Week 3 Closer Look Questions

 Shared Reading

1. How does this activity engage students who are at different levels of literacy development?

            By using this activity, students of all levels are involved. Ms. Perez emphases the amount of assessments she gives her students quarterly to see their improvements. To help aid her she uses a graph for each student to track their progress, and to see who is reaching the benchmark book and who is not. From her assessments she can guide students to work on strengthening their individual skills.

2. During her explicit phonics lesson, how does Ms. Perez support students' problem-solving skills?

            Ms. Perez focuses on site words while reading the poem. When students struggle with a word she helps them to sound it by using rhyming words, instructing students to “flip the letter,” and guided clues. She also reviews with the students the difference between lower and upper case letters for clarification.

3. Based on what you saw in the video, what are the different ways that shared reading can be used to promote literacy?

            Shared reading can be used to promote literacy allowing students to find their comfort zone, and having the ability to leave their comfort zone. During the writing extension, a few students were able to develop their own books, which reflected their comprehension of the text. In doing so students are using their own problem solving skills, allowing students to have self-accomplishment.

Guided Reading:

1. Why does she think it's important for students to verbalize their strategies? What else do you notice about how she helps students build meaning in text?

            It’s important for students develop their fluency, making sense of what they are reading, and how it connects to them. This technique helps the students to build their vocabulary and understanding. The more she verbalizes the strategies to the students, the more they want to use it, and in turn the students use it more often to self-problem solve.

 Differentiated Instruction:

1. How does Ms. Perez organize her classroom to support a wide range of learners?

Ms. Perez organizes her classroom by using a variety of centers that include: cards that match sounds, word games with the student teacher that continue to build stories, and independent reading. This allows Ms. Perez to informally assess her students and meet with them one-on-one.

2. How are reading and writing connected in classroom activities?

The connection is made when students are able to write facts from their text accurately. 

Assessment:

1. How does Ms. Perez use ongoing individual assessment to guide her instruction? How can the class profile be used to help group students and differentiate instruction?

Ms. Perez has a graph for each student indicating what level the student is reading at the quarter mark (September, December, March, and June).  During these assessments she is looking for improvements and how she needs to improve her own instruction to ensure the students will reach their benchmark. The class profile can be used to help to group students into their appropriate reading level.

2. How can ongoing assessment be integrated into your own classroom practice?

Ongoing assessment can be integrated into my own classroom by using rubrics to see how students have improved their use of elements in their projects. If a student starts at a 5 out of a 10 on their first project of value, I know I need to work with that student to bring them closer to a 10 in their value understanding.