My Claim to Fame: Reading Instruction
- As an elementary school teacher, I’ve discovered that my strongest area of teaching is Reading. I’ve taught classes with as many as 70% of the students performing below grade level in Reading and English Language Learners. Through the use of systematic, explicit phonics instruction, increased opportunities for oral fluency practice, multiple intelligence comprehension strategies, and extrinsic motivation I am able to consistently increase student reading levels for 90-95% of my students from 1 to 3 grade levels in one school year. (as measured by DRA and Running Record reading diagnostics)
Phonics
- Direct phonics instruction is provided to promote student mastery of the 70 common phonograms of the English language.
- Methods from The Spalding Method to teach reading were used to supplement the curriculum (www.spalding.org).
- Phonograms are taught in isolation with the use of phonogram flashcards, a phonogram pronounciation cd, and oral dictation of phonograms.
- Mastery is developed through daily use in spelling, reading, and writing.
Oral Reading Fluency
- Reader's Theater
- Echo reading
- Choral reading
- Repeated readings of texts
- Teacher read alouds
- Peer tutoring among students
- Nonfluent readers oral read texts a grade level above their reading level to a fluent reader. The fluent reader assists with decoding unfamiliar words and coaches their tutee with self correcting mistakes and reading they way he/she talks.
Reading Comprehension
- Story retelling skits
- Story summary posters
- Visual graphic organizers
- Notetaking with sticky notes
- Teacher think alouds- orally model comprehension strategies that are usually done mentally
Motivation
- Accelerated Reader reward
- Coupons for personal pan pizzas from Pizza Hut's Book It program are awarded for achieving Accelerated Reader reading goals
- Six Flags Read to Succeed reading program
- Students earn free tickets to the Six Flags theme park for the number of hours spent reading