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VANDEVORST RDG M7W7 APP

Dominique Vandevorst
Marygrove College
Application Assignment

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Part 1: Child study report
Section 1 Reading Interest Inventory
Lith is ten years old and in grade 4 at Arendal International School (Norway). He was
born in Arendal but both parents come from Iran. He has one younger brother who is in 3rd
grade and because I teach a combined grade 3 and 4 class both brothers are now in the
same class. Liths brother was diagnosed with leukemia one year ago but is now in
remission and back in class most days. The home language is Arabic. Lith can speak
Norwegian and English but uses simple sentence structures and simple vocabulary in both
languages.

Lith was referred to council educational services last year because of concerns to do with
his literacy skills, math, focus, retention of information and behavior in class. After several
tests it was confirmed that he was approximately 1,5 year behind in reading and writing. He
is not as far behind in math but has great difficulty doing higher level thinking math such as
word problems, making connections and retaining math strategies. He remembers math
facts very well thanks to his father who is an amazing support. Observations of his behavior
in class and at home show that he possibly has ADHD but the educational services have so
far not done any further tests.

Lith is a very active boy, has high energy levels, and struggles greatly with focusing or
concentrating in class for a longer period of time. He has become better at controlling his
anger and relating to other students in a socially acceptable manner. He has problems
retaining information over a longer period of time. This is visible in for example writing when
using basic sight words where he can write have right one day and the next he will write
hav. When he started in my class in grade 3 nearly 20 months ago he was only able to read
a basic Biff and Chip book. He needed help decoding words and pronouncing the sounds
correctly. His reading has improved greatly since then and he can read simple chapter books

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with adult follow up but is still well below grade level in reading and comprehension. Again I
want to say that the parents have really stepped up to the challenge and have provided
strong support at home during this time. We have a strong school home connection.

Lith is in a spelling group where we are still looking at diphthongs and long and short
vowel sounds within one syllable words and while most students in his spelling group can
recognize the sound and identify a particular sound in words, Lith does not have that sound
awareness. He had intensive small group work support last year working on phoneme and
grapheme recognition but after a few weeks he would have forgotten the connection. This is
still the case now. Gipe (2009) writes that early positive language experiences are helpful for
later vocabulary development, word recognition and comprehension skills. Whenever we
have independent reading time Lith will either choose simple picture books or Biff and Chip
books unless I clearly tell him what to read. In small support reading groups he has shown
that his reading fluency and comprehension is progressing and that he manages to read
small simple chapter books. He would however not choose chapter books in class or in
library time if given a choice. I believe Liths reading skills have progressed in the last year
because of reading out loud in class times and parent involvement at home during reading
where by the parents are reading with Lith and asking questions. Gipe (2009) describes
reading alouds as one of the most effective ways of developing oral language. In class I
have set up shared reading groups of two to three students with either myself or an assistant
teacher to support reading fluency and comprehension. As a result of the student inventory I
will make sure that I have more books available for Lith that will interest him and therefore
encourage him to read more in group and independently.

Due to the educational services recommendations we now have extra assistants support
in class in most lessons to help Lith focus and stay on task, to help with accessing materials
and learning tasks. Lith responds well when I or the team teacher work with him one to one
in class or in a small group of two or three students. He has had a negative attitude towards

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some of the assistants and this has had a negative impact on his work where he would rely
on them doing the work for him or being disrespectful and negative towards them which
meant he would not get his work done. This has been frustrating for me as a teacher as I
realize how much he needs the help and support in order to move forward. The parents
have found it difficult at times at home as well getting homework done, reading time and
attitude problems. This is due partly to his concentration difficulties and because of his
literacy difficulties and retention needs.

Lith can be enthusiastic especially when we have done role play or making a drama in
class previously. According to Gipe (2009) drama allows students to speak loudly and use
new vocabulary. Gipe (2009) goes on to say that students who have an underdeveloped oral
language should have one to one attention that focuses on modeling conversation and on
facilitating conversation (pg. 149). We have had a few units this year where as part of a
project he had to explain an activity to a small group and I was impressed by how well and
how serious he took his role and responsibility. We had a simple machines unit at the
beginning of the year where he and his group had to create a machine using some simple
machines and again Lith enjoyed the process of hands on activity. The difficulty was and is
however that he could not explain the different simple machines and could not retain the
information. He also very quickly gets carried away and over excited whenever we have
hands on projects or lessons and needs help to redirect his focus and attention on the task at
hand.

According to Bader and Pearce (2013) in order to improve students confidence the
teacher should learn about the students interests. This will give the teacher something to
start with when supporting the student in literacy skills development and the support can be
focused on the students strengths. During the inventory interview with Lith I was slightly
surprised that he liked animals so much and especially dinosaurs. At school he likes to be
seen as tough and cool, trying to hang out with the bigger boys but when doing the interview

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I realized again what a vulnerable and kind boy he is underneath. When he described the
detective film I had expected that it was guns that would attract him but he explained there
were children helping to solve mysteries and he really enjoyed that program. The interview
confirmed that Lith learns best through structured hands on activities. He really does like
drama and role-play and during those lessons he has shown his knowledge of for example
good role models and bad role models and making connections with central ideas. Bader
and Pearce (2013) put forward that the students priorities and interests are vital for a rapid
and pleasant learning process. This is in line with Gardner (1983 as in Gipe, 2009) and his
theory of multiple intelligences (MI). Students have eight different multiple intelligences but
depending on the experiential, cultural, and motivational factors some will be more dominant
than others. This is not to say that the other intelligences cannot be stimulated and
developed over time. The MI theory allows teachers to see the best in each student and
helps them understand that there are multiple ways to understanding.

Another point that surprised me was that he likes sports so much and chose P.E. as his
favorite subject. He is excited when we do P.E. but his physical ability is not strong and his
coordination is not developed well. He very quickly tires in P.E. lessons. During the multiple
intelligence behavior log he scores highest in the bodily-kinesthetic area and this is in
accordance with school and home observations. He also scores reasonably in the musical
area and that shows up in class where he can remember simple rhymes or mnemonic
devices. The fact that he is weaker in the verbal-linguistic area is due I think to the multiple
languages both at home and at school. He speaks Arabic when home with his family,
Norwegian with his friends in the playground and English in class. Since he seems to have
linguistic difficulties already makes it harder to catch up in literacy skills in both Norwegian
and English. He does not have the vital early literacy skills development in one particular
language such as reading English books, rhymes, songs and so on. Gipe (2009) points to
the early language experiences as the foundation for later literacy success.

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What was interesting was that in the verbal-linguistic area he scored mainly ones apart
from speaking in front of others. Lith likes to present something in front of the class
especially if he has practiced for example a speech or part of a presentation. However he
can learn parts of a speech or presentation by heart whether he has written it or someone
else within the group but if asked what the piece was about he would find it hard to give more
indepth information. In the math area one of the statements says is good at finding patterns
and connections where I gave Lith a one. This is not only for math but also in language
where he struggles to find patterns in words, sounds, letter combinations unless explicitly told
and modeled several times.

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Inventory of Pupil Interests and Activities
Name: Lith

Age: 10

Grade 4

School __Arendal International School___ Date __02.05.2013___ Interviewer

__Dominique Vandevorst
1. What is your favorite TV show? Arabic show about a detective woman and children
help her solve mysteries.
2. Who is your favorite TV character? Detective woman
3. If you could make up a TV show, what would it be about? Make own films, be on a
show as a judge doing a quiz.
4. Do you have a favorite movie? Mr Kimble, favourite part where the kindergarden is on
fire and the kids are not listening.
5. Do you have any pets? No. Auntie had cat but gave it away. Felt sad because I liked
the cat
6. What is your favorite animal? Lion like them \ run fast, cheetahs, monkeys, gorillas,
dolphins
7. If you could be any living thing, what would you be? Lion
8. Where have you traveled? Name three places. Holland, Hamburg
9. Name all the different types of transportation you have experienced (train, bus, auto,
boat, wagon, airplane, jet, truck, buggy, subway, bicycle, ship). Boat, car, bus, airplane,
train, bike,
10. If you received two airplane tickets for anywhere in the world, where would you go?
France, Eiffel tower, New York: like the busses, lot of people, like accent but hard
11. If you had a time machine for any time and place in the past or future, where would
you go and when? Dinosaur age, to the future.
12. What is your favorite subject? PE, drama, sometimes math: when I know what to do,
dad explains a lot at home, inquiry when we use drama, simple machines unit (was a very
hands on unit at the beginning of the year).
13. What is the latest book youve read? Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? Cartoons and
animation: a book about making films, Enjoyed it.
14. What kind of books do you read at home? Action, swimming, dinosaurs, chip and biff
15. If it were a rainy day at home, what would you do? If it were a sunny day at home,
what would you do? RAIN: Watch TV, laptop, math problems. SUN: outside and play,
swimming and sports
16. What is your favorite sport? Football, squash, dodge ball
17. What is your favorite hobby? Playstation, football, ancient Egypt on playstation

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18. If I gave you $100 to buy whatever you wanted, what would you do with the money?
Buy everything in Rema 1000 (supermarket), chocolate, buy computer, phone etc in
electrical store. (He had no concept of the value of 100 dollars).

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Student Behavior Log of Demonstrated Multiple Intelligences
Student Name: Lith

Age: 10

Date of Observation: 02.05.2013

Indicate the degree to which you observe the stated behavior or characteristic in each
student, using the following
scale: 0 _ uncertain; 1 _ does not fit at all; 2 _ fits slightly; 3 _ fits moderately; 4 _ fits
strongly
Verbal-Linguistic Behaviors
Loves talking, writing, and reading almost anything

01234

Precisely expresses self both in writing and talking

01234

Enjoys public speaking

01234

Is sensitive to impact of words and language on others

01234

Understands and enjoys plays on words and word games

01234

Logical-Mathematical Behaviors
Is good at finding and understanding patterns

01234

Is quick at solving a variety of problems

01234

Can remember thinking formulas and strategies

01234

Likes to identify, create, and sort things into categories

01234

Is able to follow complex lines of reasoning and thought processes 0 1 2 3 4

Visual-Spatial Behaviors
Frequently doodles during class activities

01234

Is helped by visuals and manipulatives

01234

Likes painting, drawing, and working with clay

01234

Has a good sense of direction and understanding of maps

01234

Creates mental images easily; likes pretending

01234

Bodily-Kinesthetic Behaviors
Has difficulty sitting still or staying in seat

01234

Uses body gestures and physical movement to express self 0 1 2 3 4

Is good in sports; is well coordinated physically

01234

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Likes to invent things, put things together and take them apart
Likes to demonstrate to others how to do something

01234

01234

Musical-Rhythmic Behaviors
Hums quietly to self while working or walking

01234

Taps pencil, foot, or fingers while working

01234

Can remember songs and rhymes easily

01234

Likes to make up tunes and melodies

01234

Senses musical elements in unusual or nonmusical situations

01234

Interpersonal Behaviors
Has an irresistible urge to discuss almost everything with others

01234

Is good at listening and communicating

01234

Sensitive to the moods and feelings of others

01234

Is a good, effective team player

01234

Is able to figure out the motives and intentions of others

01234

Intrapersonal Behaviors
Is highly intuitive and/or flies by the seat of pants

01234

Is quiet, very self-reflective, and aware

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Asks questions relentlessly; has avid curiosity

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Is able to express inner feelings in a variety of ways

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Is individualistic and independent; is not concerned about others opinions 0 1 2 3 4

Naturalist Behaviors
Is sensitive to things in nature

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Enjoys caring for classroom pets or plants

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Likes animals and talks about own pets

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Knows about plants, animals, and living things

Is concerned with the environment; is ecologically aware

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Multiple Intelligence Approaches to Assessment, 1994 Zephyr Press, Tucson, Arizona.

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Section 2 Vision, hearing and emotional screening
I applied Gipes (2010) educators checklists: appendix D, E, F. Gipe (2010) writes that
learning to read and write is a demanding task for many students. A student must be alert,
attentive, and capable of working for a sustained period of time (pg. 69). For Lith this is
especially poignant as being alert, attentive for longer periods of time and capable of working
for a sustained period of time are difficult for him. This has affected his ability to learn to read
and write significantly. His literacy skills are developing but are at beginning of grade three
level. Lith is in good health and rarely misses school due to sickness.

The first checklist I applied was the Observable clues to classroom vision problems
checklist. Most of the statements I ticked were in area 3. Behavioral signs of visual
problems: A: Eye movement abilities. I have ticked: head turns as reads across page, loses
place often during reading, needs finger to keep place, displays short attention span in
reading, repeatedly omits small words, orients drawings poorly on page. My reflection for
this part of the observation is that Lith is not a strong reader and only this year started
reading simple chapter books. He tends to read too fast which means he loses track of
where he is in the text. The fact that he displays a short attention span during his reading
hinders him to develop his reading skills faster. He needs a lot more time to read through
books or text than what would be expected for his grade level. This slows down his
progress. Gipe (2010) explains that if several behaviors are ticked off within one single
category, the student should be referred to a vision specialist to look at this more closely. I
ticked four out of nine statements for category A. I will discuss this with my coordinator and
see what action needs to be taken. Lith sits closely to the front of the classroom and smart
board which help him to read what is on the board and stay focused longer. From my
observations during spelling lessons I have noticed that Lith seems to have problems with
visual memory. Gipe (2010) describes this as the ability to remember the sequence of
letters in words (pg. 71). This will have an effect on his reading ability. This is the same in
his Norwegian language lessons. The teacher has told me he has very similar problems

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there. I think it would perhaps help to use a rectangle window he can use while reading
books or other information. This would help him to keep track of where he is in his reading
more easily and would highlight the words better. Other helpful tools are: shortened
assignments, larger font sizes, adding colour, simplifying the nature of a required response
and using pictures and graphs.

I ticked two statements under C. Eye-hand coordination abilities: must feel things to
assist in any interpretation required and writes crookedly, poorly spaced, cannot stay on ruled
lines. Lith dominant multiple-intelligence is body-kinesthetic. He likes to have something in
his hands to fiddle with, he wants to touch new objects or things in class. His first reaction
when he sees something of interest is to take it, look at it closer and try it out. His writing is
very large compared to other grade four students. It is uneven and often has no clear
identifiable spaces between words or sentences. His drawings are likewise messy, simplistic
and scribbled. Gipe (2010) states that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
involves an overall inability to attend during complex tasks that require a high degree of selfmonitoring (pg. 77). Lith displays some of the characteristics mentioned by Gipe (2010)
such as: chronic inattention when task is uninteresting, class clown, impulsive or erratic
behavior, failure to start work, sloppy work, ignores rules, seeks attention, noisy. These
characteristics also came up during testing last year. Gipe (2010) goes on to say that
students need to be seen as whole individuals and the use of multiple intelligence theory is
helpful when planning strategies for helping the student achieve positive learning outcomes
and success. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2009) refer to this as differentiation. What are the
students interests, readiness and learner profile. By being aware of these three teachers
can respond to a students and help him or her to achieve. I have found drama, role play and
pair share very useful when working with Lith. He is able to understand the learning outcome
when physically acting out or role modeling various scenarios. Whenever we have a hands
on unit with experiments or investigations Lith is much more engaged and able to take part in
the discussions.

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The other statements I ticked were under D. Visual form perception: fails to recognize
same word in next sentence, confuses same word in same sentence, whispers to self for
reinforcement while reading silently. Sometimes when he reads he does not seem to
recognize the same word in another sentence straight away. This also happens in his
writing. He can write the word have properly in one sentence and then leave out the e in
the next. When reading a question or task Lith will usually read the given information out
loud to himself. I think this comes back to visual memory and having a recollection of
previously learned vocabulary. During testing last year we were told that Lith has problems
retaining information over a longer period of time. He still makes many mistakes when
reading or writing common sight words even though we have worked with them for a long
time using various teaching methods. Gipe (2010) points out that difficulties with high-tone
hearing can lead to problems with learning to read especially phonics and symbol-sound
relationships. This is a particularly difficult area for Lith. Even in one-one phonics lessons
Lith does not hear the sounds. I will definitely take this further to make sure if he has had a
hearing test through the educational services. Which bring me to the next part of the
checklist. Gipe (2010) writes that emphasis during instruction can instead of on phonics be
placed on word recognition and visual and structural analyses techniques. I have used
words their way as a spelling program this year and have seen some improvement in Liths
writing.

In the Checklist for symptoms of hearing difficulties (Gipe, 2010) I have ticked four yes
boxes. Lith holds head at an angle when taking part in discussion, often asks to have
instruction and directions repeated, has sometimes trouble following trend of thought during
oral discussions. When Lith was assessed last year by the educational services it was
concluded that Lith had great difficulty retaining information and making links. When Lith
takes part in discussions, he needs to concentrate extra hard to follow the discussions.
Since he has problems concentrating and retaining information he quickly loses interest or

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his train of thought. He also has a limited vocabulary base which makes it difficult for him to
express himself fully. In one of the videos for this week the teacher asked one of the student
who has difficulty expressing herself through writing instead to act out the story she was
reading (MyEducationLab, 2013).

For the checklist of symptoms associated with emotional maladjustment (Gipe, 2010) I
ticked: gives up easily on school tasks, displays signs of overdependence, argues and fights
with classmates and does not attend during reading lesson. Lith gives up easily when he
starts a new task. He often does not know what to do or how to start. He often has made no
effort reading the question. Over time he has become dependent on some of the assistants
to do most of the work for him. When he is in my lessons I try to be very firm with him and
make him use the strategies for finding out what his task is by reading and underlining key
words and so on. I make him retell the questions or information to me and talk me through
the answer. When I take him through this process he shows he can process information but
needs help in this process. Lith was easily angered and drawn into fights last year. We
worked a lot with behavioral plans, reward charts and talking him through how to make good
choices during that time. Part of the reason he was so easily angered and frustrated was
because his brother was diagnosed with leukemia and this was a tough time for the family.
Partly also because he was significantly behind academically but until last year very little had
been done about it. Lith is able to make better choices in class and during break time
therefore I noted sometimes for this statement. Gipe (2010) puts forward that students who
do not feel good about themselves often have problems resolving inner issues and relating
effectively with others around them. Lith for a very long time did not like reading out loud
especially in a larger group. He lacked confidence. This has changed this year as he has
had lots of practice in a very small group or one to one reading material that is appropriate
for his reading level. His parents have also helped him with his reading at home.

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Overall using the checklist and reflecting on the results has made me more aware of
some of the issues Lith has that I need to look into again for example his hearing. Others
confirmed some of my earlier observations for example word memory and phonetics. This
was an interesting checklist and I will be using this again for some of my other students.

Section 3: Response to Writing

Gipe (2010) explains that reading and writing are naturally linked as both are thinking,
meaning making processes (pg. 163). According to Gipe (2010) each supports,
complements, and contributes to the others development (pg163). Reading does not
precede writing and writing helps reading development. In order for students to be able to
write about a variety of topics they need to be able to read. To be able to edit their writing
they need to be able to carefully read their work. Through their writing students construct
knowledge about language conventions. According to research when students write often in
class their reading levels go up (Gipe, 2010). Reading and writing develop simultaneously
and concurrently. Gipe (2010) advocates that especially struggling students should be
provided with many opportunities to write and observe others write. Students develop as
good writers if they are provided with meaningful writing experiences where students feel
safe to take risks and experiment and where writing is used to communicate meaning.
Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) stress that teachers need to think beyond the groupthink and
look at students as individuals. This will maximize the capacity of the learner. When thinking
about reading and writing it is important that teachers understand and recognize that
students progress at different speeds and at different levels. Knowing where a student is at
in terms of writing ability helps the teacher plan specific lessons and strategies for that
student to develop.
For this assignment I used a developmental writing checklist (Gipe, 2010) to see where Lith
is at in his writing development (see Appendix 1). This writing task was linked to the book

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The iron man by Ted Hughes. This is an excellent book to use for creative writing as it has
many examples of strong metaphors, similes and adjectives in it. After listening to the story
in class, students had to write a short piece as if they were a character in the book and write
from the I perspective. We linked the writing to a mini lesson on metaphors and similes to
make our writing more interesting and to develop as writers. I gave Lith a template with
sentence starters and his writing was in the form of a letter first and after that he needed to
write some of the information into a separate paragraph using metaphors and similes.
Liths writing showed that he does not start sentences with capitals and uses capitals
intermittently (see Appendix 1). For example after the first sentence starter he continues the
sentence with The Iron man, capitalizing both the and iron. He remembers to start It with
a capital at the beginning of the next two sentences. The following sentence he forgets to
use a capital again. He often forgets to add punctuation. There is no punctuation after many
of the sentences on the template. His writing is large, irregular letters using sometimes
capitals in the middle of sentences and messy. For example he uses a capital B for big even
though it is the last word in the sentence. In his short paragraph he used no capitals, apart
from the word iron where he has used a capital I again even though the word is used in the
middle of a sentence, or punctuation at all to indicate the beginning and ending of sentences.
He made some spelling mistakes for example happend which he writes twice leaving out the
e before the final d. Dark is spelled with a ck at the end, didnt is spelled without the
apostrophe and omission of the e and believe is spelled without the first and second e.
Some of his original spelling mistakes were corrected during the writing process with the help
of the classroom assistant. Some of the spelling mistakes are made because Lith tried to
race through his work. This is also part of the reason why his work is messy and his letters
are uneven. I was surprised that he managed to write many of the sight words correctly such
as was, house and made. Usually he would not write them consistently correct in one
piece of writing but would forget to add the e at the end of the words. Lith is between the
phonetic and the transitional spelling stage according to Gentry (1982, as cited by Gipe,

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2010)s developmental perspective. He describes the phonetic stage where learners choose
letters that link in with the sound they think they hear while during the transitional stage the
learners start to visually notice the spelling of words and rely less on the spelling words the
way they sound. Gipe (2010) suggests the following activities for phonetic and transitional
spellers: students should have an environment rich in print and plenty of opportunities to
read, be shown several spelling strategies, word sort lessons. Lith has used word sorts in
his spelling group this year and it has helped him remember some of the spelling patterns
better. Other activities such as word games, say, write, check should also be actively used in
class and at home.
For this writing piece Lith had to make a thinking map first and write Hogarths name in the
middle of the map and then add where, when, what, how, why and who to help him
remember the story. (I have not included the thinking map in the appendix.) Lith used this
map as a reference point during some of his writing. He read the sentence starters and
added his ideas. Once he had finished he read over his work and made some changes.
However he uses mainly the verbs: was and has throughout his writing. Only at the end of
his paragraph did he use laughed and believe. His paragraph shows an understanding of
similes and metaphors and he was able to use them correctly in his writing. This is quite an
achievement for him.
The meaningful reading- writing strategies suggested by Gipe (2010) would be very useful
for Lith in order to increase his understanding of story planning and sentence structure.
Activities such as add a word, stretch a sentence, change a word, change the sentence
and add a paragraph can all be used to help him develop vital writing skills. Using these
activities during mini-lessons would also help me form a clearer picture of where he is at in
his writing and assess the skills he needs to develop as a writer.
Another reading-writing activity that would have been helpful particularly for this writing task
is change a word which checks for students understanding of parts of speech, knowledge of

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synonyms, antonyms and syntax and semantics. The add a paragraph activity assesses
students understanding of basic story features and their relationship. This knowledge gained
from daily, systematic assessments will in turn influence mini-lessons or teacher guided
writing lessons where the focus is on certain aspects of writing that otherwise might be
overlooked by the student. According to Gipe (2010) if a student for example like Lith
consistently forgets to add punctuation or capitals a mini lesson such as teacher dictation
can help the student focus on that particularly area of their writing. If students are having
difficulties with vocabulary then Gipe (2010) suggests rephrasing as a mini lesson to help
students. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) suggest scaffolding and teacher modeling during
lessons so that students become familiar with how and what is important when becoming
better writers.
In future Lith should have writing practice every day whether it is formal structured writing
such as collaborative writing, teacher guided writing and creative writing or informal writing
such as journal, reflective writing or self selected writing to give him opportunities to
experiment and become more confident and comfortable with the writing process (Gipe,
2010). During structured writing Lith should have a mini-lesson first in one of the areas he
struggles with for example punctuation or sentence structure. Then he needs to work on
some examples with teacher guidance before he produces his own pieces of writing.

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Section 4: Graded Word Recognition
For this assignment I used the Bader graded word recognition lists to assess word
recognition for Lith in grade 4 (Bader, 2013, pg.23-24). English is his third language with
Arabic being his mother tongue and Norwegian the language he uses to communicate with
friends. This word recognition test has given me insight into the types of word recognition
errors a student makes according to Bader (2013). The test gave me information about Liths
use of language clues and how well he recognized words.

I handed the graded word lists to Lith one at the time and asked him to read out the
words. I started with list A followed by list B and so on until he made more than four mistakes
in a list. After having read out the words I asked Lith what some of the words meant to
assess vocabulary understanding. Lith was able to read up until list F fairly confidently. The
only word he misread was three and he read this as there. He also paused at the word
here but self-corrected there quickly. This would indicate some difficulty with the th
combination. He pronounced three words differently in list D but this is more to do with
having English as a third language. He makes the typical Norwegian mistake of saying stopped, rather than stopd. He read list E without any problems and started having problems
with list F. When asked the meaning of some of the words he could explain most words up to
list E but not for the final half of words in list F or the words in list G. I ticked the words that
were read correctly with a V and words that were mispronounced with a /. Self-corrections
have been counted as correct. I tried to use the word lists for diagnostic purposes such as
word recognition ability as well (Bader, 2013). Since this was the first time I had applied a
test like this I found it hard to use a more extensive recording system and keep up with Liths
reading so I have used slightly different recording than Bader advises. The reading went
rather fast and it was hard to keep up with every wrong or correct pronunciation.

Liths instructional level according to Bader (2013) would be level 4. The errors occurring
are in polysyllabic words and are phonetic blends, unusual letter combinations and digraphs.

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The words: three, there and here were misread and some self-corrected in the word lists.
These are part of the main sight words and should have been recognized instantly and
effortlessly according to Gipe (2013). Lith would probably have read them correctly in a
sentence and Bader (2013) indicates that this could be a difficulty with word sound-symbol
elements which would make sense as Lith has difficulty hearing sounds and connecting
separate sounds with correct graphemes. Another reason why Lith mixes up some of these
words could be because he is a reluctant reader and when given a choice of what he wants
to read during independent reading time he will not choose a chapter book but rather go for
picture books. This is limiting his expansion of vocabulary. Gipe (2010) stresses that
repetition and practice are crucial for sight vocabulary expansion.

I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well he could read list E and the top half of list
F. This would have been a real struggle last year. It shows me that he has improved in his
reading and I could also see that his confidence has grown during this past year. Seeing the
type of errors he made I will implement some extra practice with the words using h\th
combinations especially as some of these are sight words and should be part of Liths
listening vocabulary (Gipe, 2010). Lith has a basic listening vocabulary in English, words he
hears and understands in spoken language. However his reading vocabulary, the way a
word is pronounced and understood in written form, is much more limited. He has difficulty
remembering new words especially polysyllabic words. He has not added a significant
amount of reading vocabulary to his language while he has been at school which makes
accessing texts appropriate for grade four much more difficult for Lith. For example the
words preparation and curious should be part of Liths reading vocabulary but he could not
explain preparation and explained curious as serious. Again this could be related to his
difficulty with hearing sounds and linking them with graphemes. Lith has not started with
more difficult phonetic blends in spelling lessons so I can see that the words in list F would
have been challenging for him. I also observed that even though he can read many words
from the lists his comprehension is limited to basic vocabulary. However it is much harder

24
for Lith to explain the meaning of individual stand alone words compared to words in a
context where he can use context clues to help him find the meaning of the word.

Gipe (2010) believes that students who have difficulties with word recognition should be
taught a variety of analytic units. He also writes that struggling readers need to know the
meaning of the word for the analysis to be effective pointing out that all the effort trying to
analyze a word in order to be able to read it is pointless if it does not trigger a meaningful
response. This year when doing the spelling lesson with Liths group we have spent time
looking at the new spelling words, making sure we understand the meaning of the words and
give examples of the words in sentences before we look at the patterns and connections
between the different words. Analyzing the spelling patterns each week teaches students a
phonological awareness of how words are made up out of different parts such as syllables,
prefixes, suffixes as well as phonemes which can help them read and understand unknown
words with similar patterns.

This last unit in class I have tried to link unit related words to field trips and hands on
experiences to expand Liths reading vocabulary (Gipe, 2013). We have used word cards to
have repeated practice with the words. For example the new unit related word is written on
one side and the students need to draw a picture with the word and on the other side of the
card they have to write a definition and a sentence in which they have used the new word.
This gives the students multiple ways of using the words, tactile, repetition and visual. It
places the new words in context and helps the students relate the new words to specific clear
examples.

25

26
Section 5: Graded Reader s Passages
The oral graded reader passage I chose for Lith is based on the results from the graded word
list assessment where Lith scored 4.0. The text chosen to start the reading assessment with
is The song of little frog (2 Elementary A, Bader and Pearce, 2010). I told Lith the title of the
story and then asked him a question to assess background knowledge: what did he know
about frogs? He said they were green and swam in a pond. He could not tell me anything
more about a frog. I then moved on and read the motivating statement before asking Lith to
read the text out loud once. I explained that I would ask him some questions afterwards so
he needed to pay attention to what he was reading. Lith started reading out loud, he paused
at the end of the first two sentences then he read through the next two sentences. He read
even paced throughout the whole text. He paused slightly at the word pretty and again at
the second pretty. He lip read the word and then said the word correctly out loud. He also
paused at the words ribbit, ribbit. He tried to pronounce it first to himself before he said it
out loud.
Once he had read the whole story I asked him to retell the story without looking at the text.
Lith said the story was about a frog who only had a house to live in and who wanted to sing
but couldnt sing. Lith left out many details of the text and rushed through his retelling of the
story. I then asked him specific questions as indicated by the graded passage. He answered
the first one right: by a lake. He could not answer the second question about what the frog
owned and not the third question either. He answered the question about how the frog felt
right and said: happy. He had to think a little before answering the next question: what things
were near his house? I think the near threw him a little. He then said flowers. He did not
answer the question about why frog liked birds but could answer the question about what
frog wanted to do: sing like a bird. He also answered the last question correctly. When I
asked Lith why little frog was happy with just a few things, he said he did not know.

27
This text was most suited for Lith as he did not find reading the text stressful or intimidating.
He read independently out loud at a nice pace. I also knew from the previous reading
interest assessment that this text would appeal to him since it is about an animal. I used the
unprepared oral reading condition to save time during testing and this would also give me
information about Liths ability to recognize words and process ideas (Bader and Pearce,
2010).

Lith has come a long way in his reading. He is able to read fairly fluently, knowing

where to pause and is able to recognize words quickly. However he can work on expression
as his reading was rather monotonous. Liths difficulty is in retaining information and making
links within the text.
Bader and Pearce (2010) explain how to use the reading passages assessment for informing
classroom instruction and how teaching in class should address the students strengths and
continue with teaching needed skills. So if I want to address Liths need according to this
assessment I can start by using text material that is about animals and at an easier to read
level. Being able to read out loud fluently without making mistakes boosts his confidence
and gives Lith one less thing to worry about. I can then in class during small group time
focus on comprehension of the text, finding key words, retelling the story in detail, answering
questions. Bader and Pearce (2010) stress that reading material should be at an appropriate
level and matching the students interest. Bader and Pearce (2010) suggest for example
taking a paragraph out of the reading text and covering some of the verbs, the student then
discusses additional verbs that can be used to fit in the blank spaces and still provide
meaning to the sentence. This would be an excellent strategy to use for Lith as he would
have to concentrate on remembering the text and what it meant. He would also expand his
vocabulary by learning synonyms and so on.
Gipe (2010) describes three elements that can influence reading comprehension process:
factors within the reader, factors within the written text, factors within the reading
environment. Lith shows that factors within the reader are affecting him in the reading
comprehension process such as linguistic competence, prior knowledge, ability to recognize

28
text structures. In this text there were some factors within the written text that could have
affected him such as word imagery, sentence structure for example: sentences starting with
still or near could have confused him. One of the factors within the reading environment
affecting him would be ample opportunities to read. Lith was given only one opportunity to
read the text and for him to be able to take in all the details and main elements he needs to
be able to read the text several times. According to Gipe (2010) Lith would be an less skilled
comprehender as they take more time to decode words and tend to read word by word. He
explains that less skilled comprehenders are unaware of reading as a process or unable to
use known concepts or context constraints to construct meaning, may not be aware that
reading increases knowledge and are less proficient at using strategies.

Section 6: Three things I have learned

I learned that developing literacy does not have to be a pen and paper exercise. I was
impressed by the teacher in the video who used words stuck onto Velcro and a board to stick
words and sentences on. This gave the student she was working with opportunities to
communicate. I enjoyed watching the teacher who read out a story and had students acting
out the story as she read it allowing students to use their stronger multiple intelligence to
learn new words and word meanings. I learned that there are two types of vocabulary that
form the key elements of expanding vocabulary: listening and academic vocabulary and how
academic vocabulary needs to taught in a structured way in order to be developed. I have
taken on board the difference between sociolinguistic competence and linguistic competence
and how important this is when working with ESL students. Teachers need to bring in the
students background, culture and previous experiences into class so that learning English
will make more sense to them and they are able to make connections to previous learning.
This module has been a learning curve and I have come away with many new activities and
strategies to use when teaching literacy in class. I understand more clearly how important
differentiation is and finding out where each student is at or what developmental level for

29
English language adaptation they are at in order to adapt the lessons to their specific needs
in literacy.

30
Part 2: Lesson plans
Lesson 1
Name: Dominique Vandevorst

Date: 9.05.2013

Lesson Title Reading fluency and expression

Grade/Subject Area Grade 3 and 4
Brief Lesson Summary: Using a readers theatre script to practice reading fluency and
expression
Established Goals (State / Common Core Standards):

Use a variety of context clues to decode unknown words.

Adjusts speed of reading to suit purpose and difficulty of the material
Use phonetic and structural analysis techniques, syntactic structure and semantic context
to decode unknown words.
Listen to classmates and adults: work cooperatively
Stage 1Desired Results
(What understandings are desired?)

Transfer Goals
Students will be able to independently use their learning to read their part in the readers theatre
with fluency and expression.
Understandings:
Students will understand that
reading with fluency and expression makes the
text more interesting and helps them understand
the text. I want students to read the text
accurately and with appropriate pace and
expression. To give students opportunity to
practice reading aloud so they can become fluid
and expressive.
Students will gain an awareness of punctuation
and how that influences their reading aloud.
Students will learn how to scan ahead for
punctuation marks that give clues to expression.
Students will use a ruler under the line of text to
keep their place.

Meaning
Essential Questions
What essential questions will be considered?
What do good readers do when they are
reading and how do they read?
What can help us become good readers?
How can we become good readers? What do we
need to look out for when reading aloud?

31
Students will read and re-read the text to improve
expression and pace.
Students will use a variety of context clues to
decode unknown words.
Stage Two Assessment Evidence
(Students will need to show their learning by.)
Evaluative Criteria:
Performance is judged in terms of how well students are able to read their part in the play based
on expression and fluency.
Other Evidence (quizzes, tests, prompts, observations, dialogues, work samples, etc.)
There will be a short comprehension quiz at the end of the reading lesson to see whether
students have understood what they are reading. The fairy tale characters in the play are
behaving differently than they would normally in the original stories so it will be easy to see
who has understood the text by the answers they give to the questions.
Listening to each group read their play.
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection
An imaginary measurement line at the front of the class. Where would you put yourself based on
your participation in todays lesson: one end: showed your best, engaged in reading, working well with
group. Other end: off task, distracted, not following lines in the play and so on.
Resources and Materials
Copies of play: Live: Its fairy tale news!
The play has more challenging roles and easier shorter parts according to students
reading level.
Lesson outline:
Introduction:
What do we need to think about when reading aloud in a group?
Write suggestions and ideas on board.
Give some examples and ask students to model some of their ideas.
1st part of the reading task:
Explain the reading task:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Read in role \ same characters groups first: take a highlighter and identify your parts
Then read together each one of your lines in turns until you feel comfortable
Make sure you practice intonation, pauses, expression
Practice with your fairy tale group and make sure you show them how well you have practiced!

Students will be split into 4 groups of 4 students each. They will first meet with the students that have
the same role(s) as themselves before they read the whole play with their own group. Guided reading

32
practice will be provided when the students meet same role groups by assistant and teacher.
2nd part linked to the play and reading task: (this will be in the afternoon on the same day as the
filmed lesson).
Persuasive writing:
Imagine what kinds of commercials might appear during a fairy tale broad cast.
Cinderella might advertize a new kind of unbreakable slipper, Rapunzel may be a
spokesperson for hair products.
Brainstorm a list of fairy tale characters and specific items they are associated with:
Snow white and apples
Cinderella and time \ shoes
Rapunzel
Rumpelstiltskin and gold

Lesson 2
Name: Dominique Vandevorst

Date: 9.05.2013

Lesson Title Reading non-fiction information genre: Inside a rock pool

from the Seashore by Jane Walker
Grade/Subject Area

Grade 3 and 4

Brief Lesson Summary: Using the text to learn the skills of scanning and
skimming and responding creatively to non-fiction text. Reading and
discussing the text for understanding.
Established Goals (State / Common Core Standards):

Read information genre.

Understand and use reference aids such as contents, index and glossary.
Develop reference skills such as scanning and skimming.
Understand how page design is used to present information clearly.
Stage 1Desired Results
(What understandings are desired?)

Transfer Goals
Students will be able to read and comprehend information genre.

Understandings:
Students will be able to demonstrate

Meaning
Essential Questions
What essential questions will be

33
scanning and skimming to find information
quickly.

considered?
How can good readers find information
quickly in a non-fiction text?

Students will be able to understand and

use reference aids such as contents, index
and glossary.

What can help us find information?

What strategies can we use? How does the
page lay-out help us to find information?

Students will understand how page

design is used to present information
clearly.
Stage Two Assessment Evidence
(Students will need to show their learning by.)
Evaluative Criteria:
Performance is judged in terms of how well students are able to find information in
non-fictional texts through skimming and scanning.
Other Evidence (quizzes, tests, prompts, observations, dialogues, work
samples, etc.)
Students will explain how they use skimming and scanning. They will give specific
examples of how they found particular items of information.
Student Self-Assessment and Reflection
An imaginary measurement line at the front of the class. Where would you put
yourself based on your participation in todays lesson: one end: showed your best,
engaged in reading, working well with group. Other end: off task, distracted, not
following lines in the play and so on.
Resources and Materials
Copies of reading comprehension sheet
Copies of scanning and skimming sheet
Copies of the rock pool reading text
Information books on the seashore

Lesson outline:
Introduction:
Read inside a rock pool with children following on their own copies. Discuss lay-out
and vocabulary.

34

Whole class skills work:

Demonstrate the skills of scanning and skimming. Show how we flick through the
pages of a book, scanning quickly the contents, index, chapter or each page, until we find
what we need.
Skim that particular text in more detail to get the gist of the passage.
Demonstrate how to move a finger quickly along a line of text while the eye follows.
Explain that this would be faster than reading. The idea is to look for key words and main
ideas. When we have found what we want, we then re-read that part of the text carefully.
Called intensive reading.
In pairs children will work together on a scanning and skimming exercise for 5-10
minutes. I will observe the pairs and give help where needed. ESL students will be
teamed up with stronger readers.
Differentiated group activities:
1. Do part C of the reading comprehension sheet \ responding creatively to nonfiction using pictures \ poems
2. Page design exercise. Working in pairs.
3. Re-read and discuss text then do part A of the reading comprehension.
(struggling readers group)

Lesson 3
Teacher(s) Name: Dominique Vandevorst
Grade Level(s): grade 3 and grade 4
Title of Lesson: Partner reading.
Content Areas: Reading comprehension
Description/Abstract of lesson: Students practice reading aloud a text or part of a book in
pairs to practice fluency, pace and expression.
Timeline of Lesson: 45 minutes
Established Goals (State / Common Core Standards):

Use a variety of context clues to decode unknown words.

Adjusts speed of reading to suit purpose and difficulty of the material
Use phonetic and structural analysis techniques, syntactic structure and semantic context to
decode unknown words.
Listen to classmates and adults: work cooperatively
Stage 1Desired Results
(What understandings are desired?)
Transfer Goals

Students will gain an awareness of punctuation and how that influences reading aloud.
Students will learn how to scan ahead for punctuation marks that give clues to
expression.
Students will use a ruler under the line of text to keep their place.
Students will read and re-read the text to improve expression and pace.

35
Students will use a variety of context clues to decode unknown words.
Meaning
Essential Questions

Understandings:
Students will understand that

Students would want to know about reading

with fluency and expression because it will
help them to be competent and enjoy
reading and help them become more adept
at reading for meaning. Reading with fluency
and expression will help them in the long
term to access more challenging material.

What do good readers do when they are

reading and how do they read?
What can help us become good readers?
How can we become good readers? What do
we need to look out for when reading aloud?

Stage Two Assessment Evidence

(Students will need to show their learning by.)

STUDENT RUBRIC for self \ ongoing assessment:

A.

Partner reading

What to do:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Section the text into passages you and your partner will each read.
Read the passages silently first. Discuss any words that seem difficult. Try to figure them out.
Decide who will go first. That partner then begins reading aloud. Focus on good expression and pace.
The other partner follows along and listens, giving help, if needed.
Evaluate your reading using the fluency rubric.
Re-read the text.
RUBRIC

Expression and
phrasing

I read with a
flat voice.
I read word by
word.

I read with
some expression.
Some of my reading
sounded like normal
talking.

I read with
expression, changing
my voice to show
meaning. My reading
sounded like normal
talking.

Word accuracy

I did not know

may words that I
tried to read.

I knew many
words but had to
figure out some
words.

I knew most or
all words without
having to work on
them.

Pace

I read slowly. I
had to repeat many
words and phrases.

I read mostly
quickly but had to
slow down or repeat
some words and
phrases.

I read at a good
pace and did not have
to slow down or
repeat very much at
all.

B.

Reading aloud record sheet:

36
Title:_____________________________________________________________
Author:______________________________ Page(s) read: __________________

First Read: Read the text silently first, then read aloud taking turns with your partner. Use the fluency rubric to
evaluate your reading. Circle the numbers to know your scores.

What did you do well?_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
What would you like to work on?_________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Second Read: Read the same text aloud again taking turns with your partner. Use the fluency rubric to evaluate
this reading. Circle the numbers in a different color to show your scores.

How have you improved?_______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
Explain a new reading goal?_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Evaluative Criteria: RUBRICS \ Record sheet

I will know students have reached lesson goals by looking at their individual recording
sheets and by meeting them in pairs throughout the lesson(s) to hear them read and discuss
how they got on.
Student pairs can use online recording programs such as Audacity to record their reading
then listen to themselves and help each other evaluate their reading using the rubric. They
can then read the text again while recording themselves and checking whether they have
improved their reading pace, expression and word accuracy.
Lesson outline:

HOOK: We will listen to a short passage read by an author from talking books
As a class we will sit in our reading corner and start by looking at the question: What
makes a good reader? We will do a brainstorm together. This will help me have a fairly good

37
idea who remembers the strategies we can use to be good readers and who I will need to
spend extra time with once the students start their reading task. We will discuss how a good
reader uses expression, good pace and fluency when reading aloud and how this will help
them understand the text. We will revise punctuation and what it means using a visual
picture on the smart board.
I will read a short passage from a book and model different ways of reading aloud, one
without expression, no regards for punctuation, pace or fluency and one with.
I will model with a student how we can partner read by taking turns, using a ruler to follow
along, by re-reading passages and by helping each other evaluate their reading.
Then I will explain the partner reading task to students and assign partners. Struggling
readers are paired with slightly stronger readers. I will model how to fill in the rubric and how
students can answer the recording sheet.
I will circulate in class, observe students and offer individual and pairs remediation. I will
work with different pairs, listening to them read aloud.
At the end of the lesson we will meet as a group and I will ask a few pairs if they can
share their experience with the wider group.
Students will read a text or passage from a book in pairs. Then students will self-assess
using the rubric and recording sheet. They can check with their partner whether they have
evaluated themselves properly.
Some students will be able to record their reading using Audacity. If time allows they can
download the recording onto their blog page to refer back to later in the year.
Students will build knowledge and skills while I model together with the whole class how
to be good readers.
Next students will practice these skills with their partners and after that will once more
practice these skills with either myself or teacher assistant when evaluating how they got on.
I will also ask a few pairs to present their reading in front of class.
Students will show they manage this task by completing the rubric and recording sheet.
The lesson is challenging in that texts are leveled at each readers reading level. The
topic is related to current unit of inquiry. Students will be using various different learner
profiles such as reading, writing, recording their voices using digital technology and perhaps
presenting their reading in front of class.

Resources and Materials

If I am using Audacity then I will need to set up some computers and perhaps have those
students read in a different room with a classroom assistant in order for the recording to work
well.
Using the Audacity program will help so that I can listen to the recordings afterwards and
evaluate students reading. Students can also compare the two different readings and see
whether they are making good changes to their reading aloud. They can save the readings
onto their blog page and come back to this task later on in the year to check whether they
have improved or not.

38

I will need reading material appropriate for different levels. I will use www.readingaz.com.
Copies of rubric and reading record sheet

39
Part 3: Reflection
This course module has made it much clearer to me what is important and when and how
students learn and develop literacy skills. Literacy according to Gipe (2009) involves
reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, visually representing and thinking (pg3). A
childs early literacy experiences create the basis for success later on. I found Gardners
ideas about multiple intelligence interesting and challenging (as in Gipe, 2009). He proposes
that each person has eight intelligences and depending on their cultural background,
opportunities and individual decisions made by themselves or others throughout their
childhood some of these intelligences will be activated more strongly than the others. The
eight intelligences are linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic,
interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist. Accepting and understanding this theory has a big
impact on my role as a teacher. It shows that each student is unique with their own natural
strengths and preferences and would benefit from different ways to literacy especially if they
are struggling with any aspect of literacy. According to Gipe (2009) if educators recognize
and allow for multiple intelligences to take a more prominent role in the way literacy is
presented and taught to children they will in turn be able to show their learning and
understanding in different ways. What Gipe (2009) suggests is when students are struggling
with literacy tasks educators can capitalize on the intelligences in which students show
strengths and use these to enhance the underdeveloped linguistic intelligence. Gipe (2009)
emphasizes that teachers need to take time getting to know their students which will help
identify areas of strength and need for individual students. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010)
also put forward that teachers need to address the learning needs of all students.
I found the information and various literacy assessment tests provided by to Bader and
Pearce (2008) helpful to see where the student I worked with during this module is at. I had
never used these tests before and it took a little bit of time to get used to the format. In
future I will use these tests to assess new students in class and struggling reader\writers in
class. Some of the information in Bader and Pearce (2008) is about challenges struggling

40
readers will encounter for example with phonemic awareness: the understanding that words
consist of sequence of phonemes. Phonemic manipulation: blending of sounds to produce a
word, and being able to decode words. Letter knowledge: recognition, identification and
reproduction. Phonics and the grapheme- phoneme correspondence which helps readers
analyze and read words they do not recognize and the structural analysis of words. If
students struggle in one or more of these areas it will affect their literacy skills greatly. It will
hold them back when moving up through the grades in which material they are able to
access for different subjects. How far they can take their learning and how well they will be
able to communicate their learning to others.

Gipe (2009) writes that students who are afforded varied ways of interrelating new
information and concepts with previously acquired background knowledge, or schemata, will
have greater opportunities to reach their fullest potential (pg20). This confirmed my view
that students who are given many opportunities to express themselves through different
media will have better retention and better literacy development.
I was interested to read and find out about social language competence which according to
Gipe (2010) is the use of language to get things done or to reach a particular goal. This
includes language functions, ability to use language for communicative aims, narrative
abilities and style shifting and social interaction. Social language is used for functional
purposes in different social situations. According to Gipe (2010) social language competence
is vital for language and literacy acquisition but even more so for diverse learners. One of the
perspectives explained in Gipe (2010) emphasizes the socio-cultural and sociolinguistic
nature of human communication. According to this perspective language is learned through
social interactions and by using language in situated contexts to accomplish functions. When
teaching language according to this perspective, students would acquire language skills by
using oral and written language in authentic settings. Through acquisition of language this
way the student is able to use language skills within his own environment and cultural

41
background and apply them during new language learning. Enright and McCloskey (1988 in
Gipe, 2010) say that language learning involves four different types of discourse: fun, fact,
share and thought discourse. Cummins (1994 in Gipe, 2010) puts forward that second
language learners also need to acquire academic language competencies in both oral and
written language. He says that it can take between five to seven years for second language
learners to acquire academic language competence. Academic language is an
understanding of instructional literacy to gain knowledge and information (Gipe, 2010).
The difference in how long it takes for second language learners to develop social language
competence and academic language competence can have a big impact on a students
learning development. A student can be able to get by in everyday life with social language
competency but if the academic language does not develop at a similar speed the student is
going to fall behind academically in class. This will influence his grades and confidence as a
learner which in turn will influence his willingness to develop language acquisition. When
doing the various tests with Lith I became more aware of Liths social and academic
development. He could read some harder texts but when trying to explain some of the words
he struggled. He can manage to communicate in classroom but his academic language
development has been very slow.
According to Gipe (2010) the diversity-related principle can be explained as differences do
exist and need to be considered by teachers (pg. 56). The differences can exist between the
learners language and the text, between the learners language and that of the teacher,
between the text and the teacher, and between the learner and other learners in a
multicultural classroom community (pg. 56, Gipe, 2010). However it is up to the teacher to
minimize this impact when guiding learners in their development of literacy.
Some of the activities or suggestions Gipe (2010) puts forward to help students develop
literacy skills I have already been using in class and it was good to see confirmed through
the reading that what I have been doing is right. I have used the design literature-based

42
instruction for developing language competence principle (Gipe, 2010) within my
classroom. Usually during a unit of inquiry I will try and find a song that relates to the unit. We
will practice it at the start of the unit with the lyrics visual on the smart board and students
take home a copy to practice. We then sing the song as often as we can. This helps the
second language students with pronunciation and fluency. In the past we tended to use
reading material that had a strong Western base while over the last few years we have
bought a number of story books by a much more diverse range of authors from all over the
world. This helps second language students identify with the ideas in the stories. There is a
familiarity to the story, the pictures and the moral behind the story. It also gives students
opportunities to share their experiences, their knowledge and their cultural background with
the rest of the class. We use the stories as whole class reading books or in literature circles,
as individual reading books and so on. Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) suggest that to make
sure all students feel included and are part of the interaction in class teachers need to be
proactive in giving them precise and specific strategies to help them in certain situations. For
the second language learner teachers should provide diagrams and images to help students
understand thought processes before giving them the text material. This will give them a
better understanding of the text when they start reading it. This would link in well with
tightening the gap between social and academic language development and competency.
The reading for this module about word recognition challenged my thinking and I realized
that even though I have weekly spelling groups in class where we look at patterns and
categories I have not spent sufficient time in class on this important part of literacy
development. Word recognition is an interaction between the process of figuring out words
that are unknown in print and the products of instruction, such as individual word parts (Gipe,
2010). It is important that words become or are part of a students listening vocabulary and
also to extent students sight word vocabulary. Student with reading difficulties often need
direct instruction to help with the parts where reading progress and strategy break
down. Students should be taught independent word analyzing strategies to help them read

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and comprehend what they are reading. I will definitely make sure that this area will be more
regularly implemented in day to day lessons. The activities and strategies in Gipe (2010) are
very helpful and easy to implement.
Reading fluency includes rate or pace, smoothness with accuracy and reading with
expression, intonation and phasing. Story books, poems, song lyrics and nursery rhymes
according to Gipe (2010) are excellent to promote reading fluency from a young age. This
can be done with the help of the teacher. After modeling the reading, students read the story
or rhymes themselves using similar rate, pace, expression and intonation. The teacher and
students can start off reading in unison. The neurological impress method (NIM) advocates
that the teacher sits slightly behind the student on the right side so they are able to read into
the students ear. This will allow the student to hear the teacher clearly and follow the
teachers reading. Buddy reading is a variety on the NMI method. Audio books are also very
useful for improving reading fluency according to Gipe (2010) as they provide opportunities
for the student to follow and read along with the reader. This method frees up the teacher to
work with other students. I have used buddy reading and choral reading in class for those
students who have difficulties with reading fluency. I noticed that using a rubric and goal
setting before and after buddy or choral reading helped students increase their reading
fluency and helped them to focus on specific elements they had difficulty with during their
reading. For example if a student has difficulty with intonation they would set themselves a
goal during their reading time to focus on intonation and their partner would check. With
students who needed extra support with reading fluency I would do small group or one to one
reading work. I would model strategies and then we would practice together straight away. By
slowing students down in their reading and having one to one instruction students are able to
make progress more rapidly. However this does not happen as often as I would like. We do
not have specialized reading instructors at our school at the moment so remedial work has to
be done in class.

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Gipe (2010) explains that reading and writing are naturally linked as both are thinking,
meaning making processes (pg. 163). According to Gipe (2010) each supports,
complements, and contributes to the others development (pg163). Reading does not
precede writing and writing helps reading development. In order for students to be able to
write about a variety of topics they need to be able to read. To be able to edit their writing
they need to be able to carefully read their work. Through their writing students construct
knowledge about language conventions. According to research when students write often in
class their reading levels go up (Gipe, 2010). Reading and writing develop simultaneously
and concurrently. Gipe (2010) advocates that especially struggling students should be
provided with many opportunities to write and observe others write. Students develop as
good writers if they are provided with meaningful writing experiences where students feel
safe to take risks and experiment and where writing is used to communicate meaning.
Tomlinson and Imbeau (2010) stress that teachers need to think beyond the groupthink and
look at students as individuals. This will maximize the capacity of the learner. When thinking
about reading and writing it is important that teachers understand and recognize that
students progress at different speeds and at different levels. Knowing where a student is at in
terms of writing ability helps the teacher plan specific lessons and strategies for that student
to develop.
Overall this course module has given me food for thought and I will definitely be using many
of the strategies and ideas to help me differentiate literacy teaching in class so that each
student will grow and develop as a reader and writer. The reading and videos made me
aware of how students develop as readers and writers and what the key elements are for
successful progress.

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References:

Bader, L. & Pearce, D. (2008). Bader reading & language inventory (6th ed.). New York:
Prentice Hall.

Gipe, J. P. (2009). Multiple paths to literacy: Assessment and differentiated instruction for
diverse learners, K-12 (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN-10:
0136100813
Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2010). Leading and managing a differentiated
classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.