Module 5

Activity 5.2

The Access Center’s “Using Mnemonic Instruction To Teach Math” (2010) on http://www.ldonline.org/article/c656 describes mnemonic instruction as the set of strategies to help improve memory of new information. Using acronyms and acrostics, or examples of a mnemonic strategy, have been included in the first grade curriculum. When teaching descriptive words, I integrate acrostic poems to explicitly introduce, instruct, model, and practice descriptive words. Introducing mnemonic instruction to teach math has been implemented for solving word problems within my first grade classroom. I taught the mnemonic by explicitly explaining “RUDISC,” which is

R = Read word problem

U = Underline important words and numbers

D = Draw pictures or symbols

I = Identify type of math problem

S = Solve

C = Check

In doing so, it helps them learn the set of strategies to complete word problems for math and improve memory of new information.

Activity 5.3

Patricia W. Newhall’s (2008) “Teaching Time Management to Students with Learning Disabilities” provides students with the purpose of task analysis. Task analysis is the process of identifying the priorities of tasks that need to get done, thus finishing a given undertaking. Task analysis requires the students to break apart the large task or learn how to complete tasks in smaller tasks, and properly learning the time to complete the subcomponents. Task analysis is important because the students acquire the steps they need to know to complete a task. I implement task analysis within my classroom, using a “Must Do, To Do” folder during learning centers. Must Do, To Do work is independent tasks that students have practiced and/or mastered, and reinforces the concepts in a variety of approaches. Students are given explicit, direct instruction in the beginning of the school year, where I model and repeat the following steps: (1.) writing name, number, and date as soon as sheets are passed out on the first day of the school week, (2.) completing tasks in the correct order by following the Must Do, To Do list on the whiteboard, (3.) checking both sides of paper to make sure it is complete, and (4.) turning in finished work in the Finished Work Tub. Students are aware of turning in the work completed by Friday means they receive “Fun Friday” time. “Fun Friday” time involves the students engaging in an educational activity, according to state standards. As the purposes of task analysis are to raise students’ awareness of multiple steps in a single task and develop perception of the amount of time it takes to complete a task, the first grade students within my class develop these purposes in a meaningful way. In doing so, these students and students with learning disabilities practice learning the difference between estimated and actual time.

Due to the timing of the school year, I did not implement Rademacher’s (2000) “Pace 1, 2, …” cognitive strategy within the classroom management (http://www.un;.edu/csi/study.shtml). “Pace 1, 2, …” is a strategy for students to self-monitor with a rubric-like system when completing assignments in class or as homework. Prompt means to turn in the assignment on time. Arrange means the task(s) and/or paper(s) are neatly arranged. Complete entails the directions being followed and all the questions are being answered. Edited includes using correct mechanics, well-formed ideas, and accurate content. 1, 2, … refers to the additional assignments included within this PACE strategy. I would like to incorporate a more developmentally appropriate strategy, which includes a rubric that’s comprehensive and incremental in the school year. To explain, I would make the rubric for completing assignments with a smiley face / sad face grading scale in the beginning of the year with few expectations, such as prompt and complete. As the school year progresses, I would include a rubric with same grading scale with additional expectations, such as neat and completed in the correct order of tasks presented.

Archer and Gleason’s (1989) RCRC study strategy for improving memory and comprehension of content materials is useful and applicable to my first grade classroom. This strategy makes memorizing and studying things with more careful approach, and memorable intention. Read means to read the material at least one time. Cover means to cover the material with your hand or plain paper. Recite means to retell oneself, peer or adult the material that has been read. Check means to lift the hand and check. When I have my students read a story aloud in small groups, I have them close the book and retell the main idea of the story to demonstrate comprehension. I guide them to checking the correct information, incorporating beginning, middle, and end by showing the pages this person has retold the information. To memorize lines for a play or reader’s theatre, I have taught my students to cover it and try again, but I like the mnemonic RCRC more because it uses the memory strategy to reinforce the correct studying steps.

Activity 5.4

Discuss scene in which Theo returns home with the results of his test. What were some of the problems that Theo had with the questions on the mythology test?

When Theo returned home with the grade “C” on the Greek Mythology exam, he explained some of his problems on the test. First, he explained the format of the test was multiple choice, which he explained how he struggled reading the questions and understanding what it was asking. Second, the directions to the test confused him because he did not understand what the professor was asking the students to do, and the wording did not make sense. As his mom rephrased it aloud, Theo expressed the struggles to make sense of the multiple-choice problems. She also explained how he was supposed to find the one that was not correct, but he explained his confusion with the wording the professor used on the test. He finally told his mom about how weirdly the test was worded and his frustration towards the amount of time and effort he put into studying as it does not reflect the grade received.

Discuss the scene in which Theo meets with his college counselor. What are some of the problems with Theo’s class notes? Explain how he struggles to answer questions during class. How do these problems tie to the characteristics of a learning disability?

When Theo meets with the learning counselor, she explains that his notes are incomplete and poorly organized. She said that he has many structural and mechanical errors within his class binders and notes. She explains the interest in diagnostic testing for dyslexia because, as she explains, he has a special way of looking at things. To elaborate, she says that Theo displays a glitch in taking in things and processing information. After asking Theo if he has trouble responding in class, she explains that many students with dyslexia have difficulty processing the information to respond in class. These problems directly tie to the characteristics of a learning disability because it entails the difficulty of processing information. To explain, these problems relate to a student with a learning disability because they struggle to structure the information and process it in a way that is meaningful and comprehensible.

Discuss the final scene. Why do you think Theo and his parents are so happy to discover that he has a learning disability?

During the final scene, Theo’s parents wait excitedly for the results of Theo’s diagnostic test results for the learning disability of dyslexia. They look outside the door window. As Theo comes home, they are overjoyed with the diagnosis of him being labeled with dyslexia. I believe that Theo’s parents are overjoyed with his test results because they want him to be given the accommodations and support, if needed, to help him with studying strategies, testing techniques, and accommodations. They express to him that it is his effort that matters, and they are excited because this diagnosis might better reflect the effort and knowledge Theo obtains. In the end, his parents encourage his dedication and hard work, and praise him with hugs and excited words for his good grades after being given accommodations and help with writing organized notes and taped lectures.

Essay on Novel

Essay on Novel: My Thirteenth Winter

“I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that special education saved my life” (p. 100, 2003) - My Thirteenth Winter by Samantha Abeel

My position on the role of Catholic schools is personal, connected, intertwined with emotion, methodical, purposeful, and meaningful because I connected to Samantha Abeel, the main character of My Thirteenth Winter, who’s labeled with dyscalculia and later diagnosed with depression because I have ADHD and an auditory processing disorder. Samantha’s memoir truly serves as a catalyst for explaining my position of Catholic schools need for effective, longitudinal, continuous, and individualized support and services for students with learning disabilities. This essay delivers the laws, provisions, integral delivery systems, and key roles Catholic schools play and should play to provide support and services for all students with learning disabilities. Ultimately, Catholic schools should integrate all necessary components within the schools, which includes informing parents and utilizing all shareholders, resources, materials, and services under the provisions of Individualized with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Catholic schools are made of many components that support and service all students through the environments, persons, community, and advocates that provide and extend support and services. And stemming from the Catholic leaders (principals, teachers, priests, bishops, community, etc.), unique “service delivery systems” are crafted for all students (Scanlan, M., p. 1, 2009). Catholic leaders must challenge federal and state laws, advocating the students’ rights, services, and supports within private environments. Ultimately, Catholic schools should provide the tools to the services or supports within the physical school grounds and, if needed, nearby public school buildings. In doing so, students with learning disabilities should receive the proper diagnosis, medication, or any other individualized form of necessary accommodations to support them.

Samantha Abeel’s memoir titled My Thirteenth Winter provides a glimpse of the daily challenges a girl with dyscalculia and depression endures. Within the memoir, Samantha recalls the role antidepressants play in her life. The diagnosis of her disability with the prescribed antidepressant positively impacts her life, and emotions. She said on a family vacation, “It struck me, as the quiet liquid inched up over my knees, around my thighs, and up to my hips, that for the first time I am really living my life. I am not just watching people from the shore, but I am swimming with them” (p. 203). The goal for all Catholic schools is to effectively integrate, assess, and provide services and supports for all students. As children of God, we are all called to participate and “craft service delivery systems” for all students, including those with learning disabilities (Scanlan, M., p. 1, 2009).

This book also demonstrates the flaws within the special education and public school system, and how the needs are not met for students with learning disabilities. It also illustrates the loneliness and depressing results this system has on those individuals. Catholic schools should not fall short of providing appropriate and inclusive guidance for students with learning disabilities. Catholic schools should not lack inclusive and integrated services and supports in welcoming families with students with learning disabilities. My Thirteenth Winter delves into some key components of a failing school system that does not meet the individual needs of the students with learning disabilities, nor inform parents on the ways to assist their child.

As a catalyst, Catholic schools must advocate the rights to parents, and be a voice that supports all persons. Informing parents at meetings, newsletters, and online website. As Samantha Abeel stated, “Most were desperate parents who wanted to tell me about their child’s difficulties, grasping at anything they could to help their child drowning in a school system that didn’t understand” (p. 119, 2003). Parents must be informed and knowledgeable of special education services and rights for their child. In doing so, they become a role in the necessary change for advocacy and fairness for students with learning disabilities at Catholic schools.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires “state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs) to ensure the equitable participation of parentally placed children with disabilities in programs assisted by or carried out under the equitable participation requirements that apply to them” (U.S. Department of Education, 2008, p. 1). However, IDEA is not an equitable law for all students because my parents are taxpayers; nonetheless, their child may not be entitled to services if enrolled in a public school. Our nation must understand that the separation of church and state does not mean unfairness if one’s right to choose a private school means one’s rights to learn within one’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is removed.

             For some students with learning disabilities at Catholic schools, the LRE is not an option. Special Education classrooms at Catholic schools is not funded by the state of California, which denies the equitable participation of these students, removing their rights to learn in a special education classroom (LRE) with Catholic values. Under IDEA and our SEA, the implementation of school-wide interventions has been recommended.

Catholic schools should effectively implement interventions, such as a Student Success Team (SST), which is a collaborative intervention team. SST provides effective and collaborative collection of data, documents measurable and individualized progress, and consistently provides interventions for each student. SST involves the family, or primary educators of the child, a team of professionals, and resources/support for the student to have positive learning experience. Thus, SST will develop some necessary services to support the needs of struggling learners and ensure a high-quality and life-long learning experience.

SST also documents interventions used, meeting discussions, materials integrated or adapted, and other strategies implemented for each student. This longitudinal collection of data serves as a quantitative form of data that is purposeful and demonstrates the holistic learning and/or behavioral experience of students. In addition, it provides a voice for Catholic school students within the public school system if eligible for testing. SST is one service and form of inclusive support for students, being a collaborative, purposeful, and effective process.

Another important role Catholic schools must utilize are the use of multiple forms of assessments, demonstrating the knowledge of area(s) of concern for the student. Catholic leaders must use benchmark assessments, standard-based tests, informal observations, portfolios, and any other additional components that provide progress or digress in academic and/or behavioral areas. Samantha’s mother depicts the value of education for her daughter, as all Catholic schools and leaders should. “… confront[ed] by my mother’s absolute determination, the superintendent of Special Education finally came up with a different way to evaluate me. He suggested that I be tested by grade-level objective to see if the material I was supposed to know at the end of each grade level. The results of this test would help determine where my skills really were and just how delayed I was, if at all” (Abeel, S., p. 91, 2003). Her mother challenges the standard testing, which do not play an important role in supporting her learning experience. Catholic schools should provide a variety of testing throughout the school year, and provide a continuum of benchmark testing from Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. In doing so, the benchmarks display academic areas, and subject matter that the students need additional support. 

Catholic schools must provide LRE’s for students with learning disabilities, and environments for optimal progress in challenging areas. Students with learning disabilities should also be given the additional time, accommodations, or adaptations for subject area(s) that are well-below grade level or settings that raise anxiety or stress. Placing Samantha in a special education class for mathematics led to the stopping of panic attacks (Abeel, S., p. 99, 2003). I recall repeated, daily panic attacks in high school and early college years. My anxiety level for some courses was overwhelming, and seemingly impossible, due to coursework, teacher/professor relationship, and classroom environment. For most of my classes in high school, I worked almost all hours of the night to receive a C in the course. I couldn’t finish tests on time, due to the anxiety, comprehension and retaining levels of the information learned, and auditory processing disability. College eased my anxiety for testing, due to the test taking room and extended time for tests. Each final took me about 4-6 hours, but I was given the opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge of the material and complete the tests given. In the end, Catholic schools must support the students with learning disabilities by accommodating, adapting, or providing additional services for areas that are challenging to include them in a holistic learning environment.

Catholic schools have an important role in providing the environment that allows learners to focus, engage in class-work, build social skills, and support mental health and wellness. A form of building positive mental health and wellness is mentoring and counseling to guide and employ strategies that fit the needs of the student. Catholic schools should inform families of nearby counselors for children with learning disabilities and already have a mentoring program established to better support them. Well-informed parents bond the child with the school accommodations and services used to better support the child. As Samantha’s mom became her confidante, the Catholic schools should include the child, making him or her feel fully open to share feelings and struggles so that the building blocks of their learning experience nurtures their unique needs.

Catholic schools set the tone to special education for families and students with learning disabilities. An inclusive environment and atmosphere is provided through the collaborative partnership of Catholic leaders and their shareholders. As Samantha stated that special education saved her life, I agree with her. I do recall the years of challenges of comprehending my “differences,” but through the mentors, Church leaders, embracing community, and college counseling and disabilities center personnel, my compassionate position on the role of Catholic schools would not be the same. We must all be active advocates of the rights and equality students with learning disabilities receive, and provide the most positive, unique, compassionate, and meaningful services and supports for them. They all have a story. Let us celebrate their abilities, and stand strong for their exceptionalities.

Cited References

Abeel, S. (2003). My thirteenth winter: A memoir. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Board of Education, San Diego County (2011). Special education services. San Diego

County Office of Education. Retrieved from

http://www.sdcoe.net/ssp/speced/?loc=home

Scanlan, M. (2009). All are welcome: Inclusive service delivery in catholic schools.

Notre Dame, IN: Alliance for Catholic Education Press.

U.S. Department of Education (2008). The individual with disabilities education act:

Provisions related to children with disabilities enrolled by their parents in private schools. Jessup, MD: ED Pubs, Educations Publications Center.

Module 4: Math

Module 4: Math

Part A: Website Math Videos (www.mathvids.com) and Mathematics Accommodations

The mathematics videos, as shown on the website (http://www.mathvids.com/nctmstandard/show_lessons/1), exemplify numerous strategies and forms of accommodations for mathematics instruction. This website (in its entirety) integrates the reinforcing tools for demonstrating the essential skills of the mathematics curriculum. To explain, the videos reexamine and reiterate the practices, models, strategies, skills, and other principles and/or teachings of mathematics. I would not have these videos be the direct instruction of mathematics, rather an accommodation and/or supplemental activity for students to grasp learning strategies, as active involved students.

The provided website includes a well-informed resource for teachers, as it supplies the description of the video, additional resources, questions answered within each video, staff review, and user review. What makes the videos more useful tools for multiple teachers is the ability to download the video. In doing so, the teacher could incorporate this into the lesson plan, accommodations, or additional activities/extension.

Accommodations the math video, called “How to Subtract Fractions Part 1,” provides are many examples and explicit instruction that is organized with step-by-step presentations (Lerner & Johns, p. 454, 2010). As stated on page 454, students with mild disabilities commonly have “memory deficits that interfere with the automatic learning of computation facts” (Lerner & Johns, 2010). This video reinforces techniques that help children learn and remember (without time restraints) the necessary steps to subtracting fractions.

“Written conversations or dialogue journals are written interactions between teacher and student or between two students” (Lerner & Johns, p. 413, 2010). The math videos interact with the students by communicating the ideas in pictures and numeral form. Using pictures to demonstrate the computational skills, such as multiplying fractions, sets a concrete level for students to grasp the abstract concepts. I find Mr. Burnett’s videos, such as “Multiplying Fractions an Introduction,” as an example for the helping students with disabilities to progress from concrete to abstract thinking and learning. He shows the pictures of the fractions being multiplied (concrete). Then, he explains through comprehensive words and dialogues as the fractions are shown (abstract), and relating the numeral form of fractions with the picture provided in the beginning.

One way I would implement “Subtracting Mixed Numbers with Renaming,” for instance, is after the students have advanced to a level that enables them to work by themselves. In doing so, they can complete the lesson on their own without distracting auditory stimuli (assuming they have earphones). In doing so, this supplies an aid in reinforcing and recalling procedural steps in solving mathematics computations.

Part B: High-Quality Math Instruction: What Teachers Should Know

1. The components of high-quality math instruction include the combination of the following implementations: a standards-based curriculum and evidence-based instructional strategies. A standards-based curriculum includes the content and skills for the math curriculum, as according to NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, includes the knowledge to acquire (content standards) and ways to learn and use knowledge (process standards). The teacher must use the standards, both content and process, according to the grade level curriculum and standards. Evidence-based instructional strategies are the strategies proven in thorough, detailed research to be effective and meaningful for students to grasp mathematical skills and concepts. These strategies are taught with fidelity, or as the researcher, for instance, intended.

2. NCTM content standards encompass the knowledge gained within grades K-12. NCTM process standards enable students with the ways to learn and use the knowledge purposefully from prekindergarten through grade twelve. NCTM process standards entail the appropriate processes students develop for mathematics. NCTM content standards include the following: number and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability. NCTM process standards include the following: problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation. The content standards are the explicit skills and content for grades K-12. Further, the content standards are comprised of the essential concepts across grade-level curriculums, providing teachers with the focal points they are expected to ensure for student learning. However, process standards are the approaches the students are taught to learn and use, making mathematics curriculum and performance organized, comprehensive, progressive, and conducive to all learners.

3. The evidence-based teaching strategy being implemented begins with explicit teaching, whereby the teacher states the objective and expectation. She also states the importance of taking notes when trying to solve the area of the irregular shape. Another evidence-based teaching strategy is cooperative learning. This video clip demonstrates this strategy which the students collaboratively explain their ideas to solve the mathematical problem. The students are building upon the strategies and skills previously learned in a concrete manner; bridging the abstract concept of area in a conceptual format. This strategy is shown effective and meaningful because all of the students are engaged in the task, as they discuss the problems, and address them with the manipulative (poster board with design). In addition, the teacher questions the thinking process to solve the area, and provides immediate constructive feedback to the group’s explanation and work.

Part C: Dyscalculia Readings Responses


I love the idea of math journals within the mathematics curriculum. This reminds me of my student teaching experience in a sixth grade, where the teacher used math journals for math note-taking, projects, homework assignments, reflections, and timed activities. The students were able to reflect upon their work in a progressive and comprehensive style. They also had a “cheat sheet” in the front that the teacher would explicitly have them add new skills or strategies onto it. This cheat sheet was used as an aid when solving problems. Since my first grade students are learning to write sentences and complete thoughts, I would not find the math journal to be appropriate in this manner. However, I find packets focusing on a certain unit or content standard as an appropriate additional resource for students because I include places for them to write during explicit instruction, and organize the thought process for solving word problems, for example.

Many of my students struggle to use the English language (vocabulary, grammar, verb tense, etc.) correctly for reading and writing. I have also discovered the need for explicit instruction on math vocabulary as an important aspect of the curriculum because the students need to use it as they explain their reasoning and approaches to solving concepts. I recall a wonderful professor at the University of San Diego who taught vocabulary in an explicit manner, providing examples of the new concept. Then, she would have us use the language to solve the problem by communicating our thinking and supporting our use of the terminology in discussions and homework assignments. This article inspires me to establish a cooperative learning time for each math period to further support the math terminology used during oral discussions and in written form.

Marilyn Burns describes the wealth of information provided by what the students understand and how they think in Educational Leadership’s “Looking at How Students Reason” (p. 26). She discusses the importance of intentional and purposeful assessments to offer better alternatives and instructional choices and design. Differentiated instruction must hone in on the students understanding and thinking processes. In doing so, it can support their learning needs to acquire the tools for successfully solving problems. In the beginning of this school year, I assessed my students in mathematics, and found a few students well above the standards and expectations of the curriculum. As I provided additional and extensions for classwork and homework to challenge their critical thinking, I found the gaps between many of their understandings and thinking because they had memorized concepts rather than connect the learning or build upon the skills previously learned. In doing so, I did not provide additional materials to challenge them, rather have them explicitly learn the concepts with the class, then be a coach for students struggling to grasp the numerical concepts. These students gained confidence in using the math terminology and step-by-step procedure acquired.

First-grade science curriculum addresses many opportunities for students to contextualize problem-solving activities by applying the math skills developed and acquired. For instance, using a thermometer during Calendar Time, that allows the students to count in two-unit increments, reinforces skip counting, measurement, and using a thermometer to determine the temperature. When learning about capacities and measurement in mathematics, I teach the properties of matter and how they can change, due to external factors.

Module 4: Literacy Case Studies

Jacquelyn Truxaw
March 27, 2011

Assessment Measures Used at Good Shepherd Catholic School… Proud to connect direct standardized testing with reading material from this module! ☺

When reading Early Reading Assessment: A Guiding Tool for Instruction, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, or ITBS, is used in a variety of assessment measures for reading. ITBS uses the reading areas of phonemic awareness, decoding, and reading comprehension to assess skills. In doing so, ITBS assesses a variety of reading areas to help student access skills, strategies, and content from the general education curriculum.

Module 4: Case Studies

Level A – Case 1

I selected the reading strategy for Luke based on his academic behaviors displayed in class, and goals generated from his falling phonemic awareness skills. Independent Practice provides Luke with opportunities to receive immediate feedback. One form of independent practice is self-correcting material, which immediately informs him of the correct answer. Luke’s skills in phonemic awareness are falling, and he is displaying frustration towards peers to gain attention during this instructional period. Specifically, Luke would be provided with a variety of self-correcting materials during learning centers or instructional periods, and blend phonemes together when looking at a picture. The flap would display the letter that matches the sounds, which helps reinforce the phonemes within words. Matching cards, for example, would verify the mastery of sounds and skills Luke needs to master. An important integration of technology through reading games on the computer would engage Luke and reinforce the phonological skills he struggles with.

Independent Practice allows Luke to learn to read by practicing his reading skills in an enjoyable, independent format. The preparation for independent activities is sometimes time consuming, but scaffold the skills needed to be practiced, and supplement the teacher instruction.

Level A – Case 2

The Model-Lead-Test approach to teaching is used to provide and demonstrate frequent opportunities for students to develop and practice new skills, reinforcing important reading skills with direct teacher guidance. The Model-Lead-Test approach includes the following three phases: (1.) Model Phase, (2.) Lead Phase, and (3.) Test Phase. The Model Phase is the teacher demonstration and modeling of expected skill(s). The Lead Phase enables the students to practice the skill and lead them towards automatically responding as a group. The Test Phase measures the student’s ability to perform the skill correctly and automatically. This approach provides an automatic response for Tawanna, which supports her learning needs.

The Model-Lead-Test approach supports Tawanna in reading difficulties by explicitly instructing the skills, and incorporates a repetition of the reading skills with direct teacher supervision. I would point to one word and say it aloud. Tawanna would repeat the word. Then I would say, “_________ rhymes with ____________.” She would repeat that sentence. “What sound do both words make?” I would ask the group of students to say the matching sounds as I point to the letters. In doing so, I would immediately observe and measure the understanding of reading skills.

Independent Practice activities engage learners by allowing them to practice and apply the skills previously taught. There are many forms of independent practice activities such as learning centers independent reading, technology assisted learning, and self-correcting materials. Some important tips for independent practice activities are establish a classroom environment that hones on the reading development and interests of the students; provide a planned and established classroom management schedule for independent practice activities such as learning centers; set-up the materials and resources for the reading period accordingly; engage all learners with various reading and writing activities, and; include time to monitor student progress in skills. A key support system for Independent Practice activities is parent involvement, both at home and school. Informing parents and organizing parents to volunteer at school helps encourage students, including Tawanna, to achieve her goals. Implementing rhyming books and games would also address the skills by offering a fun and enjoyable way to practice skills.

Level A – Case 3

Peer tutoring is a common and effective strategy used at Good Shepherd Catholic School because the children work on selected skills in a structured and active manner. Peer tutoring can be used with the whole class or cross-age, such as fourth grade students tutoring first grade students on reading aloud high frequency words and reading the words aloud using a reciprocal teaching method. The teacher carefully pairs students based on instructional responses and observation, whereby the student with higher performance in sight words teaches, reinforces, encourages and supports a learner with lower performance. Students can work in pairs with word sheets, flash cards, or teacher-made sheets to practice new sight words. In addition, the students review previously learned sight words and include the words in short, comprehensive sentences.

Repeated reading’s goal is to increase reading fluency by developing automatic word recognition skills. In doing so, repeated reading of familiar text leads to gains in comprehension skills, and reading and accuracy rates. Repeated reading has a variety of approaches such as partner reading, group repeated reading, word wall, flash cards, and reader’s theater. Word wall activities, such as using the words in a sentence or chanting the words, are engaging and an opportunity for the students to connect and actively participate in their learning experience of sight words. Since the teacher in kindergarten recorded the mastery of words as a concern, these activities would involve more leaning intelligences, engaging the learner holistically. Observing Greg’s mastery of sight words with the incorporating of chanting the words and using them in sentences would help him to meet his instructional goal.

Independent practice, or activities to practice skills previously instructed, engage and require students to interact with print. Since Greg struggles to state a sight word automatically, a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) would provide Greg with the opportunity to hear and see sight words on the computer screen, and respond. Extending the independent practice at home would allow him ample practice opportunities and immediate feedback.

Peer tutoring would be an excellent and beneficial approach for Greg, identifying, practicing, and reinforcing his behavioral and academic needs. Since Greg was beginning to display frustrated behavior, peer tutoring creates a structured environment for the tutor to guide the tutee, and provide immediate, corrective feedback for incorrect responses and positive reinforcement for correct responses.

I have a teacher-made list of sight words, based on the Dolch list of sight words and sight word lists made by various teachers, ranging in sight words from grade one to grade three. I created this list to assess my students on this standard. Since I have readers from first grade to fourth grade, I try to effectively challenge all learners. In doing so, the list shown at the end of this blog demonstrates this personalized list for my students.

Level A – Case 4

Graphic organizers are simple and purposely organized diagrams to support all students in organizing and recalling important elements from stories. They map the events of the story, identify the key components, identify knowledge before, during, and after, etc. to further enhance the reading development and comprehension levels of students. They are effective tools for students at-risk because they are explicit and provide a framework for systematically reading a text. They are beneficial for students with comprehension difficulties, like Orlando, because it breaks the story into parts, making it comprehensive and explicit.

Repeated reading teaches students to read fluently, helping students develop automatic word recognition skills. Partner reading would benefit Orlando because it allows the higher-level reader to model fluency, further guiding him towards the recognition of key reading components and elements, as provided by the teacher in his goals.

Comprehension strategies are the techniques a proficient reader uses to gain meaning of text. These strategies require purposeful planning and systematic guidance for students, attending the story elements in a thoughtful manner, and integrating background information, vocabulary lessons, and skill-building during reviews and practices. A beneficial comprehension strategy for Orlando would be Tried and True Comprehension Strategies. Tried and True Comprehension Strategies implement predicting, summarizing, retelling, rereading, and questioning strategies. Using direct, explicit instruction, I would employ these comprehension strategies for Orlando. Direct instruction would provide the baseline knowledge of comprehension strategies, and I would incorporate these strategies because they activate his knowledge about the content. Using an early reading level would further support Orlando with the skills to identify the main idea and provide opportunities for him to employ the strategies. By fully engaging Orlando with the implementation of Comprehension Strategies, his reading strategies become meaningful and purposeful.

I would have Orlando write the main events in sequential order for the “The Three Little Pigs” in the story map shown below. This story map uses vocabulary of sequential order, and could be incorporated into a unit. The story map (or graphic organizer) allows him to employ the tools already given (teacher’s explicit instruction and/or modeling). It also organizes the reading material, giving him the key components of the story (characters and setting), further supporting the retell of the story.

Description of the content placed within graphic organizer of “The Three Little Pigs” is provided below.
First, the Momma Pig tells her three little pigs that they must move
out and build their own house, but to watch out for the wolf.
Next, the three little pigs each build their own house made out of
straws, wood, and bricks.
Then the wolf came and blew down the house of straws and wood, but could not blow down the house of bricks.
After, the wolf became so angry he attempts to trick the little pig by
telling them to meet him at the turnip fields, the apple tree, and at
the fair. The little pig was so smart that he was able to run away
from the wolf.
Finally, the world was tired of the pigs witty ways so he leaps onto
the pig’s roof and threw himself down the chimney. He fell right into a pot of soup and was cooked. That night, the little pig had wolf soup for supper.

Level A – Case 5

Graphic organizers are diagrams that organize story elements to enhance reading comprehension skills in an organized and identifiable manner. Graphic organizers assist student learning for student to organize and recall elements in stories. A literary web, for example, would help Teresa understand the story in terms of both the whole and its part. Sine she has difficulty sequencing the middle of a story, the literary web would break apart the difficult components of the middle of the story. A story map for sequencing would help Teresa represent the sequence of events within the story using key words or pictures for representation. Teaching her the metacognitive tools to identify in the story provides and explicit instruction on attending to story elements and what they entail. Teresa’s struggle to identify the middle of the story would be reinforced with a mental picture of the story with the use of story mapping, further attending to all story elements.

The materials needed to prepare or gather in advance in order to teach this activity to Teresa are:
I. Obtain a below-Reading Level book to easily identify the beginning, middle, and end of the story.
II. Create a literary web with images for Teresa to identify key elements on poster paper (for teacher easel).
III. Create a story map for sequencing using the words beginning, middle, and end to represent the key elements of the story. (Have pre-made story images to illustrate the story parts, and further scaffold her towards recalling the three sequenced events.)

Level B – Case 1

There are many independent practice activities I would employ for Raymond inside and outside the classroom. These strategies would be an opportunity for Raymond to readily employ and demonstrate the correct strategies with identifying rhyming words and lower case letters, and comprehending the sequence and main idea(s) of stories. Independent practice strategies include games and interactive learning styles, such as simulation activities, independent reading, and self-correcting puzzles. These games are motivational and readily available and accessible for students to practice skills he or she struggles with.

Comprehension strategies are the techniques a provide students with the metacognitive skills that they can use to gain meaning from a passage or text read aloud or silently. These strategies employ students with the systematic skills and tools for reading comprehension. Raymond struggles to identify the main idea(s) and sequence all of the events in a story. Thus, the implementation of comprehension strategies would set a purpose, activating his knowledge about the text prior, during, and after reading a text or passage. Predicting, Summarizing, Retelling, Rereading, and Questioning are strategies I would teach Raymond the strategies to employ as, eventually, an independent and comprehensive reader.

Independent practice strategies are easily implemented at home for students with reading difficulties, such as Raymond. For Raymond to achieve the goal about the sequencing of order of events in the story could be instructed and modeled, using key comprehensive words: predicting, summarizing, retelling, rereading, and questioning. After at least 4-5 lessons in class of using this vocabulary, I would incorporate a guided activity, followed by an independent practice activity with flaps and windows to self-check the correct answers. Raymond would also make a book at home for a project, as will the class, to demonstrate the understanding that print conveys meaning through a sequential story guide that has a beginning, middle, and ending representation picture.

Level B – Case 2

I would address Amanda’s goals in the following sequential order:
1. Given a letter or letter combination, Amanda will say the corresponding sound
2. Given a CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) word prompt, Amanda will be able to say the word “slowly” (sounding it out) and then say it “fast” (reading as a whole word)
3. Shown sight words, Amanda will state the word automatically
4. Given a brief reading passage on her instructional level, Amanda will read the passage and be able to retell the main ideas
5. After listening to a story, Amanda will recall three or four sequenced events

Model-Lead-Test approach to teaching would help Amanda match the letter with the corresponding sound. The teacher verbally models the skill by pointing to a letter on a card, then say how that latter makes a certain sound. The teacher questions Amanda what sound the letter makes, followed by the student and teacher responding together. To test Amanda, the teacher points to the letter, and she says the matching sound. Using the model, lead, and test phases, Amanda receives more detailed practice. In addition, the teacher is able to monitor her performance immediately and accurately.

Amanda’s parents would be involved in a consistent and collaborative manner. If possible, they would volunteer once a week during learning centers to positively interact and encourage her skills and the skills of her peers. This presence in the classroom would also reinforce positive attention and involvement of her learning experience, displaying the importance of learning skills. Using word cards within the classroom and home, Amanda and a parent/teacher would play a game called “Say it Slow. Say it Fast.” “Say it Slow. Say it Fast.” is an activity where one person says the word on the card slowly as the partner says it fast. Having a sound box whiteboard to support this learning game would make it more engaging and fun. This activity would also be an effective activity with a peer tutor.

Level C – Case 1
Jeff’s goals are:
1. Given a letter or letter combination, Jeff will say the corresponding sound
2. After listening to a story, Jeff will recount through retelling details, events, and ideas.
3. Jeff will use imagery to create a mental picture of the story.
4. Jeff will use book language while pretending to read.

Given a letter or letter combination, Jeff will say the corresponding sound
The Model-Lead-Test approach to instruction requires explicit, systematic instruction for Jeff to say the corresponding sound correctly and automatically. I would point to the letter and say the sound of it. Then I would point to the letter on a word card, stating the sound of this letter. Asking what sound this letter makes, the student responds with me, saying the correct sound. I would then point to the letter (test phase), checking where the students can say the matching sound. Demonstrating the correct sound repetitively provides frequent opportunities for Jeff to practice the new skill with direct teacher supervision. This immediate feedback benefits his correct approach to saying the sound of the letter identified.

After listening to a story, Jeff will recount through retelling details, events, and ideas.
The second goal requires the implementation of comprehension strategies, which would include a systematic approach to introducing these skills for Jeff during the reading process. Using who, what, when, where, and how questions of text would support Jeff, and model, guide, and support his comprehensive understanding.

Jeff will use imagery to create a mental picture of the story.
Graphic organizers would be used to help Jeff identify and answer questions about story elements, such as characters, settings, and events. Since Jeff enjoys art and hands-on activities, graphic organizers would employ key reading skills for him use on attending to story elements in order to make this connection with the text.

Jeff will use book language while pretending to read.
The first strategy for this goal would be repeated reading because it would allow Jeff to practice focusing on comprehension skills rather than decoding. The passages would be short and interesting, and comprehension would be emphasized with utmost importance. I would implement partner reading and group repeated reading, where the students would echo each line modeled by the teacher. This strategy would be used repeatedly, so that students can correctly say new words with plenty of time and opportunity.

The second strategy implemented for this goal would be independent practice. Independent practice activities help with retention of information and interaction with reading materials. There are different types of independent practice, such as self-correcting materials, computer-assisted instruction, games, and independent reading. Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) would provide Jeff with the visual and hands-on supplement to traditional, teacher-led instruction. He has been actively participating, but struggling to comprehend and practice reading skills effectively. CAI would effectively document the student performance, and provide further information to gauge comprehension of the materials prior to the meeting with the school psychologist and reading specialist in three weeks.

The Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) program would be an inclusive, procedural practice for Jeff’s teacher to implement at his school because it supports students’ comprehension skills and documents student progress. Strategies, such as preview, click and clunk, get the gist, and wrap up, maximize student engagement, and fuse cooperative learning with reading strategies. Jeff actively participates in class, and the assigning of roles through cooperative learning would encourage his behavioral strengths, and better address the reading difficulties he displays.

Level C – Case 2

Tyra’s goals are:
1. Shown sight words, Tyra will state the word automatically.
2. Given a letter or letters, Tyra will identify and say the corresponding sound.
3. Tyra will read aloud with accuracy and comprehension from any text that is designed for first grade.
4. Tyra will self-correct identified words by using cues in the word or context clues.

Shown sight words, Tyra will state the word automatically.
Creating a word wall for sight words by creating repeated reading activities would encourage Tyra to refer to it, and connect the words with meaning. I would have my students chant the words with movements to say the words. This opportunity would allow my students to state the word in the chants, and engage the whole body in a learning experience. In doing so, Tyra would not be distracted, rather fully engaged.

Given a letter or letters, Tyra will identify and say the corresponding sound.
Model-Lead-Test approach would help Tyra say the corresponding sound through repetition, model, and practice. This approach tests her ability to identify the correct sound, and provide automatic feedback from the teacher. This approach would be taught during learning centers, which would further support her learning needs because it is small group instructional methods. The learning centers would employ individualized reading activities for her to practice and master. In addition, partner grouping and/or small grouping would establish a learning environment of engaged learners.

Tyra will read aloud with accuracy and comprehension from any text that is designed for first grade. Using a reciprocal teaching method, I would use classwide peer tutoring to pair my high performers and low performers to read aloud. Partner reading would be the approach implemented for Tyra, allowing the higher reader to act as a model for the lower reader. Since Tyra enjoys working in small groups, partner reading would be a rewarding task for her, where she would be increasing her reading fluency and being modeled the pace, expression, and tone. This would teach my students to become strategic readers by connecting what they know to what they are reading in a focused and individualized manner.

Tyra will self-correct identified words by using cues in the word or context clues.
Tyra would use independent practice games to self-correct her misunderstandings in a format that better maintains her interest levels. Using independent practice activities, such as the self-correcting materials, Tyra would help her to foster the correct form of using cues in the word of context clues with immediate feedback of the correct answer.

Project I Can Read (or ICARE) would help Tyra with learning her reading skills during small group instruction. Incorporating modeling, guided practice, and independent practice within ICARE would allow her to read aloud into the iPod and listen to herself as she would replay it to self-evaluate herself using a rubric. This individualized and interactive approach to practicing and applying reading skills would support Tyra with her accuracy and automatic word recognition of sight words. http://projecticanread.com/ provided information above about Project I Can Read.

The High Frequency Word List Assessment below is the teacher sheet I use to evaluate my students throughout the school year.

_______________________’s High Frequency Word List Assessment
This assessment evaluates the correct pronunciation of high frequency words read aloud.
Directions: Highlight words correctly pronounced. Circle a word incorrectly pronounced, write the date beside it, and read the word together. STOP the assessment when a word is circled.
1 I a be run as
2 no by he at fly
3 we up it so old red
4 an is had will let new
5 to in be how am play
6 or his all but me into
7 yes day us if ran eat
8 get that which out say must
9 about like the and go over
10 my one you off are has
11 on each here big your of
12 not can for too what fast
13 who once them find have ask
14 then little do said friend where
15 away two does were did from
16 went look see every this some
17 many want come people oh could
18 always know because stop
19 she walk would happy saw him
20 they today was water love three
21 best very there says nice why
22 girl boy with again when done
23 their laugh only sure put seven
24 through though they’re somewhere help its
25 pull make family right favorite make
26 used to a lot during other shoe her
27 enough eight heard these thing thank
28 beautiful four should buy just keep
29 after show give gone bear ride
30 none much great build cover nothing
31 anyone gave busy hurray clothes move
32 special berry break guess five woman
33 under trouble pretty lived first laughter
34 down blue jump white soon well
35 take any funny now going open
36 think round our please good don’t
37 goes sit found upon wish pull
38 both call sleep been before made
39 sing read write cold green around
40 far draw clean grow shall together
41 own small hurt done better light
42 never six drink bring kind warm
43 carry myself start pick work wash

Activity 2.3 Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities interfere with a student’s learning and understanding of his or her entire life. Challenges, such as behavior, social, and emotional, interfere with a student’s learning, and commonly overlap with academic difficulties. Many students with learning disabilities exhibit these challenges, and may engage in further poor self-concept or self-esteem.

According to http://www.smartkidswithld.org/, the different kinds of learning disabilities are dyslexia, nonverbal learning disabilities (NLD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and executive function disorder. Dyslexia—I recall a young lady coming to a teaching credential course at the University of San Diego with dyslexia. The professor had her come to discuss the challenges she faced and the way her brain would sort out the sounds heard in spoken language, and how that inhibited her writing, reading, math, and spelling skills. She shared school work, as she was a high school student, and the hardships she endured when trying to write a complex sentence or comprehend social studies content. Persons identified with NLD often exhibit socially awkward behaviors and do not conceptualize the main idea or “big picture.” Persons with NLD struggle to learn nonverbal skills, and have difficulties with manipulating and exchanging the nonverbal information. Persons with ADHD or ADD have difficulty paying attention and using the appropriate amount of time on the information. Being a person with ADD, I am easily distracted; have difficulty processing (or comprehending) information, and; have high anxiety, due to my inability to focus, recall information, or deliver my thoughts comprehensively. Persons with executive function disorder struggle to control and manage day-to-day skills, such as planning and organizing, regulating emotions, and setting goals. Some key symptoms are failing to control emotions during a daily task. For instance, the person may begin to cry and throw a tantrum when it’s time to clean their room.

Through my own experience, the experience of my students, and readings and materials about LD, I have learned how it impacts the person developmentally, cognitively, behaviorally, socially, academically, and/or emotionally. As no two persons are alike, their remains signs and symptoms to be aware of, and strategies to employ for all learners. A learning disability affects the academic experience, which correlates with the person’s emotional, behavioral, social, developmental and cognitive understandings. All persons want to be “normal,” and this form of identifying the disability only labels the disability and not the person. Teachers should emphasize that learning disabilities are not diseases, and there aren’t “cures” for them. Simply, persons with learning disabilities need interventions, strategies, supports, and an environment that strengthens the whole person.

Activity 2.3 Misunderstood Minds

Misunderstood Minds has provided an effective and important reality of the challenges many students with learning disabilities endure. Being a person with ADD and auditory processing disorder, I found myself quickly shutting down and giving up on some of these activities because I already experience many of these everyday challenges.

Attention
Experience Firsthand
The attention video provides a glimpse of the social challenges students face when identified with learning disabilities. The boy who would go into the trashcan for his own excitement relates to the struggle of positive, social behavior. He stated that he was known for playing in the trashcans; thus, building a self-perception based on his need for hyperactivity, but in an inappropriate manner.

For the visual activity, for instance, I only read the first sentence and did not retain any of the content. After putting my best effort into the auditory portion of the “Experience Firsthand,” I again became easily frustrated and could not comprehend the directions from the teacher. In addition to the auditory clip being a glimpse for persons without a learning disability, my own auditory processing disorder made this activity more of a challenge.

In addition, I recall the auditory portions of Spanish tests during high school, and regularly failing these portions of the tests. My auditory processing disorder and ADD make it hard to focus and process the information being heard. Thus, I did not demonstrate my knowledge of the content, due to my inability of processing the information heard. This activity also correlates with the emotional challenges persons with learning disabilities face because I easily became overwhelmed and frustrated by my failing attempts. My failed attempts have induced much frustration in my learning experience, which has led to a fear of success and self-esteem. Namely, I have named my successes to the people who constantly support me (i.e., family, boy friend, principal, god mother, fellow colleagues, professors, and teachers). Over the years, I have used the strategies taught, and daily employ techniques to better serve the needs of my students.

Basics
Paying attention is the brain’s ability to filter the stimuli around us by sorting, organizing, prioritizing, and categorizing information. The ability to focus is a chronic problem for persons with ADHD. When I was in high school, I didn’t realize that I was missing portions of notes in my notebooks because I would be thinking about something else, or distracted by all of the stimuli, for long periods of time. As I have been identified with the inattentive and impulsivity characteristics of ADD, I do not exhibit hyperactivity. There is one student in my classroom who is very hyperactive and inattentive to instruction or on-task activities. I am aware of his behavioral characteristics, but am also aware of his age and developmental stage of learning, which is below grade level. Thus, I do not expect him to remain seated as long as his peers, but set goals for him to reinforce appropriate behaviors to help manage the behavioral challenges.

Difficulties
When reading about the “mental energy” of someone with a learning disability, I found the sleep and arousal balance and performance consistency very relateable to a student in my class. The mother says that her daughter receives at least eight hours of sleep, but she struggles to control the ability to sleep well enough at night. Thus, she is tired in class and has trouble getting up in the morning. Her performance is also inconsistent, where she concentrates and performs well at times, and does not concentrate and perform well at other times.

Responses
Many of the strategies provided are currently implemented within the classroom routine, procedures, and management. My students are learning how to efficiently and correctly complete tasks; thus, by providing short breaks, using buddies or small group leaders to jump-start activities, preparing students before asking them to respond, using maps and graphs, building listening skills and strategies, and more, are some of the strategies I use everyday for my students. I believe that self-grading might be too advanced for first grade students, but I do have them complete checklists to stress the importance of my expectations for them.

Reading
Experience Firsthand
As a first grade teacher, I instruct, model and guide my students towards ways of recalling, remembering, and understanding what was read. Phonemes are learned and practiced throughout the school year, and language skills are imperative for an effective reading experience. I teach these skills and strategies to my students so that they can become more effective and comprehensive readers. However, when I was growing up, I had trouble recalling or remembering what I read. I did not employ the strategies I learned for reading, and my comprehension and retention continued to fail.

Basics
Reading an important component of the first grade curriculum. By the end of the school year, they are expected to decode, comprehend, and retain what has been read. Fortunately, I demonstrate many of the strategies discussed in the last section. Last year, I had a student with a speech impediment, which led to low decoding skills, and little progress in reading skills. This speech impediment also linked with emotional and social challenges. During small group or buddy activities, he rarely spoke because he struggled to recognize the appropriate sounds of words. I recommended a speech pathologist, which resulted with a comprehensive and enjoyable reading experience. His social and emotional challenges continued to diminish because he mastered the sounds of letters and words.

Difficulties
The video of the student having trouble with retaining and recalling the information truly demonstrates what many students with learning disabilities struggle with. Key signs of reading difficulty for students with learning disabilities are trouble with: sounds and letters, understanding what was read, and remembering or understanding what was read. It is important for teachers to teach reading strategies to all students to help raise their reading levels.

Responses
In addition to the responses from the “Attention” section, encouraging the student to join a reading organization, and seek assistance from other professional organizations and support groups, strategies should be used in the classroom and at home. Building self-esteem is imperative for students with reading problems, and providing illustrations or additional materials should be used, if necessary. In the end, the teacher must model in various ways about the joy and many purposes of reading!

Writing
Experience Firsthand
“Making Writing Automatic” video provides a glimpse of the challenges students have with writing. The boy struggled to remember the grammar and logical sequence of writing, which is a process that many students master. The other boy who does not write notes quick enough is a common example of my learning problems in the classroom. Providing notes for the boy or an outline for him could help accommodate this learning problem.

Basics
There are many stages of writing development, and I find the sequential ordering of letters and numbers as very important. I use white boards and paper letters for the students to blend, segment, and decode words and their phonemes. Using a whiteboard is a fun tool for my students because they can work on their penmanship as they connect sounds of letters and form words.

Difficulties
There are many neurodevelopmental problems that impact the writing process, but an important component that I, as a teacher, must note is to use a writing portfolio to monitor progress of their work over time. This helps to identify the problems and develop strategies to ensure appropriate and individualized progress. I use a monthly writing journal for my students to evaluate their work in a consecutive and comprehensive manner. Following my observations and assessment of writing journals, I develop appropriate instructional strategies.

Responses
I find the responses for supporting students with writing problems to use the responses exemplified in the “Responses” reading and attention sections above. Emphasizing the feeling of empathy towards these students shares and reassures them, and further helping their anxiety of feelings of discouragement. Time is another important component that is realistic to the needs of the child. If time cannot be extended, then the writing length should be shortened.

Mathematics
Experience Firsthand
The multi-step problems and spatial activity require much more than simple arithmetic. Rather, the mathematics facts became very complicated because it requires more learning strategies and skills. Mathematics is very abstract, and the activities given demonstrate the process to higher levels of thinking, and struggle to recall, focus, or connect the concepts being built on one another.

Basics
Since mathematics has many rules, recalling the rules necessary to progress in math is vital. To solve problems both factually and procedurally, memory is required. I differentiate instructional methods and use more than one mode for mathematics lessons because it helps provide a meaningful learning experience for my students.

Difficulties
My current first grade class has many difficulties understanding many mathematical concepts. The mastery of number facts to 20 (addition and subtraction) is required of all students by the end of first grade. The students who have mastered this requirement does not always reflect their knowledge of connecting these numbers with actual quantities, objects, picture representations, or real world contexts. Also, since many of my students speak English as their second language, the vocabulary of math is confusing and not understood with the values or definitions in specific problems.

Responses
The strategies for mathematics are very similar to the strategies explained in the previous sections. I found the use of mnemonic strategies for solving word problems, such as TIPS: Think (read), Information (what do you need to solve), Problem (write equation), Solve. I instruct and model this strategy, but without the mnemonic. What a wonderful way for my students to remember it!

Activity 2.2 Strategy Instruction

1. Suggest at least three ways that strategies can help students in the classroom.
Strategies are a series of cognitive steps, providing you with effective tools to improve performance more quickly and easily. Strategies facilitate instruction and empower students to effectively complete task requirements. Strategies help students complete tasks more quickly, efficiently, and easily. Strategies help improve the performance of all students, including students with learning exceptionalities. Strategies provides forms of self-regulation; thereby, employing the tools of setting goals, self-monitoring, self-talking, and self-reinforcement. Strategies enable students with the tools to effectively complete tasks.


2. Compare the characteristics of strategic learners with those of non-strategic learners.
Strategic learners know what, when, and how to use strategies for completing tasks. Strategic learners know how to analyze problems and develop a plan. Meanwhile, non-strategic learners are unorganized and have no order or awareness in effectively completing the assignment. Strategic learners access their background knowledge and use skills previously learned to effectively conquer the tasks at and. To compare, non-strategic learners are unaware of the novel tasks, nor how to apply them. They do not employ memory techniques, nor use manageable steps to accomplish the task. Strategic learners use self-regulated strategies while engaged in a task.

3. List the six research-validated stages of SRSD. What aspects of each would you emphasize as the most important?
The six stages of the Self-regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) are (1.) developing background knowledge; (2.) discuss it; (3.) model it; (4.) memorize it; (5.) support it, and; (6.) establish independent practice. When developing background knowledge, the teacher must identify and assess the skills that students need to develop or already possess. The teacher must help students develop necessary skills through explicit instruction. The teacher discusses the importance and benefits of strategies, and how and when they will use them. Explaining the need of the strategy, and modeling the explicit steps is crucial during this process. Then, the students memorize the words in a manner that meaning is maintained. This step is important for the students to become fluent in the steps of the strategy. The teacher supports the strategies collaboratively and with charts or graphic organizers. The teacher attains constructive feedback and discusses ways to maintain the strategy. Ensuring the initial goal is attained, in addition to supporting the strategy in other settings, leads to independent practice. I emphasize the support and maintenance of the student’s performance, as needed, further encouraging this in various settings and different tasks.

4. Imagine you are a fifth-grade teacher. Mary Ann, a student in your class, understands why she should use an instructional strategy that you are teaching, but she is not yet ready to use the strategy independently. Explain how you would help prepare her to do so.
To better prepare for this instructional strategy, I would re-assess her knowledge and use of particular skills necessary to develop this strategy. I would then model and explicitly discuss the steps and reasons the steps are necessary. Since she has been shown the instructional strategy, I would then incorporate more memorization activities that helps her to learn the steps of the strategy and action performed. After she is fluent in the steps, we would create a graphic organizer or chart that reinforces this strategy, and supplies her with a resource to self-regulate the strategy and goal being attained.


5. You've followed along as Mr. Carter introduced the four self-regulation strategies in a way that was appropriate to the needs of his students. Can you describe an alternate way to introduce the self-regulation strategy?
In my first grade classroom, I could introduce the self-regulation strategy during learning centers, whereby the students would be monitored individually. Assuming the students have developed the background knowledge of the self-regulated strategy development, I could teach, discuss, and model each self-regulation strategy (i.e., goal-setting, self-monitoring, self-talk, self-reinforcement) during learning centers. The following day, learning centers could be organized in a format where the students engage in tasks that employ this self-regulation strategy. To reinforce understanding and assess their knowledge of the self-regulation strategy, students would then verbally explain to the teacher and/or illustrate on a paper an example of this strategy during learning centers.