A strategy for learners at-risk

Catherine Compton-Lilly wrote an inspiring article, Learning About Mason: A Collaborative Lesson With a Struggling Reader, published in the May issue of The Reading Teacher. The article was an explanation of a teacher using the collaborative lesson with a student in her reading class.

A collaborative lesson is one in which a group of teachers work together to help a struggling reader or group of readers. These lessons were initially designed as part of Reading Recovery’s Professional Development training but have since taken on a new form. Once a student has been identified as needing more assistance than a group lesson, teachers come together and problem solve in order to help the struggling student. This strategy is only effective when teachers observe and then discuss teaching strategies that may help. Once teachers have come up with a plan, they test out the strategy intended to help the student become successful. Time after the lesson must be set aside for refection. Discussions as well as educators expertise each teacher can bring to the table is what makes the collaborative lesson work.

There are five steps that are entailed in a collaborative lesson. 1) Observers can be anyone in the building that may be of assistance to this specific problem. 2) The group observes a lesson in which the teacher is working with the student in need. 3) A meeting takes place directly after the lesson. This is time for the teacher to detail the student and identify 2-3 teaching practices that may help the student achieve success. There is a “group leader” identified and he/she will carry out the techniques on the student. 4) The teachers return to the class and the group leader conducts a mini-lesson that incorporates the teaching strategies recommended for the target student. 5) Once again, all of the teacher leave the room to discuss the results from the mini-lesson. The group brainstorms further possibilities to give the teacher an expanded view of the student and a rich set of instructional possibilities.

I feel as if collaborative lessons need to take place more often than they are now. This past school year at my school we had a math lesson in which all teachers on my team came to observe me. The objective was for the other teachers to watch my reading block, specifically my guided reading groups. The purpose was for my team mates to generate ideas about how they can improve their reading groups in their own classroom. We met prior to my reading block so I could inform them of the needs of my students, challenges I had in reading, as well as the overall plan for the block. After the reading block we all reconvened and had a lengthy discussion. This allowed for my team mates to ask questions, comment on what they observed, create ideas to give me feedback and make their guided reading experiences more useful. I opened my doors and removed barriers I may have had related to being observed. I allowed for constructive criticism and my team mates they loved seeing a new set of techniques and ideas. Educators must collaborate and communicate more frequently if they want to see success in their students as well as themselves.

Pestalozzi

As part of a research project on influential theorists in emergent literacy I learned about Johann Pestalozzi. His ideas were considered radically innovative at the time. His teaching method emphasized group rather than individual performance and focused on activities such as drawing, writing, singing, mapmaking, and field trips. He was also a strong advocate for physical education and had a huge impact on bring science into students lives, outside of the classroom. Up until I was in college my educational experiences were mostly led by teacher lecture. Pestalozzi did not believe in this method as he encouraged students to be out of their seats, interacting with one another, and having self-discovery. I find this to be interesting as this idea came about in the 1700’s. It seems like that was very early to have such a view on education. However, today there are many educators and schools that have taken on his philosophy.

Pestalozzi also had a philosophy which included the development of practical skills and social awareness in addition to academic achievements. He believed that we needed to educate our hands, heart, and head. He opened a school for orphaned children in his younger days that encompassed this belief. Today there are many villages (Pestalozzi World Villages) around the world which have adopted Pestalozzi’s beliefs and incorporated them into their education. The villages allow for individual differences, grouping students by ability rather than age, and encouraging formal teacher training. You can learn more about the villages.

Here is a video that although is for a fund-raising project, gives a good overview of Pestalozzi's hopes for education.

Booksharing and beyond

Purcell-Gates, author of Stories, coupons, and the “TV Guide”: Relationships between home literacy experiences and emergent literacy knowledge, says children’s first experiences with literacy are meditated by the ways in which parents and other caregivers use reading and writing in their lives. Parent and child interactive bookreading is one example of how adults can incorporate literacy into children’s lives beginning at birth. Interactive bookreading is a book-sharing experience for a child and a more knowledgeable adult. In this practice, both people are contributing. This process, where both people are contributing, should start when a child is born. Typically, a parent utlizes sturdy cardboard books and the child looks at pictures of animals, babies, or colors. At this point in a child’s literary experience, the objective is not for the child to listen to a story but to become fascinated by books themselves. Soon a child will listen carefully and look at pictures with meaning as an adult reads to them. Then, parents will make connections from the book to the child’s life. As a child develops, parents will become more proactive and begin to ask questions about characters and events from the story. In turn, children will be expected to actively engage in answering those questions. As teachers, we know as children begin to read, the questions we ask should relate to the understanding of the text. Eventually, the child will be ready to read to the adult—changing the roles quite a bit.

As teachers, we acknowledge students with larger vocabularies and an interest in books are often the children that were exposed to books at an early age. It is our job to recognize the students who might not have had these opportunities and work to “fill in the gaps.” Teachers play a vital role in children’s literacy learning, and if every classroom is filled with wonderful stories and books that fascination with books can be taught and applied to the entire classroom. Educators must provide all students with opportunities to be read to, to be heard reading, and to create their own written pieces.

Booksharing is one example of an experience adults can use with children to improve their emergent literacy. An initiative commissioned by a Boston- based nonprofit, Strategies for Children, suggests expanding and strengthening work with families across learning settings and within communities. This report supports the need for better education and more information to improve early literacy. Examples of these strategies go well-beyond booksharing. School events such as literature nights, workshops, or book talks allow teachers to provide parents with strategies that can be used at home to better equip their children. PTAs can implement programs (i.e. “A book a week”) to send home books to families who might not be able to afford them.

Welcome Post

I am taking Emergent Literacy as part of my Masters Program at Johns Hopkins. This course will better equip me to teach my students the elements necessary to read and become better readers. This school year, I will be teaching third grade and will have a range of readers in my classroom. After reading an assortment of articles with a focus on literacy, I will use this blog as a place to share thoughts and exchange ideas. I have also placed my favorite feeds on the page to share information that I find useful.