MSRC President's Message
Hello MSRC Members,
As your 2011-2012 president of this exceptional organization, it is with pride and anticipation that I enter this year with you. Today, we are faced with many new challenges at every level of our society. Education, the core of our democratic republic, must meet these diverse, complex problems with the historical commitment that has educated the most diverse population in the world’s history.
Our state organization represents the grassroots of this educational accomplishment. As educators, your membership and participation constitute the bedrock foundation of that which ensures educational opportunity for every child, regardless of his or her circumstances. The International Reading Association acknowledged this at its 2011 convention by awarding MSRC the high honor of Award of Excellence, which recognizes our state council and each of our local community council’s literacy activities and commitment. Not every state receives this award!
As your 2011-2012 president of this exceptional organization, it is with pride and anticipation that I enter this year with you. Today, we are faced with many new challenges at every level of our society. Education, the core of our democratic republic, must meet these diverse, complex problems with the historical commitment that has educated the most diverse population in the world’s history.
Our state organization represents the grassroots of this educational accomplishment. As educators, your membership and participation constitute the bedrock foundation of that which ensures educational opportunity for every child, regardless of his or her circumstances. The International Reading Association acknowledged this at its 2011 convention by awarding MSRC the high honor of Award of Excellence, which recognizes our state council and each of our local community council’s literacy activities and commitment. Not every state receives this award!
At the annual June leadership conference, your Board of Directors met in Helena to plan for this year’s activities. Our promise to you is that we will continue the fine tradition of MSRC’s five primary goals, the first of which is to promote literacy in schools, homes and communities. MSRC’S journal and conference are two major aspects of our council, and to ensure their continued quality is a goal.
The triad of IRA, MSRC and each of our local councils will be my focus. Given our great distances in Montana, to be a part of the technological opportunities that include wikis, Skype, Facebook and a Google calendar for all will be my ultimate goal. I invite you to connect with me in cyberspace; please send me any suggestions that will improve our communication and expand our MSRC universe.
I also ask you to review the scholarships, grants and awards that your organization provides for you. Take advantage of these opportunities this year. They are made possible by your memberships, conference attendance and the raffle drawing at the conference. We hope we can keep providing them to further your education, to reward your hard work, and above all to recognize the caliber of educators in this state. In addition, the Treasure State Book Award received funds from MSRC to promote literacy in rural Montana and MSRC’s International Project supported Hearts and Hands for Haiti for the second year in a row.
“Voices of Literacy: Celebrating Diversity” is the 2011 conference theme in Billings, and it could not be more apropos with our state approaching one million in population. Professional development in diverse areas has been coordinated by Annette Young, President-elect and conference chair. She is among the scores of MSRC Board of Directors who work all year to provide this opportunity for educators. Your attendance at this conference and continuing support of MSRC are testimony to our common commitment to be the best we can be in Montana.
Please communicate with me any time. As your president this year and a classroom teacher, I share with you the challenge about which Margaret Mead spoke, “We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet…” Isn’t this what education has always been about? Isn’t this why we are part of a most exciting and crucial profession? Let us continue together this legacy of literacy of quality to all in the state of Montana. See you at the conference in Billings! Come and talk with me…please. And during the year, call me at 406.728.98570, or email ferrellleslie@msn.com any time. All my best wishes to you for a successful year.
Leslie Ferrell, Ed.D.
President, MSRC
The triad of IRA, MSRC and each of our local councils will be my focus. Given our great distances in Montana, to be a part of the technological opportunities that include wikis, Skype, Facebook and a Google calendar for all will be my ultimate goal. I invite you to connect with me in cyberspace; please send me any suggestions that will improve our communication and expand our MSRC universe.
I also ask you to review the scholarships, grants and awards that your organization provides for you. Take advantage of these opportunities this year. They are made possible by your memberships, conference attendance and the raffle drawing at the conference. We hope we can keep providing them to further your education, to reward your hard work, and above all to recognize the caliber of educators in this state. In addition, the Treasure State Book Award received funds from MSRC to promote literacy in rural Montana and MSRC’s International Project supported Hearts and Hands for Haiti for the second year in a row.
“Voices of Literacy: Celebrating Diversity” is the 2011 conference theme in Billings, and it could not be more apropos with our state approaching one million in population. Professional development in diverse areas has been coordinated by Annette Young, President-elect and conference chair. She is among the scores of MSRC Board of Directors who work all year to provide this opportunity for educators. Your attendance at this conference and continuing support of MSRC are testimony to our common commitment to be the best we can be in Montana.
Please communicate with me any time. As your president this year and a classroom teacher, I share with you the challenge about which Margaret Mead spoke, “We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet…” Isn’t this what education has always been about? Isn’t this why we are part of a most exciting and crucial profession? Let us continue together this legacy of literacy of quality to all in the state of Montana. See you at the conference in Billings! Come and talk with me…please. And during the year, call me at 406.728.98570, or email ferrellleslie@msn.com any time. All my best wishes to you for a successful year.
Leslie Ferrell, Ed.D.
President, MSRC
The MSRC
Literacy Award
Literacy Award
The MSRC Literacy Award Committee would like to encourage all members to nominate an individual or group for the 2012 award. This award recognizes people who support literacy in your area; they do not have to be an MSRC member. It has gone to public librarians and libraries, a Boy Scout troop and many others who have deserved special recognition for their efforts to promote literacy in Montana.
Please visit our website to download a nomination form. They are also available through your local council president. The deadline for 2012 is August 15, but nominations are accepted at any time up to that date.
The Literacy Committee has chosen a winner for the 2011 Literacy Award; it will be presented at the state conference in October. We are excited to award a very deserving group of literacy-minded people. Please join us for this presentation in October at the conference and consider giving an award within your organization.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns about this award. My e-mail address is: masmith@lewistown.k12.mt.us
Margee Smith
Literacy Award Committee Chair
Please visit our website to download a nomination form. They are also available through your local council president. The deadline for 2012 is August 15, but nominations are accepted at any time up to that date.
The Literacy Committee has chosen a winner for the 2011 Literacy Award; it will be presented at the state conference in October. We are excited to award a very deserving group of literacy-minded people. Please join us for this presentation in October at the conference and consider giving an award within your organization.
Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns about this award. My e-mail address is: masmith@lewistown.k12.mt.us
Margee Smith
Literacy Award Committee Chair
Starting Out Right!
Early Learning Facility Provides Boost for Pre-Schoolers
Sally Mathers
“Reluctant readers.” “ Struggling readers.” “Dyslexics.” “Bright, but not a reader.”
We all know the labels. We have all dedicated ourselves to opening the world of literacy to all children. We all see the kindergartner who is confused with the teacher’s directions and unfamiliar with books. We all have been discouraged that no matter what we do, some remain disfluent, lacking comprehension, and unable to act upon the text that has been read. Students who experience difficulty from day one often get left behind, not reaching high school or securing a diploma. This national trend of increasing drop outs has gained national attention.
In Great Falls we have decided to tackle this challenge in a different way. With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly referred to as the stimulus, one time money was earmarked to start children out right! The class of 2023 was welcomed into the Great Falls Public Schools Preschool on January 19, 2010. The class of 2024 began in August of 2010 and the class of 2025 started September 1, 2011. This preschool is made up of children from our highest poverty Title School Wide areas that have the lowest achievement in Great Falls. This preschool also accommodates the preschool services that have been offered to children ages 3-5 for years by special education in Great Falls. The goal is to have the preschoolers ready for school so they can begin the thirteen year school career successfully. Formal reading is not taught but a literate rich environment using the researched based, comprehensive curriculum, Opening the World of Learning, has preschoolers starting kindergarten with the tools to succeed. Federal funding from Title I A, Early Reading First, Stimulus, and IDEA are merged to create a preschool that will start children right, partner with parents on the importance of education, and result in more graduates who are career or college ready for their future.
The Response to Intervention, RTI, process has been implemented at the preschool. This three tiered process of constantly progress monitoring and matching instruction to student need has resulted in great gains and preschoolers ready for kindergarten. Last year’s preschool started the year with this RTI pyramid:
· At Risk – 80%
· Strategic – 10%
· Benchmark – 8%
January data yielded:
· At Risk – 33%
· Strategic – 24%
· Benchmark – 42%
End of the year data was:
· At Risk – 8%
· Strategic – 20%
· Benchmark – 72%
These results were based on PALS data which includes letter naming, sounds and name writing. This data also includes the preschoolers with an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) who were able to participate in a full day general education preschool.
The success of this program is due to the dedication and diligence of the fully certified educators. This group of enthusiastic teachers is led by a fully certified coach. The model allows the coach to come alongside each teacher and provide job embedded modeling and problem solving. Each classroom also has a highly qualified paraprofessional, as defined by No Child Left Behind. The goal is to provide a stimulating environment that allows each preschooler to develop language and reading prerequisites through playful interactions. Parents are visited in their homes and included in preschool activities to engage them in a partnership that will benefit their child for years to come.
About the author
Sally Mathers is the Director of Literacy and Federal Programs for Great Falls Public Schools.
We all know the labels. We have all dedicated ourselves to opening the world of literacy to all children. We all see the kindergartner who is confused with the teacher’s directions and unfamiliar with books. We all have been discouraged that no matter what we do, some remain disfluent, lacking comprehension, and unable to act upon the text that has been read. Students who experience difficulty from day one often get left behind, not reaching high school or securing a diploma. This national trend of increasing drop outs has gained national attention.
In Great Falls we have decided to tackle this challenge in a different way. With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly referred to as the stimulus, one time money was earmarked to start children out right! The class of 2023 was welcomed into the Great Falls Public Schools Preschool on January 19, 2010. The class of 2024 began in August of 2010 and the class of 2025 started September 1, 2011. This preschool is made up of children from our highest poverty Title School Wide areas that have the lowest achievement in Great Falls. This preschool also accommodates the preschool services that have been offered to children ages 3-5 for years by special education in Great Falls. The goal is to have the preschoolers ready for school so they can begin the thirteen year school career successfully. Formal reading is not taught but a literate rich environment using the researched based, comprehensive curriculum, Opening the World of Learning, has preschoolers starting kindergarten with the tools to succeed. Federal funding from Title I A, Early Reading First, Stimulus, and IDEA are merged to create a preschool that will start children right, partner with parents on the importance of education, and result in more graduates who are career or college ready for their future.
The Response to Intervention, RTI, process has been implemented at the preschool. This three tiered process of constantly progress monitoring and matching instruction to student need has resulted in great gains and preschoolers ready for kindergarten. Last year’s preschool started the year with this RTI pyramid:
· At Risk – 80%
· Strategic – 10%
· Benchmark – 8%
January data yielded:
· At Risk – 33%
· Strategic – 24%
· Benchmark – 42%
End of the year data was:
· At Risk – 8%
· Strategic – 20%
· Benchmark – 72%
These results were based on PALS data which includes letter naming, sounds and name writing. This data also includes the preschoolers with an Individual Educational Plan (IEP) who were able to participate in a full day general education preschool.
The success of this program is due to the dedication and diligence of the fully certified educators. This group of enthusiastic teachers is led by a fully certified coach. The model allows the coach to come alongside each teacher and provide job embedded modeling and problem solving. Each classroom also has a highly qualified paraprofessional, as defined by No Child Left Behind. The goal is to provide a stimulating environment that allows each preschooler to develop language and reading prerequisites through playful interactions. Parents are visited in their homes and included in preschool activities to engage them in a partnership that will benefit their child for years to come.
About the author
Sally Mathers is the Director of Literacy and Federal Programs for Great Falls Public Schools.
Great Falls Animals Love to Read
2010 Read to an Orphan
The Great Falls Reading Council is proud to announce the unveiling of our new website, greatfallsreadingcouncil.com. We invite you to visit us, take a look at what our council is up to and become a member.
We would also like to invite you to join us for our annual project, Read to an Orphan. GFRC partners with the Great Falls Animal Shelter to provide an afternoon of reading to and socializing with orphaned animals who are looking for homes. This project introduces the idea of reading to family pets while promoting animal adoption - a winning proposition for both GFRC and GFAS!
We have seen great success with our past Orphan events; last year both shelter animals were adopted within a week of our event by families who met them at Read to an Orphan. Morningside Elementary first graders also got involved by collecting and donating presents for the shelter as their civic project for the year.
Watch our website and Facebook page for details on the date, time and location of the Great Falls Reading Council's 2011 Read to an Orphan event. We would love to have you join us!
Tara Hagins
GFRC President
We would also like to invite you to join us for our annual project, Read to an Orphan. GFRC partners with the Great Falls Animal Shelter to provide an afternoon of reading to and socializing with orphaned animals who are looking for homes. This project introduces the idea of reading to family pets while promoting animal adoption - a winning proposition for both GFRC and GFAS!
We have seen great success with our past Orphan events; last year both shelter animals were adopted within a week of our event by families who met them at Read to an Orphan. Morningside Elementary first graders also got involved by collecting and donating presents for the shelter as their civic project for the year.
Watch our website and Facebook page for details on the date, time and location of the Great Falls Reading Council's 2011 Read to an Orphan event. We would love to have you join us!
Tara Hagins
GFRC President
A Reading Partnership:
At-risk Students and Cross-age Tutors
Miranda Keastor & Ann DeOnis
Much has been written about cross-age tutoring and exploring opportunities for college students to fulfill class requirements, while simultaneously gaining authentic experiences with children that will enhance their teaching skills. After all, education is a field where one becomes more skilled with helpful feedback and opportunities to practice. In teacher preparation programs, this idea has been critical in shaping the training that would-be teachers receive as they develop into in-service practitioners.
At Montana State University-Bozeman, education majors who declare a Reading Minor are required to take a three-credit class, EDCI 434 Literacy Assessment and Instruction. Embedded in this class are readings about current theory and practice in the assessment of struggling readers as well as intervention strategies, which target identified weaknesses. Students and soon-to-be tutors develop skills in assessing phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Additionally, they learn to design instruction that is based on the results of assessments, to implement appropriate instruction, and to communicate with parents. Over the course of the semester, they develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work effectively with elementary-aged students.
Each spring this Literacy Assessment and Instruction class is offered, and during 2011, we decided to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching/learning components embedded in this this course. Twenty-three education majors with a declared reading minor were enrolled. Three-fourths were seniors, anticipating their student teaching experience the following semester; the rest were juniors.
Course structure included twice weekly class sessions, which concluded with the tutoring of an elementary student during the final hour. The instructor matched one tutor with one student, for the intent was to provide a focused tutoring session for both individuals.
Pre-assessment
In order to gauge the tutor’s prior knowledge, a pre-assessment was administered to evaluate the depth of these pre-service teachers’ understandings of key reading concepts. Analysis of this early data revealed that the majority of students had some knowledge about the graphic similarity of words, basic phonics principles, open and closed syllables, levels of readability (for example, how instructional reading levels differ from independent reading levels), how to observe and analyze a student during oral reading, types of oral reading errors (substitutions, insertions, etc.), and the rationale for using reading assessments. However, there was generally little background knowledge about the contents of a reader profile and its interpretation, the specifics of running records and miscue analysis, the definition and calculation of error ratio, and the definition of accuracy rate.
Strategies Used
This course was a mixture of direct instruction, on-line communication, and practical experience. During the information-delivery part of the class, mini-lectures and small group discussion were used to present material. Students then explored reading assessments, noted their functions, and discussed when and how to use these correctly with children. The course instructor provided feedback during class as well as communicated outside of class meeting times via a web-assisted learning format, Desire2Learn.
Post-assessment
At the end of the course, the same survey was used as a post-assessment measure to determine if the target concepts of the class were understood more completely. Upon examining the final data, areas in which the majority of tutors gained confidence and skill to a degree that they could actually teach the material included work with miscue analysis, running records, monitoring student behavior during reading, and analysis of how young students address text. This was a positive finding, for earlier in the semester tutors had indicated feeling less than confident in assessing students’ oral reading.
Tutors also fine-tuned their observational skills and learned to clue into areas of weakness, noting what to incorporate into a future session. Therefore, lessons built on previous understandings and introduced new skills.
Another observation by tutors which contributed, in part, to the success of this one-on-one tutoring experience was having ready access to materials—a variety of leveled books that could be checked out. Allington (2006) observes that students need access to appropriate books. Without books that appeal to individual interests and which are readable, the likelihood of reader success is diminished.
Throughout the course, tutors expanded their teaching repertoire to include hands-on activities, crafting learning tasks that would enhance comprehension. They learned that thoughtful literacy results when meaningful comprehension lessons are planned, which are within the child’s zone of proximal development. In other words, the tasks present a slight challenge, but are not overwhelming with the potential to frustrate the learner.
Calculating error ratio and the significance of accuracy rates were concepts in which the survey scores were mixed; half of the tutors reported having a basic understanding while their peers understood it at a higher level, indicating they could teach the material to someone else. These final findings represented significant growth from the start of the semester fifteen weeks earlier. With the assessment item of graphic similarity, little improvement was noted, but likely this was due to the fact that students had solid understanding of grapheme bases at the start of the semester.
Parent Accommodation
Informal conversations with parents toward the end of the course indicated that they would like to have had more contact with their child’s tutor. While there was a meet-n-greet session early in the tutoring experience, the established routine was for parents to drop off and an hour later pick up their child at a designated site on campus. There was not a more systematic communication system that permitted on-going dialogue between the parent and the tutor. When this course is revised, it would be helpful to provide future tutors with journal articles or other reading material that stresses the importance of communicating with parents in order to optimize the teacher-child learning situation. “When teachers use a variety of methods to communicate with parents on an ongoing basis, it helps assure that all parents know that they are an important part of their children’s educational experience” (Christenson, 2004, para. 13). Accordingly, course revisions will include an expectation that active parental communication will occur with regular use of written notes, email, and face-to-face conversations.
Another parental concern which surfaced was that their son or daughter benefit academically and emotionally from the tutoring sessions. According to the survey results and informal feedback, some parents believed their child did not always enjoy the tutoring lessons. Some expressed that it felt like an extension of school during after-school hours.
As we take this finding and think about how to improve the class, it would be appropriate to offer tutors ideas on how to address motivation. According to Davis (1993) motivation may be increased by giving frequent, early, and positive feedback, which supports students’ beliefs that they can do well. This ensures opportunities for student success, helps students find personal meaning in the task, and creates a positive learning atmosphere. Hopefully, presenting these concepts as part of the course will guide tutors in increasing student motivation and interest. Additionally, having tutors keep a reflective learning log where they record specifics about both the academic gains and the emotional responses of students would be worthwhile.
Conclusion
Stewart (2009) states that we, as instructors, must move outside of our comfort zones, especially if we ask students to move out of theirs. This involves teachers being aware of different instructional strategies, noting those they prefer and are most comfortable with, for these may or may not match those of their students. Chism (1994) suggests that teachers reflect on their own styles, using resources and a variety of instructional approaches to maximize learning for all students.
This literacy assessment and instruction course is one of several reading-specific requirements for K-12 reading minors. The results from this study have helped to identify what is working; it also made us aware of areas that need improvement. Chickering and Gamson (1987) assert that in order to be reflective about one’s teaching, the teacher should think about classroom practice and examine the underlying rationale--in other words, why bother to teach a particular concept? Consequently, it is vital for those who are responsible for training tomorrow’s teachers to continue to refine coursework, so teacher candidates will gain essential knowledge that will benefit them in their future teaching endeavors. And finally, adjusting and making more explicit the ways in which parents are central to this learning partnership will result in a more meaningful collaboration. It has been said that a teacher’s constant task is to take a roomful of live wires and see to it that they are grounded. For teacher candidates, this tutoring experience resulted in valuable lessons that will be carried forward and will ground them in truly understanding what constitutes best practice.
About the authors
Miranda Keastor is working on her doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction at Montana State University. Ann deOnis is a faculty member in the Department of Education at MSU.
References
Allington, R. (2006) What really matters for struggling readers. Boston:
Pearson.
Chickering, A. & Gamson, Z (1987) Seven Principles for Good Practices in
Undergraduate Education. Retreived from:
http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm.
Chism, N. (1994). Taking student diversity into account. New York: Heath.
Christenson, S. (2004). The eighth philosophy for effective school-family
partnerships. University of Minnesota: Partnering for School Success.
Davis, B. (1993). Tools for teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Gray, T. & Madson, L. (2007). Ten easy ways to engage your students. College
Teaching 55(2), 83-87.
Stewart, K. (2009). Lessons from teaching millennials. College Teaching, 57(2),
111-118.
At Montana State University-Bozeman, education majors who declare a Reading Minor are required to take a three-credit class, EDCI 434 Literacy Assessment and Instruction. Embedded in this class are readings about current theory and practice in the assessment of struggling readers as well as intervention strategies, which target identified weaknesses. Students and soon-to-be tutors develop skills in assessing phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension. Additionally, they learn to design instruction that is based on the results of assessments, to implement appropriate instruction, and to communicate with parents. Over the course of the semester, they develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work effectively with elementary-aged students.
Each spring this Literacy Assessment and Instruction class is offered, and during 2011, we decided to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching/learning components embedded in this this course. Twenty-three education majors with a declared reading minor were enrolled. Three-fourths were seniors, anticipating their student teaching experience the following semester; the rest were juniors.
Course structure included twice weekly class sessions, which concluded with the tutoring of an elementary student during the final hour. The instructor matched one tutor with one student, for the intent was to provide a focused tutoring session for both individuals.
Pre-assessment
In order to gauge the tutor’s prior knowledge, a pre-assessment was administered to evaluate the depth of these pre-service teachers’ understandings of key reading concepts. Analysis of this early data revealed that the majority of students had some knowledge about the graphic similarity of words, basic phonics principles, open and closed syllables, levels of readability (for example, how instructional reading levels differ from independent reading levels), how to observe and analyze a student during oral reading, types of oral reading errors (substitutions, insertions, etc.), and the rationale for using reading assessments. However, there was generally little background knowledge about the contents of a reader profile and its interpretation, the specifics of running records and miscue analysis, the definition and calculation of error ratio, and the definition of accuracy rate.
Strategies Used
This course was a mixture of direct instruction, on-line communication, and practical experience. During the information-delivery part of the class, mini-lectures and small group discussion were used to present material. Students then explored reading assessments, noted their functions, and discussed when and how to use these correctly with children. The course instructor provided feedback during class as well as communicated outside of class meeting times via a web-assisted learning format, Desire2Learn.
Post-assessment
At the end of the course, the same survey was used as a post-assessment measure to determine if the target concepts of the class were understood more completely. Upon examining the final data, areas in which the majority of tutors gained confidence and skill to a degree that they could actually teach the material included work with miscue analysis, running records, monitoring student behavior during reading, and analysis of how young students address text. This was a positive finding, for earlier in the semester tutors had indicated feeling less than confident in assessing students’ oral reading.
Tutors also fine-tuned their observational skills and learned to clue into areas of weakness, noting what to incorporate into a future session. Therefore, lessons built on previous understandings and introduced new skills.
Another observation by tutors which contributed, in part, to the success of this one-on-one tutoring experience was having ready access to materials—a variety of leveled books that could be checked out. Allington (2006) observes that students need access to appropriate books. Without books that appeal to individual interests and which are readable, the likelihood of reader success is diminished.
Throughout the course, tutors expanded their teaching repertoire to include hands-on activities, crafting learning tasks that would enhance comprehension. They learned that thoughtful literacy results when meaningful comprehension lessons are planned, which are within the child’s zone of proximal development. In other words, the tasks present a slight challenge, but are not overwhelming with the potential to frustrate the learner.
Calculating error ratio and the significance of accuracy rates were concepts in which the survey scores were mixed; half of the tutors reported having a basic understanding while their peers understood it at a higher level, indicating they could teach the material to someone else. These final findings represented significant growth from the start of the semester fifteen weeks earlier. With the assessment item of graphic similarity, little improvement was noted, but likely this was due to the fact that students had solid understanding of grapheme bases at the start of the semester.
Parent Accommodation
Informal conversations with parents toward the end of the course indicated that they would like to have had more contact with their child’s tutor. While there was a meet-n-greet session early in the tutoring experience, the established routine was for parents to drop off and an hour later pick up their child at a designated site on campus. There was not a more systematic communication system that permitted on-going dialogue between the parent and the tutor. When this course is revised, it would be helpful to provide future tutors with journal articles or other reading material that stresses the importance of communicating with parents in order to optimize the teacher-child learning situation. “When teachers use a variety of methods to communicate with parents on an ongoing basis, it helps assure that all parents know that they are an important part of their children’s educational experience” (Christenson, 2004, para. 13). Accordingly, course revisions will include an expectation that active parental communication will occur with regular use of written notes, email, and face-to-face conversations.
Another parental concern which surfaced was that their son or daughter benefit academically and emotionally from the tutoring sessions. According to the survey results and informal feedback, some parents believed their child did not always enjoy the tutoring lessons. Some expressed that it felt like an extension of school during after-school hours.
As we take this finding and think about how to improve the class, it would be appropriate to offer tutors ideas on how to address motivation. According to Davis (1993) motivation may be increased by giving frequent, early, and positive feedback, which supports students’ beliefs that they can do well. This ensures opportunities for student success, helps students find personal meaning in the task, and creates a positive learning atmosphere. Hopefully, presenting these concepts as part of the course will guide tutors in increasing student motivation and interest. Additionally, having tutors keep a reflective learning log where they record specifics about both the academic gains and the emotional responses of students would be worthwhile.
Conclusion
Stewart (2009) states that we, as instructors, must move outside of our comfort zones, especially if we ask students to move out of theirs. This involves teachers being aware of different instructional strategies, noting those they prefer and are most comfortable with, for these may or may not match those of their students. Chism (1994) suggests that teachers reflect on their own styles, using resources and a variety of instructional approaches to maximize learning for all students.
This literacy assessment and instruction course is one of several reading-specific requirements for K-12 reading minors. The results from this study have helped to identify what is working; it also made us aware of areas that need improvement. Chickering and Gamson (1987) assert that in order to be reflective about one’s teaching, the teacher should think about classroom practice and examine the underlying rationale--in other words, why bother to teach a particular concept? Consequently, it is vital for those who are responsible for training tomorrow’s teachers to continue to refine coursework, so teacher candidates will gain essential knowledge that will benefit them in their future teaching endeavors. And finally, adjusting and making more explicit the ways in which parents are central to this learning partnership will result in a more meaningful collaboration. It has been said that a teacher’s constant task is to take a roomful of live wires and see to it that they are grounded. For teacher candidates, this tutoring experience resulted in valuable lessons that will be carried forward and will ground them in truly understanding what constitutes best practice.
About the authors
Miranda Keastor is working on her doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction at Montana State University. Ann deOnis is a faculty member in the Department of Education at MSU.
References
Allington, R. (2006) What really matters for struggling readers. Boston:
Pearson.
Chickering, A. & Gamson, Z (1987) Seven Principles for Good Practices in
Undergraduate Education. Retreived from:
http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm.
Chism, N. (1994). Taking student diversity into account. New York: Heath.
Christenson, S. (2004). The eighth philosophy for effective school-family
partnerships. University of Minnesota: Partnering for School Success.
Davis, B. (1993). Tools for teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Gray, T. & Madson, L. (2007). Ten easy ways to engage your students. College
Teaching 55(2), 83-87.
Stewart, K. (2009). Lessons from teaching millennials. College Teaching, 57(2),
111-118.
Lewis & Clark Council Supports Little Learners
The Lewis and Clark Reading Council participated in the Week of the Young Child in April 2011 by contributing books and stuffing bags with informative magnets, bookmarks, and brochures for 1,500 preschool children in our community. Thirteen members volunteered in collaboration with The Early Childhood Coalition of the Greater Helena Area.
Lewis and Clark Reading Council member Maria Goebel with grandson Cole Jones.
Article and Photos by Karol Gustin.
Phonics:
What Reading Teachers Know
Ann DeOnis
Long the epicenter of the debate over best-practices in reading instruction, phonics has had its share of advocates and opponents. Critics of the importance of phonics and its place in elementary school curricula have often labeled it as single-minded or out-of-date--a symbol of a bygone era. Supporters of phonics instruction, however, insist that in order to build confident and competent readers, teachers must work with their students to build a solid reading and writing foundation, based on mastery of the alphabetic principle at the core of the English language. By focusing on the smallest parts of the language, then combining those parts to create larger pieces, phonics offers a methodical and scaffolded approach to emergent literacy. Reading teachers know that phonics is one of the many important tools in a reader’s toolbox; they know that teaching developing readers those key sound-letter relationships is essential. Moreover, they understand that phonics can be overdone, so they judiciously focus on just those principles that get children launched into successful reading. As children progress through the grades, teachers re-teach or add to these initial understandings of how English is structured; the consequence is more able readers and skilled spellers.
Phonics Defined
Phonics is the methodical study of the interplay between phonemes and graphemes and how those dependent relationships work to inform the learner’s ability to read, write, and spell (Savage, 2007). Based upon the alphabetic principle of the English language, phonics bolsters an emergent reader’s ability to decode and encode sounds and eventually whole words. This then equips the student to read full sentences, paragraphs, and texts. In short, the practice of rehearsing and reinforcing the logical and systematic processes of the spoken and written word provides entrée into a host of reading materials.
Reading instruction, however, should not be based solely upon phonics. A successful literacy program must incorporate other skills critical to the development of an competent reader, such having an expansive vocabulary, reading fluently, and monitoring comprehension. Phonics cannot and should not stand on its own. The powerful combination of these elements has resulted in evidence-based results touting the efficacy of phonics, thus underscoring its importance, and reinforcing its rightful existence in the language arts curriculum.
A History of Phonics
The history of phonics is best described in one word: turbulent. While proponents have focused on systematically instilling decoding and encoding skills in young readers, critics have accused it of being too narrowly focused. The contention was, and is, that if the goal is to uncover meaning, then children should be exposed to words in their whole state, not in fragments such as phonemes and graphemes. The Scott Foresman Dick and Jane books, first published in 1927, were in direct response to this drive toward learning words by sight, not by the sum of their phonetic parts (Savage, 2007). Rote memorization was the celebrated skill and intended result, and generations of adults recall learning to read with these familiar characters: Scott Foresman’s Dick and Jane with Spot and Puff or Houghton Mifflin’s Jack and Janet and their pets Tip and Mitten.
Research reviews and opinions published in the 1950s and 1960s, nevertheless, brought to light evidence that showed the code-based strategy of phonics to be more effective than the whole-word approach in sculpting fluent readers. Experts and observers believed that early readers must first possess the ability to recognize phonemes, graphemes, and the interface between the two before unearthing the embedded meaning. In essence, a child should not be expected to know the meaning of a word if s/he could not even pronounce it. Ignoring the code behind the word was an affront to the structure of language.
Over the course of the past half-century, public and professional debate over implementing phonics instruction in literacy programs has ebbed and flowed. Supporters and detractors alike can find “proof” to support their position, but it is up to reading professionals to analyze results and effect change in literacy programs, not to appease the public. According to Baumann, Hoffman, Duffy-Hester, and Ro (2000), the goals of present-day teachers and administrators are “…to develop readers who are skillful and strategic in word identification, fluency, and reading comprehension, and to develop readers who are independent and motivated to choose, appreciate, and enjoy literature “(p. 349). By combining phonics instruction with vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension skills and strategies, today’s teachers are guiding learners toward mastery and, in turn, creating children who are excited for and curious about reading and writing.
Why Phonics?
The purpose of phonics instruction is to provide students with the foundational knowledge of generalizations inherent in the English language, from which they can weave an increasingly sophisticated web of language skills. Certainly, anomalies exist within the English, but there are far more generalizations than exceptions, and it is upon those constants that phonics is based. Teachers’ use of direct and explicit instruction coupled with the modeling of useful strategies demonstrates to developing readers how to use skills to access print. Once the code has been solved, facility with reading results.
Data from scientifically-based studies points to the effectiveness of this methodology. According to the International Reading Association’s Division of Research and Policy (2002), “…systematic phonics instruction makes a bigger contribution to children’s growth in reading than nonsystematic alternative programs or no phonics. Effects last beyond the period of training” (p. 6). When applied prior to the formation of independent reading skills, phonics instruction has been proven to strengthen the student’s ability to decode words, an attribute possessed by successful readers and writers.
Foundational Interrelationships
Phonics is not a reading program; however, when it is used as one part in a series of steps toward achieving literacy, it is effective. Establishing phonemic awareness, the awareness of basic speech sounds, is the first step in this literacy journey. If a developing reader is unable to understand the sounds that make up words, then s/he is not yet ready for phonics instruction. Once knowledge about sounds is in place, the child can begin to attach symbols to phonemes.
After the relationship between phonemes and graphemes has been grasped and the ability to read has been solidly established, readers’ toolkits will hold the proper implements to move them into the realm of vocabulary, or word knowledge. As students investigate words, they are also gaining important exposure – perhaps without noticing--to base words, compound words, contractions, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, and inflectional endings. Ideally, this exposure will increase familiarity with and establish new, more sophisticated sight words.
Fluency is impossible if the student has no concept or knowledge of vocabulary. The ability to read with accuracy, automaticity, expression, and appropriate phrasing hinges on a well-developed, consistent understanding of word meaning. Thus, comprehension is enhanced with fluency. Owning the ability to construct and deconstruct meaning in text encourages students to find excitement in print--a common trait among life-long learners.
Notwithstanding public opinions over phonics, educators must remain focused on creating and supporting readers in a way that best suits the individual child. Surely, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to literacy, and while the efficacy of phonics is evidence-based, it is critical that teachers stay well-informed, so they create a flexible, comprehensive, and well-rounded approach to reading. Phonics is but one of the many keys needed to open the door to future reading and academic success.
About the author
Ann deOnis is a faculty member in the Department of Education at MSU. Ann prepares teacher candidates at Montana State University in the area of English language arts. She also works with in-service teachers on various professional development projects.
References
Baumann, J.F., Hoffman, J.V., Duffy-Hester, A.M., & Ro, J.M. (2000). The first R
yesterday and today: U.S. elementary reading instruction practices reported by
teachers and administrators. Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 338-377.
Division of Research and Policy, International Reading Association. (2002).
Summary of the(U.S.) national reading report: Teaching children to read.
Retrieved from the International Reading Association web site:
http://www.reading.org/downloads/resources/nrp_summary.pdf
Rupley, W.H., Blair, T.R., & Nichols, W.D. (2009). Effective reading instruction for
struggling readers: The role of direct/explicit teaching. Reading & Writing
Quarterly, 25, 125-138.
Savage, J.F. (2007). Sound it out! Phonics in a comprehensive reading program
(3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Phonics Defined
Phonics is the methodical study of the interplay between phonemes and graphemes and how those dependent relationships work to inform the learner’s ability to read, write, and spell (Savage, 2007). Based upon the alphabetic principle of the English language, phonics bolsters an emergent reader’s ability to decode and encode sounds and eventually whole words. This then equips the student to read full sentences, paragraphs, and texts. In short, the practice of rehearsing and reinforcing the logical and systematic processes of the spoken and written word provides entrée into a host of reading materials.
Reading instruction, however, should not be based solely upon phonics. A successful literacy program must incorporate other skills critical to the development of an competent reader, such having an expansive vocabulary, reading fluently, and monitoring comprehension. Phonics cannot and should not stand on its own. The powerful combination of these elements has resulted in evidence-based results touting the efficacy of phonics, thus underscoring its importance, and reinforcing its rightful existence in the language arts curriculum.
A History of Phonics
The history of phonics is best described in one word: turbulent. While proponents have focused on systematically instilling decoding and encoding skills in young readers, critics have accused it of being too narrowly focused. The contention was, and is, that if the goal is to uncover meaning, then children should be exposed to words in their whole state, not in fragments such as phonemes and graphemes. The Scott Foresman Dick and Jane books, first published in 1927, were in direct response to this drive toward learning words by sight, not by the sum of their phonetic parts (Savage, 2007). Rote memorization was the celebrated skill and intended result, and generations of adults recall learning to read with these familiar characters: Scott Foresman’s Dick and Jane with Spot and Puff or Houghton Mifflin’s Jack and Janet and their pets Tip and Mitten.
Research reviews and opinions published in the 1950s and 1960s, nevertheless, brought to light evidence that showed the code-based strategy of phonics to be more effective than the whole-word approach in sculpting fluent readers. Experts and observers believed that early readers must first possess the ability to recognize phonemes, graphemes, and the interface between the two before unearthing the embedded meaning. In essence, a child should not be expected to know the meaning of a word if s/he could not even pronounce it. Ignoring the code behind the word was an affront to the structure of language.
Over the course of the past half-century, public and professional debate over implementing phonics instruction in literacy programs has ebbed and flowed. Supporters and detractors alike can find “proof” to support their position, but it is up to reading professionals to analyze results and effect change in literacy programs, not to appease the public. According to Baumann, Hoffman, Duffy-Hester, and Ro (2000), the goals of present-day teachers and administrators are “…to develop readers who are skillful and strategic in word identification, fluency, and reading comprehension, and to develop readers who are independent and motivated to choose, appreciate, and enjoy literature “(p. 349). By combining phonics instruction with vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension skills and strategies, today’s teachers are guiding learners toward mastery and, in turn, creating children who are excited for and curious about reading and writing.
Why Phonics?
The purpose of phonics instruction is to provide students with the foundational knowledge of generalizations inherent in the English language, from which they can weave an increasingly sophisticated web of language skills. Certainly, anomalies exist within the English, but there are far more generalizations than exceptions, and it is upon those constants that phonics is based. Teachers’ use of direct and explicit instruction coupled with the modeling of useful strategies demonstrates to developing readers how to use skills to access print. Once the code has been solved, facility with reading results.
Data from scientifically-based studies points to the effectiveness of this methodology. According to the International Reading Association’s Division of Research and Policy (2002), “…systematic phonics instruction makes a bigger contribution to children’s growth in reading than nonsystematic alternative programs or no phonics. Effects last beyond the period of training” (p. 6). When applied prior to the formation of independent reading skills, phonics instruction has been proven to strengthen the student’s ability to decode words, an attribute possessed by successful readers and writers.
Foundational Interrelationships
Phonics is not a reading program; however, when it is used as one part in a series of steps toward achieving literacy, it is effective. Establishing phonemic awareness, the awareness of basic speech sounds, is the first step in this literacy journey. If a developing reader is unable to understand the sounds that make up words, then s/he is not yet ready for phonics instruction. Once knowledge about sounds is in place, the child can begin to attach symbols to phonemes.
After the relationship between phonemes and graphemes has been grasped and the ability to read has been solidly established, readers’ toolkits will hold the proper implements to move them into the realm of vocabulary, or word knowledge. As students investigate words, they are also gaining important exposure – perhaps without noticing--to base words, compound words, contractions, abbreviations, prefixes, suffixes, and inflectional endings. Ideally, this exposure will increase familiarity with and establish new, more sophisticated sight words.
Fluency is impossible if the student has no concept or knowledge of vocabulary. The ability to read with accuracy, automaticity, expression, and appropriate phrasing hinges on a well-developed, consistent understanding of word meaning. Thus, comprehension is enhanced with fluency. Owning the ability to construct and deconstruct meaning in text encourages students to find excitement in print--a common trait among life-long learners.
Notwithstanding public opinions over phonics, educators must remain focused on creating and supporting readers in a way that best suits the individual child. Surely, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to literacy, and while the efficacy of phonics is evidence-based, it is critical that teachers stay well-informed, so they create a flexible, comprehensive, and well-rounded approach to reading. Phonics is but one of the many keys needed to open the door to future reading and academic success.
About the author
Ann deOnis is a faculty member in the Department of Education at MSU. Ann prepares teacher candidates at Montana State University in the area of English language arts. She also works with in-service teachers on various professional development projects.
References
Baumann, J.F., Hoffman, J.V., Duffy-Hester, A.M., & Ro, J.M. (2000). The first R
yesterday and today: U.S. elementary reading instruction practices reported by
teachers and administrators. Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 338-377.
Division of Research and Policy, International Reading Association. (2002).
Summary of the(U.S.) national reading report: Teaching children to read.
Retrieved from the International Reading Association web site:
http://www.reading.org/downloads/resources/nrp_summary.pdf
Rupley, W.H., Blair, T.R., & Nichols, W.D. (2009). Effective reading instruction for
struggling readers: The role of direct/explicit teaching. Reading & Writing
Quarterly, 25, 125-138.
Savage, J.F. (2007). Sound it out! Phonics in a comprehensive reading program
(3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
An Invitation from Midland Empire
Dear Friends,
This is an exciting year. The Midland Empire Reading Council Board has worked hard over the summer. We now have a website, a Twitter account , and a Facebook page. This year you can even pay for your membership online.
Our first meeting will be September 27th, 2011 and will be at the Bones meeting room at 1425 Broadwater Ave, Billings, MT. Barb and Ron Scherry will be talking about the wonderful new books they have found. This is has always been one of the sessions I looked for every year!
We are also blessed to have the Montana State Reading Council in Billings this year, October 20-21,2011. I hope to see everyone there.
Ruth Ferris
MERC President
This is an exciting year. The Midland Empire Reading Council Board has worked hard over the summer. We now have a website, a Twitter account , and a Facebook page. This year you can even pay for your membership online.
Our first meeting will be September 27th, 2011 and will be at the Bones meeting room at 1425 Broadwater Ave, Billings, MT. Barb and Ron Scherry will be talking about the wonderful new books they have found. This is has always been one of the sessions I looked for every year!
We are also blessed to have the Montana State Reading Council in Billings this year, October 20-21,2011. I hope to see everyone there.
Ruth Ferris
MERC President
