Carmen Lemen

Developing Literacy in the Primary Classroom

Final Project
11/18/2016

A) Summary & Growth Plan

Immediate
Immediate Element of What does this What is the Timeframe for
Changes Change presently Goal for change
change? Change?

Creating and Comprehension Currently, not Creating a Immediate

implementing Sequencing using visuals visual to refer
new materials Read for a for to during
for reading purpose connections reading. This
will allow
students a non-
verbal.

Designing and Editing and Currently, not Have students Immediate

implementing assessing having spend five
new writing writing students edit minutes a day
activities or assess editing and
writing assessing
writing.

Short Term
Short Term Element of What does this What is the Timeframe for
Goals Change presently goal for change
change? change?

Enhance Create a Daily 5 does Create and 6 months

Fluency specific time not spend time implement a
Development during Daily 5 focusing on fluency formula
to incorporate fluency kit to track and
fluency plan mini-
practice lessons

Enhance pre- Students will Pre-reading Special 1-2 months

reading skills have multiple skills are a Education
chances a day small part of teachers will
to enhance the students incorporate
their pre- day pre-reading
reading skills baskets
 Long Term Changes

Long Term Element of What does this What is the Timeframe for
Changes Change presently goal for change
change? change?

Include more Implement a Currently, we Working with 1 year

writing new writing do not have an my director to
programs program effective writing find an
program effective
research based
writing
program.

Start a Create a Currently, we Work with my 1 year

Literature and specific time do not a social director and
Social Circle for students to or literature special
come together driven circle education
to read and teachers to
learn new implement this
social skills type of group

B) Immediate Changes!
#1 I have students who need visual prompting during tasks given. Reading has
always been a struggle for them. Students are usually so focused on reading the
words correctly, so their comprehension and sequencing is not there. I decided
to create and implement a visual to enhance this skill. Students really took to this.
They slowed down when reading and really started looking more at the pictures
Usually, my students complain when I say take a picture walk, but this visual is
a great way to remind them. I also shared this with my kindergarten teachers and
other special education staff.
 #2 Designing and implementing new writing activities. Right now I am currently
not having students edit or assess this writing when coming to me for their
special education pull out minutes. We usually are working on a quick guided
reading strategy or math. It seems as if writing is put on the back burner in most
classrooms and it is the easiest to cut out. I believe this has been hindering our
students writing skills. I see students who are not able to write complete
paragraphs in second or third grade. My plan was to work in a 5-7 minute writing
window. I gave students a paper consisting of three paragraphs (beginning,
middle and end). I had they take a piece of paper and only fix one sentence at a
time. Their directions were to look at capitals, punctuation, spelling and grammar.
The students were editing others writing. We are calling this Fix it . I also asked
for teachers to send their students morning journal, so that we can practice
assessing their own writing. The students have been very receptive to this
activity. I saw a large jump in confidence during writing. They were self assessing
and checking for things like capitals, correct spelling and even asking for help.
Most of my students usually try to hurry and write a few sentences. This change
gives them the chance to practice looking for mistakes within writing and learn
from others. I plan on keeping this built in time for all of my groups.

C) Short and Long Term Goals

Short Term

#1 Fluency Formula Kits

I currently use fluency packets given to me by my reading specialists. This includes a
daily mini-lesson of 5 target words and 10 sentences for students to practice. This does
not really give me data, teaching points, or a way to assess and move forward with
planning. I have been concerned about a few of my students choppy reading and
really searching for ways to help this area of need. I plan on researching fluency kits
and proposing this to my principal for purchase. I know I could contact other reading
specialists and ask other teachers. I would also possibly look into writing a grant. After
receiving my fluency kit or researched based kit, I would like to train my co-teaching
partners and paraprofessionals. My paras are able to work with students when I am not
present. This is something support staff could all use. I would like to enhance my
students fluency with researched based material.

#2 Enhancing Pre-Reading Skills

My students are currently working on pre-reading skills during whole group reading and
Daily 5. I feel as if students should have the opportunity to practice this skill throughout
their day. There is many ways to do this, but I decided to look into finish early baskets.
These baskets can be ready and available during all transitions, when students are
finished after all subjects and during centers. My teaching partner and I will create
leveled baskets for students to practice pre-reading skills. We have students working on
matching, same/different, tracking left to right, letters, letter sounds, and putting sounds
together. I also have students with IEP goals. This will be great data and practice for
students throughout the day. These will be changed weekly to keep the students
interested and motivated.
Long Term Goals

#1 Writing Programs
Currently, there is not a writing program for my school. Teachers will print or research
best practice. There has been much talk about providing our students with an effective
writing program.
In kIndergarten, teachers are only working on writing sentences/skills for 15 minutes a
day. I feel there is need for more practice and a correct way to go about teaching this
skill. I will work with our director and other teachers to find the perfect writing program
for our students. This program will need to be designed to reach all learners. Including
whole group, small group, differentiated and more. We will be trained in this program
and implement throughout the school. We will assess the program once a month to
check for effectiveness. Student and parent input will be requested.
#2 Literature/Social Circle
Currently, there is not a literature of social circle within our school. In previous years we
have done Circle of Friends. However, this seems to just be students talking for about
15 minutes in a group and leaving with little change or skill to take with them.I serve
many students with social deficits and needs for peer learning, especially in the area od
reading.I will be meeting with my building director and teaching partners to plan out a
literature/social circle. My goal is to have these students meet daily for a 20 minute
session. We will have theme each month surrounding a skill we will be working on and a
story we will all be reading. My students will create a poster together and be in charge
of setting up, taking down and planning activities. To get this project started, we will
research grant writings or ways to provide for the success of this group. We will assess
this group during each session. Teachers will be looking for growth socially and in the
area of reading.

D) Academic and Social Growth

I believe each of these changes will create new, more effective strategies for
teachers and learners. As a teacher, I sometimes question myself, and I ask if I am truly
making a difference.
I believe my immediate changes will change my students academically. They will
be using a visual during reading to help with comprehension and sequencing. I have
also been thinking about other visual I need to create for specific teaching points. My
hope is to create small visuals or anchor charts. The other immediate change I have
made is during writing. Reading and writing go hand and hand. I feel as if this course
tied the two together. I will keep this small time for editing and assessing writing built
into my small groups.
As for my short term goals, I am very excited to see these unfold. My teaching
heart strings have always been telling me to research more on fluency. My students get
stuck usually around second grade with fluency. Their reading becomes choppy and
they struggle to keep comprehension with this type of reading. My hope is to find
different fluency kits and strategies. My students will be growing academically with this
skill. I hope to see their confidence boost, language expand and reading/comprehension
become much stronger in the next year. The other short term goal is to make finished
baskets for my students. These baskets will include hand-ons and pencil paper pre-
reading skills. I believe my students will grow immensely with these baskets. My
students need the extra practice and time to build their skills. I cannot wait to see what
they think of these baskets.
 My long term goals will take a lot of footwork and planning, but these are things i
have been thinking about for a long time. I believe the writing program will help all
students grow academically, with their language, and even socially. We could have
journal buddies, pen pals in other states, writing circle and much more. My students will
become better writers with a program guiding their way. My other long term plan is to
start a literature and social circle. I believe this would grow students of all levels. My
students on my caseload would benefit greatly from practicing social skills, learning
during reading and making new friends.
I found my idea for literature and social circle from Chapter 1 in the Tompkins
book. There was many areas I could change, but this one stuck out to me. I believe
elementary students need to be talk these social skills today. Most have their noses
stuck in technology and do not get the chance to learn social skills as they need. In the
last six years of teaching, I have noticed an increase of less problem solving, more
temper tantrums, less motivation and more of a need for on-task accommodations. My
hope is that these students benefit from a specified time to fall in love with reading and
learn to socialize with guidance.
As for my writing activity, I pulled this from Chapter one as well, To help avoid
reading/writing difficulties you need to have systematic instruction and meaningful
reading and writing experiences. Let kids use invented spelling, dramatic activities,
structured activities for phonemic awareness/alphabet/HFW. (Tompkins) Our module 3
really made me think about the needs of our readers. This is when I came up with the
finished baskets. I needed to think of a time to incorporate this into their day much
more. I did think about centers as well. I will also be adding a pre-reading skills center.
Next was fluency during chapters six and seven. This is where I found the idea
for fluency formula kits. I did find a great website for read alouds when teaching the
beginning stages of fluency. http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-treasury-pic1.html
My hope is to help all levels of fluency from Kindergarten to Second grade. I believe a
kit will really be able to let me differentiate the need of support for fluency.
FInally, I know all these changes, short and long, will take time. However, I
believe they will impact my teaching and my students greatly. I will be presenting this to
my director and teaching partners, so we are able to get these changes expedited.