Module 1: Powerpoint

This Powerpoint was really helpful to me by breaking down some major ideas. Since I teach young children, I liked being able to see the stages of reading development and where my students should be now and where they are working towards in the long term. Seeing them as readers in the bigger picture,  will help guide my instruction. In addition, I really like the idea of being able to treat each student as an individual based on the background, home life, etc. Sometimes I think we get too caught up in everything else and forget that our students come from different experiences and situations that we need to take into account. By doing this, we can help them become better and strong readers. It was also good to get a refresher on RTI, ELLs and IDEA in the powerpoint.

Module 1: Text and Article Comparison

I believe much of what the book stated and what the article stated are closely related. The book has a heavy emphasis on helping readers who are struggling. However, the book states it is simply not enough to identify a struggling reader. Teachers must be able to determine why the reader is struggling and what can be done to help them. The article took the same approach to the struggling school system. They knew in order to be successful they would have to determine why they were struggling and what could continually be done to help fix it.
Both the book and the article have a strong belief that teachers are at the root of helping students. The book states, "Most professional reading organizations, educators and the public at large agree that the teacher is the key to improved instruction" (Optiz, Rubin & Erekson, 2011, p. 19). Moreover, the article states that "teaching effectiveness is measured by whether students learn what we have taught" (Smith, Johnson & Thompson, 2012, p. 57). These statements lead me to believe more than ever, that my role as an educator is so crucial to students' success in my classroom and beyond. Teachers must put forth true effort to make their students the best learners possible.
I did not find many places where the book and article diverged. It was interesting to see in the article, though, what one place in particular had done and the success that was gained. The book does a great job of laying out strategies that I will plan to use in the future. Then, I will be able to see whether or not they are successful for me and my students.

Opitz, Michael F., Dorothy Rubin, and James A. Erekson. Reading Diagnosis and Improvement: Assessment and Instruction. 6th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2011.

Smith, R., Johnson, M., & Thompson, K. D. (2012). Data, our GPS. Educational Leadership, 69(5), 56-59.

Module 1: Analysis of Video

This video reinforced much of what I already believed about reading. First of all, they were sure to make the point that meaning and comprehension are the ultimate goals of reading. If a student is struggling so much that they lose sight of this, then it is time for the teacher or tutor to step in and help the child. Second of all, they made the point that if students do not feel successful in reading they are more likely to not enjoy it and not want to do it. I have always believed this to be true and this video's research confirmed it as well.
The video also made a strong point that educators must use ongoing assessments to best help children become strong readers. It is not enough to help them with an area where they struggle and then move on to something different. The assessment must be constant and always look for ways to help students improve. I also liked how the video linked fluency with comprehension. Sometimes we get bogged down by trying to enforce fluency, but it still one of the main focuses of reading and is important to teach our students.

Module 1: Activity #4

I teach Pre-K and my students are the oldest in the center. Therefore, the student I observed is obviously a very young, emerging reader. However, she was still able to identify a few of the words in the text that she was familiar with while reading. She also used the letters that she recognized and used her knowledge of letter sounds to help her "guess" on other ones. After observing her, I would have to say that she could be identified as using proficient reading behaviors. A major reason I identified her this way is that she was heavily relying on her background knowledge to help her read the few words that she knew. In addition, she was not focusing on breaking down words but instead looking at all of the words and pictures in the text to come up with meaning. I also noticed her stopping to take time to try and think about what she was reading was about after she finished each page.