This is incredibly well stated and I could not agree more. Lori
----- Original message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Date: Sunday, 2007, 23 Of December 05:41 Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Special Education Reading Programs > Here is my take on this question. There is no one program that will meet > the needs for all of your students. Currently, one third of my 6th grade > resource reading skills are struggling to decode very simple words yet their > comprehension is great. Another third are great at decoding but struggle > with > fluency and comprehension and the remaining third have some basic skills in > al > areas but lack motivation to make great strives in reading even though all > of > them have the potential. > > I have tried lots of programs. Some of them include, Edmark, SRA, Direct > Instruction, Barnell Loft, Houghton Mifflin, Susan Barton, Reading Counts, > Wilson, and many, many more. Most of tem help a certain group of students > but > none of them help them all. > > We have to meet the needs of the individual students wherever and whatever > they may be. I don't believe there is a canned program around that can do > that. What works best for me after almost 34 years of teaching is using > authentic texts that grade students interest and then help plug in the gaps > for > individual students. For example, in January, we will begin a biography > unit > starting with Lance Armstrong because I know that all my students have > schema > for bike riding. WE will start out using the short text from ZB's Read for > Real as a whole class read aloud and then we will have word study, partner > read, and writing to compliment this study based on the needs of the > students. > WE will break into small groups and have students do further research and > our > culminating activity will be a revised version of the old game show To Tell > The Truth where each group of students selects one team member to be Lance > Armstrong and one student to be on a panel of judges. Each team submits a > battery of questions and the team that produces the most authentic Lance > Armstrong > will win some sort of predetermined prizes. But throughout the journey - > each child has been working on his or her particular needs using whatever > modality is most usable for him or her. > > Canned programs are easier for the teacher but not the best avenues for > unique individuals. Sorry this is so long but I had to say my peace. > > > June SPED Resource / 6 KY > > > > > > > > **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes > (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004) > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
