Reflection On Teaching Literacy

With over 27 years of experience in the classroom, Mrs. D has a vast array of knowledge in teaching literacy with many different age groups. Throughout her years of teaching, she has always believed that a teacher should always know where the breakdown of learning is in a struggling child. For example, knowing that a child had difficulty understanding letters, it helps a teacher know what areas to target in order for the student to overcome and be able to meet the standards and objectives in place for the student. She believes in programs and activities like reading aloud, shared reading, guided reading, and just right. In the Seattle School District, many of her students are ELL and/or low-income. When it comes to the Common Core State Standards, she does not believe that the testing required with it is culturally responsive. She strongly believes that some assessments do not cater to the low-income students. She gives examples like her Native

Usually, the average class spends around 90 minutes a day dedicated to literacy. However, testing is done during the beginning of the school year and when there are lower than normal scores regarding literacy the 90 minutes a day is changed to 120 minutes a day to help fill the gap in literacy. Mrs. D also explained that a child’s background in literacy can help them in the long run. Usually children who have had parents read to them or have been in pre-school can really help a beginner reader. Usually children who have little to no experience with literacy before school can struggle more in the classroom in not just reading and writing. One of the many advices given to me from Mrs. D was showing a love and passion for reading and writing to your students. This is a really helpful motivational tool to have when teaching it. Also, having students choose their own reading material helps them stay engaged in literacy as