[MOSAIC] teacher expertise was off topic math conversation

[Beverlee Paul]

Again - may I recommend reading Rereading Fluency by Bess Altwerger et.al.?  The folks in your school might be interested in the studies that show that children taught in heavily scripted phonics based programs do no better in phonics than children taught in a more balanced fashion.

> From: CNJPALMER at aol.com> Date: Sat, 3 May 2008 13:39:30 -0400> To: mosaic at literacyworkshop.org> Subject: [MOSAIC] teacher expertise was off topic math conversation> > > Bonita> You are the best...truly!> > What a fascinating and thoughtful question! I will reply and ask you to > consider cross-posting a version of it on the To Understand list where there are > some other souls who might be interested in discussing the topic. (I am > hoping that those of you on both lists will understand why that might be a good > thing to do.)> > Your post is of personal interest to me right now. We have had, up to this > point, a fantastic reading intervention in our district called Reach. Reach was > a reading recovery clone which pulled many, many first and second graders to > a proficient or better level. We never had the money as a district to become > truly reading recovery...we used highly trained instructional assistants to > implement the program under the direction of reading specialists. There was > continual staff development including "behind the glass" sessions where we > helped build their knowledge of how to teach reading and how reading developed. > These assistants read Marie Clay...gave running records, leveled their books > and just did a fantastic job all around. For years it was universally > acknowledged that this intervention was successful...not for every student, but > about 75% of all our kids in the program would meet and continue to meet grade > level standards.> > Well, under NCLB and the resulting current state guidelines, Reach is not a > 'researched based' program. Can you tell where this is going??? Rumor has it > that the title one schools in our area will no longer be using Reach...they > will be going instead to a scripted heavily phonics based program. Now I will > tell you that I absolutely do NOT condemn this choice...the schools really > have no choice. If they don't use a research based program, there is no chance > to appeal when schools fail to meet adequate yearly progress. I know these > scripted programs do work to build decoding skills for some kids...and I know > that the reading specialists in our district understand the need for balance > and will ensure that these kids get comprehension instruction as well. > > What saddens me is that we are handing these instructional assistants > scripts and not putting our resources into helping them understand the nature of > how reading develops and how to make good choices in instruction. It won't > matter for a few years...these ladies (mostly they are women who are willing to > work for little pay) already know a lot from the time we have invested in > building their expertise...but as they retire or move to greener pastures, we > will have moved the focus from teaching assistants to technicians. > > I am lucky...I am not in a title one school and I can keep going with > Reach...albeit without the district level training and support. But...I am feeling > the pressure to at least explore the researched based programs and train > folks in one so that I can ensure that the positive affects of using a scripted > program outweigh the great number of negatives. Using a researched based > program in addition or as a supplement to Reach may be required to keep us out of > AYP jail within a very few years. > > Bonita, a colleague of mine always says that a good, quality curriculum is a > floor...not the ceiling. We need that...but we also need even more, teachers > who understand how kids learn to read, how to respond to the different needs > of the children in front of them. Lesson study, to me, would fill the second > requirement, but not the first. Lesson study is about the process of > teaching, to me, not a way to find out what to teach. > As a beginning teacher, I would have been lost without my anthology teachers > guide. It is a floor...but by now, I don't even crack open the covers...and > there is no way I feel that I know enough to say I have the ceiling in sight!> > Hmmm... I don't think I am even beginning to answer all your questions...I > guess my first thoughts here are that we need a quality curriculum to start > with...and then highly trained teachers who know how to build from that to meet > the needs of their kids.> Jennifer> > > > > > In a message dated 5/3/2008 12:36:30 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > bonitadee61 at ca.rr.com writes:> > Sorry Jennifer,> > I always forget that the Mosiac list tries to keep true to reading > comprehension. When a topic is raised where I have thoughts or passion, I tend to jump > in. That said, I will now make the connection between all this math talk and > reading comprehension. > > Do teachers require materials that dictate day to day instruction in order > to teach reading comprehension (in any subject) and teach it well? Is > comprehension something in which we are so versed we do "not need" the support of a > specific text? Is comprehension so fundamentally different from other > subjects (like math or science) that we should be left to fish around and do it our > own way without articulation through the grades? I ask this honestly, > because I do not know or even have an idea of the answer. The difference, to me, > it seems, is that reading comprehension does not develop in any sort of > linear fashion. That we are all teaching "all of comprehension" at all grade > levels. Am I correct in this thinking?> > I am playing devil's advocate here. I know, Jennifer, that you are involved > in lesson study on comprehension, a very in-depth process of professional > development that is teacher-driven (not district "assigned"). Would such > teacher development be enough to assure quality comprehension instruction at all > grade levels? Could it inform us where, developmentally, certain comprehension > should and should not be taught?> > :)Bonita--trying to get back on track ;)> > > > _______________________________________________> Mosaic mailing list> Mosaic at literacyworkshop.org> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.> > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > > > > > **************Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family > favorites at AOL Food. > (http://food.aol.com/dinner-tonight?NCID=aolfod00030000000001)> _______________________________________________> Mosaic mailing list> Mosaic at literacyworkshop.org> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org.> > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > 
_________________________________________________________________
Make Windows Vista more reliable and secure with Windows Vista Service Pack 1.
http://www.windowsvista.com/SP1?WT.mc_id=hotmailvistasp1banner