Introduction
This report summarizes results of an assessment tool identified as Strategies for Diverse Learners implemented with a small group of three at-risk literacy learners and a teacher from a nearby district (Sullivan & Glanz, 2009). The focus of this report is on the implementation of strategies for diverse learners. Teachers instruct students, and the opposition in this obligation is that all children learn differently. The community of learners, I'm focusing on, in this report are the at-risk literacy learners. At-risk learners do not learn at the same rate as average or above average learners. The at-risk community needs reflective educators who are responsible in their learning; to be "in the know" how to teach this group of learners. There is no room for lack of literacy knowledge because the at-risk literacy learners deserve success, just as much as the average and above average learners in their age group. Research suggests that children with limited, early reading skills continue to struggle with reading and writing on the later grades and are likely to drop out of school (Alexander, Entwisle, & Horsey, 1997; Juel, 1988; Tabors, Snow, & Dickinson, 2001).
I strongly believe all children can learn. As an educator, I’m required to reach all children. With the outcomes of this tool, I’ll be able to determine effective teacher and child interactions with supporting strategies for diverse learners. This tool determines effective and ineffective areas with areas of indication. It can be used to help teachers adapt their teaching to improve student achievement. It is imperative for educators to select the proper conditions, pose just right challenges to the child, observe extremely carefully, react-interact appropria...
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Sullivan, S. & Glanz, J. (2009). Supervision that improves teaching and learning strategies and techniques. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Tabors, P. O., Snow, C. E., & Dickinson, D. K. (2001). Homes and schools together: Supporting language and literacy development. In D. K. Dickinson & P. O. Tabors (Eds.), Beginning literacy with language: Young children learning at home and school (pp. 313-334). Baltimore: Brookes.
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Support from parents has proven to be of extreme importance in the literacy success of a child. This often begins with the simple ritual of “bedtime stories” in the home. Studies show that children who are read to as infants perform better in literacy later in life. From a young age, children begin to understand the workings of the written word if they are exposed to it frequently. Babies who are nowhere near having the mental capacity to read and comprehend a book are still able to “follow along” when their parents or caregivers read to them. These children understand that each segment of writing represents a word and they are even able to recognize when a text is upside-down because they are accustomed to the appearance of writing. This puts the child significantly ahead when the time comes to learn to read.
Knoblauch argues that there are many definitions of literacy that impact people’s lives. Although he argues there are many definitions, he focused on four types of literacy that are most common in society. Knoblauch labels them as functional, cultural, personal-growth/liberal, and critical literacy. He defines functional literacy as a level of literacy that is “readying people for the necessities of daily life—writing checks, reading sets of instructions”(1990, p. 3) and other basic reading and writing skills. However, he also warns that there are hidden agendas in these types of defined literacies. Ill prepared teachers who do not connect to and challenge their students result in no critical literacy and very little
Art is intended for all to enjoy and learn from. Through an art curriculum; phonics, mathematics, and readiness skills to name a few can be learned through an art curriculum. With this curriculum a teacher can adapt that centers to teach those with diverse abilities such as emotional and intellectual challenges, visual impairments, hearing impairments, and orthopedic impairments.
For my community involvement project, I volunteered at Memminger Elementary School for a program called “Reading Partners.” The program focuses on helping children build strong literacy skills to carry with them into their academic careers. It requires the tutor to read to the student that has been assigned and in turn the student reads to the tutor. The program assists in teaching the students valuable reading skills. Being able to read is critical to a child’s educational success. The program works with more than 100 schools within seven states. The program is geared toward students of low-income families. The statistics for children’s literacy in the United States are astonishing. “In 2011, just thirty-four percent of the nation’s fourth graders in public school could read proficiently” (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011). The program itself has had exponential success. Principals and teacher have reported that “Reading Partners” has helped increase students’ reading levels. During my time at the program I accumulated twelve volunteer hours.
Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2009). SuperVision and Instructional Leadership: A Developmental Approach (8th Edition). Alexandria, VA: Prentice Hall. 137-188.
Reading is a complex process that’s difficult to explain linearly. A student’s reading capabilities begin development long before entering the school setting and largely start with exposure (Solley, 2014). The first remnants of what children are able to do in terms of reading are built from their parents and other people and object around them as they’re read to, spoken to, and taken from place to place to see new things (Solley, 2014). As kids are exposed to more and more their noises quickly turn into intentional comprehensible messages and their scribbling begins to take the form of legible text as they attempt to mimic the language(s) they’re exposed to daily.
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Some administrators use clinical supervision or peer coaching to determine from which it is obtain the most feedback and some other uses this methods or the combination of both (Hooker, 2014). It is important the comparison of both methods in order to identify the benefits of each. The clinical supervision includes a developmental evaluation that is meant to assist and improve the instruction of teachers (Glickman, et al., 2010). It is necessary to do a preconference, lesson observation, analysis of the information and interpret the teaching observed, and a post conference to determine the effectiveness of the process. In the clinical supervision are steps to follow: first, during the preconference the administrator and teacher identify the process, purpose or reason of the ob...
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...pupils are expected to use and learn a new language and new cultural dispositions effectively In addition, she comprehended that having a motivation to succeed is an issue that male and female pupils face because they do not believe that their efforts will develop their performance. What is more, she apprehended that that many general education teachers do not follow the instructions of the IEP’s nor even read the IEP's, and believe that their learning disabled students are just lazy. At the end of the day, the children are the future and need individuals surrounding them that will have their best interest at heart. By everyone (educators, parents, community leaders, etc…) working together as a team (T-Together, E-Everyone, A-Achieves, M-More), we will be prosperous in helping and guiding pupils in becoming future leaders, as well as productive citizens in society.