Sara Rose

Assessment is the first step in reading instruction. Before I am able to effectively teach a student, I must be aware of what he already knows as well as his specific areas of struggle. Assessment should be done using a research-based method such as DIBELS. This becomes the basis for literacy instruction. Assessment is not, however, a one-time thing. Assessment must continue regularly because learning is a live process. Planning for lessons must include information gained from assessment. I will use my professional knowledge of students strengths and weaknesses to create and differentiate Common Core State Standard aligned lessons. Each lesson must contain a clear learning target to keep me and my students on track, and I must have a clearly defined plan for supporting lower level students while still providing a challenge for gifted and more advanced students. Instruction will take many forms but is centered around the Big 5 of reading which are: phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. Each exercise will be designed toward one or more of these components of literacy. My classroom will be a literacy-rich environment where reading (aloud and silently) will always be encouraged and used as a reward never a punishment. This promotes positive attitudes towards reading. Showcasing a variety of genres and topics is useful in appealing to many types of students and readers. Because reading is much more interesting if a student has a particular desire to learn more about a specific topic, providing a variety of books can help a student discover his or her own realm of interest and hook him into reading initially. Later a students interests and, effectively, his love of literacy can be gradually expanded. Technology can be an extremely effective tool to reach a disinterested or low-motivated student. Learning is easily disguised through highly-engaging activities, and students typically receive immediate feedback. Technology is also highly universal and caters to students of all backgrounds. I will include a wide variety of content and genres in my classroom book selection to foster in my students an appreciation for and a connection with cultures, lifestyles, and religious backgrounds other than their own. I will welcome parental involvement in the classroom and strongly promote parental support as an extension of the classroom in the form of reading with their child, asking questions about the reading, and helping their child to practice spelling and writing. As a professional devoted to learning, I am committed to my own professional development and will attend reading instruction workshops, take courses, and keep up-to-date on creative and innovative research-based methods of reading instruction.