Parental Involvement

According to research children whose parents share in their education tend to do better in school. Some benefits of parental involvement in a child's education include:
Higher grades and test scores
Long term academic achievement
Positive attitudes and behavior
More successful programs
More effective schools

In this complex world, it takes more than a good school to educate children. And it takes more than a good home. It takes these two major educational institutions working together.
Dorothy Rich, author of MegaSkills®

There are many ways to get parents involved in their child's learning. Getting parents involved in a child's reading development is very important. Ways the classroom teacher can help get parent's involved in their child's reading development include weekly reading materials for students to read with their parents,guest readers,have other syblings help the student,send home information on what the child is reading and learning at school,and send home information on how to help your child.click here to read more about parental involvement in reading development

Using Reading Programs Effectively

In this picture I am using outside resources to aide my lesson on sight words.
I created a smart board lesson to review a phonics lesson from the reading program
Reading programs come and go. Reading programs are constantly changing. When using reading programs it is important to provide your students with additional resources. Reading programs should be based on the needs of your students. When teaching students to read teachers must focus on the five reading components. A complete reading program should provide students with whole group instruction and small group instruction. A quality reading program should provide students with instruction, practice,and application. When using a reading program provide you students with additional resources for learning. A program should be a teacher's guide not a crutch. While teaching in the field this semester I used Reading Street. This program was adopted by the entire school. The program provided materials that aided the lessons. When using the program I provided my students with additional texts. The students also where provided time for independent reading in which they read materials from the library or class library.

Guided Reading/Small Groups

Each day students meet in reading groups for reading instruction. The reading group is lead by the teacher. Students are placed in reading groups according to reading level. Groups are kept small and usually contain readers that have the same instructional needs. The reading materials are determined by the groups reading abilities. Each group meets for 10-30 minutes a day depending on the instructional needs of the group. Usually the group with the most instructional need meets for the longest amount of time. While in reading groups students will receive reading instruction and support on a text. Each student has to read the entire text. The teacher uses this time to teach the students reading strategies,monitor fluency, and teach the five reading components to the students.

This semester I was able to teach guided reading on a number of occasions. While teaching in small groups I was able to work with students one-on-on as well as a group. During this time I was able to focus on the needs of each particular group. I had to differeniate instruction based on the groups reading levels. Each group had their own plan of instruction to meet their instructional needs.click here to view a full lesson plan of my guided reading groups

Assessment Section

This semester I had the opportunity to work with a struggling reader. While working with this student I used many assessments to aide my intervention. When I began working with the student the first assessment I gave was a Dominie assessment. Using this assessment I was able to find out what reading level the student was at. Over the course of the semester I administered several assessments. I took running records while the student read aloud. Running records helped me examine the progress my student was making. Running records also helped me check to see if the texts were matched to the student's needs. I also used a dibels assessment to assess the student's reading rate. I also administered an alphabet knowledge assessment to find out which letters and letter sounds my struggling reader was having trouble with. There are many different assessments available for teachers to use. I used a variety of assessments on my struggling reader so the students would be assessed in numerous different ways.


Below is a summary of my experience of working with a struggling reader:

This semester I worked independently with a struggling reader. This student had trouble with blending, phoneme segmentation, and had a poor alphabet knowledge. The student also had a hard time staying focused. He was very easily distracted. This student did not have an IEP when I began working with him. After Christmas an IEP meeting was set up to help individualize his instruction. When I first met this students I took a reading interest survey. I learned more about the student’s interest and background information. The survey helped me choose materials based on the students interest. I also assessed the students reading level with a dominie assessment. From the dominie assessment,reading survey,and information from the classroom teacher I concluded the student was on a instructional reading level of 1.
After giving the reader an alphabet knowledge test, taken from the red book, I was able to assess which letters and letter sounds he needed to work on. The reader knew almost all letters and letter sounds. The reader knew how to properly hold a book and turn the pages. The reader was able to locate the cover page of a book. The student could locate the title and knew what an author and illustrator were. The students also read from right to left. The reader needed to work on blending and phoneme segmentation. The reader also needed additional practice with alphabet knowledge.
To help the student with letter knowledge I used letter magnets,alphabet cards, and alphabet charts to aide the student. I assessed the readers alphabet knowledge with sources from the red book three times when working with him. This helped me monitor his progress. To help the struggling reader with phoneme segmentation I used Elkonin boxes. The Elkonin boxes helped Terrance practice segmenting sounds. I also used a white dry erase board on which I wrote words and had Terrance break the sounds by first, middle, and ending sounds. I had Terrance identify and repeat phonemes in words I would say to him. To help Terrance with his sight words I used flash cards. I also had Terrance come up with sentences that used his sight words. I had Terrance use his finger or a pointer when reading to learn one to one correspondance.
I worked with Terrance almost everyday. The main focus of our lesson was blending and phoneme segmentation. I used materials from reading street and dibels. At the beginning of each lesson I would reveiew the letter of the week with Terrance. I would use alphabet cards to review the letter. I would also review the phonics and phonic awareness section of the reading street lesson. Next I would have Terrance blend words from the decodable reader. I would also review sight words with Terrance. I would help Terrance read decodable texts and complete cold reads with the student.
Terrance has improved so much. He can blend a lot more words now. If he can’t blend the entire word he can at least get the initial and ending sounds. Before I began working with Terrance he sometimes could not blend any sounds of a word. Terrance’s dibel scores have improved so much. He can read more words and recognizes most sight words. After Christmas Terrance had an IEP set up. He began being pulled from the classroom for idividualized instruction. .
From working with Terrance this smester I have learned that when working with students each child needs to be given instruction based on their needs. Students should be assessed many times and varied ways to find out where they are and where they need to be. When working with students you may need to differintiate instruction. Students may need induvidualized instruction and intervention.

Teaching Math with Children's Literature

Counting Crocodiles
Book: Sierra, Judy. (1997). Counting Crocodiles. New York: Gulliver Books Harcourt Brace & Company

Mathematical Topics(s) or Theme(s)
• Counting to 10 up and down

Appropriate Grade Level(s): K

Abstract
A clever monkey uses her counting abilities to outwit some hungry crocodiles. The monkey is on an island and has eaten all the fruit from the trees. The monkey spots another island with banana trees. The monkey counts the crocodiles in the sea that stand between her banana tree.

Suggestions for Implementation

Assessment: The story can be used as an assessment activity with small groups of children as they begin a unit on counting to ten. Reading the story with young children will give the teacher a measure of a child’s number sense, and counting ability prior to formal instruction. The teacher can assess the children's knowledge of counting when reading. While reading she can ask the students what number comes next for each page.

Problem Solving: The story can provide a problem solving context for young children. The students can count the crocodiles on each page in the story to figure out how many crocodiles stand between the monkey and the banana tree.

Counting to ten: The book uses counting concepts to tell a story. The book counts up to ten and down from ten.
Additional questions to pose:
a. How many crocodiles would there be if we added one more to ten?
b. Ask the students as you read what number do you think will come next?

Extension: Have the students create their own counting book. The students can write the numbers 1 to 10 in the book. One page for each number. Then the students can draw a picture to represent the number on the page. For the number one they could draw one monkey and so on. Then the students could read their books for review. You would be able to see if the students could write their numbers, and correctly represent the number with pictures.

Teaching with Technology/Art

Above is an image taken from a math lesson I completed with my kindergarten students. I used a smart board and had students create a t-chart of who liked jelly beans and who did not like jelly beans. Each students was given a post it note to writ their name on. The students placed their post it note on either side of the t-chart. As a class we reviewed the results. I was able to use technology to teach a math concept. The smart board allowed the students to interact with the lesson. The student's also were able to record results using technology.

All students have different learning styles. When teaching students we must create lessons that are suited for each learning style. When teaching math when can integrate it with other subjects to develop a more meaningful lesson. Using art and and technology when teaching math allows students the opportunity to learn using other learning methods and techniques. Teaching math with art and technology provide additional resources for your students. Students use hands on experiences and are engaged in their own learning.
click here for additional information about teaching with technology and art

click here for a list of helpful websites on teaching math with art and technology

Working with Struggling Mathematicians

This semester I got to work with a struggling mathematician. Before I began working with Michael I gathered background information from Michael and my cooperating teacher. I learned Michael's interest and what he was struggling with in math. Michael was having a hard time with one-to-one correspondence. I met with Michael several times during the semester to work with him on this. To help Michael better understand one-to-one correspondence I used manipulatives. I also worked with Michael on physically touching each manipualtive as he counted. I used multilink cubes and counters when working with Michael. I assessed Michael with a number knowledge test. I used flash cards with numerals and dots to represent each number and had Michael name the number for each card. I worked with Michael on solving addition and subtraction problems. I gave Michael a set of counters to help him complete the problems. I think Michael learns better with visual representations of the problem. I gave Michael a page of addition problems to solve that had pictures to represent the problems. I suggested to Michael that when he is given a problem that does not have pictures he draw his own pictures to help him solve the problems.
Working with Michael this semester has helped me understand that students may need induvidualized instruction. All students learn differently so as a teacher you must alter your teaching to meet the needs of your students. You should use many varied teaching methods to teach a lesson. Still some students will need additional idividaulized instruction. As a teacher you must provide this instruction to your students.

Independent Reading

"Research clearly shows that the reading of meaningful, connected text results in improved reading achievement (Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988; Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, & Wilkerson, 1985; Elley & Mangubhai, 1983; Ingham, 1981; Taylor, Frye, & Maruyama, 1990)."
Things I will do in my future classroom to make independent reading successful:
-Set aside planned reading time.
-Provide time for independent reading and materials for independent reading.
-The teacher must monitor student's reading. Conference with student's about what they are reading.
-Have time for students to share what they are reading.
-Help students develop a love for reading.
-Partner struggling readers with stronger readers.
-Have a time for literature circles.
-Provide students with different types of reading materials (magazines,comics,etc.)

click here to read more about independent reading

Teaching with Manipulatives

Helping children understand math:
"Teaching with math manipulatives helps children understand math concepts. Hands on learning or learning by doing keeps the students' attention as they naturally want to play with and explore objects.When children can touch and move manipulatives or real things when learning new skills, their senses are involved in the learning experience.Children benefit when they are able to fully understand new concepts with concrete materials before they are expected to understand the same ideas with symbols."

-Patricia Bentham, author, kindergarten-lessons.com

The images above were taken during a math lesson I taught a group of kindergarten students. I used some very untraditional manipulatives to teach this lesson. Students worked with jelly beans during this lesson. Using jelly beans as a manipulative was very inexpensive and delicious. The students used the jelly beans to practice sorting, counting one-to-one, and solving addition problems. The students were actively engaged during the lesson. The students were able to learn through investigation and discovery!

When Working With Math Manipulatives:
The students need time to get used to working with the materials. The students also need time to explore and "play" with the materials. The students can now focus on the lesson better after they explore the materials.

If you do not have enough of each manipulative have your students work in groups.It would be easier for the students to work with the materials in groups of two. It is also more productive when the students work in groups. The students can learn with and from each other.

Social Studies Lesson-Community Helpers

Click here to view my power point on community helpers
Click here to read more about this lesson

Science Lesson-The 5 Senses

Student's Work
Student's Work
Student's Work
When teaching students about the five senses I used an interagtive powerpoint. For an evaluate students drew a picture that represented each sense in their "Five Senses Booklet". Click here to read more about this lesson

Science Lesson-Seasons

For a science lesson on seasons I used a power point to teach students about the seasons of the year. Students really enjoyed the power point. They also enjoyed learning about each season and it's characteristics. For an evaluation I had each student draw a picture illustrating each season of the year.Click here to read more about this lesson

Storytelling Activity-The Three Little Pigs

After telling the story The Three Little Pigs by James Marshall the students did a writing activity for a literature response. Each student received one sentence strip and a pig cut-out. Each student had to write a sentence that told what material they would build their home out of if they where a little pig. The students where very creative and enjoyed the activity. Some of the students homes where made of flowers, pumpkins, rocks, and rainbows. After the students wrote their sentence on the sentence strip they cut the pig cut-out in half and glued their sentence in the middle.

Spelling Words Activity

To help students learn their spelling words try this fun activity. I had students practice spelling their spelling words with alphabet picture cards on a pocket chart. The students had to organize the words into two groups. Each group of words had the same ending sounds. I also had students write the words in separate groups. Each group again had words with the same endings. The students then got to go outside and write an assigned spelling word with sidewalk chalk and illustrate the word. The students loved getting to go outside! As a class we looked at all the spelling art when students finished. The students really enjoyed this activity and retained a lot of information.

Literature Response Activity- The 5 Little Pumpkins

This was so fun! I did this lesson around Halloween last Fall. I read my students the story of the Five Little Pumpkins. After reading the book I had the students sequence the order of events in the book. As a literature response activity the students drew a face on their own pumpkin. The students loved this story so much that I would read it as a treat when they had a really good day in the afternoon. The students began to read it with me and we even had someone designated to flash the lights off when it happened in the story. The students created sounds for each part of the book. They would hold up their fingers when counting along with the book. The students would also make a swoosh sound for the wind in the story. Below are the basic steps if you would like to try this lesson out!

Grade Level: Kindergarten
Teaching Strategy: Total Group
Time Required: 45 minutes

Subject/Content Area
Reading

Materials
The book The Five Little Pumpkins
Sentence strips with pictures and words that represent the five main events in the story
Pumpkin cut outs
Crayons
Magnets
Dry erase board
Dry erase board marker

Teaching/Learning Procedures
The teacher begins by reading the story the Five Little Pumpkins.
After reading the story the Five Little Pumpkins the teacher draws a story web on the board. The teacher writes the title/main idea in the center. Next the teacher draws five lines extending from the main idea. The teacher labels the extending lines 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Next the teacher places sentence strips on the board with magnets. The strips are pre-written with words and pictures of the five main events in the story.
Next the teacher asks for someone to tell him/her what happened first in the story. The teacher calls the student to place the correct sentence strip on the line labeled 1st.
The teacher continues asking the students what happened next and allowing students to move the sentence strips to the correct line until the story web is complete.
Next the teacher has the students move to their tables. At the tables the students will find a pumpkin cutout to decorate and draw a face on.

Shared Reading

For a shared reading activity I read aloud to the students The Enormous Carrot by Vladimir Vagin. The students had to make a prediction to anticipate the ending of the story, associate vocabulary words and their meanings, and respond to literature. To evaluate the students on this lesson I listened to the students use a new vocabulary word in a sentence, and examined each students' drawing of their prediction to the ending of the story. The students loved this story. The lesson had great student interaction. I read this story to the students before they left for spring break. It was great timing because it went along with the theme of Easter.Click here to read more about this lesson

Read Aloud's

For one of my read aloud lesson I choose to integrate reading and math. I used a poem about money to introduce the students to the concept of coins. The students read the poem aloud to practice fluency. After reading the poem together the students highlighted sight words within the poem. The poem helped the students learn each coin and its value. Using a teacher made handout I was able to evaluate the students' knowledge of a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. The students really enjoyed this lesson. The students were able to explore coins with manipulative's and real coins. The students loved the smart board game that went along with this lesson.Click here to read more about this lesson

Mathematics Philosophy of Teaching

My learning experiences in mathematics as a student have been bitter sweet. In elementary school I remember learning fractions with a pizza manipulative. I can still remember playing with fake money when learning how to count money. I remember playing with a clock manipulative when learning how to tell time. I definitely remember the multiplication flash cards I used at school and at home. I remember the geometric shapes, pattern bocks, and number charts I used in school. I also remember folding origami in one math class! I remember learning short sayings to remember the order of operations. I did well in school and don’t remember struggling with math until seventh grade.
Starting in the seventh grade I began to struggle with math. I had to work very hard to maintain my good grades I had always had. It took more than just paying attention in class and doing the assigned homework to earn a good grade. My parents expected me to make A’s and B’s and until this point school had been easy. From seventh grade until I graduated high school I had to work very hard in math to maintain my good grades. I put a lot of work and time into math. I was the student who always got help after school or before school with my teacher. I had a private tutor I went to once a week to help me with my math work. I had to study and work so hard to earn good grades in math. All the other subjects in school came easy to me. Even though I struggled with math and had to work very hard at it I didn’t hate it. I think it was so rewarding in the end making a good grade after working so hard. This is what made math bitter sweet for me.
Even though I struggled in math I liked all of my math teachers. I remember each teaching taking time before or after school to help me one on one. My teachers would work with me on my homework and go over old test with me. I remember my teachers even assigning me extra work. I know that my teachers cared about me and wanted me to master what I didn’t understand in math. As a teacher it is important to make sure your students know you want them to do well in your class. As a teacher you must tell your students and show your students that you care about them. As a teacher I will try my best to show my students I care about them and want them to do well in my class.
As a teacher I hope I can make math fun for my students. I want my students to use lots of manipulatives to discover math. I also want to integrate math into other subjects. I remember that math was not my favorite subject but if it could have been integrated in to social studies (my favorite) I might have enjoyed it more. There are so many nontraditional ways to teach math. You could have a class grocery store with your students and teach them about counting and money. Baking cookies with your class involves counting, fractions, and chemistry! Also allowing students to play board games like Life or Monopoly involve them counting and exchanging money. There are lots of ways to make teaching math fun, discovery based, and hands on. As a teacher I want to make sure my students enjoy math. I want them to be exposed to math in real life situations. I also want my students to get math across the curriculum. I hope to integrate other subjects into my math lessons. Most important I want my students to know I want to see them do well in my class.

5 Essential Components of Reading

Learning to read is imperative for today’s students. Reading is a tool we use to share our ideas, knowledge, and experiences. Reading provides a means for learning. There are five essential components of reading.
1. Phonemic Awareness:
Children must understand phonemic awareness in order to associate sounds with letters and manipulate sounds to blend words. Phonemic awareness is the foundation for phonics instruction. Children must first learn to segment words by sounds and know the sound of the phonemes before they can learn to read.
2. Phonics:
“Phonics refers to how alphabet spellings relate to speech sounds in systematic and predictable ways, and how this knowledge can be used to identify words in print” (Cooter, Reutzel 2009, p.25).Phonics instruction is most important for kindergarten through second grade students. Students should complete phonics instruction by second grade.
3. Fluency:
According to Phonics from A to Z fluency is one’s ability to read smoothly with freedom from word recognition problems (Blevins, 2006). Fluency is necessary for comprehension and pleasurable reading.
4. Vocabulary:
Vocabulary instruction involves the learning of words and their meanings. There are four types of vocabulary. The four types of vocabulary are listening, speaking, reading, and writing vocabularies. Vocabulary teaching relates directly to reading comprehension; if students do not know what a word means in a passage it is difficult for them to comprehend what the passage is about.
5. Reading Comprehension:
Each component is directly related to reading success. Students must master phonemic awareness so they can segment word sounds. Using phonics a student can segment words by sounds. Then they can spell and read written text. Students begin to decode and recognize words while reading. Once the student can recognize a large number of written words their reading fluency improves. Reading fluency will improve reading comprehension since students are not struggling with decoding words. Students can devote their attention to vocabulary and making meaning form the text (Blevins, 2006). All components of the reading process work together to build students that can authentically read.
click here to view my position paper on the five components of reading

Teaching Philosophy/Reading Goals

I believe that as teacher’s we are also learners. We must teach what we know, but continue to learn what we don’t know. The teaching process should also be a process of learning, growing, and evolving continuously. Educators should teach their students what they know, and what they are learning to help their students grow in mind, body, and spirit.
As an educator I will strive to incorporate all learning styles into my lessons and assessments. Every child learns differently. More traditional schooling does not best suit all children. In my class I will teach and asses’ students in ways that meet all learning styles. I will present material in ways that will help the children learn quicker and more efficiently.
I feel that if materials are presented to students in all learning styles the children and the teacher will benefit. Children will become lifelong learners and develop a love of learning. Teachers’ will reach a larger audience, and accomplish their goals sooner. The class room should be a place that children succeed. I feel that my teaching methods will allow students to learn, succeed, and develop a lifelong love of learning.
In my class I will encourage parent participation. I will allow volunteers to help in my classroom. Also I will display students work around the school and community. I hope this encourages parent involvement. I will support the children in and out of my classroom. I feel that it is essential to find out what each child is good at and support the child in that area weather it is academic or not.
I want my classroom to be a safe and stimulating environment for the children. I hope that my students will learn academicly, spiritually, and socially in my classroom. I want children to not only learn the curriculum but important life skills as well in my class. This will help the students begin to lead a successful lifestyle.

Reading Goals:
I hope to instel in my students a life long love of reading. As a teacher I will use reading programs, idependent reading, and parental involvement to aide my students reading abilities. I will use proven teaching methods when teaching my students how to read. I will also indiviualize my reading instruction to met each student's needs. I want every student I teach to learn to read,improve their reading skills, and love to read.

About Me

My name is Jessica Kate Pose, however I go by Katie. I was born and raised in Mobile, Alabama. I currently reside in Fairhope, Alabama. I am twenty-two years old. I am pursuing a degree in Elementary Education. I love working with children and hope to have my own classroom very soon! I love to run, travel, paint, go to the beach, and watch movies. I also enjoy photography. I am engaged to a wonderful man who I will marry next April. We have one golden retriever named Bo. He is four years old, and he loves the water!!