Reading Portfolio
Reading Practicum
Introduction
In the spring of 2020, I participated in the course, Education 748: Supported Literacy Practicum. I was given the opportunity to create an action plan where I was applying skills as a reading teacher in an instructional setting. The goal was to demonstrate my ability to assess, diagnose, and plan differentiated instruction based on assessments and observations to provide research based instruction to my students. For my action plan, I decided to create a plan where I would continuous monitor my students' reading strengths and needs and create strategy lessons to benefit their reading progress.
Wisconsin Teaching Standards:
Standard 1: Pupil Development
Standard 2: Learning Difference
Standard 3: Learning Environment
Standard 4: Content Knowledge
Standard 7: Planning for Instruction
Standard 8: Instructional Strategies
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IRA Standards:
Standard 4: Diversity and Equity
Standard 5: Assessment and Evaluation
Standard 7: Practicum/Clinical Experiences
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Link to Standards Page for Additional Information and Descriptions About these Standards
Completing this practicum project allowed me to choose an area of focus that I felt would benefit myself as a reading teacher and my students. The first thing I did in this practicum was have my students complete a self reflection where they thought about themselves as readers. I noticed that after we completed the self-reflection form, my students have been more focused on working on the items that they noted they wanted to improve on. I think it was a great way for them to take ownership of their learning and it was great for me to see what items they wanted me to help them with. Through conferring with my students, I am seeing benefits of that individual time with students where I can connect with them and provide them with one on one instruction, practice a strategy with them, and then send them back to read and continue practicing that strategy. When conferring with students, I have enjoyed being able to formatively assess how well students are understanding and applying the skills and concepts from our daily minilessons, but I also get to work with them on strategies that will directly benefit them as a reader and make personal gains. I have a brand new appreciation for The Reading Strategies Book and now truly understand how I can use those strategies to help my students. Conferring with my students has not only benefited them as readers, but I think it has also held them more accountable for their reading because they know we are going to talk about their reading and the strategies we have been working on. I have also noticed that my students are more engaged and excited about reading and look forward to our conferring time together. Finally, my third action step was to create strategy groups from my noticing through conferring. Unfortunately, due to the school closures because of COVID-19, I was unable to fully complete this step. However, I did create a lesson plan that I would use with a group of my students based on what I noticed they would benefit from during our conferring. This process has taught me how I can use my conferring to create those strategy groups to benefit students and provide all students with the instruction they need in a differentiation format to meet the needs of my students.
Action Step #1
Student Self Reflection
I gave all students the sheet titled, What Can I Work on as a Reader? A Self-Reflection Tool for Finding Goals from Jennifer Serrarvalo that goes with The Reading Strategies Book. After having students fill out the reflection sheet, I had them write down the top three items they want to work on within their reading and get better at.
The purpose of this action step is to allow my students to think about themselves as readers and where they are at and what they want to work on. This will also allow me to help them work on and track their goals as readers.
Action Step #2
Conferring with Students
I will be conferred with my students individually to check in on their reading and to give students an individual mini lesson based on their immediate reading need or goal.
As I continue to confer with students, I will see patterns of what strategies and skills specific students need and I will be able to create strategy groups.
Action Step #3
Strategy Groups
As I notice that multiple students would benefit from small group teaching of a similar strategy or skill, I will create strategy groups. In these strategy groups, I will teach a short mini lesson using the gradual release model of the strategy that would benefit that group of students.