modeling, guided practice, and peer collaboration. I also transformed the classroom to look like Jurassic Park and students wore explorer hats to produce more engagement in their writing. The result produce quality prewriting that students were then able to take and create their own narratives. Students were excited to brainstorm and share their ideas with their peers which led to increased engagement and motivation.
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References
- Bazerman, C. (2016). What do Sociocultural Studies of Writing Tell Us about Learning to Write? In Theories and Models of Writing (pp. 1–18). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
- English Language Arts Standards » Reading: Literature » Grade 2. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RL/2/
- Gambrell, L. B., Morrow, L. M., & Pressley, M. (Eds.). (2015). Best practices in literacy instruction (5th ed.). Guilford Press.
- Graham, S., MacArthur, C. A., & Fitzgerald, J. (2013). Best Practices in Writing Instruction (Second ). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
- HCSch5. (2013, May 26). Prewriting Strategies for Diverse Learners [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cnq93SbEuX0
- NCTE. (2016, February 28). Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing. Retrieved from http://www2.ncte.org/statement/teaching-writing/
- Readability and the Gunning Fog Index. (2019, March 11). Retrieved March 25, 2019, from https://readable.com/blog/the-gunning-fog-index/
- (n.d.). Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers: Practice Guide Summary. What Works Clearinghouse . Retrieved from file:///C:/Users/clair/Downloads/IES Writing Guide (2).pdf
- The Flesch Reading Ease Readability Formula. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2019, from http://www.readabilityformulas.com/flesch-reading-ease-readability-formula.php
- Tran-Davies, N. N., & Bisaillon, J. (2018). Ten Cents a Pound. Toronto, ON: Second Story Press.
- Vacca, R. T., Vacca, J. A., & Mraz, M. (2018). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum. Boston: Pearson.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Claire Straub
NLGL Literacy Cohort
Spring 2020
NLGL Literacy Cohort
Spring 2020