Today we started a new short video series for our Facebook page titled: “Literacy in the Limelight.” The series will highlight a different Reading Horizons employee each week. During the videos the featured employee will discuss what they have learned about literacy from working for Reading Horizons, as well as their thoughts on reading & literacy in general.

Here is the first video of the series featuring our Marketing Manager, Erika Huff:

Join Reading Horizons Facebook Page to get updates with new videos each Friday!

Author: Monica Bomengen

A reading strategy that works well with struggling readers by creating a visual representation that is revisited as the reader interacts with a text is the KWL (Know / Want to Know / Learned) chart.

KWL charts are an effective combination of a variety of tools that research has demonstrated work well with engaging students of all ability levels, but they are particularly useful for struggling readers. KWL charts are first and foremost a visual depiction that allows the student to control the text that is entered into the graphic. For that reason, they appeal strongly to learners who engage visually.

Another strategic underpinning of the KWL chart is that it activates students’ prior knowledge by asking the question, “What do I already know?” The chart is divided into three columns, labeled “What do I already know?” “What do I want to know?” and “What have I learned?” The answers to the first question are listed by the student prior to reading the text. The student can also return to the chart while reading if he encounters additional familiar information. 

Madeline Hunter in her famous lesson planning template urges teachers to activate students’ prior knowledge before attempting to provide direct instruction. The KWL chart is a tool that enables teachers to activate prior knowledge in a way that engages the student in the activation, making him an active learner rather than a passive listener.

The second column in the chart is also completed by the student prior to engaging with the text and may or may not be revisited during reading. The student lists what he wants to learn as a result of the reading. It is this aspect of the KWL chart that makes it particularly well-suited to use with informational (non-fiction) texts, such as science and social studies. When the student thinks about what he wants to learn, he engages himself as an active learner.

The final column, “What did I learn?” is completed by the student after he has finished the reading. It is this activity that helps the student (and teacher) recognize whether there are gaps in the student’s knowledge that need to be filled with extra help. It also offers the student the opportunity, in a structured manner, to summarize what he has learned. Summarizing is a technique employed by competent and advanced readers and may not be a written activity for them. For a struggling reader, summarizing is essential and must be done in writing if the teacher is to be able to determine during formative assessment whether the student knows and is able to do the standards the teacher has identified for mastery.

Ms. Hunter collaborated with basketball coach John Wooden at UCLA. One of Coach Wooden’s favorite aphorisms was “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Ms. Hunter’s educational theory of the importance of lesson planning for teachers is a direct application of Coach Wooden’s advice. The KWL chart is, for struggling readers, a concrete tool that helps them plan, so that they don’t fail to interact and engage with a text.

P.S.

If you enjoyed this post you may also want to read: "Reading Strategies that Work for Struggling Readers: Annotating Text"

To improve your teaching strategies for struggling readers, sign up for FREE access to Reading Horizons Online Workshop:

Author: Monica Bomengen

In the last post I left off with tip #9 for first year teachers, and now it is time to finish what I started!  So get out your notepad and pencil, and get ready to learn!

10. Professional Development:

As a teacher, you should have the philosophy that one never stops learning.  After all, this philosophy complements your profession!  Therefore, remember that you, too, have not stopped (nor should stop) learning- ever.  Now, as a first year teacher, you will already have a massive, intense amount of work on your plate… well, I am about to add another thing to it!  Sorry!  This one is important, though.  (They all kind of are, so you really aren’t off the hook at all!)  A way to continue your development as a teacher is to read, read, read!  Read books on different teaching strategies, unique management styles, subject matter, and other elements that can improve your classroom from the very beginning.  I recommend Ron Clark’s The Essential 55.  It is full of amazing techniques and rules that can be easily implemented and used successfully.  You can also develop yourself professionally by learning from your peers.  Listen to other teachers, seasoned or not, and decide what you want to try in your own classroom.  Remember, you are just starting, so any advice can help.  Just remember, you don’t need to take all of the advice you receive; if it sounds reasonable and agrees with extensive literature on the matter, try it!  If it doesn’t seem right or connect with reliable sources, graciously accept the advice, but do not implement it.  Remember that your first priority in the school is your class.

11. Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This really speaks for itself.  Remember the age group with which you are dealing, safety, and availability of materials.  If you cannot make a certain project happen at a certain time, don’t!  Save yourself the stress!  Perhaps plan to do the project at a different time or pitch the idea altogether.  You should enjoy your career!  Yes, you will have difficulties- it isn’t all fun and games- but in general, you shouldn’t be seriously struggling with putting together a project or lesson.  If it makes you crazy or endangers your students, just stop!  Challenges are good in moderation.

12. Students are Not Friends:

This one was tough for me to learn, especially in my internship with 21 third graders who thought I was thebomb.com at first.  I say “at first” because I eventually had to take over teaching, which meant I wasn’t Mrs. Nice Girl anymore.  This was so difficult because just weeks before, I was simply a bystander, reading to them on occasion but mainly watching my mentor.  They thought I was cool.  They liked me.  Then we got to a weird part of the internship where I was trying desperately to transfer into the “teacher” role and trying to maintain that friendly relationship with the students.  Did this work?  Absolutely not.  Management was a huge hassle.  I had to decide that I was going to be the teacher.  Truth be told, they hated me for a while, but near the end, I could tell that they loved me in a different way- a respectful student to teacher way.  Success!  Remember, as a teacher, you are required to be a mommy/daddy, psychologist, doctor, therapist, and all sorts of things you shouldn’t have to be considering your salary, but there is one thing you are not required to be.  That is a friend.  When you gain the respect of your students, you will gain their love, trust, and attention to your lessons.

13. Take Time to Develop Management:

The longer you take to develop your management rules and procedures, the easier it will be to manage your classroom for the rest of the year.  The older your students are, the less time it will take to implement rules and procedures.  However, no matter how old, it will most likely take some time for the students to fully remember and practice the rules of your classroom.  You will have some sacrificial lambs- those few “good” students who will be the first (and many times last) to break any particular rule.  However, after they take the repercussion for their poor choices, the other students will quickly catch on to the rules and your job will be ten times easier!  Therefore, don’t worry about immediately getting ahead or staying on track with the curriculum or other things because by the time the other teachers are falling back and trying to stay afloat due to classroom management issues and slow-as-molasses transitions, your classroom will be moving like clockwork.

14. Read, Read, Read:

I already discussed reading to develop professionally, and that is true.  However, with this tip I am not referring to you reading to yourself.  You need to read aloud to your students every day.  Let me repeat that.  Read to your students every single solitary day!!!!!!  Reading aloud to your students is an excellent way to model fluency.  It will also help them with phonological awareness as they listen to you read each word properly utilizing your use of sight words and phonics.  Also take time each day to have students read aloud.  Many times this can be done through provided curriculum.  An effective reading strategy is to have every student follow along with his or her finger in the book while listening to you or a fellow student read.  This, too, helps students with their knowledge of phonics and their practice with fluency.  It is extremely important to read aloud, read with, and have students individually read aloud daily.

15. Make Certain You Know All of the Bell Schedules:

You should never miss a deadline or a scheduled appointment.  Mrs. Harris, a seasoned teacher in southern California, explained that she posts a bulletin board right next to her desk so that she will never find herself fumbling when a transition is occurring.  These days, with school systems’ accommodations for students’ needs in specific areas, it is important to realize that some students are in specific reading programs or other programs in which they need to be pulled from the classroom at specific times so that their needs are adequately met.  Trust me, as a teacher, the last thing you want a struggling reader to miss his or her reading program.  The more fluidly he or she reads, the better he or she will do in your classroom.  In their specific programs, these students are learning specific reading strategies that will help them significantly in your classroom and in their lives!  Reading is the absolute core subject area; all other subjects involve reading in some form or fashion, and they should!  Therefore, you do not want your students to miss their programs, so make sure that you know the complex schedules.  In addition to her advice on the bulletin board, Mrs. Harris also highly recommends highlighting your grade-level information on schedules- this includes “duties” (car pickup, recess, etc.).  It is imperative that you never miss duty.  This will come off extremely poor for you, especially as a first year teacher.

16.  Know the School Discipline Plan:

This kind of goes along with tip #15.  Mrs. Harris suggests that upon receiving the handbook for your new school, you should read it front to back to understand the discipline plan and all of the other policies of the school.  She also suggests that the less time something is taken to the principal to handle, the better.  If you can deal with an issue in the classroom (safely), then you should.

17. Sign Up for Committees:

Make sure you know the specific committees, the times they meet, and the commitment level needed for the committees.  You should most definitely sign up for some; however, be aware that you already have a lot on your plate.  Therefore, you, once again, should not bite off more than you can chew.  Remember to check out the amount of time they spend meeting and the level of commitment particular committees take.  Since it is your first year, go for the easier ones!  You are not a superhero- although your students will believe you are.  

18. Relax:

Once again, this is advice from Mrs. Harris.  Relax when you have the time.  If you get vacation time, use it!  Don’t spend your vacation busting your behind so that by the time you get back to work, you are still exhausted!  Take the time you need to unwind and relax so that you can be refreshed.  This is important for any job, but I feel that being a teacher is such an emotionally and physically taxing career, that teachers need to relax more than anyone!

Conclusion

In conclusion, as a first year teacher, the most important thing to remember is why you are doing what you are doing.  Remember your love of teaching and your love of students.  Eventually everything will fall into place if you truly love what you do.  Why?  Because you will have incentive to remember and implement the fore mentioned tips, and that incentive is teaching children.  Period.  That is all you really need.

P.S.

To read the first 9 tips for first year teachers read: "9 Tips for First Year Teachers"

If you are a first year Reading Teacher the following resources will help you start teaching at the top of your game:

Reading Horizons FREE Webinars for Reading Teachers

Author: Monica Bomengen

A first year teacher has a tough job.  This is the time when an “ex-student” turns the table and realizes that he or she is finally in control of his or her very own class.  Not only is this transition difficult because of that odd switcharoo, but it is also difficult because of all the other, little things that need to be remembered and accomplished.  A first year teacher has many things to remember- things that, if not remembered, will surely rear their ugly heads at some point during that teacher’s career.  Let’s take a look at some tips for first year teachers!

1. Remember the “Totem Pole”:
   
This may sound odd at first; you may be thinking, “What on earth does a ‘totem pole’ have to do with my first year of teaching?”  Let me put it to you this way, you are the bottom of it.  When in the teacher’s lounge or anywhere on school grounds with other teachers, keep. your. mouth. shut!  This doesn’t mean you should be a hermit; it simply means that your ears should be better assets than your mouth.  In fact, you should definitely be sure to utilize the teacher’s lounge.  Never eat lunch in the classroom- get away!  The best use of your time will be listening to other teachers- get to know them- and wait for them to try to get to know you.  You do not want to be that person who just won’t stop talking!  See what the other teachers talk about (what they feel is appropriate to talk about), but be wary of the fact that just because it is all right for them to talk about certain things, that does not mean it is all right for you, oh lonesome bottom-of-the-totem-pole teacher.  They can also gripe about their home life, their classes, and their lives in general.  It will do you well to remember this rule: the less griping, the better.  As important as your rapport is with other teachers, remember who your true friends need to be: the custodian and the secretaries.  Leave the custodian candy; bring the secretaries Christmas present.  However you do it, make them your friends.  Otherwise, your stay at the school will be oh-so-less-than pleasant.

2. Always Say, “Yes”:

Okay, so I know that this goes completely against D.A.R.E.’s philosophy, but I am talking about something completely different!  If a seasoned teacher comes to your brand new, bare classroom with a box of classroom materials that he or she no longer wants or needs… say, “Yes!” and “Thank you very much!”  Now you may be thinking, “What if some of the stuff is junk?  What if I don’t want it all?”  Not to be too blunt, but you are a first year teacher, you don’t know what you want!  Perhaps there are some hidden treasures, some things with which you can use for your class.  You do not completely know until you go through the items, considering each one.  If some of it is junk, pitch it later and keep the goodies!  Make sure that you keep what could potentially be useful to you because, let’s not kid anyone… a teacher’s salary does not encourage wastefulness.  Just say, “Yes!”

3. Late Nights in Your New Classroom:

As with any new job, you are going to have late nights at the “office”- your office being the classroom.  Do not think that just because you are a teacher you are going to skip off from work at 4:00-4:30pm every day- especially not in your first year.  There are going to be some lonely nights for you in your classroom, preparing things, grading, making bulletin boards, etc., etc.  So pump up your favorite jams in your classroom and get to working!  Make the best of your time, and know that as each year passes it gets easier to set up your classroom and prepare for the next day.  Hang in there!

4. Family First:

Never put business before family.  Many times teachers will be the first ones to take on new, intense challenges- especially if it is for their students.  That is wonderful; however, remember that if you have a family at home, they must always come first- always.  Even if it is just you, don’t forget your friends and relatives; give them a call, set up dinner dates, or perhaps just shoot them e-mails a few times a week.  If you have a family living at home, understand that you may need to bring work home- GASP!  Oh yes, I said it.  It sounds horrible to “bring work home”, but I can guarantee your family would rather have you and your work at home than miss out on both!  However you plan on keeping in touch with your home life, just always keep this short, but packed, phrase in mind: “family first”.

5. Healthy Teachers are Effective Teachers:

In this day and age, health has become one of the most important things to society: health of our earth, health of our relationships, and health of our bodies.  The health about which I am writing is of the body.  You are literally stepping into a classroom full of smiling Petri dishes!  They are cute, but they have naaaaasty germs!  As a first year teacher, you should be exercising daily, eating nutritious meals, and most importantly, sleeping enough!  If you deprive yourself of good meals and rest, you will fade faster than a flashlight getting its batteries ripped out of it!  Get sleep.  Eat well.  Exercise.  The more you do these things, the more alert you will be and thus, a more effective teacher you will be.  If you are not healthy, you will find yourself planning less, managing less, and, overall, doing less in the classroom.  Remember that the little ones you are encountering during the day have come into contact with things that have not hit your generation.  Come to think of it, you are probably the “bridge” that germs use to reach the adult society!  Hmmm… which do you like better: the “bottom of the totem pole” or the “germ bridge”?  Take your pick.

6. The More Preparation, the Better:

Through my experiences in the classroom, I have found that when I know what I am doing well in advance, I am much more relaxed, get better sleep, get through a lesson more efficiently, and feel more fulfilled after the lesson is finished.  Remember that as a first year teacher, you will not have all of the materials you need at your immediate disposal (unless you live in a Michael’s store or something).  Therefore, you must plan, plan, plan!  Make sure you know what your lessons will include well enough in advance so that you can gather your materials and have them as prepped as possible when your door opens and students pile into your room!  If you falter, even for a moment, you have lost the class.  This is precisely why preparation is important.  Now, don’t get me wrong, many times teachers have epiphanies about something great they could add to a lesson the night prior to that lesson, and they have to gather materials that night or the next morning.  Is that bad?  No!  That is wonderful!  However, it is preferable for you to have things ready much earlier than that.  It will save you stress and time if you prepare.  Think about it this way, if you set up your kitchen in a way where you know where every utensil, pot, pan, or food item is, you will save yourself a lot of time in the long run.  When you decide to prepare a certain meal, things will be a cinch!  (Well, providing you are a decent cook!)  However, if you leave your kitchen in complete disarray, making even one meal might cause you more stress than you ever wanted.  Preparation takes serious will power- fight that laziness!  However, the way I see it, you are going to prepare either now or later.  Later is attached to stress, insomnia, and an out-of-control classroom, whereas now is attached to “Man, I may need to lay off of the Internet or the television for a few hours” and nothing else.  I don’t know about you, but I think the latter is the better choice.

7. If You Go the Extra Mile, They Will:

One week, I taught a brief summary of Mexico to a class of third grade students.  Nothing made them happier than the lesson on how to make Ojos de Dios and the food lesson where they helped stir salsa and ate it during my lesson!  They were jazzed to learn about such an interesting country.  Why?  Because I made sure that I made it interesting by “going beyond the book” and bringing Mexico to the classroom in a dynamic way.  Was it extra work on my part?  Absolutely.  It was a pain in the booty to cut all of those stinkin’ tomatoes, onions (*sniff*), and peppers for that salsa!  It was tedious to hot glue two sticks per student together and cut yarn for those colorful Ojos de Dios!  Was it worth it?  More than I can express.  It was positively wonderful and more fulfilling than I could have expected.  Another important reason you should incorporate interesting, extra material into your lessons is to encourage students to come to school.  In many areas around the nation, teachers have trouble acquiring a full class for even one day.  When a student knows that he or she will be missing out on something new and exciting if he or she is absent, I can guarantee he or she will be more likely to come to class each day.  Who wants to miss out on all of the fun?  No one!  Make it worth it.

8. Reflect:

If there is anything I have learned through the Elementary Education program, it is reflect, reflect, reflect!  This is especially important for first year teachers because now is the time to truly go through each lesson, correcting and polishing- trust me, you will appreciate it during your second year!  However, I have one problem with the whole “reflection” thing.  My problem is that teachers tend to be perfectionists, and with this “perfectionist” personality comes self-criticism.  Yes, you should most definitely think of things on which you can improve from your day’s lessons.  However, don’t ever forget to reflect on the good things you did as well.  Remind yourself that you are a good teacher, you went to school for teaching, and you can do it.  My advice would be to pick out three stellar things you did as a teacher on that particular day, write them on a sticky note, and post it somewhere you can easily view the next morning.  Before getting started, read those three things on the list, and feel your spirits rise!  This will remind you of the things you should remember during that day’s lessons, and it will also be a nice morning “pat on the back”.  Just remember to reflect daily, weekly, and monthly.  Then, at the end of your first year, reflect again!  Think of “glows and grows” as my former mentor, Mr. Davis, would say.

9. Stay Consistent:

As a general note, remember to stay consistent.  This is important for teachers at every level, but for a first year teacher, it is the most important.  This is when you decide for the first time how you want to do things in your classroom.  Not only are the students getting acclimated, but you are also!  This ties into the need for preparation.  Make sure that you know what you plan on doing, how you plan on teaching, how you plan to classroom manage, etc.  Once you have your plans organized, you will be ready for action.  Once you have begun, don’t change unless absolutely necessary!  Stay consistent and neither you nor your students will be confused.  Less confusion means less stress or management issues.

The list of tips for a first year teacher is lengthy, so I shall stop here for now, but stay tuned!  The rest is on its way!

P.S.

If you are a first year Reading Teacher the following resources will help you start teaching at the top of your game:

Reading Horizons FREE Webinars for Reading Teachers

When you think about what you learned in preschool, does anything come to mind? You probably remember nap time and snacks… but what did you learn?

Perhaps not too surprising, the Perry Preschool Experiment has found that any intellect gained through preschool attendance has no long-lasting benefits on its participants.

However, the experiment also found that in comparison to adults that did not attend preschool, adults that attended preschool were:

• 20% more likely to have graduated from high school
• 19% less likely to have been arrested more than 5 times
• better students and earned higher grades throughout their schooling
• more likely to remain married
• less dependent on welfare programs

Since they found no lasting intellectual benefits of preschool, what is it about preschool that created these positive outcomes for its attendees? 

The reason preschool goers have been found to generally have more stable lifestyles is because preschool has now been found to boost “non-cognitive” abilities such as self-control and persistence in its attendees. Both of these skills play a large role in an individual’s life.

In fact, these “non-cognitive” abilities are arguably more valuable than intellect. The researchers pointed out that employers have been found to value dependability more than any other trait. They also note that it has been found that “perseverance, dependability and consistency are the most important predictors of grades in school.”

I remember being frustrated when I was applying for college because my test scores were weighed more heavily than my grades. I felt my grades represented my strong work ethic and that was more likely to earn me success than natural intelligence. Yet, I knew a few of my peers that never did their homework and refused to make an effort in class, but that had such high natural intelligence that they were offered scholarships based solely on their high test scores. All of them have since dropped out of college, or never ended up going.

This point is reinforced by the finding referenced in the Perry Preschool Experiemnt that high school dropouts who earn their GED usually earn the same amount as their fellow dropouts who did not earn their GED. Why is this? Because students that drop out of high school often lack the discipline and dependability needed to find success in life.

Intelligence and learning does nothing for the world without being paired with “non-cognitive” abilities such as self control and perseverance. A genius that never works to express his genius can never add value to the world.

Without being paired with “non-cognitive” abilities, literacy skills can offer little value. Effort must be exerted to use the knowledge we gain through reading different books and resources to make the ability worthwhile.

Currently, preschools are experiencing several budget cuts and the value of preschool is being debated. What are your thoughts?

P.S.

If you enjoyed this post you may also enjoy: "3 Ways Literacy Can Improve Society"

Play Lemons for Literacy to increase your vocabulary and help individuals earn literacy materials: