Sunday, December 4, 2011

What I am planning to do next...

Here's what I'm planning to do on my inquiry between now and the December meeting • Introduce a second reading response (other than Retelling) about Favorite Part. “My Favorite part of the story is … because…” • I will also assemble all the focal students’ reading responses and look at the progress in retelling, spelling and reading sight words. I’d like to look at what students are doing or not doing in their retelling. Once they solidify their basic retelling skills, I plan to move towards scaffolding retelling which requires them to articulate the problem and resolution elements of the retelling. I am a bit concerned about where some of my lower students are in their reading and how they will get to the end of the year reading standard and how can I get them there. More than a third of my class is reading at level D or level 6 and by the end of the year they need to be at Level I/J. What do these students need—what will need to be taught, what kind of instruction and feedback and support system do I provide for them that will get them there? More rigorous sight word work, guided reading, front loading and familiarizing them with books they will be reading at their next level, reading both non-fiction and fiction, constant specific feedback, reading comprehension work to build a strong foundation. Good Teaching is what they need right now with the specific goal of providing a strong foundation and moving them forward.