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Thank you for your responses, Nikki! I agree...the questions Mae was asked were...not good.  Lol.  But, what a great opportunity to talk about what WE as tutors would have done with her.  When we know better, we can do better! So glad you are finding 209 content to be helpful in other classes, as well!
-Danielle

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February 27th, 2021

This week we covered comprehension. I learned that comprehension can be assessed through retelling or through comprehension questions. My case study is being done on Mae and to assess her comprehension I evaluated an assessment that asked her comprehension questions for My New Blue Socks. Only a few comprehension questions were asked but when knew the correct answers. My goal for Mae is to be able to answer comprehension questions using evidence from the text.

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February 23rd, 2021

This week I read and learned about fluency and comprehension. I learned how to score both and at first I had some trouble with fluency, but now I understand how to accurately score expression/volume, pace, smoothness, and phrasing. Comprehension was a little easier for me to understand how to score, but was harder when I was using it in my case study. Mae didn't have a lot of information on her comprehension to be able to score her very accurately. I do know that a retelling is a very good way to score comprehension. In my 222 class I practiced that and having read and learned about 209 prepared me for it. I feel that as a teacher I will make sure not to just focus on decoding and phonics, but fluency and comprehension as well. They are all pieces of teaching reading :)

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Thanks for sharing your takeaways, Nikki! Love the quote about teachers being "sidekicks." I haven't heard that before! Also, no one expects you to be perfect as a teacher.  We are always learning and growing right along with our students.  Give yourself time and grace learning new things, new assessments, new ways of thinking about learning in general...you are going to be a great teacher!
-Danielle

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February 6th, 2021

This week we read about running records and also practiced doing it ourselves. I honestly thought that this was a very effective way to measure where students are at with their reading. I was a little stressed about the calculating portion, but overall I liked this assessment. I think that most important part I took away from this week was that running records need to be done periodically and also it's important to keep them organized, as well as spacing out your time to make sure each student is being assessed. It made me feel a lot better when Dr. Zanin told us that when you're first a teacher it's okay not to be perfect and to take time to figure out a good system for running records.

https://www.readinga-z.com/newfiles/levels/runrecord/runrec.html

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Let me know when you want to chat...I always love talking about reading interventions!

As far as your takeaways from A. Mills' blog and RT 1 and 2...you hit the nail on the head with the statement that identity impacts educational experiences! If we can tap into interests and a students' identity, we are more likely to engage students in a way that will motivate them to do more and learn more! Love the inventory you attached.  I like that one!
-Danielle

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January 30th, 2021

Reading about the reading process this week really helped put everything I am learning into perspective. A quote that resonated with me from The Reading Process is, "Comprehension is thinking while reading. It is understanding what we read. Our job is to help children think as they read (pp. 99)." The quote reminds me of "We're not suppose to be heroes as teachers, but rather sidekicks." Our job is to do everything in our power to aid our students learning, without treating them like empty heads that need to be filled with our knowledge. In reading, we are there to teach them how to use their tools to actively read and comprehend. We cannot do the work for them, but rather find what works best for them and find them goals, so that they are able to work towards being active readers. In class we have been learning about how to connect with our students through understand their identities, and needs. We also have learned about the reading process and how we can best support our students in it. Finding text that supports their goals, but is also of interest to them, will allow them to feel engaged in reading. Engagement is really the first step to starting the process.

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Yes! I would love to!

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Thanks for allowing additions/comments, Nikki! I have a passion for reading intervention, since I was a Reading Recovery Teacher and a Literacy Interventionist, so I wanted the chance to comment! The RT text focuses a lot of the whole child and preaching a little about "getting away from the notice of intervention and fixing kids." My personal feeling...sometimes, even the best teachers aren't able to "reach" a student in some way.  That is why interventions exist.  We will talk a little about Reading Recovery (very little), but I am always happy to have outside conversations on interventions, their importance, and impact.  I would love to hear more about your experiences with intervention!!!!  Want to chat after class next?
-Danielle

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Takeaways RT:1 & 2 and A. Mills blog post 

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Takeaways RT:1 & 2 and A. Mills blog post 

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January 23rd, 2021

From the blog post and RT chapters the main takeaway I got was that readers' identity plays an important part in their educational development, specifically with literacy. On page 12 of RT they state "Readers' identity, or perceptions of themselves as readers and how others view them as readers need explicit attention in the classroom." Reading and self identity are important for students to explore and understand. This helps them to be confident readers and to grow in their relationship with literacy. In chapter 2 RT mentions how important it is for the teacher to also understand who their students are as readers. This can also be a tool for early intervention. Observation, assessment, and surveys are important for understanding this.

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What I Would Like to Learn More About This Semester (Part 2) 

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What I Would Like to Learn More About This Semester (Part 2) 

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January 16th, 2021

This semester I really want to learn more about early reading intervention. I was so young when I went through this process, so I cannot remember much about it. My parents can't even recall exactly how the school and they took care of my exceptionalities. I do know that my first grade teacher was the one to mention the possibility of me having dyslexia. I want to know how I would recognize the need for early intervention and the proper steps to take, so that the student, their care givers, and the faculty is well informed on what I notice. Reading and writing were something I struggled with when I was young and I know there are many elementary students with the same struggle.

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January 16th, 2021

I learned a lot this week from class, the article, and also the TEDTalk we watched. The focus was on student teacher relationships. I think that I took so much away on this topic, specifically from the TEDTalk. Pierson had such a way about her that made me want to listen and wish that she had been one of the teachers in my life. She mentioned how she met students that were her mothers, but years later when they were grown. They had thanked her mother for making them feel important and special, when they didn't have much. Pierson also mentioned how students do not learn from a teacher they do not like. I found that to be very true, based off of personal experience. I had a teacher who played favorites and I was not one of them. She made that very clear and because of that, I dreaded her class and did not want to absorb any of the information. I learned that by making these connections and building these relationships with students help you to be a more effective teacher.